Patents Examined by James Vezeris
  • Patent number: 8504464
    Abstract: A method for facilitating freight shipment between a first geographic location and a second geographic location is disclosed. The method comprising displaying in a first data section of a browser window derivative contract data pertaining to shipment capacity offered by carriers between the first geographic location and the second geographic location, the derivative contract data being associated with at least shipping mode. The method further comprising displaying in a second data section of a browser window forecast data pertaining to demand forecasts between the first geographic location and the second geographic location, the forecast data being provided by shippers, the second data section being configured to be viewed simultaneously with said first data section, the browser window being configured to be accessible via a computer network. The method further comprising receiving shipper assessment of accuracy of the forecast data from the shippers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Future Freight Corporation
    Inventors: Pierre L. Laurent, Petere Miner
  • Patent number: 8498924
    Abstract: A method of providing an account is provided. The method includes receiving identification information associated with a user during a communication session and communicating a request for credit information, the request including at least a portion of the identification information. The requested credit information is received and an account is approved and opened based at least on the received credit information. During the communication session, a request made using the opened account to place a first order to trade a first product is received. A risk value for the first order is determined. One or more current balances for the account are also determined. The method further includes determining whether to approve the first order based at least on the risk value determined for the first order and one or more of the current balances for the account, and if the first order is approved, placing the first order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Cantor Index LLC
    Inventors: Dominic Crosthwaite, Lewis C. Findlay
  • Patent number: 8484113
    Abstract: System(s) and method(s) to incentivize adoption of time-dependent customized insurance benefit(s) are provided. A provider of insurance benefit(s) incentivizes adoption of the insurance benefit(s) in exchange for knowledge of operation characteristics of an insured entity. Knowledge is cumulative and collected from the insured entity and environment in which the entity operates. Incentivation is accomplished at least in part through generation of incentive offer(s) based on available knowledge, which is associated with an operator of the insured entity rather than with the entity itself. The operator can regulate the scope of exchanged knowledge, and received incentive offer(s) and related content. Incentive offer(s) can be directed to provision of insurance benefit coverage that is adequate to current or nearly current operation condition(s); discounted real-time or nearly real-time insurance benefits; or subsidized service(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Great Lakes Incubator, LLC
    Inventors: Fred Collopy, Craig Allen Nard, Himanshu S. Amin, Gregory Turocy, Seyed Vahid Sharifi Takieh, Ronald Charles Krosky, David Noonan, Gustavo Arnaldo Narvaez, Brian Asquith
  • Patent number: 8484094
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems directed to deriving optimal parameters of a learning algorithm to maximize an objective function of online keyword auctions for bidded terms. Some embodiments of the invention simulate online keyword auctions based on historical data for the bidded terms, wherein the parameters of the simulated auctions such as market reserve prices of the bidded terms are determined by an adaptive learning algorithm. The values of the parameters of the learning algorithm are optimized by a stochastic optimization method to maximize an objective function for the auctions of the bidded terms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventor: Kerem Tomak
  • Patent number: 8478673
    Abstract: Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Private equity firms and other investors of small businesses can use the CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to more accurately evaluate small and privately held companies, both during investment and for evaluating prospective investments. Over-the-counter securities trading systems can also use this modeling approach to provide more accurate information and/or rankings of listed companies to their customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Kathleen Haggerty, Charles Christopher Lyon, Benedict O. Okoh, Robert E. Phelan, Jon Kevin Ruterman, Geraldine A. Turner, Chao M. Yuan, Arnab Biswas
  • Patent number: 8458095
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, a system comprises an interface and one or more processors. The interface receives a request for a transaction from a primary user of a financial account. The processor(s) determine rules associated with the primary user. The rules indicate whether an administrator has authorized the primary user to make the transaction, and at least one of the rules includes comparing a location associated with the request to one or more approved locations from which the primary user is authorized to make the transaction. The processor(s) process the transaction according to the rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Typrin, Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8458094
    Abstract: According to one or more aspects, financial transactions may be conducted using a financial card product, such as a charge card secured through a security interest in an asset. The asset may be the available balance in an interest-bearing checking account (e.g., a DDA account), a brokerage account, or other type of account that may hold funds/assets. The available balance may be monitored in real-time (or near real-time) such that the available spending limit on the secured charge card may be floating (e.g., dynamic). In one example, backend systems may be configured to monitor in real-time an available balance in security accounts in order to prevent spending over the amount of secured funds. In addition, in some examples, more than one account may be associated with a secured charge card such that the total spending limit on the card is greater. The total spending limit may be calculated through arithmetic (e.g., sum) of the available balance of each of the associated accounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventor: James K. Macklin
  • Patent number: 8452621
    Abstract: A system, method and computer readable storage medium for receiving, from a user, a selection of a model to perform a loss reserve calculation, receiving, from the user, a selection of actual data directly from a workbook of a spreadsheet application to be input into the model selected to perform the loss reserve calculation, performing a model fitting calculation based on the model selected and the actual data to generate model fitted results, performing a plurality of simulations, wherein each simulation is based on the model fitted results and random re-sampling with replacement for the actual data and generating loss reserve statistics based on the plurality of simulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC.
