Patents Examined by Jason Dunham
  • Patent number: 8762217
    Abstract: A method of searching an electronic commerce website includes searching a plurality of user profiles based upon a user-supplied search query for an item, establishing an interactive online session between the user and the at least one search facilitator, and providing for the at least one search facilitator to present one or more suggested item listings to a user through the electronic commerce website. The searching identifies at least one search facilitator profile among the plurality of user profiles. The search facilitator profile represents a search facilitator who can assist the user in locating the item within the electronic commerce website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Etsy, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Kalin
  • Patent number: 8721706
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for receiving a parameter relating to a specific patient and for configuring a stent with a flow occlusion portion in response to receiving the parameter relating to the specific patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Edward K. Y. Jung, Robert Langer, Eric C. Leuthardt, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Clarence T. Tegreene, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8719105
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a website user behavioral portrait based on navigation on the website and dynamically reconfiguring web pages based on those portraits. In accordance with the method, data relating to the progress of a user through a website is recorded, and an ongoing behavioral portrait of the user is built based on the data. The portrait is then used to dynamically reconfigure web content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: 7 Billion People, Inc.
    Inventors: William Charles Minnis, Mark Nagaitis, Trevor Pokorney, Richard Cowin, Brian Gugliemetti, Steven Miers, Eric Schank
  • Patent number: 8712862
    Abstract: Images are analyzed by programmatic mechanisms for accessing one or more remote web pages to retrieve content on display at the remote web pages. The retrieved images may be analyzed to determine information about an object shown in a corresponding image of the content on display. At least a portion of the object shown in the corresponding image of the content on display may be made selectable and associated with the determined information. This determined information may subsequently be used, in for example, search applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Salih Burak Gokturk, Dan Chiao, Jacquie Phillips, Mark Moran, Vincent Vanhoucke, Azhar Khan, Xiaofan Lin, Munjal Shah, Andrew Miller, Navneet Dalal, Diem Vu
  • Patent number: 8706559
    Abstract: A method and system for issuing and activating a contactless transaction card is provided. The method uses a server system coupled to a database. The method includes providing a promotional transaction card including a proof of purchase identifier to a consumer, receiving a request message for ordering a contactless transaction card for the consumer wherein the request message includes the proof of purchase identifier and consumer registration data, validating the request message, issuing an inactive contactless transaction card to the consumer including a product identifier and an activation number, storing the product identifier and the activation number in the database, receiving the product identifier and the activation number from a client computer system, and activating the inactive contactless transaction card after the server system verifies that the received product identifier and activation number match the stored product identifier and activation number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventor: Deborah M. Kimberg
  • Patent number: 8700478
    Abstract: A game apparatus executes an application loaded from a storage section, and generates an application information frame that contains most-recently-used app ID information that is identification information of the executed application. Then, the game apparatus transmits the application information frame to another game apparatus. The game apparatus receives, from the other game apparatus, most-recently-used app ID information that identifies an application executed by the other game apparatus. The game apparatus displays the received most-recently-used app ID information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenta Kubo, Yusuke Akifusa, Ryutaro Takahashi, Kouichi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 8688542
    Abstract: Method and system to manage a bid tracking database are disclosed herein. At least one bid record is received at an interface, the at least one bid record comprising a bid price, a bid timestamp, and a bid item identifier. Receiving at least one auction record at the interface, the at least one auction record comprising a winning price, an end timestamp, and an auction item identifier corresponding to the bid item identifier. Maintaining the at least one bid record and the at least one auction record in a memory. Determining whether the bid price matches or exceeds the winning price and whether the bid timestamp matches the end timestamp. When the determination is affirmative, writing the bid record to the bid tracking database maintained in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Jalal Besharati, Ankur Aggarwal
  • Patent number: 8688534
    Abstract: The techniques introduced here provide a method of gathering ecommerce data. The techniques described here allow a system to return information about a product from several non-related ecommerce sites in response to a single search query. Using the techniques described here, a data mining system determines from the search query a product ID and retrieves from a database one or more product links that correspond to the product ID. Using the product links retrieved from the database, the data mining system traverses the links and parses the web-pages corresponding each of the links to determine up to date product information. The product information can then be returned to the application that initiated the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Reno Acquisitions, LLC
    Inventors: Kristopher Kubicki, Lawrence Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8682741
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a website user behavioral portrait based on navigation on the website and dynamically reconfiguring web pages based on those portraits. In accordance with the method, data relating to the progress of a user through a website is recorded, and an ongoing behavioral portrait of the user is built based on the data. The portrait is then used to dynamically reconfigure web content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: 7 Billion People, Inc.
    Inventors: William Charles Minnis, Mark Nagaitis, Trevor Pokorney, Richard Cowin, Brian Gugliemetti, Steven Miers, Eric Schank
  • Patent number: 8682710
    Abstract: A method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The programming instructions are operable to at least one of receive and assess current technology adoption trends. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to provide a technology adoption forecast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Dennard, James R. Rudd, Robert J. Torres, Matthew B. Trevathan
  • Patent number: 8671007
    Abstract: A method for managing projects in a software factory is presented. A project management tool includes an end-to-end project plan for a project to create a software product by using a software factory in a global delivery network. A status block is appended to a work packet that is utilized when executing the project. After initiating the project, an alert is automatically triggered whenever the execution status of the work packet changes. The alert is transmitted to the project management tool to update a project schedule for the project, such that a completion status of the end-to-end project plan reflects a status of a project schedule for the project described by the end-to-end project plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jarir K. Chaar, Joseph P. Huchel, Thomas A. Jobson, Jr., Daniel V. Oppenheim, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Patent number: 8666835
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a website user behavioral portrait based on navigation on the website and dynamically reconfiguring web pages based on those portraits. In accordance with the method, data relating to the progress of a user through a website is recorded, and an ongoing behavioral portrait of the user is built based on the data. The portrait is then used to dynamically reconfigure web content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: 7 Billion People, Inc.
