Patents Examined by Mark Fleischer
  • Patent number: 8626545
    Abstract: Systems and methods of a job distribution platform for aggregating performance data in a worker profile for workers in performing crowd sourced tasks are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, of generating and storing performance data when a worker performs one or more tasks distributed online to their respective computing devices by a job distribution platform which crowd sources tasks over a network to remote workers. The tasks can span current jobs and a history of previous jobs distributed to the worker and the job performance data for the worker is collected for current and previous jobs. New jobs can be assigned to a worker selected based on performance data of the worker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: CrowdFlower, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher R. Van Pelt, Ryan Cox, Alex Sorokin, Michael Juster
  • Patent number: 8280754
    Abstract: A system for generating a model for tracking a changing dimension feature of data in a business model includes a memory for storing the business model and a computer readable code for modeling the changes in the changing dimension feature and a processor for executing the computer readable code to perform method steps including capturing the changing dimension feature of the business model, transforming the changing dimension feature into a data warehouse model corresponding the business model, identifying changing dimensions and attributes in the changing dimension feature according to the data warehouse model, and generating a run-time deployable component for tracking the changing dimension feature based on the identified changing dimensions and attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Pawan Raghunath Chowdhary, Hung-Yang Chang, David W. Harrison
  • Patent number: 8260647
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for managing information related to a delivery service provider and systems of using such a system. The system and systems provided herein allow a delivery service provider to coordinate with efficiency the volume of mail or packages to be delivered with the carrier resources available to deliver them. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the delivery operation information system tracks quantities of articles, schedules their distribution, and schedules and tracks the work force that distributes the articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: United States Postal Service
    Inventors: Gale R. Scott, Charles V. Fisher
  • Patent number: 8255251
    Abstract: The reliability of a composite service having service components is determined, where the composite service can fail only where underlying resources fail. The composite service is represented as a plurality of continuous-time Markov chains (CTMC's). Each CTMC corresponds to a resource. A product of the CTMC's is constructed. The product encompasses composite service states. Steady-state probabilities for the product are determined. Each steady-state probability corresponds to a likelihood that a corresponding state will be a steady state. For each state of the composite service, a reward structure is determined. The reward structure corresponds to a likelihood that the state will successfully use the resources without failure. The reward structure is determined for a given state based on the given state's steady-state probability and based on discrete-time Markov chains (DTMC's) corresponding to the service components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Sato, Hiroaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8214228
    Abstract: A substance abuse surveillance system comprising a source of respondent responses to a self-administered virtual interview and a data collector coupled to receive from the source multiple respondent responses and analyzing the same in near real-time to form current substance abuse data, the data collector allowing access to the current substance abuse data by third parties. The data collector is coupled to the source in a manner enabling delay-free, continuous feed of the respondent responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Inflexxion, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen F. Butler, Simon H. Budman, Nathaniel Paul Katz, Albert J. Villapiano
  • Patent number: 8209206
    Abstract: A centralized web-based system and method for managing appointments having a user interface that interacts with one or more users to display one or more items based on user input, a management module connected to the user interface and configured to receive data related to scheduling an appointment, determine one or more possible appointments based on the data, present the one or more possible appointments, receive a user selection from the one or more possible appointments, and schedule the appointment based on the user selection, and one or more databases configured to store appointment information, wherein the one or more databases are connected to the management module and wherein the data comprises a date and time slot and at least one of a facility, a service, and a servicer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Gramercyone Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Peter Ellis, Daniel Lizio-Katzen
  • Patent number: 8209215
    Abstract: When deciding whether to fund a project, such as a movie, investors consider information such as what is often referred to as the “bankability” of people or entities attached to the project, such as the top-billed actors, the director, the producer, and/or the screenwriter. A system can collect information about people or entities and prior projects associated with those people or entities and use that information to calculate the bankability of those people or entities. Project developers can use the calculated bankability of the people or entities when deciding which people or entities to attach to in-development projects to increase the chance that the project will attract funding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: IMDb.com, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew Syrett