    Inventors: Weng Kah Leong, Stephen Lienhard, Seth Shenghit, Blake Berman
  • Patent number: 8442904
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for determining implied orders in an electronic trading system is provided. The method comprises receiving a first set of one or more real orders, wherein the orders are not tradable against each other. One or more implied orders are identified within the first set of real orders. Market data corresponding to the implied orders can also be identified. At least one additional order is received and the tradability of the additional order is determined against the real or implied orders within the first set of real orders. A resting set of orders is determined from those real and implied orders within the first set of orders not affected by the tradability of the additional order. Implied orders are determined from within the set of resting orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Ferguson Milne, Aleksandr Sedlin
  • Patent number: 8433643
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system and non-transitory machine-readable medium are provided for declining auctions with interest bidding. According to one embodiment, offers are received from respective bidders in a bid receiving process to transact a financial instrument, the offers being expressed as offered interest rates at which the corresponding respective bidders are willing to transact the financial instrument. The bid receiving process is utilized in a declining auction characterized by a reducing a published interest rate at which the financial instrument is offered for sale. The reducing of the published interest rate is performed automatically and responsive to a lack of bidding activity. Further there is a determining whether at least one of the offers satisfies transaction criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Watt, II, Matthew F. Ackley, William J. Cornell
  • Patent number: 8423450
    Abstract: A method of processing data in connection with a security is provided. The security is collateralized by a plurality of home mortgage loans or by portions of the plurality of home mortgage loans. The method comprises generating payment projections regarding principal and interest payment projections for the plurality of home mortgage loans; determining that the payment projections have errors; and modifying loan characteristic data to eliminate errors in the loan characteristic data that cause errors in the payment projections. According to another embodiment, a method comprises receiving payment data regarding the plurality of loans a plurality of times separated by a plurality of days during the reporting cycle. Each time the payment data is received, the payment data is processed and the opportunity to make corrections is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Fannie Mae
    Inventors: Dror Oppenheimer, Maryann Bastnagel, William P. Nixon, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8423452
    Abstract: A computer-assisted method for alerting a user of a potential negative balance condition in a financial account. The method includes estimating a future account balance of the financial account and determining whether the future account balance will be a negative value. The method also includes generating for display, in a graphical format, an alert to the user that signifies when the future account balance is the negative value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Ley, Bryan L. Mackrell, Thomas E. Kunz, Rodney H. Monson, Hyun J. Ko, Michael A. Chapman, Mark A. Jones
  • Patent number: 8417602
    Abstract: Managing risks of crop production can be performed by understanding the relative performance of different agricultural inputs under the same or similar environmental conditions. In addition, managing of crop production risks can be performed by understanding variations in the performance of the same agricultural inputs over a range of environmental conditions. By being able to describe and understand these variations in performance, decisions can be made which are consistent with overall business and/or production objectives and limit risk associated with variations in environmental conditions. In addition to producers there are other stakeholders in the crop production process, such as financial institutions, insurance providers, users of crops produced, and input suppliers. These and other stakeholders can provide financial incentives to producers for managing crop production risks through use of environmental classification and/or genotype-by-environment information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald P. Avey, Phillip Lee Bax, Richard Glenn Brooke, David S. Ertl, Joseph K. Gogerty, David J. Harwood, Michael J. Lauer, Terry Eu Claire Meyer, Todd A. Peterson
  • Patent number: 8401944
    Abstract: A hierarchal view preserving relationships between data is generated by storing information related to sales and investment. The information includes dimensions and each of the dimensions includes a level and each of the levels is described by variables. Relationships between the variables are also stored. A request for a hierarchy is received. The requested hierarchy includes a set of dimensions from the stored dimensions, a level for each dimension in the set, and a sequence of the dimensions or levels in the hierarchy. A computer system calculates values for the variables in the levels for the requested hierarchy using the stored relationships that are applicable to the variables in the levels. A view of the hierarchy is generated and includes the calculated values. The view also includes the dimensions or levels of the requested hierarchy in the sequence specified for the requested hierarchy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Andris Umblijs, Janmesh Dev Srivastava, Rahul Mahajan, Prarthna Agarwal Goel, Varun Rastogi, Chao Wang
  • Patent number: 8396779
