Patents Examined by Vitali Korobov
  • Patent number: 9450993
    Abstract: A social networking system facilitates a user's creation of a group of other users from among the user's connections in the user's social network. The created groups may be used, for example, to publish information to certain user-defined groups or to define privacy settings or other access rights to the user's content according to such user-defined groups. When a user adds connections to a group, the social networking system determines suggested connections that have not been added to the group, based on a similarity of the suggested connections with one or more of the connections who have been added to the group. These suggested connections are then presented to the user to facilitate the creation of the group. Both positive and negative feedback may be used to generate a useful set of suggestions, which may be updated as the user further defines the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Lento, Scott Alex Smith, David Edward Braginsky
  • Patent number: 9444930
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for delivering telecommunications services to customers. The systems and methods allow for the rapid creation and deployment of new telecommunications services, and the bundling of multiple services into service packages that can be sold together as a single product. Based on the systems and methods, targeted service packages may be developed and marketed toward business customers in specific industries. The systems and method provide opportunities for new business arrangements between telecommunications service providers and smaller third party providers. The new business arrangements provide access to a much wider customer pool for the third party providers, and create new sources of revenue for telecoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventor: Hans Hwang
  • Patent number: 9325808
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is a method for operating a data processing system, where the data processing system includes a service bus connected between a client and a server. The service bus includes one or more applications configured to mediate message flow between the client and the server. The method includes receiving a message from the client at the service bus, and mediating the message at a message-mediating application of the service bus. The mediation includes adding a header to the message, the header defining a source and a predetermined condition under which a target can respond directly to the source. The source is either the client or an application of the service bus, and the target is either an application of the service bus or the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Samuel T. Massey, Daniel J. McGinnes, Martin A. Ross, Craig H. Stirling
  • Patent number: 9317857
    Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method for providing engagement enhancing content to a user with minimal interference with activities performed by the user at a website including receiving an indication of an event at a website, wherein the event represents the user actively interacting with the content at the website, suspending the provision of one or more engagement enhancing content to the user in response to receiving the indication of the event, wherein the engagement enhancing content is configured to encourage user interaction with the website, receiving an indication of a second event at the website, wherein the second event corresponds to the user no longer actively interacting with content at the website and resuming provision of the one or more engagement enhancing content to the user in response to receiving an indication of the second event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Terleski, Gregory Matthew Marra, Bradley Horowitz
  • Patent number: 9278284
    Abstract: A method for sending a notification message using a modified form of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) multicast notification system in a client-server architecture. The method includes: determining that the server wants to send a notification message, wherein the server is a Download and Configuration Management (DCM) engine; querying, via a UDP broadcast processor, a database for a list of clients that have registered for one or more types of notification; receiving a reply with the list of clients that have registered for the one or more types of notification; and sending a notification to the clients on the list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Ruppert, Farshid Atashband
  • Patent number: 9276978
    Abstract: Live media distribution systems and methods enable scalable and efficient caching of live media content over computer networks. A live media backend generates video fragments for distribution to a content delivery network. The content may originally be streamed live by a live media source. The live media backend determines priority information for the video fragments and attaches a priority identifier to a data envelope for the video segments. The video fragments with the attached priority identifier are sent to a content delivery network. The content delivery network can access the attached priority identifier without analyzing the content of the video fragment to enable intelligent caching of video segments within the media distribution system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Eduardo S. C. Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9262371
    Abstract: A method for execution on a computing device includes transmitting first identification information to a server processing circuit via the Internet. The server processing circuit identifies a plurality of geographically dispersed systems corresponding to the first identification information. Information including geographical coordinates and system status information is received for each system. A set of geographical boundary coordinates are determined. Moreover, a visible characteristic value for each system is determined based on the corresponding system status information. A map presentation function executed by a second processing circuit displays a map based on the geographic boundary coordinates, and displays a plurality of visible indicators on the map. Each of the plurality of visible indicators has a position on the map corresponding the geographical coordinates of a corresponding system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
