Patents Examined by Robert M Pond
  • Patent number: 10068271
    Abstract: The disclosure presents a network, system, method and computer readable medium for using a personal device when shopping at a store using the server associated with this store. As described in the disclosure, the communication between the personal device and the store server is indirect via an intermediary system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Roey Ben-Amotz
  • Patent number: 10068268
    Abstract: Provided is a location-based transaction processing method and system using a communication device. The location-based transaction processing method may include providing information on a display frequency for each area displayed on a map service to a storekeeper terminal, and creating a market POI indicating a virtual marketplace of a storekeeper at a location selected by the storekeeper terminal based on the display frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Thinkware Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Hyun Joong Yu, Won Jun Heo, Jun Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 10043209
    Abstract: A method of initiating a consumer transaction using a human interaction device to read voice or human based gesture actions is disclosed. Video data is transmitted from a processing device to a display device. The video is monitoring for event data corresponding to a plurality of consumer products or services, and monitored event data is received in the processing device. A consumer is notified on the display device of an eligible consumer transaction. Voice or human based gesture actions are read with a human interaction device and are analyzed. If the voice or human based gesture actions conform to a predetermined set of requirements, then a consumer transaction for the plurality of consumer products or services is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Alan Cooke, Garry Lyons, Oran Cummins, Stephen Elder, Lukas Ekselius
  • Patent number: 10013710
    Abstract: A machine may be configured to determine fashion preferences of users and to provide item recommendations to the users based on the users' fashion preferences. For example, the machine receives an image of a user and a set of spatial data indicating a position of the body of the user in a three-dimensional space. The machine may perform an analysis of the image and the set of spatial data. The performing of the analysis may include extracting, from the image, an image swatch that depicts a portion of an item worn by the user. The machine may identify a fashion preference of the user based on the analysis of the image and of the set of spatial data. The machine may identify an item that corresponds to the fashion preference of the user within an inventory of fashion items and may generate a recommendation of the identified fashion item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Di, Vignesh Jagadeesh, Robinson Piramuthu, Elizabeth Churchill, Anurag Bhardwaj
  • Patent number: 9996865
    Abstract: A system and method provides a user of a network-based commerce system drag and drop functionality that allows a user to purchase goods from a network-based transaction system through the use of links and images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Mengerink, Kiran Reddy
  • Patent number: 9990634
    Abstract: Embodiments for methods, systems and apparatuses for managing a member organization experience of a collaborative commerce community through a network are disclosed. One method includes managing buyer company profiles of a plurality of buyer organizations and seller company profiles of a plurality of seller organizations, wherein the buyer company profiles and the seller company profiles are shared amongst the buyer organizations and the seller organizations associated with the network, wherein the member organization is at least one of the plurality of seller organizations or the plurality buyer organizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Ariba, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Markle, Gopal Sundaram, Kshitij Dayal, Olaf Erik Gregor Schrader, Abhishek Bhadoria
  • Patent number: 9984378
    Abstract: A social networking system leverages information obtained regarding user interactions with applications hosted through the social networking system as well as information obtained regarding purchases of application-related digital items and digital currencies to provide insight into user behavior. The social networking system can use these insights to enhance the user's experience of the applications, purchases, and the social networking system generally. For example, the social networking system can customize transaction flows, provide credit referrals, and provide users with aggregated yet personally tailored sales information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Deborah Liu
  • Patent number: 9984351
    Abstract: Techniques are described for automatically and dynamically determining how to handle items being returned from customers while the items are in transit. Various factors may be considered to determine appropriate item return handling, including by assessing current conditions at the time of the determination. In addition, the dynamic item return handling may include selecting one of various potential return destinations for each item being returned and one of various types of return routing for the return. In some situations, the item return handling is performed for an item being returned from a customer while the item is at an intermediate shipping location, such as a selected location to which the customer was directed to send the item. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Felix F. Antony, Donald Kaufman, Weiling Yang, Jeffrey D. Evarts
  • Patent number: 9978095
    Abstract: An illustrative implementation of the technology includes three primary components: a desktop application, a mobile phone application, and connections to retailer inventory and pricing APIs (e.g., for Walmart and/or Best Buy). The experience begins with the consumer going to an online retailer's website (e.g., Amazon) to search for a product. The desktop application automatically searches for product matches using the APIs of affiliated retailers. If matches and near-matches of the product are found, the product name, model, price, and local availability at affiliate locations is shown. With a mobile phone camera-scan of the product page, relevant information is transferred to the consumer's phone. From there, the consumer can interact with the options on the mobile phone to be directed to the nearby brick and mortar store of choice carrying that product at the price they want. Along the way, the retailer can present offers and additional product information directly to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, Eoin C. Sinclair, Brian T. MacIntosh
  • Patent number: 9953356
    Abstract: An exemplary method includes a product marketing system receiving, from an access device, a product search request and image data representative of an image associated with a product, searching, in response to the product search request, a repository of product image data to identify at least one match to the image associated with the product, generating, based on the at least one match, search results data comprising product information for at least one product, and transmitting the search results data to the access device. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: Gururaj Sunkada
  • Patent number: 9947037
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for recommending one or more applications to users connected to one or more social networks. The computer-implemented method may include determining frequency of interaction between the users connected to the one or more social networks, analyzing behavioral patterns of the users connected to the one or more social networks, the behavioral patterns derived by considering at least the frequency of interaction between the users, and enabling at least one service provider to recommend one or more applications to one or more of the users based on the monitored behavioral patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul R. Bastide, King Shing K. Lui, Leho Nigul, Dana L. Price
