Patents Examined by Raquel Alvarez
  • Patent number: 11334917
    Abstract: Embodiments of the specification provide a method and apparatus for delivering advertisements. The method for delivering advertisements comprises: obtaining location information of a plurality of users and/or one or more offline merchants; determining a target group of target users around an advertisement delivery device according to the location information of a plurality of users and/or one or more offline merchants; determining profile data of the target group around the advertisement delivery device; and delivering an advertisement to the advertisement delivery device based on the profile data of the target group around the advertisement delivery device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED NEW TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zheng Yuan, Yi Lin
  • Patent number: 11328374
    Abstract: A software-implemented process to convert an unbranded virtual tour for a real estate listing into a branded virtual tour that displays the branding and contact information of the marketing agent, a lead capture form to contact the agent and adds any other marketing content or information for display to the end consumer is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Inventor: Kristopher R Cone
  • Patent number: 11299356
    Abstract: A product purchase system may include a product retrieval robot for a physical store and a mobile wireless communications device associated with a given user and configured to obtain product identifying data for a given product for purchase in the physical store. The given product for purchase may be placed by the given user into a physical shopping cart. The system may also include a server configured to identify the given product for purchase based upon the product identifying data, and determine an add-on product associated with the given product for purchase and located in the physical store. The product retrieval robot may be configured to cooperate with the server to retrieve the add-on product from the physical store and deliver the add-on product to the physical shopping cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: INMAR CLEARING, INC.
    Inventors: Jacob Bowman, Melissa Bube, Joel Corra, Jason Eudy
  • Patent number: 11276070
    Abstract: Loyalty program points are pre-selected by a consumer and exchanged for a corresponding value-added reward also pre-selected by the consumer. The pre-selected reward, which can be a value added back to the consumer payment device, is given when the consumer conducts their pre-selected transaction using their consumer payment device. Loyalty program points can be added back to the consumer payment device, and later exchanged for the consumer pre-selected value-adding rewards, by the consumer's transactional use of their consumer payment device. Consumer pre-selected value-added rewards, for instance, can appear as statement credits to an account associated with the consumer payment device. As such, an incentive exists for the consumer to pre-select a transaction to conduct with their consumer payment device to realize a corresponding pre-selected statement credit for such loyal use of their consumer payment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Edward W. Fordyce, III
  • Patent number: 11257109
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing and integrating lead sources for a marketing/advertisement campaign on a platform that allocates and optimizes lead source budgets and provides a customer service and payment processing function. The present technology as disclosed and claimed herein provides a platform that is a customer retention and customer management system that is automated to provide lead estimations and optimizations to allocate and optimize lead source budgets where the system has a learning function that improves over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventors: Stephanie Peterson, Or Yogev
  • Patent number: 11250467
    Abstract: Electronic correspondence that includes one or more promotions may be generated for presenting to a consumer. In order to determine whether to present the electronic correspondence to the consumer, the promotions included in the electronic correspondences may be analyzed in terms of a probability the consumer will accept the promotions, a relevance level between the promotions and attributes of the consumer, a relevance level between the promotions and the consumer, a relevance level between the promotions and a set of goals or rules, among other similar terms. After the analysis, a determination may be made whether to send the electronic correspondence to the consumer. Similarly, the analysis may compare multiple electronic correspondences, and determine, based on the comparison, which of the multiple electronic correspondences to send to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Groupon, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Aggarwal, David Thacker
  • Patent number: 11227312
    Abstract: A method that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, providing a first digital assistant to engage in a first communication exchange with a user of the first communication device where the first digital assistant has a first digital assistant persona that controls information provided by the first digital assistant during communication exchanges, analyzing user input during the first communication exchange, and adjusting the first digital assistant persona based on one or more of the user persona, user deficiency, or promotional offers. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Christopher F. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 11205191
    Abstract: A disclosed example includes an identifier extractor to: extract a first identifier from mobile device communications at a merchant location; and store the first identifier in a database associated with the merchant location; a communications interface to: monitor for the mobile device communications, the identifier extractor to extract the first identifier in response to the communications interface identifying the mobile device communications during the monitoring; receive a request including the first identifier from an audience measurement entity; and when the first identifier is present in the database, send an association between the first identifier and the merchant location to the audience measurement entity; and a collection interface to determine whether the first identifier is present in the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Madhusudhan Reddy Alla, John R. Burbank
  • Patent number: 11204991
    Abstract: An interactive identity verification system for gathering, identifying, authenticating and registering biometric data of a consumer verified through government agencies while monitoring, tracking, analyzing, storing and distributing dynamic biometric data to ensure access to the secured system remains authorized via monitoring of consumer data and to control authorized access to participating computer systems and programs. Consumer identity is verified with markers gathered from biometric detection and collection devices provided within the system, correlated with unique personal information and geo-location coordinates allowing authorized access to a secure computer system. Dynamic monitoring of consumer biometric data is required to guarantee online identity verification while operating under an alias or avatar to maintain public anonymity, participate in marketing incentive programs and increase security.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: OMNIVU, INC.
