Patents Examined by Raquel Alvarez
  • Patent number: 11023919
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for providing instant rebates before a transaction is completed. This involves ingest of customer and rebate data from two or more utilities, where the data is parsed and normalized into a standard format across all of the utilities. The customer data is then stored in an accounts database, while the rebate data is further processed along with utility rebate rules to determine a set of rebate eligibilities for a variety of scenarios. The resulting rebate profiles can be stored in a rebates database and linked to corresponding customer account data in the accounts database. Third-party frontends can then request rebate eligibility based on a customer identifier and retail channel, and various services can work in tandem to query the rebated database and return a set of eligibilities with so little latency that the eligibility check appears instant from a customer's standpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Simple Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoav Lurie, Justin Segall, Michel Jaroenvanit, John Vajda, Sean McColgan, Jarod Earl Stewart, Nicolae Radu Girleanu, Ilya A. Sukhanov, Michael Konrath
  • Patent number: 11017353
    Abstract: A multi-user software-implemented audio collaboration method allows a track producing user, at least one recording artist, and public listening users to produce, collaborate, and consume unique musical compositions with no fees and costs. The method allows the track producing user and recording artist user to collaborate on the production of a unique musical composition, and then store the musical composition as a working digital audio file on an administrator server. The method also allows public listening users to consume the musical composition for free by viewing a third-party advertisement to accumulate viewing credits. The public listening users convert the viewing credits to access the musical composition for storage in a personal musical library. The track producing user and the recording artist user receive a creator credit when the public listening users stores the musical composition in the music library. All the users communicate with each other through messaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventor: Curtis Lane
  • Patent number: 10991002
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for selecting an engaging ad campaign among advertising campaigns having different types of bid strategies. In one embodiment, an advertising system designed for selecting relevant and engaging ad campaigns for delivering to a device of a user includes an adaptive decision unit having filter logic for filtering eligible ad campaigns, a storage medium to store instructions of the system, and processing logic coupled to the storage medium. The processing logic is configured to execute the instructions of the system to receive and process an ad request from the device upon initiation of a software application on the device, filter eligible ad campaigns, convert each bid strategy of the filtered ad campaigns into an effective cost-per-mille (CPM) strategy, compare effective CPM strategies for the filtered ad campaigns, and select an ad campaign based on the comparison of the effective CPM strategies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventors: Raymond Myers, Daniel Kang, Hammond Guerin
  • Patent number: 10991003
    Abstract: Performance based delivery of content to an audience member. A network of audience member information collection domains provide information about audience members. A profiled audience member may belong to a network segment. Delivery of an advertisement to the profiled audience member is accommodated based upon membership in the network segment and performance criteria. The performance criteria may be configured to benefit a publisher, such as by maximizing revenue. Allocating revenue based upon the collection of data used to target audience members is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Verizon Media Inc.
    Inventors: Gil Beyda, Krishna Balasubramanian, Donald J. Locker, Kevin M. McDonald, Joseph G. Wilson, David R. Morgan, Alison P. Lowery
  • Patent number: 10977686
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for providing an advertisement reporting service, the method includes acquiring inventory information corresponding to an advertising unit area of an advertising medium; providing an advertising code being issued from an advertising provider in response to the inventory information to the advertising medium; analyzing real-time impression information for the advertising unit area using traffic information generated according to a provision of the advertising code; and reporting the real-time impression information corresponding to the advertising unit area through the advertising medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: ADOP INC.