    Inventors: William Charles Minnis, Mark Nagaitis, Trevor Pokorney, Richard Cowin, Brian Gugliemetti, Steven Miers, Eric Schank
  • Patent number: 8660878
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product assigns work to a software factory for implementing a project. A project model of a project is generated. Project model subcomponents are mapped to work packets that are available to a software factory, thus leading to the generation of a work plan for performing the project via an execution of the available work packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fausto Bernardini, Jarir K. Chaar, Yi-Min Chee, Krishna C. Ratakonda
  • Patent number: 8660877
    Abstract: Technician control, in which a control system is configured to control scheduling and dispatch operations for work orders being handled by technicians. Multiple technician devices are each associated with one or more technicians, are configured to communicate, over a network, with the control system, and also are configured to provide output in response to communications that are received from the control system and that are related to the scheduling and dispatch operations performed by the control system. A set of scheduling configuration options may be pre-defined and user input weighting at least one of the scheduling configuration options relative to other of the scheduling configuration options may be received. A scheduling application used by the control system to perform scheduling operations may be configured based on configuration data that reflects the weighting and scheduling operations may be performed using the configured scheduling application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Clarence Mitchell, Ankur Mathur
  • Patent number: 8655683
    Abstract: A contents estimating system and method for providing an estimate of the cost of settling an insurance claim which includes a server having an embedded program compiled on the server and embedded in a web page, a client having a browser removably connected to the server, an inventory data acquirer for acquiring inventory data of each of the items that are the subject of the insurance claim and insert them into the web page, a price data acquirer for acquiring prices of the items of inventory data that are the subject of the insurance claim and insert them into the web page, and a liability limits data acquirer for acquiring liability limits data for the insurance claim and insert them into the web page, in which, upon receipt of a claim of loss from the insured, the web page is displayed on the screen of the client, the embedded program is executed within a client process with substantially unrestricted access to the client's system resources, and an estimate of the cost of settling a claim is produced by map
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventors: Lev Grundel, Mark Steven Woods, Torpum Jannak, Steven Michael Miller
  • Patent number: 8655688
    Abstract: The health care payment techniques include a method. The method includes receiving, by a payment services manager computer system, from a plurality of computer systems of a plurality of health care providers via a communication network, notification of a plurality of claims for a plurality of health care services provided to a patient by the plurality of health care service providers. At least a portion of the claims are being payable by a participant in a benefits plan and at least a portion of the claims are being payable by a third party payor. The method further comprises remitting, by a payment services system logic implemented by the payment services manager computer system, for each claim in the plurality of claims, payment of the entire claim within a predetermined time period of receiving the notification of the claim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Health Payment Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Lefco, James Brindley
  • Patent number: 8655736
    Abstract: Systems and methods of buyer-side consolidation of compatible purchase orders are described herein. Purchase orders can be identified for consolidation using spatial and temporal proximity parameters. Purchase orders can be modified by changing a ship date or a delivery date and the changing can be based on a buyer input. Shipments can be consolidated based on the purchase order modifications and less than truckload shipments can be reduced. Consolidated shipments can be associated with different requested delivery dates, different suppliers, and/or different buyers. Buyer-side consolidation of compatible purchase orders can occur before purchase orders are processed by a transportation management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Infosys Limited
    Inventors: Suresh P. Bharadwaj, Sumesh George, Hariharan Noorani
  • Patent number: 8639532
    Abstract: A consumer is provided with continuity of medical care by being prompted to transfer data to a recipient, upon completion of the consumer's interaction with a brokerage system. The data obtained during the interactions is transferred to one or more recipients selected by the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: American Well Corporation
    Inventor: Roy Schoenberg
  • Patent number: 8607599
    Abstract: A method for ensuring valid participation of a plan participant in a defined contribution pension plan provides data query for identifying the plan participant. A pension debt coverage policy protects an outstanding balance of a defined contribution plan loan secured by participant's plan assets, eliminating adverse tax consequences to the plan beneficiary in the event of the death or disability of the participant and ensuring that the full plan account balance passes intact to beneficiary in such event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Pentech, LLC
    Inventor: John A. Martin
  • Patent number: 8612277
    Abstract: A system allowing a user to answer a series of questions to generate survey data, associating system data with the survey data to generate a highly accurate report. The user may, customize the survey by selecting categories corresponding to certain series of questions and be presented with a running total of costs associated with each selected action, a total cost for all selected actions, and an impact on the property FCI corresponding to the selected action. The report allows, for example, for targeted assessment of select facilities systems including a time frame within which work to be performed on select facilities systems and/or a cost associated with work to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: VFA, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee Kaufman, Mark Ayasse, Raymond Johnson, Raymond Dufresne