    Inventor: Stephen G. Giraud
  • Patent number: 11195201
    Abstract: A number of promotions that share a common attribute may be grouped into a common promotion collection. A promotion collection may then be analyzed to determine a score for the promotion collection. A number of promotion collections may be compared against each other based on a respective score for each promotion collection, and a number of promotion collections may be selected based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Groupon, Inc.
    Inventor: Xiaolei Li
  • Patent number: 11176579
    Abstract: A system can perform certain acts. The acts can include determining score values to identify a plurality of target customers associated with a plurality of potential offers. The acts can include receiving bids from the plurality of target customers for the plurality of potential offers. The acts can include performing an iterative process for each respective target customer of the plurality of target customers to take turns to submit a respective bid for each respective potential offer of the plurality of potential offers associated with the respective target customer. The acts can include determining a respective final bid for each of the plurality of potential offers such that an aggregate value for the plurality of target customers that can be maximized across the plurality of potential offers. The acts can include sending instructions to deliver the plurality of offers to at least a portion of the plurality of target customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Mindi Yuan, Wei Shen, Yannis Pavlidis, Jun Li
  • Patent number: 11157958
    Abstract: In a method of associating a single entity with multiple electronic devices, a server accesses user data collected via internet communications with a plurality of electronic devices. Each item of user data includes a location signature and a unique identifier. The server determines an intersection of location between two electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices based on the user data accessed from the two electronic devices. The user data is accessed from a first of the two electronic devices has a first unique identifier that is different than a second unique identifier of the user data accessed from a second of the two electronic devices. Based on the intersection of location, a single entity is associated with both the first unique identifier and the second unique identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventors: Rahul Bakshi, Ardalan Heshmati
  • Patent number: 11151585
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to represent offer rules based on requirements for the detection of predefined types of events and actions scheduled to be performed in response to the detection of each occurrence of the events. The events are independent from each other in processing and are linked via prerequisite conditions to formulate the requirements of an offer campaign. The computing apparatus is configured to store data indicating the completion statuses of the events and process the events, including the scheduled actions, if any, in an atomic way. Thus, the offer rules can be changed on-the-fly during run time execution by the computing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Mark Carlson, Patrick Stan
  • Patent number: 11138646
    Abstract: A computing resource of a cloud computing environment receives, from customers in a customer population, requests to enroll in group-based subscriptions provided by third-party providers. The requests include customer preferences associated with the customers. The computing resource determines customer account attributes for customer accounts, and determines, using a customer matching model, scores for the customers based on the customer preferences and the customer account attributes. The scores predict a successful matching among the customers in the customer population. The computing resource assigns a first subset of the customers in the customer population to a first group of customers based on the scores, enrolls the first group of customers in a first account for a first group-based subscription provided by a first third-party provider, and allocates a payment for the first group-based subscription among a first group of customer accounts associated with customers in the first group of customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventors: Sophie Bermudez, Akbar Hosseinkhani, Omar Khan, Khosro Akhavan Astaneh
  • Patent number: 11074593
    Abstract: Methods and systems providing digital signage and interactive gaming services in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations are described. A service fee is collected from a retailer, and a service fee may or may not be collected from a retailer (e.g., a bar). An advertising fee is collected from a first advertising provider. The first advertising provider is involved in alcohol distribution/wholesaling or manufacturing. A second advertising fee from a second advertising provider is collected. The second advertising provider is involved in a non-alcohol related industry. A portion of a subscription fee is collected based on a separate source of fees (e.g., text message or jukebox fee) received from a patron. The message may contain information indicating that the patron wishes to pay a service fee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOUCHTUNES MUSIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Stephen D. Straus