    Abstract: A machine and method including a computer configured to generate and display multiple computer screens. A first computer receives data representing a first component of property and a second component of the property from at least one other computer, the property being a fixed-income asset, and is programmed to manipulate the data to generate one yield/discount rate for the first component and another yield/discount rate for the second component and to display the one yield/discount rate on a monitor in a first computer screen generated by the first computer and the other yield/discount rate on a monitor in one of the first computer screen and another computer screen generated by the first computer, and to compute purchase prices for the components in consummating a sale and corresponding purchase of the first component to one buyer and a sale and corresponding purchase of the second component to another buyer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Graff/Ross Holdings LLP
    Inventor: Richard A. Graff
  • Patent number: 8392331
    Abstract: According to one or more aspects, financial transactions may be conducted using a financial card product, such as a hybrid secured credit card that permits transactions up to a predetermined total credit limit, and then allows transactions in excess using a security interest in assets. The asset may be the available balance in an interest-bearing checking account (e.g., a DDA account), a brokerage account, or other type of account that may hold funds/assets. The available balance of the asset(s) may be monitored in real-time (or near real-time) such that the available spending limit on the hybrid secured credit card may be floating (e.g., dynamic). In one example, backend systems may be configured to monitor in real-time an available balance in security accounts in order to prevent spending over the amount of secured funds. In addition, in some examples, more than one account may be associated with the card such that the total spending limit on the card is greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Stephen Ross, James K. Macklin, Hans Dirk Schumacher, David Neil Joffe
  • Patent number: 8386352
    Abstract: A method for preparing a financial statement for a member of a group of members participating in a community system. The method includes submitting a request to the community system for an accounting adjustment rule. The request includes an attribute of the member, an adjustment rule type, and an account of a general ledger of the member. The accounting adjustment rule is used to adjust a trial balance of the general ledger, obtaining the accounting adjustment rule from the community system based on the request, making an adjustment in the account based on the accounting adjustment rule to obtain an adjusted trial balance, validating the adjusted trial balance of the general ledger subsequent to making the adjustment, and preparing the financial statement for the member upon validating the adjusted trial balance. The accounting adjustment rule is contributed to the community system by at least one of the group of members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventor: Patanjali Bhatt
  • Patent number: 8380544
    Abstract: A “legacy life” component to a life insurance policy. An insured may protect his/her descendents by applying for a life insurance policy that provides for subsequent life insurance for the descendents as part of the death benefit provided by the life insurance policy. The “legacy life” policy may have different underwriting procedures in place and/or a lower premium than comparable coverage policies as a portion of the policy death benefit payout would be withheld to fund the descendent life insurance policy. As such, the legacy life insurance policy may produce the subsequent life insurance policy as a fully-funded derivative policy at payout. Because the original policy does not payout the full face value as a cash death benefit, the derivative policy maximizes a float for the insurance provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventor: John Chandler Hopkins, III
  • Patent number: 8380601
    Abstract: A system for and method of tracking a loan from a pool of assets is presented. The pool of assets may be legally owned by a single entity, but with separate individual investors owning an economic beneficial interest in a portion of the pool. The system and method provide a technique that allows for tax transparency for income generated by loans of such individual investor's associated assets. Moreover, the system and method allow for the separate individual investors to be domiciled in different tax jurisdictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Matthew Bax, Gary Plummer, Danielle Rumore, Andy Hill
  • Patent number: 8380619
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a computer implemented method for automatically modifying the terms of a plurality of mortgages within a portfolio of mortgages, such that, monthly payments for the plurality of mortgages are reduced. The method includes calculating a current net present value for each of the mortgages in the portfolio of mortgages. The method also includes calculating a plurality of future net present values for each of the mortgages in the portfolio, each future net present value corresponding to one set of modified loan terms. The method also includes selecting the largest calculated future net present value. The method also includes automatically modifying the loan terms of each of the plurality of mortgages where the largest future net present value is greater than the current net present value. Loan terms are modified to correspond to the modified loan terms resulting in the largest net present value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: HSBC Finance Corporation
    Inventors: Grant F. Miles, Shelley C. Turner, Richard M. Bair, Roy M. Witt, Peter A. Sesterhenn, Manping Wang, Jin Peng, Yew-Young Loo, Ozgen Sayginsoy, Michael A. Beene, Nikhil N. Mehra, Ian J. Rehmert