Patents Examined by Rutao Wu
-
Patent number: 10203846Abstract: A system and method for non-deterministically providing denominated virtual currency in a virtual space are disclosed. The units of virtual currencies may be classified by different denominations and levels. Non-purchasing utilities may be obtained for the denomination and level of the virtual currencies and provided to users in the virtual space. In one example, the denomination and level of the virtual currencies may be used as socketing elements to provide boosts to base attributes to virtual items. In some implementations, an amount of boost provided by a denomination and level of virtual currency when socketed to a virtual item may be determined based on numerical relationships among the denomination and level of the virtual currencies. The denomination and level of virtual currencies may be harvested non-deterministically by users based on probabilities determined for the users.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2013Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.Inventors: Weiwei Geng, Matthew Curtis, Michael C. Caldarone, Stephanie K. Schultz, Kellen Christopher Smalley, Xuezheng Liu
-
Patent number: 10181126Abstract: The systems and methods may be used to recommend an item to a consumer. The methods may comprise determining, based on a collaborative filtering algorithm, a consumer relevance value associated with an item, and transmitting, based on the consumer relevance value, information associated with the item to a consumer. The method may further comprise generating a ranked list of items based upon a plurality of consumer relevance values, transmitting a ranked list of items to a consumer, and/or re-ranking a ranked list of items based upon a merchant goal.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2013Date of Patent: January 15, 2019Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Terrence Fischer, Carlos W. Korten, Marisa J. Walster
-
Patent number: 10140633Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for placing content in a user interface depending upon a likely location of the gaze of a user. Coordinates are determined that correspond to an area of interest in a viewport of a first user interface. At least one content item of interest is identified and the content items of interest placed in the area of interest.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2011Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Paul Daniel Jaye, Elmore Eugene Pope, Michael L. Brundage
-
Patent number: 10140598Abstract: In order to make it more difficult to obtain numbers that can be used to conduct fraudulent transactions, a portion of a real account number is encrypted. The encrypted portion of the account number is used to generate a new account number, a new expiration date, and a new verification value. This information can be determined using processor that may reside in a point of sale terminal, a smart card, or a computer operated by a user. The new account number, the new expiration date, and the new verification value can be used in a payment transaction. A server computer in a central payment processing network may determine that the new account information is not the real account information, and may subsequently generate a modified authorization request message using the real account information and may send it to an issuer for approval. The transmission of data is more secure, since real account information is not sent from the merchant to the payment processing network.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2010Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATIONInventors: Patrick Faith, Krishna Prasad Koganti
-
Patent number: 10134045Abstract: Techniques and systems are disclosed for forwarding a limited number of vendor messages during a consumer mobile device campaign, such as a CSC campaign. Opt-in events are received from an aggregator's message service platform for a consumer mobile device (e.g., smart-phone), and a time interval is identified for the campaign that comprises a duration for the campaign. Campaign parameters are identified, where the parameters comprise a desired number of campaign messages for the “opted-in” consumer mobile device. Vendors are grouped into one or more campaign message categories (e.g., by service or products), and a bidding frequency is identified for campaign message categories for the campaign duration. Bids are received for message slots at the bidding frequency for a campaign message category, a desired bid is selected if it meets a threshold, and the corresponding vendor message is sent to the opted-in phone(s).Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2009Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: IPAJ, LLCInventors: Allen Gluck, Joachim Hertel
-
Patent number: 10115114Abstract: Systems and methods for secure distribution of electronic coupons involve a mobile device receiving an electronic coupon and displaying a degraded image of the electronic coupon. A non-degraded image of the electronic coupon is displayed by the mobile device when an attempt to capture the electronic coupon is detected.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2014Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: THE MEYERS PRINTING COMPANIES, INC.Inventor: David G. Dillon
-
Patent number: 10096032Abstract: In various embodiments, the proximity of an avatar with respect to a designated focal point object within a virtual universe is determined, and information associated with the designated focal point object is identified. A first of a plurality of representations of the information is selected based, at least in part, on the determined proximity of the avatar with respect to the designated focal point object. The first representation of the information is then transmitted to the avatar. Proximity-based transmission of information can disseminate relevant information to avatars, and can be used by virtual universe businesses to encourage avatars to move near the designated focal point object within the virtual universe so that the avatars can be exposed to products and advertisements.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2008Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Paul A. Moskowitz, Clifford A. Pickover