  • Patent number: 11062361
    Abstract: An online system using attributes of users to select content for presentation to the users predicts one or more attributes of users whose attributes are unavailable to the online system. For a user with one or more attributes unavailable to the online system, the online system applies a model to attributes of additional users to predict one or more attributes of the user. Attributes of the additional user use in the prediction may include demographic information and interactions with content by the additional users. The online system may determine an accuracy of the model by using the model to predict attributes for users whose attributes are known to the online system and comparing the predicted attributes to the known attributes. If the model's accuracy is less than a threshold value, the online system discontinues using the model to predict attributes of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad Abdulmageed Mohammed Abdulkader, Stephane Taine, Vladislav Belous, Seyed Mohsen Amiri, Ewa Dominowska
  • Patent number: 11055740
    Abstract: An advertisement push apparatus and method are provided. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a foreground advertisement playing module configured to play a foreground advertisement according to a playing address of the foreground advertisement provided by a background server; a material displaying module configured to display preview materials of all or some of n candidate advertisements upon detection of a selection instruction triggered by a user during a process of playing the foreground advertisement, where n is a positive integer; and a candidate advertisement selecting and playing module configured to select at least one candidate advertisement from the n candidate advertisements for playing, in response to a selection operation of the user performed on the preview materials of the candidate advertisements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Xuexi Yang, Pingfeng Cheng
  • Patent number: 11049128
    Abstract: Decentralized computer systems and methods are disclosed for using a debit network as an intermediary between distributed ledgers. One method includes: receiving, at a first blockchain network from a merchant, transaction information comprising a consumer identification, an issuer identification from a payment vehicle presented for a transaction, and a transaction amount in resources of a first type, wherein the merchant and/or its acquirer are participants of the first blockchain network but the consumer and/or issuer are not participants of the first blockchain network; sending the transaction information to a debit network; identifying, using the debit network, a second blockchain network having the consumer and/or the issuer as participants, using the received consumer identification or issuer identification; and if participants of the second blockchain network accept the transaction, generating a new immutable entry to the second blockchain network indicating a change in the resources of a second type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Worldpay, LLC
    Inventor: Chandra Olson
  • Patent number: 11036921
    Abstract: A system and related devices and methods facilitating orchestration of page composition based on performance of one or more portions of the page are disclosed herein. An exemplary system may comprise a first device and a second device. An exemplary method may comprise providing to a client device, a first portion of a requested page while waiting for one or more service calls required to render a second portion to return, and after a time at which the one or more service calls required to render the second portion return, providing the client device with the second portion, the one or more service calls required to render the second portion having a higher latency than any service calls required to render the first portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Sean McCullough, Adam Geitgey
  • Patent number: 11037237
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments may provide an online automobile purchasing experience for a customer. The experience may be provided by, or associated with, a financial institution. The automobile buying experience may be accessible to both customers of the financial institution as well as non-customers. Customers of the financial institution may receive added benefits during and after the experience. Non-customers may have the opportunity to become a customer of the financial institution as part of the experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
    Inventors: Christine Cox, Eric D. Henley, Jim J. Manelis, Ramanujam Chari, Vinay R. Thykkutathil