    Inventor: Won Sup Lee
  • Patent number: 10956943
    Abstract: Systems and methods for targeted advertising to specific consumers are disclosed. A system may include a memory storing instructions and at least one processor configured to execute the instruction to: receive, over a network, client-provided data from a client device; identify at least one consumer by comparing the client-provided data against consumer data recorded in an electronic consumer database; obtain at least one unique consumer identifier for the identified at least one consumer, the at least one unique consumer identifier not including personal identifiable information; generate a target audience pool based on the at least one unique consumer identifier; and deliver, over a network, the target audience pool to the client device to facilitate targeted advertising to specific consumers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Merkle, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Randazzo, John Gajewski, John Lee, Nicholas Illobre, Dionisio Espinal, Gerald Matthew Bavaro, David Michael Yonchak, Kelly Renee Leger
  • Patent number: 10943247
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing expedited promotions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method may include (1) a financial institution server comprising at least one computer processor receiving, from a merchant, a transaction comprising an identification of a good or service, a customer financial instrument issued by the financial institution, and a promotion identifier; (2) the financial institution server retrieving a promotion associated with the promotion identifier; (3) the financial institution server approving the transaction with the financial instrument; and (4) the financial institution server automatically applying the promotion to the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
    Inventors: Howard Spector, Dennis Bowers, Gerald Francis Barks, III, Kim Tate, Brian J. Smyth
  • Patent number: 10885539
    Abstract: A safe driving currency system may obtain telematics data indicative of a driver's operation of a vehicle, determine whether a driver is engaged in safe operation of a vehicle, and award safe driving currency (e.g., driving points) for operating the vehicle in a safe manner. The driver may also enter safe driving tournaments to obtain safe driving currency. The driver may then use the safe driving currency to obtain user-selectable electronic and/or real-world benefits. For instance, the driver may use the safe driving currency to purchase an item in a video game or a physical good or service from a vendor (e.g., hotels, gas stations, coffee shops, online stores, etc.). As the driver traverses a route, the driver may be notified of vendors along the route at which the driver may spend the driver's safe driving currency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Arity International Limited
    Inventors: Ginger Purgatorio, Orlando E. Mercado
  • Patent number: 10853814
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring attendance of people at organizer events, via payment networks, based on authorization messages generated in connection with such attendance. One exemplary method includes identifying an authorization message as an attendance message based on a program code included in the authorization message, where the authorization message further includes an organizer identifier indicative of an organizer associated with a location of the attendance. The method also includes identifying a person associated with the attendance based on the authorization message, and appending an attendance entry to an attendance profile associated with the person, based on the authorization message, whereby an incentive associated with the attendance of the person at the organizer is able to be allocated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Cesar Espinoza, Michelle Rubio, Matias Sevi, Oscar A. Jimenez
  • Patent number: 10846709
    Abstract: Universal synchronization of profiles of audience members targeted for the delivery of content. A unique global identifier may be assigned to and used to manage a profiled audience member. This identifier may also be associated to an authoritative identifier and cookie information used in connection with the collection of profile data. An authoritative identifier may be received in connection with activity, and might not be accompanied by a global identifier. The authoritative identifier may then be used to identify the global identifier, which in turn may be used to identify the cookie related information of record for the profiled audience member. Comparing the cookie related information to previously retained cookie information may be used to determine that the cookie information for a particular, profiled audience member has changed, so that it can be restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Media Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph G. Wilson, Gil Beyda
  • Patent number: 10769655
    Abstract: In different embodiments of the present invention, systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media may be used to provide for a substitute coupon to a customer to replace a digital coupon that has been denied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Yannis Pavlidis, Mukesh Jain
  • Patent number: 10726437
    Abstract: Computer systems and methods for interfacing with a third party website, comprising determining that a webpage of the third party website is being output in an interface of a web browser, and in response, generating an interface element that at least partially overlaps the webpage in the interface. The interface element includes a user-selectable graphical trigger that, when selected, causes digital codes to be automatically input into a data entry interface identified in the webpage, thereby triggering the third party website to receive each of the digital codes and to return a respective response. Based on monitoring the respective response to each of the digital codes, a particular digital code is identified that causes a greatest change in a numerical value displayed in the webpage. The particular digital code is applied to obtain a resulting numerical value that is displayed in the webpage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: HONEY SCIENCE LLC
    Inventors: Ryan David Hudson, George Ruan
  • Patent number: 10726446
