Patents Examined by John Hayes
  • Patent number: 9147049
    Abstract: A building controller unit having a building controller adapted to control one or more building components of a building, and a license file stored within the building controller unit for storing software license information. In some cases, the building controller unit may include a license server for granting and/or denying software access requests from one or more software applications running external to the building controller unit based on the software license information stored in the building controller unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Stuart G. Donaldson
  • Patent number: 9147196
    Abstract: A system and method for delivering a restricted use in-store promotion to a consumer includes storing in an offer database a plurality of offer data items for use in creating an in-store promotion. The method further includes storing in an authorization database an authorization parameter and generating at a server a hyperlink including the authorization parameter. In response to receiving a request from a consumer device to present the in-store promotion, the server verifies that the consumer browser invoked the hyperlink containing the authorization parameter. The server also verifies the status of the authorization parameter. If the consumer browser invoked the hyperlink containing the authorization parameter and the status is active, the server dynamically generates the in-store promotion using at least one of the plurality of data items stored in the offer database. Once generated, the server transmits the in-store promotion to the consumer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: OnCard Marketing, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Hansen, Seth H. Sarelson, Johnathan A. Treiber
  • Patent number: 9142096
    Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for managing licenses in gaming networks. Some aspects of the invention are provided as a license manager module that operates as part of a server-based system for provisioning and configuring gaming machines. Security and authentication techniques are provided to prevent unauthorized gaming software usage. Such gaming software may be, for example, downloaded to gaming machines in the network under the control of a gaming establishment's game management server that is in communication with a license manager device. In preferred implementations, a gaming machine is prevented from executing software for a game of chance unless the license for that game is valid and has not expired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Michael Kinsley, Steven LeMay, Lance Orner
  • Patent number: 9135622
    Abstract: Methods and systems enable merchants to accept payments through a service provider from a consumer using an app on a mobile device, for example, without redirecting the consumer to the service provider and without collecting the customer's service provider password (a separate PIN may be used). An example of an app on a mobile device is given, but secure payments are also enabled for purchases and other transactions for a website, a merchant, or a service provider who needs to accept payments from customers. A two-key approach allows a merchant, using the two keys—a collection key for merchant apps and general servers and a private, more secure, charge key for merchant “back-end” systems—to collect a user's username and personal identification number (PIN) for acquiring payments through a service provider without compromising the user's service provider username and password (the PIN is distinct from the password).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: PAYPAY, INC.
    Inventor: Abhilash Puthenveetil
  • Patent number: 9124650
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a method that causes a plurality of virtual machine instructions to be interpreted for indications of a mobile device's hardware identification information, thus forming a plurality of hardware instruction interpretations. The embodiment also combines each of the plurality of hardware instruction interpretations and hashes the combination to form a quasi-hardware device identifier. An encryption process is based on the quasi-hardware encryption device identifier and the media is then encrypted using the encryption process. The encrypted media is transferred to the mobile device wherein the mobile device decrypts the media based at least in part on the mobile device's internal knowledge of the quasi-hardware device identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: QUICKPLAY MEDIA INC.
