Patents Examined by Ryan Zeender
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Patent number: 9916560Abstract: The present disclosure extends to maintaining an item inventory status at an inventory cache management system. The inventory cache may be refreshed regularly by a threshold-based triggering mechanism. In embodiments, as item inventory breaches certain thresholds, the inventory cache may be refreshed with increased frequency to mitigate overselling or underselling scenarios and reduce overall network traffic for items having relatively high inventory levels.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2013Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: WAL-MART STORES, INC.Inventors: Madhavan Kandhadai Vasantham, Vikrant Tare, Manish Gupta
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Patent number: 9904436Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention further provide systems and methods for allowing users in an online consultation system to create, edit and follow information feeds related to a subject matter category, topic, person or a combination thereof.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2013Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: PEARL.COM LLCInventors: Ashkan Gholam Zadeh, Gann Bierner
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Patent number: 9898726Abstract: A terminal for use in a retail banking system comprises an interface for receiving multiple types of personal authentication elements. An authentication request for a user is associated with one or more of these types of element. The terminal also comprises a security module for providing access to a plurality of different access spaces of the system, each space comprises a different respective function or combination of functions of the system. For each access space, the security module provides a mapping between that access space and a respective one or more of the types of personal authentication element. Based on this mapping, the security module is thus configured to grant the user with access to one of the access spaces on condition of being mapped to the one or more types of personal authentication element associated with the authentication request for the user, and on condition those elements are verified.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2013Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: Glory Global Solutions (International) LimitedInventors: Michael Eugene Bielamowicz, Symon Patrick Ashby Buckman, Bryan James Christophersen
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Patent number: 9886677Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for monitoring, maintaining, tracking, and/or integrating inventory items in one or more systems. An inventory integration system may monitor the states, dependencies, and/or locations of inventory items across one or more data centers and/or similar structures. Issues detected may be escalated and remedial actions to the issues may be generated. The inventory integration system may communicate with various external resources in order to convey various information associated with the items of inventory and/or the data centers.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2012Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Michael David Marr, Matthew D. Klein
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Patent number: 9864417Abstract: Methods and systems for data center management include collecting sensor data from one or more sensors in a rack; determining a location and identifying information for each asset in the rack using a set of asset tags associated with respective assets; communicating the sensor and asset location to a communication module; receiving an instruction from the communication module; and executing the received instruction to change a property of the rack.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2013Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Sergio A. Bermudez Rodriguez, Hendrik F. Hamann, Hans-Dieter Wehle
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Patent number: 9852420Abstract: A transaction card package assembly comprising at least one transaction card, at least one sample product, and a card holder, and methods and system for processing the same.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: BLACKHAWK NETWORK, INC.Inventors: Amie Miller, Saverio Spagnolie
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Patent number: 9852416Abstract: A method for authorizing a mobile payment transaction is provided. The method includes receiving, by a server, a request to authorize a payment transaction which originates from a point of sale (POS) module. In an embodiment, the request includes payment information of the payment transaction and location information of the POS module. When the request is received, an authorizing client device for the payment transaction is identified based on the payment information and a disposition of the request to authorize the payment transaction is determined based on whether the authorizing client device is located within a predetermined proximity to the POS module.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: LOOKOUT, INC.Inventors: Kevin Patrick Mahaffey, Brian James Buck
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Patent number: 9846897Abstract: Systems and methods for providing direct shipping to mobile subscribers are disclosed. A customer ordering system receives an order request, retrieves subscriber information requested by an advertiser, and populates an order form with the retrieved information. The information can be reviewed, edited, and/or confirmed, and the order can be passed to an order fulfillment entity. Networks and devices for providing the disclosed systems and methods are also disclosed. Exemplary computer-readable media storing corresponding instructions are also disclosed. A device that executes the instructions can perform the disclosed methods and/or provide the functionality of the disclosed systems.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2008Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Barbara Roden, Matthew Hull
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Patent number: 9841314Abstract: System, methods, and computer program products are provided for enhanced freight tracking and monitoring. The system may track the location of a freight shipment within a carrier's transportation network from the time it is picked up by a carrier from a consignor until it is delivered to a consignee, provide for weight determinations and shipping re-classifications of the freight shipment during transport, and provide real-time status information and reports to the carrier, consignor, and/or consignee.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2008Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: William Mark Moir, Scott Christopher Vandy
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Patent number: 9842342Abstract: Systems and methods for take-out order management and analysis. In an embodiment, for each of a plurality of restaurants, an interactive menu associated with the restaurant is provided to a plurality of users, a plurality of orders are received from the plurality of users, and the plurality of orders are sent to the restaurant. Order information related to the plurality of orders and the plurality of users is stored in at least one database, and analyzed.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2012Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: RESTAURANT REVOLUTION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventor: Brett Harman
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Patent number: 9821618Abstract: A suspension system for a traveling vehicle body is disclosed. The system includes a suspension reference position varying mechanism (18) for varying a reference position of a suspension stroke of the suspension mechanism (100), and a controller (35) configured to calculate an intermediate value from a maximal value corresponding to the maximal position of the suspension stroke and a minimal value corresponding to the minimal position of the suspension stroke, and to control the suspension reference position varying mechanism such that, when the calculated intermediate values deviates from a set target range, the intermediate value is displaced toward the target range. The controller (35) increases a control execution frequency for the suspension reference position varying mechanism (18) when the traveling speed of the vehicle body is low, and reduces the control execution frequency for the suspension reference position varying mechanism (18) when the traveling speed of the vehicle body is high.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2015Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Kubota CorporationInventors: Kenichi Iwami, Shigeki Hayashi, Akihiro Matsuzaki, Toshimitsu Yazaki, Atsushi Hayashi, Kazuma Ishihara
