Patents by Inventor Adam Ludwig

Adam Ludwig has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200082382
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing gift transactions, related to retaining a social and gratitude-based experience surrounding giving and receiving gifts, monitoring gift recipients on-premises at merchants and providing gift-related notifications, and managing funds in a gift that the recipient does not redeem. A system configured to practice a first method receives an object associated with a gift, receives a tag associated with the object, and transmits the object to the giver. A system configured to practice a second example method uses face identification at the merchant to identify a recipient of a gift. The system can transmit a reminder to the recipient regarding the gift. In a third example method, the system creates a gift and notifies the recipient of the gift. If the recipient never redeems the gift, then the giver is not charged for the gift and no transaction occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20200082381
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing accounts such as a credit/debit card. A system practicing the method sends to a set of givers a set of respective invitations to contribute to a group gift, wherein the group gift is associated with a policy, a person, and a payment account associated with the person that existed prior to sending the set of respective invitations. The system identifies a contribution to the group gift from one of the set of givers, wherein when the person makes a qualifying transaction using the payment account according to the policy, a gift amount associated with the group gift is applied from various giver accounts. Then the system updates at least one of the set of respective invitations sent to the set of givers based on the contribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20200074445
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing a gift involving separate transactions. A system configured to practice the method first associates a policy with a giver having a giver account and a recipient having a recipient account, wherein the giver account is independent of the recipient account, and wherein the policy requires at least two transactions prior to applying a gift amount. Then the system monitors transactions using the recipient account to identify at least two separate qualifying transactions according to the policy. Upon identifying the at least two separate qualifying transactions, the system applies the gift amount to the recipient account according to the policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20200074446
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing payment accounts. A system identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. When a purchase is made using an existing credit/debit card according to the policy, the system intercepts the purchase and causes the gift card amount to be applied from an account other than the recipient account. No special codes, separate physical gift cards, or printable coupons are necessary for redemption. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically. The recipient credit/debit card becomes a combination of an open-looped card and a closed-loop card. Thus, no money is wasted or lost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20200074447
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for creating a gift in one medium of exchange from stored value in another medium of exchange. The system accesses a first account representing stored value in a first medium of exchange, and chooses an amount of the stored value from the first medium of exchange. Then the system converts the amount of the stored value to a second medium of exchange to yield a converted amount, and gives the converted amount in the second medium of exchange to a recipient as a gift, wherein the gift is associated with a recipient account for the second medium of exchange, and wherein the gift is associated with a policy monitoring transactions made using the recipient account such that the converted amount is applied to a transaction satisfying conditions of the policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20200074444
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for splitting a transaction among multiple participants. A system configured to practice the method first identifies a group of individuals associated with a shared transaction. Then the system identifies a primary individual from the group of individuals and a non-primary group of individuals from the group of individuals, wherein the primary individual is associated with a primary account that existed prior to the shared transaction, and wherein each individual of the non-primary group of individuals is associated with a respective non-primary account that existed prior to the shared transaction. The system establishes a policy for monitoring the primary account for completion of the shared transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20200074448
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for enabling gift interactions via social media. For example, a user can post to a social networking site in a particular way to establish a gift transfer to a recipient based on a policy, such that when the recipient makes a purchase using their pre-existing payment account, the gift (an amount of money) is transferred or applied to the recipient payment account. A particular structure or feature of a social network post can trigger the creation of the policy, with metadata or information parsed from the social network post providing additional details of the policy. In this way, a user can set up a gift transfer without interacting with a gift portal, application, or website. The recipient does not need to use any special code, separate physical gift cards, or printable coupons to redeem or use the gift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Patent number: 10489776
    Abstract: A system transfers money to a recipient's payment card account, without requiring an additional payment card or without acquiring a recipient's payment card or account information. A recipient registers a payment account with a service provider. A system receives an identification, generated from an entity such as a business or a person, of the recipient and information associated with an electronic notice to be transmitted to a device associated with the recipient. The system transmits the notice (advertisement or offer) to the device, the notice being associated with the recipient payment account and being transmitted prior to the recipient buying product or service associated with the notice using the recipient payment account. The notice can be associated with a network merchant category or network merchant ID for managing a gift credit identified in the notice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: GIFTYA LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. Durham, Jason Wolfe, Patrick Ledbetter, Adam Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20190073644
    Abstract: A system transfers money to a recipient's payment card account, without requiring an additional payment card or without acquiring a recipient's payment card or account information. A recipient registers a payment account with a service provider. A system receives an identification, generated from an entity such as a business or a person, of the recipient and information associated with an electronic notice to be transmitted to a device associated with the recipient. The system transmits the notice (advertisement or offer) to the device, the notice being associated with the recipient payment account and being transmitted prior to the recipient buying product or service associated with the notice using the recipient payment account. The notice can be associated with a network merchant category or network merchant ID for managing a gift credit identified in the notice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas M. ISAACSON, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Patent number: 10121127
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for managing a group gift using a system in which a recipient (purchaser of the group gift) and givers have registered payment accounts with the system. The system displays, on a graphical user interface, at least the giver and the recipient to yield a proposed transfer configuration at a first time. A gift or a merchant can also be identified in the interface. Upon receiving a confirmation from at least one of the giver and the receiver of the proposed transfer configuration, the system establishes a money transfer policy that indicates that, upon detecting a qualifying purchase made using the recipient payment account, at least a portion of a transfer amount is applied to the recipient payment account from at least one giver account. The system simplifies the process of a group of people joining together to buy a gift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: GiftYa LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. Durham, Patrick Ledbetter, Adam Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20180315040
