Patents Examined by Thomas Dixon
  • Patent number: 8386285
    Abstract: System, method and computer program product for demand modeling and prediction in retail categories. The method uses time-series data comprising of unit prices and unit sales for a designated choice set of related products, with the time-series data obtained over a given sequence of sales reporting periods, and over a collection of stores in a market geography. Other relevant data sets from participating retail entities that include additional product attribute data such as market and consumer factors that affect retail demand are further used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yiwei Chen, Ramesh Natarajan
  • Patent number: 8386282
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are associated with a configuration comprising multiple integrated SOA governance components, and are generally concerned with monitoring and managing events that can or are likely to impact on different components of the configuration. One embodiment of the invention, directed to a method, comprises the steps of detecting a particular event that occurs at a particular SOA governance component of the configuration, and routing information pertaining to the detected event to a pre-specified storage location. The method further comprises operating a monitoring mechanism to selectively monitor the information routed to the location, and to determine from the monitored information that the particular event has occurred at the particular component of the configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Majeed M. Arni, Peter A. Coldicott, Eduardo T. Kahan, Mei Y. Selvage
  • Patent number: 8386284
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product provides for accurate demand modeling and forecasting in retail categories using retail sales data sets with missing data values, in order to enable a variety of retail decision-support applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel P. Connors, Lin Li, Ramesh Natarajan
  • Patent number: 8386283
    Abstract: A method and system for integration of real-time field data in chemical delivery vehicle operations is disclosed. Initially, information for a plurality of regions designated for chemical delivery is received at a command center, each of the plurality of regions having a defined boundary. Real-time and forecast environmental conditions are utilized in conjunction with prior and real-time field data to rank each of the plurality of regions. One or more chemical delivery vehicles are automatically selected and dispatched to one or more of the plurality of regions. When the one or more chemical delivery vehicles are within the defined boundary of one of the plurality of regions for chemical delivery, region specific chemical delivery procedures incorporating real-time environmental conditions are automatically calculated and initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Lynn Hand
  • Patent number: 8386288
    Abstract: A workflow management system for managing workflow within one or more entities is provided. The workflow management system may include a first drop-box application program executed on a first computing system including a first input object directory configured to receive an input object electronically outputted from an application program. The first drop-box application program may further include a first workflow engine configured to generate and send a workflow package to a second drop-box application program executed on a second computing system, the workflow package including the input object, a plurality of workflow tasks, and a set of predetermined workflow rules defined by a user via the first drop-box application program. In some examples at least one workflow task may be implemented via the second drop-box application program based on the set workflow rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Direct Response Medicine, LLC
    Inventors: John Allen Ananian, James D. Bryan
  • Patent number: 8386286
    Abstract: A system and method for dynamically allocating resources in a process. A demand pattern change detection unit, a future demand forecasting unit and a process optimization engine can be employed to constantly adjust resource allocation and assist in maintaining processes in a state of peak performance. An initial resource allocation unit generates an initial resource allocation plan based on past experience with respect to the process. The change detection unit detects a shift in the job demand pattern utilizing a statistical data when a change occurs in process requirements. The future demand generation unit accurately generates future demand data based on current job data and the outlook of future demand. The optimization engine acts as a surrogate process expert and provides recommendations to the process owner regarding potential possible resource allocation policies for new job demand data utilizing a simulation process to predict the result of variable staffing configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Sharath Srinivas, Rakesh Kulkarni, Sudhendu Rai
  • Patent number: 8374957
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods to process loss payments are described herein. In one example, an apparatus includes one or more data stores, a rules engine, an audit engine and a payment engine. In another example, the method may include receiving a notice of loss, deriving a payee, processing one or more rules using the information, determining whether an automatic payment can be made and transferring funds if the automatic payment can be made. In a further example, the method may include receiving a notice of loss, the loss having one or more exposures, processing one or more rules for each of the exposures in parallel, determining if an automatic payment can be made for each of the exposures and removing the automatic payment for an exposure if it can not be made while continuing processing payments for the remaining exposures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
    Inventors: Ana Maria Garcia, Zinda R. Vareed, Pamela Glimm Diener
  • Patent number: 8370240
    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: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Monroe, Alvin F. Tanpoco
  • Patent number: 8370247
    Abstract: Securities are traded at a primary site according to information received from market makers and traders. The information, including quotes and orders for one or more instruments, is received and stored at the primary site and used to create deals in the securities. The deals are also stored at the primary site. A secondary site stores replicas of the orders and deals, but not quote information. The deals stored at the secondary site may be used to update the orders stored at the secondary site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: OMX Technology AB
    Inventor: H{dot over (a)}kan Winbom
  • Patent number: 8370193
    Abstract: Methods, computer readable media, and apparatuses for evaluating risk associated with a process are presented. Input corresponding to one or more risk elements may be received. An exposure score, an impact score, a likelihood score, and an element score may be determined for each risk element. One or more risk category scores may be determined based on the one or more element scores. One or more risk parameter scores may be determined based on the one or more risk category scores. An overall risk score may be determined based on the one or more risk parameter scores. A risk scorecard may be generated, and the risk scorecard may include a risk scorecard that visually depicts one or more of the determined scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventor: Asish Saraf
