Patents Examined by Thomas Dixon
  • Patent number: 7912786
    Abstract: An automated business process system and method for transferring money funds with a computer machine system that receives, processes and transmits account information data to effect money transfers from human sender's debit card accounts to human recipients debit card accounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Integrated Technological Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen D. Battaglini
  • Patent number: 7904330
    Abstract: An event type estimation system includes a log aggregation unit that generates time-series data representing the fluctuation in traffic to a site from log data, a deviation testing unit that extracts an interval showing an anomalous fluctuation from the time-series data, a waveform decomposition unit that optimizes a peak waveform, a normal waveform and a vertical waveform set by a waveform setting unit, in order to approximate the fluctuation in traffic in the interval extracted by the deviation testing unit with a composite of the peak waveform, the normal waveform and the vertical waveform, and an event determination unit that determines the type of event that caused the anomalous fluctuation, based on the waveforms optimized by the waveform decomposition unit and the rules of a rule recording unit. The event type estimation system is thereby able to extract access fluctuation anomalies from log data and estimate the type of event that caused the anomalous fluctuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masashi Uyama, Yasuhide Matsumoto, Masatomo Yasaki
  • Patent number: 7904372
    Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating transactions between commercial banks and pooled depositor groups are disclosed. Employees of a control center determine interest rate return needs of pooled depositor groups, such as trust departments at commercial banks. The control center employees aggregate the funds to produce a stable funds source and communicate the availability of the stable funds source to commercial banks for core deposits. The commercial banks communicate cash needs to the control center. The control center sets an interest rate to be paid to the pooled depositor groups for use of the funds to at least the depositor groups' expected rate of return and below and the rate that commercial banks are willing to pay for the funds. The banks post master NOW accounts and the pooled depositor groups deposit funds in the master NOW accounts. The pooled depositor groups are allowed to access the funds in the master NOW accounts on a daily basis without penalty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Finistar, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Whiting, Kim B. Winslow, Victor Briabrin, Tully M. Ryan
  • Patent number: 7899748
    Abstract: The present invention is a mobile server wallet provider portal, system, method and apparatus. A MSWP portal can include a configuration for communicative coupling both to a plurality of MSWPs and also to a content proxy. A composite profile generator further can be included which can be configured to combine a plurality of MSWP profiles into a single, composite profile for routing payment messages in the proxy to the MSWP portal. Finally, the MSWP portal can include selection logic configured to process a user selection of one of the MSWPs to process a payment transaction received through the proxy. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the content proxy can be a wireless service proxy (WSP). In this regard, the WSP further can include a filter plug-in configured to route the payment messages to the portal when the payment messages match rules specified within the composite profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Mark E. Peters
  • Patent number: 7899694
    Abstract: Techniques are described for using multiple successive interactions with multiple responders in order to perform a variety of types of tasks, such as to generate solutions to abstract or conceptual problems. In some situations, at least some of the multiple responders are humans available to perform tasks and/or provide information, such as to provide responses to questions in exchange for payment. The multiple successive interactions with the responders may be used to iteratively refine the problem and its abstract intermediate solutions until the refinements are sufficiently detailed and tangible as to allow detailed final solutions to be generated. In some situations, the interactions with the responders may be performed as part of an automated service for generating solutions to a variety of types of problems, such as in exchange for payment from the users or others who specify the problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley E. Marshall, Christopher L. Scofield, Elmore Eugene Pope, Eric B. Merritt
  • Patent number: 7895099
    Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating transactions (200) between commercial banks and pooled depositor groups are disclosed. Employees of a control center determine interest rate return needs of pooled depositor groups (210), such as trust departments at commercial banks. The control center employees aggregate (204) the funds to produce a stable funds source and communicate the availability of the stable funds source to commercial banks for core deposits (210). The commercial banks communicate cash needs to the control center (202). The control center sets an interest rate (206) to be paid to the pooled depositor groups for use of the funds to at least the depositor groups'expected rate of return and below and the rate that commercial banks are willing to pay for the funds. The banks post master NOW accounts and the pooled depositor groups deposit funds in the master NOW accounts (212).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Finistar, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Whiting, Kim B. Winslow, Victor Briabrin, Tully M. Ryan
  • Patent number: 7890424
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a demand deposit account. The method may comprise the step of structuring the demand deposit account with at least a first balance tier and a second balance tier. The methods may also comprise the steps of monitoring a balance of the demand deposit account, and accruing interest to at least a portion of the balance of the demand deposit account at an interest rate if the balance falls within the second balance tier. The interest rate may be tied to an interest rate of an investment account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Linda H Wakim, Alan Trivilino, Richard Claypoole
  • Patent number: 7881960
    Abstract: A method and/or a system for value analysis and value added concoction of a beverage in a network environment of the beverage is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a set of opinion data corresponding to a set of attributes defining a beverage through users of a network having a propensity to identify themselves with the beverage using an incentive promoting the beverage to the users. The method also includes applying an algorithm to transform the set of opinion data to factors which affect a market value of the beverage, and determining the market value of the beverage as a function of one or more of the factors. In another embodiment, a method includes generating a formula data to enable a registered user to concoct a variation of a particular type of beverage accentuating one or more intrinsic qualities of the particular type of beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Wine Societies, Inc.