    Abstract: Technologies for unwrappable virtual egifts enabling recipients to redeem gift credits using payment accounts. In some examples, a system identifies a merchant associated with a giver, the giver being associated with a giver payment account and a recipient being associated with a recipient payment account. The system associates a policy with the gift credit and generates an image underlay identifying the gift credit and an image overlay hiding the image underlay and gift credit, the image overlay including a separable flap having a portion that appears unadhered to the image underlay, the separable flap being configured to trigger, in response to an input, an animated unwrapping effect that removes the image overlay to reveal the image underlay and gift credit. The system presents the image overlay and, in response to receiving the input, generates the animated unwrapping effect to remove the image overlay and reveal the image underlay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas M. ISAACSON, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20180165675
    Abstract: A system transfers money to a recipient's payment card account, without requiring an additional payment card or without acquiring a recipient's payment card or account information. A recipient registers a payment account with a service provider. A system receives an identification, generated from an entity such as a business or a person, of the recipient and information associated with an electronic notice to be transmitted to a device associated with the recipient. The system transmits the notice (advertisement or offer) to the device, the notice being associated with the recipient payment account and being transmitted prior to the recipient buying product or service associated with the notice using the recipient payment account. The notice can be associated with a network merchant category or network merchant ID for managing a gift credit identified in the notice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Jason WOLFE, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Patent number: 9881299
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for receiving data from a giver at a first time, the data being used to identify a merchant at which a gift from the giver to a recipient is redeemable. The system presents a group of merchants associated with the data to the giver, each merchant of the group of merchants offering a promotion in connection with the gift. The system receives from the giver a selection of a chosen merchant from the group of merchants, the chosen merchant having an associated promotion. The system then generates a policy comprising the gift, the chosen merchant, and the associated promotion such that upon receiving an indication of a triggering event caused by the recipient, the system can apply the gift and the associated promotion according to the policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: GIFTYA LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. Durham, Jason Wolfe, Lewis C. Amicone, III, Patrick Ledbetter, Adam Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20170316440
    Abstract: A method for rule-based gift giving method collects information about life events of one or more friends from one or more social network systems and/or from one or more online profiles. The gathered information may be organized in a news stream format or a calendar items format. The user creates rules including parameters such as monetary value of the gift, identity of the recipient and the life event on which to send the gift. The user may generate a default list of friends who will automatically receive user-selected gifts on user-selected life events. According to another embodiment, the user may generate an on-demand list of friends who will receive gifts on selected life events upon user's approval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas M. Isaacson, Ryan C. DURHAM, Adam LUDWIG, Patrick LEDBETTER
  • Patent number: 9409543
    Abstract: Side curtain airbag assemblies for use inside motor vehicles and methods of preparing airbag assemblies are described herein that allow for the deployment of a curtain with varying trajectory. The curtain may be attached to an inflator that is configured to rapidly inflate the curtain from a folded condition to a deployed condition upon signals generated from an activation event, such as a collision or vehicle roll-over. The trajectory of the curtain can be defined as the direction of the curtain being inflated in relation to other components of a vehicle. Different portions of the curtain may have different fold configurations, allowing for tuning of the trajectory upon deployment of each distinct portion of the curtain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Steinbrecher, Todd P. Lang, Adam Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20160042382
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing payment accounts. A system identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. When a purchase is made using an existing credit/debit card according to the policy, the system intercepts the purchase and causes the gift card amount to be applied from an account other than the recipient account. No special codes, separate physical gift cards, or printable coupons are necessary for redemption. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically. The recipient credit/debit card becomes a combination of an open-looped card and a closed-loop card. Thus, no money is wasted or lost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas M. ISAACSON, Ryan C. DURHAM, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20160034941
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for creating a gift in one medium of exchange from stored value in another medium of exchange. The system accesses a first account representing stored value in a first medium of exchange, and chooses an amount of the stored value from the first medium of exchange. Then the system converts the amount of the stored value to a second medium of exchange to yield a converted amount, and gives the converted amount in the second medium of exchange to a recipient as a gift, wherein the gift is associated with a recipient account for the second medium of exchange, and wherein the gift is associated with a policy monitoring transactions made using the recipient account such that the converted amount is applied to a transaction satisfying conditions of the policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas M. ISAACSON, Ryan C. DURHAM, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG, Jay SCANNELL, Jason WOLFE, Ray BILBAO
  • Publication number: 20160034867
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing payment accounts. A method identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. A notification is sent to the recipient that hides a parameter of the policy. When the recipient takes an action associated with the parameter, the parameter is revealed to the recipient. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas M. ISAACSON, Ryan C. DURHAM, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG, Mike ALLCOCK
  • Publication number: 20160019532
    Abstract: A method is disclosed which blends the use of scannable codes such as a quick response (QR) codes and processing virtual gift cards. The system receives from a first device associated with a giver at a first time, a first visual scan of a code and data from a giver to identify a recipient and other parameters with a gift. The system receives from a second device associated with a recipient a second visual scan of the code. The system presents at least a second portion of data on the second device and then establishes a policy based on the data that causes the system to monitor purchases using the recipient payment account that existed prior to the first time for a qualifying purchase upon which the system applies the gift according to the policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas M. ISAACSON, Ryan C. DURHAM, Patrick LEDBETTER, Adam LUDWIG
  • Publication number: 20160009245
    Abstract: Side curtain airbag assemblies for use inside motor vehicles and methods of preparing airbag assemblies are described herein that allow for the deployment of a curtain with varying trajectory. The curtain may be attached to an inflator that is configured to rapidly inflate the curtain from a folded condition to a deployed condition upon signals generated from an activation event, such as a collision or vehicle roll-over. The trajectory of the curtain can be defined as the direction of the curtain being inflated in relation to other components of a vehicle. Different portions of the curtain may have different fold configurations, allowing for tuning of the trajectory upon deployment of each distinct portion of the curtain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Robert C. Steinbrecher, Todd P. Lang, Adam Ludwig