Patents by Inventor Charles L. Ward
Charles L. Ward 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).
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Patent number: 10846473Abstract: Techniques for enhancing content being rendered on an electronic device are described herein. In some instances, the techniques include monitoring interactions between a user and a content item that the user consumes on an electronic device. The content items may include electronic books, songs, videos, documents, or the like. In response to detecting an interaction between the user and the content item, the techniques may publish an event indicative of the interaction to an application platform that hosts one or more applications. The applications may be designed to enhance the content that the user consumes in one or more specified ways.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2016Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Donald Ryan Willhoit, Lars C. Ulness, Gerald Ken Sun, Sherif M. Yacoub, Colin Bodell
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Patent number: 9477637Abstract: Techniques for enhancing content being rendered on an electronic device are described herein. In some instances, the techniques include monitoring interactions between a user and a content item that the user consumes on an electronic device. The content items may include electronic books, songs, videos, documents, or the like. In response to detecting an interaction between the user and the content item, the techniques may publish an event indicative of the interaction to an application platform that hosts one or more applications. The applications may be designed to enhance the content that the user consumes in one or more specified ways.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Donald Ryan Willhoit, Lars C. Ulness, Gerald Ken Sun, Sherif M. Yacoub, Colin Bodell
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Patent number: 9424107Abstract: Techniques for enhancing content being rendered on an electronic device are described herein. In some instances, the techniques include monitoring interactions between a user and a content item that the user consumes on an electronic device. The content items may include electronic books, songs, videos, documents, or the like. In response to detecting an interaction between the user and the content item, the techniques may publish an event indicative of the interaction to an application platform that hosts one or more applications. The applications may be designed to enhance the content that the user consumes in one or more specified ways.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Donald Ryan Willhoit, Lars C. Ulness
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Patent number: 9268734Abstract: Techniques for enhancing content being rendered on an electronic device are described herein. In some instances, the techniques include monitoring interactions between a user and a content item that the user consumes on an electronic device. The content items may include electronic books, songs, videos, documents, or the like. In response to detecting an interaction between the user and the content item, the techniques may publish an event indicative of the interaction to an application platform that hosts one or more applications. The applications may be designed to enhance the content that the user consumes in one or more specified ways.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Donald Ryan Willhoit, Lars C. Ulness, Robert C. Borja, Jr., James D. Mackraz, Edward J. Gayles
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Patent number: 8554694Abstract: Computer system and method for providing community-based shipping of items may provide mechanisms that allow customers of an network service to participate in a community shipping program that provides customers that are members in a community with free and/or reduced-rate shipping for at least some items ordered via the network service for delivery to a target location (e.g., receiving/distribution site) for the community. The Web site may provide user interface elements that may provide one or more shipping and possibly other options to customers that participate in a community shipping program. Community shipping programs may include commercial shipping programs and locality shipping programs. In a commercial shipping program, a primary subscriber purchases a subscription to a commercial shipping program and shares the subscription with one or more occupants of the commercial property. A locality shipping program may be provided to members of a particular geographic region or locality.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2006Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Vijay Ravindran, Nanyan Nicholls, Jeffrey P. Bezos
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Patent number: 8370264Abstract: A method is disclosed that includes receiving a request for a transaction from a customer at a seller server system via an electronic-commerce website and identifying a customer account stored at the seller server system based on an identity of the customer. A plurality of financial instruments is associated with the customer account. The plurality of financial instruments has a customer-specific sequence including at least a first financial instrument pre-selected by the customer and a second financial instrument. The method includes automatically attempting to collect a particular payment associated with the transaction from a first financial service provider corresponding to the first financial instrument and automatically attempting to collect the particular payment from a second financial service provider corresponding to the second financial instrument in response to data received at the seller server system indicating a denial of the payment.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2011Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Danny Wei, Craig W. Howard, Robert H. Sawers, David I. Gellman, Charles L. Ward
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Patent number: 8249904Abstract: Techniques are described for managing execution of programs. In some situations, program execution is managed for multiple users using excess program execution capacity of one or more computing systems. In some such situations, excess or otherwise unused program execution capacity may be made available to execute programs on a temporary basis, such that the programs executing using the excess program execution capacity may be terminated at any time if other preferred use for the excess program execution capacity arises. The excess program execution capacity may in some situations be provided in conjunction with other dedicated program execution capacity that is allocated to particular users, such as to use unused dedicated capacity of some users as excess capacity for other users. In some situations, the techniques are used in conjunction with a fee-based program execution service that executes multiple programs on behalf of multiple users of the service.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Peter N. DeSantis, Matthew S. Garman, Charles L. Ward, James Alfred Gordon Greenfield, Andrew R. Jassy