    Inventors: Shaun Finnerty, Jeffrey Hriljac, Drew M. Knobloch
  • Patent number: 9262242
    Abstract: Exemplary machine-to-machine (“M2M”) device client systems, methods, and interfaces are described herein. An exemplary M2M device includes an M2M device client configured to provide 1) a platform messaging interface through which the M2M device client communicates with an M2M platform and 2) an application interface that includes a set of application program interfaces (“APIs”) through which an application installed on the M2M device interfaces with the M2M device client. The set of APIs may include one or more of the exemplary APIs and/or API function calls described herein. Corresponding systems, methods, and interfaces are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Bruce Stansell, Paul Jeffrey Silver, Daryl Nebrich, David Geltner
  • Patent number: 9262595
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for accessing licensable items unique to a geographic area via a wireless device are provided. The method and apparatus may include obtaining access to licensable items available in a first location of the wireless device. The methods and apparatus may further include downloading a licensable item. The licensable item is associated with a license providing the wireless device with a right to distribute the licensable item. The methods and apparatus may also include leaving a virtual copy of the licensable item in a second location of the wireless device different from the first location using the right to distribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Jason M. Hough, Kameron K. Kerger, Jonathan K. Kies, Giridhar D. Mandyam, Brian D. Vogelsang
  • Patent number: 9258341
    Abstract: A method and device for arranging a plurality of peers at distribution levels in a P2P network with respect to a streaming source are described. At least one peer of the plurality of peers having a highest upload capacity may be arranged at the distribution level closest to the streaming source. Remaining peers of the plurality of peers may be arranged at subsequent distribution levels in order of descending upload capacity, such that each peer has an upload capacity that does not exceed the upload capacity of any peer at an immediately preceding level. The peers may be further arranged such that the total upload capacity of the peers at any distribution level is equal to or exceeds total download demand of the peers at an immediately subsequent level. If a predetermined maximal allowed number of distribution levels has been exceeded, one or more peers may be moved or re-arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: HIVE STREAMING AB
    Inventors: Mohammed El-Beltagy, Fouad Essayadi, Amgad Naiem
  • Patent number: 9251483
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for optimizing applications, such as applications included in a business process. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving information representative of one or more interfaces and aspects of each of the interfaces. The interfaces may be adjustable by a business process supervisor. The business process supervisor may adjust one or more aspects of the one or more interfaces. The results of the adjustment may be received and used to determine optimum settings to the one or more interfaces. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Alexander Gebhart, Erol Bozak
  • Patent number: 9240014
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of computer and network software, and more particularly it relates to a method and apparatus for promoting and rewarding users within a rules-based virtual world system in accordance with personalized/customized/user-generated content and/or virtual spaces. According to some aspects, the invention allows users to customize virtual content and activities in a manner that drives traffic to their own virtual spaces or those of other users or partners within the system. According to other aspects, the invention provides mechanisms to reward users whose customized content and activities drive a certain level of traffic to partner sites and/or their own virtual spaces. According to further aspects, the invention enables users to promote their customized virtual spaces and/or customized content and activities outside their own circle of friends, and to users of the system as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Lavamind LLC
    Inventors: Steven Samuel Hoffman, Naomi Kokubo
  • Patent number: 9231786
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus are provided for performing peer-to-peer (P2P) data sharing operations between user equipment (UE) devices in a wireless-enabled communications environment. A first client node comprises content data and operates in a server peer mode to provide content data. A second client node submits a request to a P2P application server (P2P AS) for the content data. In response, the P2P AS provides the address of the first client node to the second client node. The second client node then uses the provided address to submit a request to the first client node to provide the content data. The first client node accepts the request and then provides the content data to the second client node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Wei Wu, Khiem Le, Noun Choi
  • Patent number: 9197617
