Patents Examined by William Brockington, III
  • Patent number: 9805376
    Abstract: Methods and arrangements for the granular distribution of privileges to contextual communities. A user request for an active capability is assimilated. A code is generated which permits exercise of the active capability by the user and at least one secondary recipient. Execution of the active capability is permitted responsive to an attempt at executing the active capability by at least one taken from the group consisting of: the user and the at least one secondary recipient, and execution of the active capability is denied responsive to an attempt at executing the active capability by a recipient other than the user and the at least one secondary recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Pradipta De, Kuntal Dey
  • Patent number: 9785906
    Abstract: New functions for a contact center system include: testing user's comprehension of informational messages; capturing insight users having a KPI score above a threshold by having those users submit information on why they perform well; dynamically ordering solutions to issues by re-ranking the solutions periodically based on recency and frequency; integrating information for use by a contact center representative while online with a customer and information for use when not online; storing content items in a telecommunications industry taxonomy; directing user feedback on a content item to the proper owner/manager of that content; communicating solution information using a solutions taxonomy; displaying a dual information system having a CRM application and reference material that's context-appropriate; enforcing completion of a group of templates when creating a content item to be published; ensuring a group of templates for a content item are complete before publishing them; and searching within a contact ce
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Gregory S. Reid, Timothy Ringo, David P. Lane, Elizabeth H. Lian, Daniel C. Farrell, Craig Fenton, Elise Shearing, Randy Bell, Sevasti Wong, Anthony Lingham, Audrey Forrester, Claudia Staubitz, Kevin Adams, Lesley Pickering, Paul Ritchie
  • Patent number: 9754225
    Abstract: Automated risk assessment and management techniques are provided. Assets of an enterprise are monitored within an enterprise repository via their electronic identities. The identities are annotated with business defined values. The annotations can dynamically change based on dynamic policy evaluation and evolving actions of the assets, the state of the enterprise, and/or the state of an enterprise system. The annotations are accumulated and used in customized calculations for purposes of driving automated actions of the enterprise and producing a variety of reporting features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Micro Focus Software Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Worwetz, Volker Gunnar Scheuber-Heinz, Brent Thurgood, Jon Hardman
  • Patent number: 9747570
    Abstract: A method and system for risk measurement and modeling, which may be used to identify and mitigate information security risks for an information system, and which may improve the efficiency of risk measurement and modeling. Such a system may perform risk modeling based on threat likelihood information, the potential business impacts of particular threats, and data on the effectiveness of particular controls implemented by the operators of the information system, which may be used to calculate residual risk scores for particular risk scenarios that the information system may face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Secure Systems Innovation Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Vescio
  • Patent number: 9721265
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating adaptive surveys including questions and answer options selectable by users, and human-readable review prose based on answers to the questions. The survey may be related to an assessment of a business, and may be transmitted to a user electronic device. The generated survey may include one or more questions with selectable answer options. The selection of the answer options can be received from the user electronic device, and be used to generate the prose for the review. The user and/or the business may edit the prose and/or modify the intensity of the generated review. Tree data structures may be utilized to generate the questions of the survey, to store the answers, and generate the sentences of the review. Analytic data may be generated based on the selected answer options, which can be used to assess and influence marketing and business efforts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: PowerReviews OC, LLC
    Inventors: Gilbert T. Olander, III, Christopher Lubkert, Joe Lobraco, Brian Dillard
  • Patent number: 9646274
    Abstract: A BPM system is described for modeling, management and execution of business processes. A process designer component is used to graphically design a business process, which includes a set of activities linked by transitions. The business process is stored and executed using one or more engines. A mobile device can be used to access the business process instance executing on the engine. The mobile work portal can be generated to render information for the process instance onto the mobile device. A process application programming interface can be used to access and manipulate the process instance from the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eduardo Carlos Rubio, Paulo Gustavo Veiga
  • Patent number: 9563866