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Patent number: 7962418Abstract: A method is disclosed that includes receiving a request for a transaction from a customer at a seller server system via an electronic-commerce website and identifying a customer account stored at the seller server system based on an identity of the customer. A plurality of financial instruments is associated with the customer account. The plurality of financial instruments has a customer-specific sequence including at least a first financial instrument pre-selected by the customer and a second financial instrument. The method includes automatically attempting to collect a particular payment associated with the transaction from a first financial service provider corresponding to the first financial instrument and automatically attempting to collect the particular payment from a second financial service provider corresponding to the second financial instrument in response to data received at the seller server system indicating a denial of the payment.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2007Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Danny Wei, Craig W. Howard, Robert H. Sawers, David I. Gellman, Charles L. Ward
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Patent number: 7590563Abstract: Computer-accessible medium and apparatus for providing subscription-based shipping of items. Embodiments may provide mechanisms that allow customers of an e-commerce Web site to pay a fee to obtain a subscription in a shipping program that provides subscribed customers with free and/or reduced-rate shipping for at least some items ordered via the e-commerce Web site during the period covered by the subscription. The Web site may provide user interface elements on the Web site that may provide one or more shipping and possibly other options only to subscribed customers. Some embodiments may provide mechanisms that allow a subscriber to share a subscription to the shipping program with other customers. One embodiment may provide a mechanism through which a subscribed customer can invite other customers to share a subscription. Some embodiments may provide other exclusive services and/or offers to the subscribers of the shipping program that are not provided or offered to non-subscribers.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Vijay Ravindran, David I. Gellman, Jeffrey A. Holden, Nanyan Nicholls, Michael T. Sha, Jeffrey P. Bezos
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Patent number: 7590564Abstract: Computer-accessible medium and apparatus for providing subscription-based shipping of items. Embodiments may provide mechanisms that allow customers of an e-commerce Web site to pay a fee to obtain a subscription in a shipping program that provides subscribed customers with free and/or reduced-rate shipping for at least some items ordered via the e-commerce Web site during the period covered by the subscription. The Web site may provide user interface elements on the Web site that may provide one or more shipping and possibly other options only to subscribed customers. Some embodiments may provide mechanisms that allow a subscriber to share a subscription to the shipping program with other customers. One embodiment may provide a mechanism through which a subscribed customer can invite other customers to share a subscription. Some embodiments may provide other exclusive services and/or offers to the subscribers of the shipping program that are not provided or offered to non-subscribers.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Vijay Ravindran, David I. Gellman, Jeffrey A. Holden, Nanyan Nicholls, Michael Sha, Jeffrey P. Bezos
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Patent number: 7590565Abstract: Computer-accessible medium and apparatus for providing subscription-based shipping of items. Embodiments may provide mechanisms that allow customers of an e-commerce Web site to pay a fee to obtain a subscription in a shipping program that provides subscribed customers with free and/or reduced-rate shipping for at least some items ordered via the e-commerce Web site during the period covered by the subscription. The Web site may provide user interface elements on the Web site that may provide one or more shipping and possibly other options only to subscribed customers. Some embodiments may provide mechanisms that allow a subscriber to share a subscription to the shipping program with other customers. One embodiment may provide a mechanism through which a subscribed customer can invite other customers to share a subscription. Some embodiments may provide other exclusive services and/or offers to the subscribers of the shipping program that are not provided or offered to non-subscribers.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: September 15, 2009Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Charles L. Ward, Vijay Ravindran, David I. Gellman, Jeffrey A. Holden, Nanyan Nicholls, Michael Sha, Jeffrey P. Bezos
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Publication number: 20030120001Abstract: A process for producing a poly-olefin is disclosed, which comprises contacting at least one 1-olefin under polymerisation conditions with a polymerisation catalyst or catalyst system comprising (1) a compound having the Formula (I) wherein M is Fe[I], Fe[III], Co[I], Co [II], Co[III], Mn[I], Mn[II], Mn[III], Mn[IV], Ru[II], Ru[III], Ru[IV], V[II], V[III], V[IV], or V[V], Ti[II], Ti[III] or Ti[IV]; X represents an atom or group covalently or ionically bonded to the transition metal M; T is the oxidation state of the transition metal M and b is the valency of the atom or group X, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 are independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, heterohydrocarbyl or substituted heterohydrocarbyl; and when any two or more of R1-R7 are hydrocarbyl, substited hydrocarbyl, heteType: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2002Publication date: June 26, 2003Inventors: Leigh T Canham, Michael Charles L Ward