  • Patent number: 8370195
    Abstract: Methods and systems for hosting business and other e-commerce application services are provided which provide secure shared computing resources to multiple instances of e-commerce or other business applications. The shared computing resources are dynamically allocated among the instances of the applications, and the instances of the applications are logically separated from one another to provide additional security.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Demandware Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Whitcomb, David C. Boyle, Ulrike Mueller, Stephan Schambach
  • Patent number: 8364565
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for managing bundle pricing of services. In one implementation, a system comprises a database for storing master contracts and billing customizing tables. The master contracts refer to the data of the billing customizing tables by means of result and condition attributes. This has the advantage that a modification of the billing customizing data, such as for the purpose of changing the bundle pricing scheme for the master contracts, does not require storage of the updated data in the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Burkhard Weiss, Dirk Becker
  • Patent number: 8364512
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention fill the need of properly controlling product inventory of semiconductor chips by providing methods and systems of dynamic inventory control. The methods and systems timely modify parameters affecting inventory. The parameters may include target inventory, cycle time, wafer start, future inventory and future shipment. In addition, the methods and systems gather real-time customer demand forecast to assist in production planning and adjustment. Further, the methods and systems identify inventory control turning points dynamically to adjust production activities to prevent overstock and to prevent stockout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Andy Hong, Edwin D. Liou, Chiapin Wen, Winston Tsai, Chih-Sheng Shih
  • Patent number: 8364586
    Abstract: A person stores funds in a lower interest checking account and a higher interest savings account of a banking institution. For each of a plurality of cycles, funds are received at the beginning of the cycle from an amount of income (‘INC’) of the person. An amount at least equal to a total amount of regularly recurring bills of the person that have a generally fixed amount (‘FIX’) is deposited into a bills account of the person, and at least a portion of a remainder of INC is deposited into the checking account. During the cycle, the person pays the regularly recurring bills from the bills account and other bills from the checking account. At the end of the cycle, a final amount left in the checking account above a floor value (‘FLO’) is transferred to the savings account. Thus, excess funds are not allowed to accumulate in the checking account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventor: Reynaldo Medina, III
  • Patent number: 8355982
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring token access transactions are provided. In one embodiment, the invention provides receiving transaction records for a plurality of bank card transactions, wherein the transaction records include transaction information and infrastructure information; determining whether a reportable event has occurred based on the transaction information with the transaction records; and providing an alert representing the reportable event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: VeriFone, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Hazel, Scott Yale, Clay von Mueller, Paul Elbridge Catinella, Blake Joseph Wood
  • Patent number: 8355958
    Abstract: The information providing system accurately predicts a behavior pattern of a user, selects and provides the optimal information at individual points in time. Provision information files for a number of stores are stored. When a user from a cellular phone transmits a retrieval condition including the position information and a keyword, a file is retrieved whose degree of accordance to the retrieval condition is a certain reference level. Tables show statistical degrees of interest of users in association with respective geographical areas, respective time periods, and respective store genres. The degree of accordance of the retrieved file is corrected based on the corresponding degrees of interest in the tables, and a list is presented, in which stores are sorted in the large order of the corrected degree of accordance, to the phone. The store information selected by the user from the list is distributed to the phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Fushimi, Tomohisa Hamano
  • Patent number: 8355939
    Abstract: Among other disclosed subject matter, a method for managing supply and demand for a ware includes obtaining requirement information for a ware, the requirement information representing a forecasted demand for the ware at a specified time. The method includes generating supply information for the ware, generating pegging information, obtaining order information for the ware, modifying the requirement information and updating the pegging information. Any remainder of the forecasted demand of the requirement information that is not consumed by the order remains associated with the supply information in the pegging information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventor: Fabrice Laur
  • Patent number: 8352299
    Abstract: Systems and methods use behavioral data to assess listings for items. The behavior data may relate to information regarding user actions in connection with listings for the items. The listings may be collections of information about the items. Behavioral data in connection with a collection of listings is used to assess how changing listings affects one or more performance measures and/or to score listing quality. The assessment may be used for various purposes, such as identifying listings that may be changed to achieve one or more improved performance measures for corresponding items and for other applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Mukund Seshadri, Deepak Jain, Tevye Rachelson Krynski
  • Patent number: 8352306
    Abstract: Lead distribution systems and methods distribute consumer business leads received from lead sources for routing to one or more destinations that use the leads and/or forward the leads to another destination. A quality level is assessed for each lead source, based in part on a percentage of leads from the source that result in a desired business transaction with the ultimate user of the lead. The system identifies a set of most profitable destinations for each lead, while maintaining a desired overall quality level and flow rate of leads routed to each destination. Adjusting the quality ratings of the lead sources may advantageously be used to affect the placement of their leads with destinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Autobytel Inc.
    Inventors: C. Michael Rose, Peter D. Mathews, Jeffrey E. Sward, Glenn R. Dunkle, John L. Dohoney, Glenn S. Davis
  • Patent number: 8352300
    Abstract: A system, computer program product and method for implementing and managing a value chain network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: One Network Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Ranjit Notani, Greg Brady, Sivakoumar Arumugam