Patents Examined by Scott A Zare
  • Patent number: 8355961
    Abstract: A system is provided for determining an item location in a distribution center. The system includes an audio device, a transparent display, and a mobile device in communication with the audio device and the transparent display. The mobile device receives a request to determine item location from the audio device, determines a location of the mobile device, and determines an item location. The mobile device also outputs item location information to the transparent display and outputs additional information to the transparent display in response to a change of the location of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Sei Y. Ng, Carl J. Persson, Thomas H. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8352322
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas U. Mennie, William J. Jones, Mark C. Munro
  • Patent number: 8346591
    Abstract: A method, system, and program for automating responses by grid providers to bid request indicating criteria for a grid job are provided. A bid controller grid service of a grid provider receives a job request from a client for processing a job within a grid environment of the grid provider, wherein the job request specifies at a least one criteria required for the grid provider to handle a particular grid job. The grid service determines whether the grid environment includes the hardware platform class, software platform class, and network bandwidth required by the job request. If the grid service determines that the grid environment includes a sufficient hardware platform class, software platform class, and network bandwidth, then a total required workload for the job request is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig William Fellenstein, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Joshy Joseph, James W Seaman
  • Patent number: 8346610
    Abstract: A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the documents from the transport mechanism after being transported past the full image scanner and the discrimination unit. The full image scanner includes means for obtaining a full video image of said documents, means for obtaining a image of a selected area of said documents, and means for obtaining information contained in said selected area of said document. The discrimination unit includes means for determining the authenticity of said document. A system controller directs the flows of documents over the transport mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corp.
    Inventors: Douglas U. Mennie, William J. Jones, Mark C. Munro
  • Patent number: 8341031
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods, and associated computer program products and systems, for checking availability of a ware in a time interval, a resource to produce the ware being associated with the ware. The computer-implemented method can include obtaining capacity supply information comprising a capacity supply for each date of the time interval and capacity demand information comprising a capacity demand for each date of the time interval. The first date of the time interval is set to a later date, there is determined for each date from the first date to the later date whether capacity supply is unused. If capacity supply is unused, the method includes eliminating the specific amount from the capacity supply information. In response to demand information representing a demand having a requested date, availability of the resource on the requested date is determined using the capacity supply information and the capacity demand information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Jochen Steinbach, Andreas Poth
  • Patent number: 8341043
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for monitoring, managing and reporting credit card prepayment risk for an issuing bank. Sales data, corresponding payment data and data indicating the fulfillment of orders are monitored. The amount required as security by the bank is dynamically adjusted, for example on a daily basis, in response to the quantum of prepayment exposure determined by the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Westpac Bank Corporation
    Inventors: Justin Tingle, Donald Neil Williams, Geoffrey Peter Tunbridge
  • Patent number: 8335730
    Abstract: A data processing system generates a scorecard analysis that displays multiple scorecard windows, each directed to a specific different perspective on a particular business function. Each perspective may have at least one corresponding objective, and each objective may have at least one corresponding key performance indicator. Each scorecard may include drill down capability from a top level analysis to more detailed information on a perspective, objective, or key performance indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: David A. Davidson, Scott P. Elsky, William A. Parkan
  • Patent number: 8332286
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for a comprehensive account reconciliation process, which ensures a predictable level for the accuracy of the ledger account balance. The present account reconciliation process includes nine reconciliation methods both transactional and non-transactional. The account reconciliation processes are part of overall accounting accuracy methodology that includes five macro processes where reconciliation takes place during the execute macro process. The reconciliation methods cover the diverse interactions between the ledger accounts and supporting documents that are either externally or internally generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Inventor: Ricardo A. Georg Lopes
  • Patent number: 8326707
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing wireless enabled inventory peering are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a system for providing wireless enabled inventory peering includes a wireless enabled inventory peering vehicle system (WEIPVS). The WEIPVS is configured to receive an inventory search request. In response to receiving the inventory search request, the WEIPVS searches inventories of proximate technician vehicles. If a needed inventory item is located in an inventory of a proximate technician vehicle, the WEIPVS generates a request for an inventory transfer and sends the request to the proximate technician vehicle. When the item is received at the WEIPVS, the WEIPVS updates the inventory associated with the WEIPVS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: James Fan, Vimal Begwani, Richard Kuo, Stephen Kurpinsky
  • Patent number: 8321304
    Abstract: A stocked product sensing system that can be used with a product display, displaying product items on one or more shelves thereof, to determine the level of product availability and/or configuration of product items on one or more shelves of the product display. According to one embodiment of this invention, the stocked product sensing system utilizes capacitive sensing at the shelf-level. According to another embodiment of this invention, the stocked product sensing system utilizes optical sensing at the shelf-level. The stocked product sensing system of this invention may utilize a store-level management system and/or a central management system and generate low stock alarms based on user-defined criteria in a software system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ferveo Technology