  • Patent number: 8209201
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system for correlating configurations, comprising a model layer having a generic model library, a control layer having generic control logic implemented in terms of the generic model library, and a view layer having reusable views and common tools that operate upon generic interfaces and constructs defined by the generic model library, wherein the generic model library, generic control logic, and reusable views and commons tools are defined to support a general functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kel Yuasa, Bernard Burg, Kannan Govindarajan, Harumi Anne Kuno, Kevin Lee Smathers
  • Patent number: 8204774
    Abstract: The spend capacity of a consumer typically increases as the number of consumers in the household increases, since the consumer can draw on the spending power of other consumers in the household. The size of wallet of the household is thus a better indicator of the consumer's spend capacity than an individual size of wallet. All consumers in a given household can be aggregated based on, for example, their address of record. Duplicate tradelines within each household are removed from consideration in a size of wallet estimate. A spend capacity is then estimated for each tradeline using calculations derived from a consumer behavior model. The spend capacities for all tradelines in the household are combined to determine a household size of wallet. Each consumer in the household is then tagged with the household size of wallet, rather than their individual size of wallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Chwast, Kathleen Haggerty, Jing J. Wang, Di W. Xu, Chao M. Yuan
  • Patent number: 8204771
    Abstract: Methods and systems for updating a task list from an action item documentation view are provided. In one embodiment, a method of the present invention may include receiving an indication that a task view indicator has been selected from the action item documentation view and displaying the task list with a focus on one or more tasks that correspond with the task view indicator selected. The task list displayed may include all tasks due for a particular patient, whether or not information regarding the task may be input in the action item documentation view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Fackler, Deepa R. Desai-Deendar, Amy Francois, Michelle M. Moseman, Stephanie L. Rogers
  • Patent number: 8204776
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system of polling in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile associated with a specific geographic location, determining a geographic region associated with a neighborhood, determining a first group of user profiles, the specific geographic location of each user profile associated with the geographic region, generating a first play view to include a three-dimensional map view embodied by the community network and the first group of the user profiles represented at locations in the three-dimensional map view associated with the specific geographic location of each user profile, generating a poll associated with the first group of user profiles and receiving poll results associated with the poll via a communication mode. The method may also include automatically tabulating the poll results and publishing, via the communication mode, the poll results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Raj Vasant Abhyanker
  • Patent number: 8204773
    Abstract: A method and system for forecasting demand for order configurations are provided. The method and system, in one aspect, expresses attach rates within a family of n options as a set of n positive numbers that sum to 1. By applying suitable transformations to the attach rates, they are modeled as a random vector in (n?1)-dimensional Euclidean space. The distribution of the transformed attach rates are modeled as a distribution family specified by a location vector and a dispersion matrix. The dispersion matrix is simplified, for example, using historical data or expert judgment or both to identify option families that have dependent demand. Simplifying may also include expressing dependence between options by a simple model that involves few parameters. Location vector is estimated by computing point forecasts of transformed attach rates. The parameters of the dispersion matrix are estimated by calibration on historical data, using the dispersion of the errors in historical point forecasts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan R. Hosking
  • Patent number: 8180658
    Abstract: It is difficult for managers or other operators to decide how best to modify an available pool of resources used for their workflows. Methods for achieving this by improving the robustness of workflows are described. The more robust a workflow, the better its ability to withstand detrimental changes to its associated pool of resources. It is recognized here that the size of the solution space for the problem of allocating resources to tasks in a workflow provides a useful indicator of robustness of a workflow. In general, the greater the size of the solution space the more robust the workflow. A constraint optimization problem is specified for the problem of how best to modify resource characteristics of a pool of resources in order to maximize a size of a solution space. The solution space is that for the problem of allocating resources from the pool to tasks in a workflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Youssef Hamadi, Claude-Guy Quimper
  • Patent number: 8165904
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed to allocating inventory across a plurality of locations in a supply chain. In one embodiment, a method comprises determining a total time-phased inventory and target safety stock level for each of the items at each location based on the baseline inventory as determined from expected demand and lead times for each item at each location, a target service level, a demand uncertainty level, a lead time uncertainty level, carrying costs in the supply chain and user constraints on budget, capacity and inventory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Mukundan Srinivasan, Rongming Sun, Saurabh Thapliyal