  • Patent number: 9940657
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for dynamically generating a network site for a topic. A set of search terms that are associated with one or more search engines are obtained. A respective set of items in an item catalog that are relevant for each of the search terms are identified. A respective network site is established for each of the search terms when the respective set of items includes at least a predefined number of items. The respective network site offers at least some of the respective items for sale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Paul Kirby
  • Patent number: 9934522
    Abstract: Embodiments of computer-implemented systems and methods are described for listing on a marketplace an item, or batch-listing a plurality of items, previously stored on a mobile device. One example embodiment comprises receiving a request from the mobile device for a price estimate for the prospective sale of an item or a plurality of items and subsequently receiving a request to list the item or a plurality of items. The listing process may include receiving images of one or more items, receiving data associated with the one or more items, and using the data, listing the one or more items on the marketplace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Seng Tien Jonathan Teo
  • Patent number: 9928494
    Abstract: One or more devices are configured to receive a request, from a point of sale terminal, to verify a status of a user device being used to settle a transaction with the point of sale terminal. The status may indicate whether the user device has been reported stolen to an operator network. The one or more device may receive a user device identifier, from the point of sale terminal, that identifies the user device. The one or more devices may determine the status of the user device based on the user device identifier. The one or more devices may generate a response indicating the status of the user device. The one or more devices may send the response indicating the status of the user device to the point of sale terminal to permit the point of sale terminal to selectively settle the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: Chien-Yuan Huang
  • Patent number: 9904949
    Abstract: The technology may monitor context items as a content page is navigated. A similarities dataset may be selected from a plurality of similarities datasets as a source of recommendations based on the context items. Recommendations in the similarities dataset selected may be ranked based on the context items. The recommendations may be provided based on the ranking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean Joseph Tavernier
  • Patent number: 9904964
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process and system for solving the problem of presenting users aligned travel products from disparate or aligned sources in a single user interface. The system packages travel products by alignment or combination from disparate or un-aligned data sources, driven by the system capability to utilize a configurable logic instruction system incorporated into a database and user interface management platform, which configured to align individual travel product element data types and attributes as well as bundled travel product data types and attributes. In various embodiments configurable logic instructions are created for individual target airlines to capture the explicit and implicit mechanisms by which an individual airline present travel products to users by the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Inventors: Timothy O'Neil-Dunne, Paul Addy
  • Patent number: 8438074
    Abstract: A computer system that includes a central server that is programmed to store an initialize business rule associated with a vendor and a DNS associated with the vendor. The central server is programmed to receive a first user query for a product or service of the vendor. The central server is programmed to dynamically form a universal code sequence forming a DNA field, having at least fields for a user identity, a transaction scope and a product definition. The central server is programmed to receive, from the vendor a first vendor response based upon execution by the vendor of the initialize business rule and to receive a second user query. The central server is programmed to dynamically add the universal code sequence to form a request DNA. The central server is programmed to dynamically form an offer DNA and determine if the offer DNA matches the request DNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Inventor: Razz Serbanescu
  • Patent number: 8433617
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying third party products and services available to geographic location. Generally, the system identifies a subject address or location at which services are desired. Next, the system parses, standardizes, and verifies the subject address as a valid physical location. Then, the system identifies relevant market(s) corresponding to the subject address, and determines product and service offerings in the relevant market(s). Further, the system determines capabilities required to effectuate the determined service offerings at the location, and identifies capabilities available at the geographic location. Subsequently, the system compares the required capabilities of the services to the available capabilities at the location to generate serviceability information corresponding to services actually available at the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Allconnect, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn R. Goad, Neil J. Singer, David N. Martin, Ryan J. Chapple, Earl D. Baugh, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8433616
    Abstract: A system and method for virtually displaying on-line a gallery, a showroom, a store, a mall or any other room or space and the objects contained in said room or space, wherein the data displayed is comprised of a virtual reality data packet. The system displays still photographs of virtual reality shots and textual materials, and plays virtual reality video clips and audio stories about the room and/or the objects contained therein. Links are associated with each object so that detailed information in graphical, video, audio and/or textual forms that are related to the object and are stored external to the virtual reality data packet can be retrieved on demand from an external database for presentation to the viewer. The system also provides on-line controls that enable the viewer to move around the space, and a feature that enables a viewer to view an object from 360° around the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Inventor: Catherine Lin-Hendel
  • Patent number: 8412587
    Abstract: Multiple simultaneous auctions can be monitored and participated in using a single bidding device operated by a single remote bidder. A multi-windowed environment allows for the display of active bidding windows and docked bidding windows. The active bidding windows are fully functional bidding windows and include auction status, product information and the like. The docked bidding windows provide a subset of the information but, nonetheless provide real-time auction status information and allows for bidders to enter bids into the auctioning process without having to move the bidding window into an active status. A customer-identifier selector of identifier allows the remote bidder to associate a customer with a particular bidding window. The customer-identifier advantageously helps the remote bidder to track who purchased items are associated with, as well as providing control structure over the bidding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Xcira, Inc
    Inventors: Nancy J. Rabenold, James A. Simmons, Gregory Scott Smith, Brian Hardway, Tyler Bain, Daniel Paulovich