-
Patent number: 10038756Abstract: Improved search capabilities are disclosed for mobile communications devices such as cell phones. These and other capabilities are employed to improve delivery of sponsored content, such as advertisements and sponsored links, to appropriate or desirable mobile communication facilities.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2005Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: MILLENIAL MEDIA LLCInventors: Jorey Ramer, Adam Soroca, Dennis Doughty
-
Patent number: 10013688Abstract: Methods and arrangements for facilitating offline delivery of content available in voice applications. User access to a voice application is permitted, and the user is accorded a capability to select content in the voice application for offline delivery. The selected content is stored in a holding arrangement, and the selected content is availed for delivery to the user.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2012Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Sheetal Agarwal, Arun Kumar
-
Patent number: 9965768Abstract: An advertisement service enables advertisers to bid on or select a particular geographic region for public display of an advertisement by a mobile ad platform when the mobile ad platform enters the particular geographic region. For instance, the mobile ad platform provides location information to the advertisement service. Based on the location, the advertisement service provides ad information to the mobile ad platform for display of an advertisement corresponding to the advertiser that has purchased rights to display advertisements on the mobile ad platform in the current geographic region. The publicly displayed advertisement content may change dynamically as the location of the mobile ad platform changes. In some implementations, the advertisement may offer an incentive, such as a coupon, to consumers that see the advertisement. The incentive may be redeemable at the advertiser's business such as by using a mobile device to capture, obtain or redeem the incentive.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2011Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew J Doane, William F Murray, Kevin C Miller
-
Patent number: 9959383Abstract: The disclosure details the implementation of an apparatus, method, and system for brokering SmartAds. The disclosure teaches a efficient ad brokering as between advertisers, broadcast service providers, and media consumers by employing a SmartAds Client (SAC) and a SmartAds Server (SAS). The SAC may provide viewers with programming and integrate ads in an intelligent manner based on criteria supplied to it. The SAC is used to display SmartAds to television viewers. The ad brokering SAS is complementary to the SAC media consumer and provides services, ads, and ad related information to the SAC. By employing intelligence from a SAC and SAS, ads may be dynamically provided, changed, and/or augmented with programming. The SAS collects and matches media consumer profiles and advertiser bids against one another and an ad database to provide better targeted ads to media consumers. The manner and way in which this is achieved, results in the expiration of stale ads.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2004Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Time Warner, Inc.Inventors: David Alan Bryan, Gene Rhough
-
Patent number: 9940772Abstract: Chip cards are used to secure credit and debit payment transactions. To prevent fraudulent transactions, the card must protect cryptographic keys used to authenticate transactions. In particular, cards should resist differential power analysis and/or other attacks. To address security risks posed by leakage of partial information about keys during cryptographic transactions, cards may be configured to perform periodic cryptographic key update operations. The key update transformation prevents adversaries from exploiting partial information that may have been leaked about the card's keys. Update operations based on a hierarchical structure can enable efficient transaction verification by allowing a verifying party (e.g., an issuer) to derive a card's current state from a transaction counter and its initial state by performing one operation per level in the hierarchy, instead of progressing through all update operations performed by the card.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2007Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: CRYPTOGRAPHY RESEARCH, INC.Inventor: Paul C. Kocher
-
Patent number: 9922327Abstract: A system, method, and computer program are provided for providing a multi-merchant electronic shopping cart within a web browser. The shopping cart can be used at a plurality of unrelated merchant shopping sites and remains within the browser regardless of the displayed website. When a user selects the shopping cart, a user interface is displayed with information about a product on the website without navigating to a new webpage. If the product has options, the user is able to select for the options via the user interface. The user is also able to save products from a plurality of shopping sites to the shopping cart or purchase products from the shopping cart at one time. For each product to be purchased, a purchase transaction is conducted, on behalf of the user, with the merchant associated with the website from which the user added the product to the shopping cart.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2012Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: Ebates Inc.Inventors: Kevin H. Johnson, Tanuj Chatterjee
-