    Inventor: Rajkumar Ramamurti
  • Patent number: 7882009
    Abstract: The present invention is a reverse auction/lease and review/evaluation method to be used on the Internet. The method permits quantitative analysis of competitive leasing offers according to financial fundamentals and lessee defined qualitative variables and their relative weighting. The invention includes multiple Internet displayable screens which depict and permit inclusion of quantitative and qualitative variables as defined by the lessee. The invention also includes a scoring system by which the lessee can objectively and quantitatively measure competitive bids of prospective lessors participating in a reverse auction conducted on the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Inventor: Donald R. Fralic
  • Patent number: 7882002
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for chart pattern recognition and analysis. In one embodiment, a graphical interface is provided to enable a trader to select a portion of a chart to be used in the chart pattern analysis. The pattern of the selected portion of the chart could then be used to find one or more similar chart patterns in a user-defined timeframe, such as any future time period or a time period in the past. When a reoccurring chart pattern is found in any future time period, an alert signal can be generated to alert a user of a possibility of the chart pattern reoccurrence. Alternatively, chart pattern matches can be found in a time period in the past, and a set of studies can be applied to the found matches to generate a set of reoccurring indicator values. The reoccurring indicator values can be used in combination with the chart pattern to detect any similar chart patterns in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Monroe, Alvin F. Tanpoco
  • Patent number: 7881998
    Abstract: The invention relates to a novel incentive and compensation plan for motivating and rewarding employees, and a computer system for implementing said plan. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stock-based incentive and compensation plan that rewards employees based on the performance of the company. The present invention provides methods and systems for providing an employee incentive and compensation plan, which include deferring a portion of an employee's compensation for a period of time. The financial performance of the employee's company is evaluated over the selected period of time, and the employee's total deferred compensation is converted into a number of units based on the amount deferred, the average share price of the company stock, and the financial performance of the company. The employee's units are valued based on the average share price of the company stock, and the total compensation is paid to participating employees as an incentive and compensation plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
    Inventors: Brian Finn, Sean Brady, Susan Mink
  • Patent number: 7865389
    Abstract: To analyze a time series of data that exhibits seasonal effects, the time series is processed to obtain a representation in the frequency domain. According to the representation, plural cycle lengths are identified as representing different seasonal effects of the data in the time series, where a first of the plural cycle lengths is greater than a second of the plural cycle lengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Jerry Z. Shan
  • Patent number: 7856386
    Abstract: An account exchange system is provided by a data aggregation service enabled for gathering data for a subscriber from a data repository of a first financial institution, using account exchange software operating on a server coupled to the data aggregation service. Initiated by a subscriber the account exchange software causes an account to be terminated at the first financial institution and a new account to be opened at a second financial institution, using data from the first financial institution, and processing the data to be compatible with data requirements at the second financial institution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Yodlee, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Alexander Hazlehurst, Cindy Alvarez
  • Patent number: 7856387
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for facilitating a purchase transaction includes enabling a deposit account of an accountholder to be associated with another account of the accountholder that is provided by a provider of media to the accountholder. The account provided by the media provider corresponds to provision of media to the accountholder or is a financial account that is associated with a media account of the accountholder. Information indicative of the account provided by the provider of media is received during a purchase transaction. The purchase transaction is settled using funds from the deposit account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: GoFigure Payments, LLC
    Inventor: Devon A. Rolf
  • Patent number: 7856385