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Patent number: 9817897Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a computer system that facilitates the providing of an answer to a question. During operation, the computer system receives the question from a user, where the question is related to income taxes. Then, the computer system performs content-dependent processing of the question based on a tax-information data structure to produce the answer to the question. Note that the tax-information data structure includes: tax phrases, context information associated with the tax phrases, tax concepts that encompass multiple tax phrases, and/or statistical association metrics between the tax phrases and the tax concepts. Next, the computer system provides the answer to the user.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2010Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: INTUIT INC.Inventors: Gang Wang, Igor A. Podgorny, Troy D. Otillio
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Patent number: 9811804Abstract: A system and method for tracking fiber along a textile supply chain aids in product tracking and can verify fiber source/origin. However, verifying the fiber origin and type in a textile product purchased at a retail location back to the bale is complicated by the nature of textile processes along the supply chain. The system as described in the present application addresses complications, such as contamination/cross-contamination, and is used to track fiber from bales of fiber processed into a textile product throughout a sequence of textile operations. The system captures, for each textile operation, a) input information, b) output information, and c) equipment information related to the equipment used in the textile operation. The output information is associated with the input information of a subsequent textile operation, thereby associating the input information and output information, for each textile operation, with the fiber information for the bales of fiber.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Welspun India LimitedInventors: Dipali Goenka, Vipin Gandhi
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Patent number: 9811800Abstract: Methods and systems are described for inventory tracking using a contextual recording of an item being received into inventory. A recording may be taken by a recording device as an item is being received into inventory at a fulfillment center from, or on behalf of, a third party. As a worker at the fulfillment center processes the item, the recording device may capture the worker's actions. The recording may be further combined with contextual information related to the item and/or the actions performed by the worker as the item is received and processed. The resulting contextual recording may then be provided to the third party who provided the item to the receiving site. Using the contextual recording, the third party and/or an owner or operator of the receiving site may determine whether an inventory item was properly received.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2013Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Pujan Patel
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Patent number: 9807925Abstract: A robotic mower area coverage system includes a load sensor on the robotic mower signaling load on a cutting blade motor, a boundary sensor on the robotic mower indicating the distance from the sensor to a boundary wire, a timer on the robotic mower indicating when the robotic mower last used a specified boundary coverage, and a vehicle control unit on the robotic mower selecting the type of area coverage based on input from the load sensor, the boundary sensor and the timer, and commanding a pair of traction drive motors to drive the robotic mower using the selected type of area coverage.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2010Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventor: David A. Johnson
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Patent number: 9799017Abstract: Data stores that are to be configured as members of a storage group on behalf of a client are identified. The client indicates one or more types of cross-data-store operations to be performed. A transaction manager that makes acceptance decisions for write requests directed to the members based at least partly on contents of a log is instantiated, and respective write transformers are set up for at least some of the types of cross-data-store operations. During a particular time period, the workload at the storage group is monitored, and the number and types of cross-data-store operations is determined. The results of the monitoring are used to determine a billing amount for the client based on a selected pricing policy.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2014Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Allan Henry Vermeulen, Omer Ahmed Zaki
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Patent number: 9799001Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a social network. The methods involve: creating a relationship between a first entity and a second entity; setting authorization which indicates that a user of said first entity is authorized to view inventory data of said second entity; receiving a request to view first inventory data of said first entity and second inventory data of said second entity by said user; and determining whether said user is authorized to view said second inventory data. If said user is authorized: querying a first remote inventory management system of said first entity for said first inventory data and a second remote inventory management system of said second entity for said second inventory data; receiving said first and second inventory data; generating an aggregate view comprising said first and second inventory data; and providing content of said aggregate view to a client computing device of said first entity.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2015Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Erik J. Burckart, Andrew Ivory, John F. Schumacher, Aaron K. Shook
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Patent number: 9773222Abstract: A system and method for externally augmented asset management is disclosed. According to one embodiment, information from a first reporting source about an asset is received. In addition, information from a second reporting source about the asset is also received. Information from a third reporting source about at least one environmental condition is also received. A database is then populated with the information from the first reporting source, the information from the second reporting source and the third reporting source such that information from the first reporting source, the information from the second reporting source and the third reporting source can be collected or accessed from the database.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2007Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Trimble Inc.Inventor: Daniel John Wallace
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Patent number: 9771042Abstract: A system for classifying an occupant located on a seating surface of a vehicle seat. The system includes a movable element and an electrode located in the vehicle seat. A sensing circuit is provided to supply a signal to the conductor. The sensing circuit also includes measurement electronics configured to measure the signal to the conductor and the vibration of the moveable element. A controller is configured to discriminate between different types of objects located on the seating surface based on changes in the signal being supplied to the conductor and the vibration of the moveable element.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2010Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.Inventors: William Todd Watson, Leonard Cech, James Gregory Stanley, Scott Kerby
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Patent number: 9767446Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a touch screen for contactless payments are described. In an embodiment, a process includes detecting the presence of multiple proximity payment devices in contact with a touchable surface of a touch screen, displaying a payment option menu for multiple consumers associated with the proximity payment devices, and detecting selection of payment amounts. The process includes reading payment account data from the multiple proximity payment devices, providing the payment account data to a processor, and transmitting the payment account data and the payment amounts associated with the multiple proximity payment devices to a payment server computer. The process may also include receiving one or more payment authorization messages associated with the proximity payment devices, and displaying the payment authorization message(s).Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2012Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: MasterCard International IncorporatedInventors: Alan Cooke, Stephen Elder, Simon Blythe