    Abstract: Applications executing on mobile client devices may access remote resources via network connections. Operational capabilities and financial costs of these connections may differ. Developers, network administrators, and other parties may wish to moderate usage of various available conditions to conform to business rules. Connectivity information including one or more network grants are integrated into an application received from a developer at ingestion by an application management server, which accesses those business rules. The client devices may coordinate with a proxy server to provide additional controls. Networking public interfaces provide the developer with a simplified pathway for development of applications which use network connections, particularly on mobile devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Lorne A. Millwood, Xavier Federico Lopez Suarez, Peter F. Hill, Donald Ryan Willhoit
  • Patent number: 9172755
    Abstract: A building-facility information storage stores data sizes of process data to be collected from building-side communicating devices. A schedule generating unit generates a collection schedule of the process data from the building-side communicating devices so that, in a collection period including a plurality of unit periods continuous in terms of time, a first communication load representing a total data volume received from the building-side communicating devices per unit period and second communication loads each representing a data volume transmitted from each of the building-side communicating devices per unit period are balanced among the unit periods. A network communicating unit collects the process data from the building-side communicating devices in accordance with the collection schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshio Ito, Yu Kaneko, Shigeo Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 9154382
    Abstract: An information processing system includes a master node and a plurality of cluster nodes managed by the master node, and stores a node list having set a transfer sequence of the request information sent from the master node to the cluster nodes. The cluster nodes accept the request information to transfer the same to the next transfer destinations according to the node list or to the master node if the next transfer destinations do not exist. The master node sends the request information to one of the cluster nodes according to the node list, and divides the plurality of cluster nodes into a cluster node group positioned under the management of the master node and another cluster node group positioned under the management of a predetermined cluster node according to the time interval after sending the request information until receiving the request information from other cluster nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Takamasa Ohtake
  • Patent number: 9135279
    Abstract: Data files, applications and/or corresponding user interfaces may be accessed at a device that collaborates in a mesh. The mesh may include any number or type of devices that collaborate in a network. Data, applications and/or corresponding user interfaces may be stored within a core object that may be shared over the mesh. Information in the core object may be identified with a corresponding user such that a user may use any collaborating device in the mesh to access the information. In one example, the information is stored remotely from a device used to access the information. A remote source may store the desired information or may determine the storage location of the desired information in the mesh and may further provide the desired information to a corresponding user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: George P. Moromisato, Noah B. Edelstein, Abhay V. Parasnis, Anthony D. Andrews, Raymond E. Ozzie, William D. Devlin, Akash J. Sagar
  • Patent number: 9131360
    Abstract: An apparatus of an OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) is provided in the invention. The apparatus comprises a CPNS (Converged Personal Network Service) server, a PNGW (Personal Network Gateway), and a PNE (Personal Network Element). The CPNS server is configured to transmit a device capabilities query request message which comprises a target ID (Identification). The PNGW is configured to relay the device capabilities query request message if the target ID does not indicate the PNGW. The PNE is configured to receive the device capabilities query request message through the PNGW and then to transmit a device capabilities query response message to the PNGW according to a PNE capability of the PNE if the target ID indicates the PNE. The PNGW is further configured to relay the device capabilities query response message to the CPNS server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: HTC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ju-Ting Yang, Yin-Yeh Tseng
  • Patent number: 9087322
    Abstract: A multi-tenancy adapter is configured to provide an interface between a plurality of tenants and a service provider product that is shared by those tenants. The multi-tenancy adapter in one embodiment comprises a plurality of tenant-specific mashup functions or other service composition functions associated with respective ones of the plurality of tenants. In conjunction with receipt of a service request from a given one of the plurality of tenants, the multi-tenancy adapter generates a corresponding request directed to the product, applies the particular service composition function associated with the given tenant in order to filter response information received back from the product in a manner specific to that tenant, and provides the filtered response information to the given tenant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen G. Graham, David A. Ohsie, John D. Hushon
  • Patent number: 9043488
    Abstract: An improved system and method are disclosed for peer-to-peer communications. In one example, the method enables an endpoint to sweep an ongoing communication session to another endpoint by transferring session information between the endpoints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Damaka, Inc.
    Inventors: Sivakumar Chaturvedi, Satish Gundabathula