    Inventors: Farrukh Khan, Yehea Ismail
  • Patent number: 8321290
    Abstract: An online shopping basket is acquired by a buyer from an online store and is customized according to rules specified by the buyer. The buyer places zero or more items in the online shopping basket(s) before they are given to at least one shopper by the online store. The shopper(s) may further customize the online shopping basket(s) with rules that do not conflict with those specified by the buyer. The shopper(s) then place zero or more items in the online shopping basket(s) and return the basket(s) to the online store. Multiple online shopping baskets are merged into a single basket, and the buyer reviews the items in the merged online shopping basket and adds or removes items as necessary. The buyer then purchases the remaining items from the online store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Kingsum Chow, John Du
  • Patent number: 8321354
    Abstract: A system, computer-implemented method, and software for automatically planning and scheduling ocean-going vessels for oil distribution is provided. The scheduling of the vessels is based on a filtered beam search and greedy heuristic. A server can be used for receiving a schedule request and one or more constraints for scheduling one or more vessels from one or more users. An optimization engine can be used for generating a schedule based at least in part on the one or more constraints using a beam search algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: JDA Software Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian Ye, Mark Hartge
  • Patent number: 8311917
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for managing collateral based transactions are disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more processors perform defining collateral for a financial transaction, assessing a valuation of the collateral based upon a difference between a material value and a legal tender value of the legal tender precious metal coins, and determining terms of the financial transaction based on the valuation. In some embodiments, the collateral includes one or more legal tender precious metal coins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Gold Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Omar Besim Hakim
  • Patent number: 8311910
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus that charges a user for executing a predetermined image process holds charging information in a storage device, charges a user for executing the predetermined image process based on charging information held in the storage device. When the charging information held in the storage device is updated, the image processing apparatus determines whether to permit the update of the charging information based on an operated state of the image processing apparatus by the user, and according to the result of determination, the image processing apparatus is controlled so that the charging information is updated if the update of the charging information is permitted, and is controlled so that the charging information is not updated if the update of the charging information is not permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kaori Yamada
  • Patent number: 8311902
    Abstract: A method for fulfilling inventory requests includes receiving an inventory request requesting an inventory item and selecting the requested inventory item from an inventory holder. The method further includes storing the requested inventory item in an order holder associated with the inventory request and moving the order holder to a storage space. In addition, the method includes detecting a triggering event and in response to detecting the triggering event, retrieving the order holder from the storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Mountz, Peter R. Wurman
  • Patent number: 8306910
    Abstract: One or more currency notes deposited at a currency reserve may be electronically circulated by a transaction provider. The transaction provider may maintain a record of the ownership status of the one or more currency notes in a computer-readable storage medium. The transaction provider may provide for an entity to obtain ownership of a currency notes. The entity may submit a request to the transaction provider to transfer a currency note to another entity. The transaction provider may authorize the request, and may perform the transfer if the request is authorized. The transfer of ownership may take place while maintaining the physical currency note in the currency reserve. A record of the transaction may be stored by the transaction provider and/or transmitted to the parties to the transfer. The transaction provider may allow for the exchange or currency notes into other denomination and/or currency types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Capital Will LLC
    Inventor: Bradley Wilkes
  • Patent number: 8306880
    Abstract: A method for determining foreign paid taxes involves receiving an identification (ID) value linked to an account; requesting a financial record associated with a foreign tax jurisdiction from the account; obtaining a total price of a purchase associated with the financial record; extracting a foreign paid tax from the total price; calculating a tax sum based on the foreign paid tax; and populating a section of a form based on the tax sum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Matthew Fitch, Thomas A. Frasher
  • Patent number: 8301518
    Abstract: A system and method for inventory management is provided. An indication of a removal of a first resource at a first location is received, and a risk value associated with the first resource at the location is calculated. A determination is made if the risk value is less than a predetermined threshold, and a request to transfer a second resource from a second location to the first location is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: American Airlines, Inc.
    Inventors: Mei Zhang, Shau-shiang Ja, Nancy Lee Lillo, Sameer Anand, Tuell Coleman Green, Steven James Oakley
  • Patent number: 8301519
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for analyzing the revenue cycles of a facility to more accurately predict future financial performance. Using the methods and apparatus disclosed herein, accountants and financial planners are given forecasts of future accounts paid based on current accounts receivable and past accounts paid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Crowe Horwath LLP
    Inventors: Derek Andrew Bang, Calab Donald Decker
  • Patent number: 8301523
    Abstract: The invention provides a method, system and computer readable medium for providing a notification to a recipient. The method, system and computer readable medium relate to a notification sent via a processing device, the method including determining, for a recipient, a first notification method and a second notification method, generating a notification, and providing the notification to the recipient in accordance with the first notification method or, upon a failure of the first notification method, providing the notification to the recipient in accordance with the second notification method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Corey K Morris, Jeffrey William Cordell, Robert Allen Sherry, Mark Clinton Knox, Scott R Mingus, William David Sullivan, Jr.