Patent number: 9892429Abstract: Some embodiments provide code that enables online content providers the ability to better monetize the visits of bounce visitors using display advertisement. The code is embedded in the landing site of a particular content provider. When the landing site is first loaded, the code creates two entries for the landing site in the browser history unbeknownst to the user with the second entry comprising a forwarded fragment of the landing site that allows the code to continue to run. When the user invokes the browser back button, the code detects the invocation. Rather than transition the user from the second entry of the landing site to the first entry, the code retrieves and displays an advertisement. A second invocation of the browser back button then causes the user access a site of a different content provider that was accessed prior to the landing site of the particular content provider.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2012Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: ADSUPPLY, INC.Inventor: Adam Carasso
-
Patent number: 9881309Abstract: The systems and methods described herein may be used to recommend an item to a consumer. The methods may comprise determining, based on a collaborative filtering algorithm, a consumer relevance value associated with an item, and transmitting, based on the consumer relevance value, information associated with the item to a consumer. A collaborative filtering algorithm may receive as an input at least one of: a transaction history associated with the consumer, a demographic of the consumer, a consumer profile, a type of transaction account, a transaction account associated with the consumer, a period of time that the consumer has held a transaction account, a size of wallet, a share of wallet, and/or the like.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2013Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Lee Chau, Terrence Fischer, Anthony Mavromatis, Andrew K. Smith, Venkat Varadachary, Henry Yuan
-
Patent number: 9875495Abstract: Digital media products and methods for making them are disclosed. A digital media product can effectively not have any value until purchased and activated at a point-of-sale. In one embodiment, the digital media product is content specific and provided to allow acquisition of a particular collection of digital media assets upon activation. As one example, the collection can pertain to a playlist, album or set of content.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2007Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Vallance Cole, Glenn Epis
-
Patent number: 9853759Abstract: Systems and methods for accepting payments for goods and services provided by a merchant. In one embodiment a method can be implemented by obtaining digital content; offering said digital content to a wireless telephone user; receiving payment information from said user for purchase of said digital content; processing said payment information so as to confirm payment for said digital content; and then downloading said digital content to said wireless telephone of said wireless telephone user. Optionally, the transaction may be staged by the consumer, or others.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2006Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignees: First Data Corporation, The Western Union CompanyInventors: Peter Rae, Nancy Loomis, Ken Algiene, Keith W. Dively
-
Patent number: 9852572Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for increasing the leak-resistance of cryptographic systems are disclosed. A cryptographic token maintains secret key data based on a top-level key. The token can produce updated secret key data using an update process that makes partial information that might have previously leaked to attackers about the secret key data no longer usefully describe the new updated secret key data. By repeatedly applying the update process, information leaking during cryptographic operations that is collected by attackers rapidly becomes obsolete. Thus, such a system can remain secure against attacks involving analysis of measurements of the device's power consumption, electromagnetic characteristics, or other information leaked during transactions. Transactions with a server can be secured with the token.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2011Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: CRYPTOGRAPHY RESEARCH, INC.Inventor: Paul C. Kocher
-
Patent number: 9764237Abstract: A system for delivering advertisements is provided capable of effectively advertising companies or products to users through a game as well as attracting the users' interest by varying the game difficulty in real-time according to user's responses. The system for delivering advertisements comprises a registration unit (212, 214) for registering information on one or more products provided from a company, information on the company, and condition information set by the company on conditions to win the products (e.g.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2009Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Inventor: Hiromi Fukuda
-
Patent number: 9727892Abstract: A method, system, and program product, for determining related search terms for a domain, comprising: receiving a request for related search terms for a domain, obtaining click data on the domain for initial related search terms determined for the domain, obtaining revenue generation data for each of a plurality of the initial related search terms; determining a first set of the initial related search terms with a highest revenue or ad clicks generation; generating a second set of new related search terms, comprising: obtaining keywords that are semantically relevant, obtaining how many advertisements are targeted to the respective keyword, and obtaining for each of multiple of the respective keywords an amount that advertisers have paid over a period of time for use of the respective keyword.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2011Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Kai Chen, William David Reardon, Jinjun Xu