    Abstract: In a method for estimating a complexity of a computing job, selected data objects relevant to a data repository are retrieved. In addition, points are assigned to multiple elements of the selected data objects according to a predefined schedule and scores for the selected data objects are calculated by applying a mathematical function to the multiple elements and complexities of the data objects are estimated based upon the calculated scores and the predefined schedule. In addition, a complexity of the computing job is estimated based upon the estimated complexities of the data objects and the estimated complexity of the computing job is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Dharmesh Rajendra Mehta, Sudha Sahasrabudhe, Shagufta Shashank Kohli, Anu Tayal, Vineet Tiyagi, Shalini Agarwal, Santosh Ray, Satyendra Chauhan, Kalamalla Basha
  • Patent number: 9489648
    Abstract: A service request execution architecture promotes acceptance and use of self-service provisioning by consumers, leading to increased revenue and cost savings for the service provider as consumers order additional services. The architecture greatly reduces the technical burden of managing exceptions that occur while processing requests for services. The architecture accelerates the process of fulfilling requests for services by efficiently and effectively reducing the system resources needed to process exceptions by eliminating redundant exceptions corresponding to related service requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Adriano Ottavi, Stefano Renzo Gandini
  • Patent number: 9483746
    Abstract: An invention for comparing utility and warranty of services in an information (IT) stack is provided. The invention determines, at each layer of the IT stack, a required utility and warranty (RUW) value for each of a set of services, wherein the RUW value represents a desired solution for implementing a business process; determines, at each layer of the IT stack, an available utility and warranty (AUW) value for each of the set of services, wherein the AUW value is a measure of an ability of each of the set of services to satisfy the RUW at each layer of the IT stack; and compares the RUW value against the AUW value at each layer of the IT stack to determine whether each of the set of services satisfies the desired solution for implementing the business process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Angell, Timothy Durniak, Robert R. Friedlander, James R. Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9251491
    Abstract: Techniques for generating and executing a performance-aware enterprise component (PAEC) are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tian Jy Chao, Pankaj Dhoolia, Fenno F. Heath, III, Santhosh Kumaran, Shao Chun Li, Florian Pinel, Sreeram Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9165270
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for customer retention. Historical transaction and customer data may be received from stores. Likewise, recent customer transaction data may be received from the stores. The transactions are linked to each customer. Attriters, historical customers who discontinued shopping, are identified. Next, risk factors for attrition may be identified by examining the attriters' transaction history for commonalities. From the risk factors a loss model may be generated. The loss model may be used, in conjunction with current transaction data, to generate the likelihood of loss for each of the current customers, which may then be reported. Retention measures may be generated for each customer by comparing the customer's transactions to the loss model and the risk factors. The retention measures may be outputted to the stores, and a price optimization system. Likewise, the retention measures may be validated by comparing actual customer loss to the loss model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Dickinson, Paritosh Desai
  • Patent number: 9152937
    Abstract: A message sequence management of enterprise based correlated events incorporates the changing and unique business of a telecommunications service provider with minimal configurations. The design identifies and manages related service requests and ensures that related service requests follow a precise execution sequence as defined by the business logic. The design's robust features allows for simplified integration and management to changing business processes and needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Adriano Ottavi, Stefano R. Gandini, Luciano Aprile
  • Patent number: 9111244
    Abstract: Provided is an organization evaluation device, including: a reception unit for receiving data indicating a physical quantity detected by a sensor of a terminal worn by each of a plurality of persons; a personal index calculation module for calculating, from at least one of the data indicating the physical quantity and a business index of each of the plurality of persons, a personal index of each of the plurality of persons; a weight coefficient calculation module for calculating a weight coefficient indicating a degree of involvement of each of the plurality of persons in the first organization from the data indicating the physical quantity; and an organization index calculation module for calculating, by obtaining a weighted average of a plurality of the personal indices using the weight coefficient, an organization index of the first organization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satomi Tsuji, Nobuo Sato, Kazuo Yano, Koji Ara
  • Patent number: 9104287
    Abstract: A method for collecting data for statistical modeling purposes can include the step of selecting at least one user interface type from a plurality of previously defined user interface types. Parameters of the selected interface type can be defined for a particular data collection instance. Target participant data can be inputted. A data collection interface based upon the selected interface type and defined parameters can be deployed. Messages can be automatically conveyed to data providers selected in accordance with the target participant data. The data providers can be permitted to access the deployed data collection interface. Data provided by the data providers can be automatically stored and used for statistical modeling purposes related to the data collection instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rajesh Balchandran, Ilya Skuratovsky