    Abstract: A system and method provides electronic management and processing of bankruptcy-related claims and payments. The method includes receiving loan servicer data from a loan servicer portfolio. The method also includes receiving trustee data from a repository of trustee information. The method includes comparing one or more data fields related to the claims from the service provider data to corresponding one or more data fields related to the claims from the trustee data and assigning a score to the comparison results for the data fields related to the claims based on one or more business rules. The method includes calculating the total score for the comparison results for the claims, designating the claim as being valid if the total score for the claim is greater or equal to a predetermined value, and designating the claim as being invalid if the total score for the claim is less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: National Default Exchange LP
    Inventors: Elizabeth I. Petr, Eric L. Donowho, Robert W. Brasiel, Rajinder M. Singh
  • Patent number: 7856370
    Abstract: A method and system for displaying predictions on a spatial map includes using a data analyzer for analyzing heterogeneous data having a spatial component to find utilizable data and using machine learning to automatically extract relationships from the utilizable data. The extracted relationships are used to make a prediction about at least one location on the spatial map and present that prediction in an oblique or perspective view. An interface presents the prediction on the spatial map in the form of a heat map overlying a 3-D topographical map. Although the 3-D map can be shown as any form of graphical projection including an oblique projection or orthographic projection, preferably a perspective view is used. It is also preferred that the graphical projection be interactive. The heat map may be 2-D or 3-D and be selectively displayed depending on the preference of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Saama Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Suresh Katta, Haranath Gnana
  • Patent number: 7853475
    Abstract: A method (200, 300) of managing mobile context and advertising over a communications network based on the context. The method includes identifying (204) a context (146, 152) associated with a communication sent to or received by a remote unit belonging to the user group of remote units. The method also includes determining (212) whether the identified context is associated with one or more advertisements by querying correlation data (144) to identify advertisements having context that correlates to the identified context. When the identified context is associated with one or more advertisements, the method includes transmitting (214) the one or more advertisements to at least one remote unit belonging to the user group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Juan D. Deaton, Jesse M. Keeler
  • Patent number: 7848830
    Abstract: A system (10) for carrying out transactions between a customer at a customer station (14, 21, 202, 204) and a service provider at a service provider station (12, 194), includes transferring items through transaction devices such as pneumatic carrier delivery and receiving device (21, 200) and a deal drawer (20, 208). The customer at the customer station provides inputs corresponding to a financial account through input devices on the body which is stored in the memory (82, 158) on the body. After transfer to the service provider station, data in the memory is output to a charge device (56) which is operative to assess a charge to the customer's account responsive to data output from the memory. Vehicle sensors (230, 234) sense a vehicle adjacent the respective transaction device. At least one computer calculates at least one time value corresponding to each vehicle and stores the at least one time value and other data values concerning the respective transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Neil Gromley, Dustin Cairns, Mike Lawver, Rodney J. Reese, B. Scott Harroff
  • Patent number: 7844486
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for determining and increasing the accuracy of costing including determining possible components of a product; allocating each component at least one costing wherein the costing depends on the current product definition process which may vary over time and wherein different methods for the costing may be applied; assigning an accuracy value for each costing method that is applied; for each component, multiplying its assigned accuracy value with the component's proportion to the total cost of the product, and summing up the weighted accuracies of the costings of the components resulting in an overall accuracy of the costing of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Faction GmbH
    Inventors: John Benad, Thoralf Nehls, Martin Nehls
  • Patent number: 7844517
    Abstract: Weather metrics data and a weather factor relationship knowledgebase are received and used to forecast the weather-based demand. The weather factor relationship knowledgebase can be a weather-impact model. The weather-impact model can comprise at least one of an empirical scoring matrix, a weather indices template, and a proxy model conditions template. The weather-impact model can be derived from an analysis of normalized proxy sales history data. Optionally, the weather-based demand can be scaled, deaggregated, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Planalytics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Willen, David G. Estornell, William E. Kirk, Eli H. Miller, Paul E. Walsh