  • Patent number: 8140376
    Abstract: A system and method for improving the performance of a viral marketing program develops a plurality of trials of a viral marketing program having a business objective with each trial having a plurality of attributes at least one of which differs from an attribute of the other of the plurality of trials, exposes a first plurality of users to a first trial and a second plurality of users to a second trial, collects data indicative of the users response to the trial to which they were exposed that is reflective of the likelihood of the trial obtaining the business objective, compares the data to identify a trial more likely to achieve the business objective than a non-identified trial and continues to utilize the identified trial in the viral marketing program while ceasing use of a non-identified trial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Strongmail Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Michael Koonce, James Newton Calboun, Jr., David Allen Bell, Sage Bray
  • Patent number: 8126751
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for allocating system costs of an infrastructure of a computer center includes the steps of: determining total pro rata temporis costs of individual system resources of the infrastructure for a billing period; dividing the total pro rata temporis costs of individual system resources into individual performances by a key; dividing the individual performances into individual performance shares for one service each, such that the division corresponds to a percentage share of the individual performance actually used by one service each; adding up for one service each for one system resource each the individual performance shares, thereby providing performance share sums; and adding up the performance share sums, which have been formed each for the same service but different system resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Inventor: Alexander Mekyska
  • Patent number: 8121888
    Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between task requesters who have tasks available to be performed and task performer users who are available to perform tasks, such as interactions that enable improvement of unsatisfactory task performance results from human task performer users. In some situations, after a task performer user has generated initial results from performance of a task supplied by a task requester, the task requester indicates that the initial results are only partially satisfactory (e.g., only partially satisfy one or more criteria for the task performance results), and may result in only a partial payment rather than a full payment amount associated with fully satisfactory performance of the task. The task requester may also supply information to provide one or more opportunities to the task performer user to supply additional improved supplemental results (e.g., so as to receive the full payment amount).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter D. Cohen, Isaac E. Nichols, Brian L. Cameros
  • Patent number: 8095414
    Abstract: In embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods of aligning an agent's compensation with an organization's goals, incentivizing an agent to improve their performance, and managing an agent. In one embodiment, the present invention includes defining a performance metric that relates to a goal of an organization. Performance levels are then defined for the performance metric. The performance levels are associated with performance values that an agent must meet to have their performance classified within a performance level. The method also includes providing a compensation rule that defines which of the performance levels an agent must achieve to change their current compensation. The performance of an agent with respect to the performance metric is then monitored to generate an agent performance, which is compared to the previously established achievement values to determine an agent's performance level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Teletech Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Silvera, Trevor Norcross, Eric Buhring, Keith Pelletier
  • Patent number: 8086482
    Abstract: In embodiments, the present invention relates to methods and systems for monitoring performance of employees, contractors and other agents employed to perform tasks on behalf of a company, business organization or other entity. In an embodiment, the present invention involves defining performance metrics that relate to achievement values. The achievement values are associated with defined performance levels. Performance statistics that relate to an agents performance are collected and compared to the achievement values to characterize an agent's performance within one of the performance levels. The performance level achieved by an agent and the compensation of the agent are graphically displayed, and in some embodiments used to determine compensation adjustments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Teletech Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Silvera, Trevor Norcross, Eric Buhring, Keith Pelletier
  • Patent number: 8069070
    Abstract: A customer care architecture integrates a full range of customer care and dunning billing features in a customer care system. The customer care architecture defines and implements multiple workflows which support dunning action requests while centralizing customer account control at the customer care system in an end-to-end telecommunications system framework. The customer care architecture thereby supports interaction, communication, and synchronization with existing and established dunning accounting systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Marina Papili, Chiara Cundari