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for pushing information. A specific embodiment of the searching method comprises: dividing words in a target text to generate a set of phrases; calculating a term frequency inverse document frequency for each of the phrases in the set in the target text; acquiring similarities between preset candidate keywords and the each of the phrases; calculating relevance of the candidate keywords to the target text, based on the term frequency inverse document frequency for the each of the phrases in the target text and the similarities between the candidate keywords and the each of the phrases; and selecting a to-be-pushed candidate keyword from the candidate keywords, and pushing the to-be-pushed candidate keyword to a first user terminal based on a preset relevance threshold, or based on the relevance and a preset pushing quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tian Wei, Wenkai Dai, Kai Sun
  • Patent number: 10726445
    Abstract: A system and method for providing dynamic pay-for-placement advertisements via graphics-enabled email that generates a display of advertisements when the email newsletter is opened so the advertisements displayed are based on rankings at the time the email is opened instead of when the email was generated and transmitted. In one embodiment, a graphical-content email having one or more embedded advertisement image references is provided to one or more email recipients. The advertisement image reference, in one embodiment, may include query string parameters indicating the context of the image reference and/or portion of the image reference (i.e., identifying the image reference as being part of a particular newsletter email), a position of the image reference in the email display, and the like. A URL reference also may be included with each advertisement image reference (.e.g., one URL for each advertisement portion of the image to be retrieved by the advertising image reference).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Kevin R J B Donovan, David Bard Hills, William C. Day, Ron McCoy, Christopher Joseph Murphy, Eimear Kathleen O'Connell
  • Patent number: 10719843
    Abstract: Computer systems and methods for interacting with a webpage of a third party website to change a numerical value displayed in the webpage, comprising receiving digital codes and storing the digital codes in a local memory of a user device. When the webpage is output in a web browser interface, an interface element comprising a graphical trigger is generated and displayed in the web browser interface. In response to receiving a user selection of the graphical trigger, each of the digital codes are submitted to the third party website by simulating user entry of each digital code in the webpage. Based on the respective results of submitting the digital codes to the third party website, a particular digital code is identified that causes a greatest change in the numerical value. The particular digital code is then applied to obtain a resulting numerical value that is displayed in the webpage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: HONEY SCIENCE LLC
    Inventors: Ryan David Hudson, George Ruan
  • Patent number: 10699308
    Abstract: A social networking system determines whether targeting criteria for an advertisement includes one or more sensitive criteria. The advertisement's targeting criteria is compared to one or more keywords or parameters associated with sensitive topics, such as sexual orientation, religious affiliation, political affiliation, or health status. If the targeting criteria matches one or more keywords or parameters associated with a sensitive topic, the social networking system determines that the targeting criteria includes sensitive criteria and prevents recordation of information regarding a viewing user's exposure to the advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Ami Vora, Mark Rabkin
  • Patent number: 10685368
    Abstract: Systems and methods for invoking functions to cause a change in a displayed price provided for output in a third party website, comprising receiving data corresponding to one or more codes each associated with a respective promotion. In response to determining that a webpage of the third party website output in a web browser is associated with initiating a payment process with the third party website, an interface element is generated and presented in another interface of the web browser. When a user selection of the interface element is received, each of the codes is applied to a data entry interface in the webpage, and based on the respective outcomes of applying each of the codes, a particular code that results in a greatest change in the displayed price is identified. The particular code is then applied to obtain a resulting price that is displayed in the webpage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: HONEY SCIENCE LLC
    Inventors: Ryan David Hudson, George Ruan
  • Patent number: 10685376
    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: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Thryv, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephanie Peterson, Or Yogev
  • Patent number: 10679233
    Abstract: The field of the invention relates to systems and methods for interfacing with a third party website. In one embodiment, a computer system is configured to directly interface with a website via a webpage to change certain numerical values through the use of digital codes. The digital codes are applied to a data entry interface on the webpage, and the responses are monitored and transmitted back to a server system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: HONEY SCIENCE LLC
    Inventors: Ryan David Hudson, George Ruan
  • Patent number: 10672033
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a 5G or pre-5G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate than a 4G communication system such as LTE. A security problem in which information of a monitoring device is provided to another PLMN exists in the procedure for connecting ProSe Functions of two PLMNs and transmitting and receiving information therebetween, and thus, configuration of a D2D discovery service between different providers (inter PLMN) is difficult in reality, despite being defined in the standard. Therefore, the present invention provides a method of using a content server with an existing D2D discovery method in order to advertise, through D2D discovery, real-time local area advertisements to device of a plurality of providers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sangwook Kwon, Youngbin Chang, Kyungkyu Kim