    Inventors: Kavi Maharajh, Torin Walker, Igor Sandler, Eloi Minka, Balayogan Sachithananthan, Nick Dingle, Hui Gang Zhang, Bart MacNeil
  • Patent number: 9082121
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for facilitating guided entry of a passcode. The exemplary guided passcode entry system provides additional security to traditional secret PIN or passcode entry systems by generating a randomized input sequence (order of entry) and prompting the user to input the passcode according to the randomized input sequence. The system also causes a test of the user's input data against a database of passcodes associated with the particular user for an exact match. The testing step can include comparing the characters of the input data to a particular passcode associated with the user which is stored in a database in accordance with the randomized input sequence in regard to the order that the input data was received. Based on the comparison of the received pin to the stored pin, the system can advance the transaction with the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Mohammed Sadiq
  • Patent number: 9058625
    Abstract: A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a money-transfer company, and a plurality of selling agents and paying agents. The money-transfer company maintains a server, a database, and a communications interface for communicating, via a telephone network and/or the Internet, with data terminals located at the selling and paying agents' sites. Customer transaction cards are distributed to customers. These cards have a visible card number and a corresponding alphanumeric card code stored in, e.g., a magnetic strip. In response to a customer's request, the money-transfer company activates the customer's transaction card by loading customer and beneficiary information into a corresponding transaction card record stored in the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: UNITELLER FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Luis Eduardo Gutierrez-Sheris
  • Patent number: 9043242
    Abstract: Disclosed is an information providing apparatus comprising first reception control means for controlling the reception, from a first information processing apparatus, of user identification data for identifying a user of the first information processing apparatus and a request for purchasing a content, first transmission control means for controlling in response to the request for purchasing the content the transmission of the request for purchasing the content to a second information processing apparatus, second reception control means for controlling the reception of the content and usage conditions thereof supplied from the second information processing apparatus, storage control means for controlling the storing of the content and usage conditions thereof in correlation with the user identification data, third reception control means for controlling the reception of the user identification data and a request for sending the content supplied from the first information processing apparatus, and second trans
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinobu Kuriya, Akira Kurihara
  • Patent number: 9037510
    Abstract: A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a money-transfer company, and a plurality of selling agents and paying agents. The money-transfer company maintains a server, a database, and a communications interface for communicating, via a telephone network and/or the Internet, with data terminals located at the selling and paying agents' sites. Customer transaction cards are distributed to customers. These cards have a visible card number and a corresponding alphanumeric card code stored in, e.g., a magnetic strip. In response to a customer's request, the money-transfer company activates the customer's transaction card by loading customer and beneficiary information into a corresponding transaction card record stored in the database. A selling agent initiates a money-transfer request from a data terminal. Specifically, the selling agent enters a monetary amount and swipes the customer's card in a magnetic strip reader located on the data terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: UniTeller Financial Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Luis Eduardo Gutierrez-Sheris
  • Patent number: 9037514
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of payment using a wireless Internet comprising the step of storing individual identification information provided from a user in an authentication server; authenticating the service server when request of the stored individual identification information is received from the service server, and transmitting the stored individual identification information to the service server when the authentication has succeeded; transmitting a message of requesting a service access to a mobile terminal of the user from the service server; and transmitting the individual identification information sent from the authentication server to the mobile terminal by means of a transmitting query of the individual identification information from the mobile terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: SK PLANET CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun-Won Choi, Joo-Mun Lee, Sang-Yun Lee, Myung-Sung Lee, Jae-Boo Chung
  • Patent number: 9009075
    Abstract: A transfer method, a system and a product are disclosed for transferring security-critical medical image data records with PHI sections from a source application to a destination application. In an embodiment, the method accesses a PKI infrastructure that provides a user-specific key for each user. Following detection of a copy command for at least one image data record in the source application, a data convolute is produced, including an anonymized and an encrypted image data record, which are forwarded to a trader module and/or a memory module. After a pasted command is detected, the key is used to access the clipboard and/or the memory module in order to decrypt the image data record from the encrypted image data record and to paste it (for a secure destination application), and/or to access the anonymized image data record and to paste it (for a nonsecure destination application).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Lutz Dominick, Hans-Martin Von Stockhausen
  • Patent number: 8990116
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preventing an application which has been maliciously or inadvertently tampered with from causing harm to a computer system are described. Application code of the tampered application is inputted into a code analyzer. The code is analyzed and functions within the application code are identified and examined. A profile is created and may be a description of how a function is intended to operate, that is, the function's expected behavior. Calls between functions are examined and a called function is replaced with a replacement function, such that a call to an original function results in a call to the replacement function. The original function is unaware that it is not getting function calls or that such calls are being directed to a replacement function or stub. A replacement function contains code to ensure that the user space maintains its original appearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Mocana Corporation