  • Patent number: 8856019
    Abstract: A system and method of storing data related to social publishers and associating the data with electronic brand data is disclosed. The system includes an online persona definition module configured to receive information about a social publisher and, based on the received information, associate personality traits with the social publisher. A social influence measurement module receives social network metrics and social network activities related to social publishers and determine a level of social influence for the social publishers. A brand promoter management module is configured to receive data from the brand promoter, the including targeting elements for an advertising campaign, including a specified a level of social influence and a set of personality traits. The brand promoter may also upload brand art to display within the social network. An association is configured to determine if social publishers meet the targeting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: True[X] Media Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph John Marchese
  • Patent number: 8843387
    Abstract: A system and method of managing business process calendars. A method of managing a process includes defining at least one process to be performed by a first entity for at least one second entity, and associating a first subset of a plurality of tasks of the at least one process with the first entity. The method further includes associating a second subset of the plurality of tasks with the at least one second entity, and creating a process calendar based upon the at least one process and the plurality of tasks. The method additionally includes displaying the process calendar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Ricketts
  • Patent number: 8751289
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with scalable regression for retail panel are described. In one embodiment, a method includes performing a regression that estimates elasticity of demand for a retail item, wherein the regression is performed on a transformation of a demand model that does not include variables associated with base demand or seasonality. In a subsequent processing step, the method includes estimating a base demand and seasonality for the retail item based, at least in part, on the estimated elasticity of demand. The method may be performed in a database that stores retail panel data for the retail item and other retail items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Yevgeniy Popkov, Su-Ming Wu, Manish Gupte
  • Patent number: 8583467
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for optimizing scheduling and resource allocation for a workflow. The method includes receiving i) resource information representing resources available for allocation to the workflow and ii) one or more workflow constraints. The method determines one or more probable sequences for executing the workflow. Each probable sequence includes tasks usable to execute at least a portion of the workflow. Each task is assigned a probability of task execution. The method assigns a probability of sequence execution to each of the probable sequences based on the probability of task execution of the tasks forming the probable sequence. The method further determines an optimized scenario for scheduling the workflow based on the probable sequences. The optimized scenario can have an optimized probability of completion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: FMR LLC
    Inventors: Sean Morris, Peter Keane, Igor Nikolaev, Tom Mulligan
  • Patent number: 8463662
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for generating item ratings for a user in order to allow for recommendations of selected items for that user. A set of known ratings of different items for a plurality of users is collected and maintained, and these known ratings are used to estimate rating factors influencing ratings, including user and item factors. Initial user and item factors are estimated and new user and item factors are successively added, with the original rating factors being progressively shrunk so as to reduce their magnitude and their contribution to the rating estimation as successive factors are added. When an appropriate number of user and item factors has been estimated, the rating factors are used to estimate ratings of items for a user, and the estimated ratings are employed to generate recommendations for that user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Yehuda Koren, Robert Bell, Christopher Volinsky
  • Patent number: 8458004
    Abstract: In the context of a work container which includes a set of atomic tasks to be executed in some order, along with a specification of the role/skill needed for each task, the estimated effort and due date, methods and arrangements for pooling unutilized capacities of multiple resources whenever possible, and making adjustments to the estimated effort to take transactional costs into account. More particularly, preferred embodiments of the invention operate on a principle that if resources do not individually have the available bandwidth needed to execute and complete an atomic task during a given period then, collectively, the time available on their calendars, when pooled together and aggregated in sequence, may well be more than sufficient for the task, even after making adjustments to account for transaction costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Bikram Sengupta