Patents Examined by Stacie D Gatling
  • Patent number: 9911141
    Abstract: One or more text blocks, one or more images, and one or more contextual advertisements related to the text blocks are input into a mixed-content page layout model. One or more pages are generated by the mixed-content page layout model such that the text blocks, the images, and the contextual advertisements are displayed on the pages. For each contextual advertisement, a dynamic weight to a particular text block is determined. The mixed-content page layout model uses the dynamic weight for a contextual advertisement in determining where the advertisement is displayed within the pages in relation to the particular text block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Niranjan Damera-Venkata
  • Patent number: 8249928
    Abstract: In addition to standard product labels, incentive labels are printed and provided to customers when an item is identified to and weighed by a scale/label printer located in a store by accessing an incentive database to determine the existence and nature of any incentive. One or more display devices may be used in connection with providing incentives, including enabling a customer to select from among a number of incentives displayed. An incentive label construction may be provided with desirable folding features. Certain incentives may be of a graduated/progressive type to invite larger purchases by customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Valassis In-Store Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Schuller, Robert J. Weisz, Nigel G. Mills
  • Patent number: 7844490
    Abstract: A method for using promotional programs and merchant values is disclosed. In one example, the method includes receiving an authorization request message including a merchant verification value through a payment processing network, where the authorization request message is associated with a purchase by a consumer. A merchant-specific promotional program is then determined using the merchant verification value, and the merchant specific promotional program is performed. For example, the promotional program can be a sweepstakes and the task may be determining of the consumer is an instant winner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Barbara Patterson
  • Patent number: 7778874
    Abstract: An advertising system automatically generates suggested ad campaign parameters for a business based on information obtained automatically from one or more sources, such as a corresponding business directory listing, a web site of the business, and/or a user account record associated with the business. The suggested ad campaign parameters, which may include suggested keyword strings for ad targeting, are presented to a user associated with the business via a partially or wholly pre-populated electronic form that can be submitted to create an active ad campaign for the business. In one embodiment, the pre-populated form is presented in response to the user selecting an ad solicitation object displayed on a web page. The ad solicitation object may be displayed in the format of an actual ad, and may include suggested ad text for use in the ad campaign.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventor: Colin M. Saunders