    Inventors: Fabrice Ferino, James Blaisdell
  • Patent number: 8868442
    Abstract: Methods for competitive pricing are implemented in software for commerce in an electronic marketplace. A vendor may identify rivals: competitors against which the vendor most directly competes by dint of having similar reputation and market positioning. Using specified pricing models applied to filtered price data periodically gathered by spider-crawling competitors on the Internet, a vendor may adjust product prices to match rivals while accounting for overall marketplace price trends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Inventor: Gary Odom
  • Patent number: 8843419
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling a locomotive (or other rail vehicle) owned by a first entity when borrowed and operated by a second entity. The locomotive includes an operating control system having a first mode and a second, different mode of operation, the first mode including settings configured for the first entity, the second mode including settings configured for a second, different entity. The method includes enabling the first mode and disabling the second mode of the operating control system when the locomotive is operated by the first entity, and enabling the second mode and disabling the first mode of the operating control system when the locomotive is operated by the second entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jared Klineman Cooper, David Eldredge, Robert Foy, Glenn Shaffer, John Brand, Todd William Goodermuth, Christopher Rekucki
  • Patent number: 8818911
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods for operating a mailing machine. A permit mail imprint is generated in the mailing machine on the basis of input signals entered into the mailing machine via a user interface of the mailing machine. At least some of the input signals may represent alphanumeric characters. For example, the permit number may be entered via a keypad or keyboard in the form of numeric characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Kaye, Joan T. Doutney, Rodney Hallgren, Beth A. Kroczaleski, Mark D. Lee, Jacky Y. Igval
  • Patent number: 8812334
    Abstract: A method for performing oilfield operations for an oilfield having a subterranean formation with an underground reservoir therein, the oilfield being provided with at least one wellsite with oilfield equipment for extracting fluid from the underground reservoir, involving collecting data comprising trajectory and earth properties associated with a planned well for a geoscience application to obtain a geoscience model, invoking a well planning system integrated with the geoscience application, extracting the trajectory and earth properties from the geoscience model to obtain an extracted trajectory and extracted earth properties, determining at least one parameter for the planned well based on the extracted trajectory and the extracted earth properties, and displaying the at least one parameter associated with the planned well within a geological context of the geoscience application to allow refinement of the planned well for efficient fluid extraction from the underground reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kris Givens, Daan Veeningen, James Brady
  • Patent number: 8812349
    Abstract: A method performed by a wireless node including receiving charging policies for data offloading; performing data offloading with respect to a user data flow; generating charging information associated with data offloading based on the charging policies; and sending the charging information to at least one of an on-line charging function or an off-line charging function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignees: Cellco Partnership, Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Xuming Chen, Jin Yang, Kalyani Bogineni, Praveen Atreya
  • Patent number: 8799038
    Abstract: A dynamic taxi-sharing system and a sharing method thereof. A ride-sharing service provider carries at least one passenger from the first current location to the first travel destination through a route in an area and sends registration information to a service server. A plurality of ride-sharing requests is sent to the service server, and each of the ride-sharing requests comprises the second current location and the second travel destination. The service server divides the area into n by n blocks. A ride-matching module of the service server chooses a destination area in which the first travel destination is a center point and divides the destination area into k by k blocks. According to the registration information and the ride-sharing requests, the ride-matching module matches at least one ride-sharing traveler to the ride-sharing service provider to achieve a goal of fuel-saving and pollution-reducing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Wen-Tsuen Chen, Po-Yu Chen, Je-Wei Liu
  • Patent number: 8799183
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for filtering of a mail item addressed to a recipient. In accordance with an embodiment, preference information about mail items form the recipient is obtained. The preference information is compared with information on the mail item and based on the comparison, it is determined whether the mail item should be delivered. The preference information may include at least one of a size of the mail items, a type of the mail items, a classification of the mail items, a weight of the mail items, and preference information about senders. In accordance with another embodiment, the preference information of a recipient may be provided to a sender so that the sender can determine whether the recipient wants mail items from the sender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: United States Postal Service
    Inventor: Michael J. Amato
  • Patent number: 8781876
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores therein a charge calculating program that causes a computer that manages a database of different data items to execute recording for each data item, information indicating the number of clients that receive the data item; extracting from the information recorded at the recording and for each data item to be received by a given client, information indicating the number of clients receiving the data item; calculating charges for the given client, based on the extracted information; and outputting the calculated charges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masahisa Tamura, Yasuo Noguchi, Kazutaka Ogihara, Tetsutaro Maruyama, Yoshihiro Tsuchiya, Takashi Watanabe, Tatsuo Kumano, Kazuichi Oe