Patents by Inventor Ian B. Robertson

Ian B. Robertson 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).

  • System and method for assigning computer users to test groups
    Patent number: 8214804
    Abstract: A system and method to efficiently and randomly place users into a test group associated with a test running on a website being hosted on a server is disclosed. When a user first accesses the website, a random value is transmitted to the user in such a manner that the random value is stored in a computer-readable memory local to the user. Each subsequent time the user accesses the website, the random value is returned to the server from the user. The server may then place the user into a test group for a test to which the user will be exposed on the website based upon the result of an operation that includes the random value received from the user and a unique test value previously associated with the test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Overstock.com, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian B. Robertson
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSIGNING COMPUTER USERS TO TEST GROUPS
    Publication number: 20090183084
    Abstract: A system and method to efficiently and randomly place users into a test group associated with a test running on a website being hosted on a server is disclosed. When a user first accesses the website, a random value is transmitted to the user in such a manner that the random value is stored in a computer-readable memory local to the user. Each subsequent time the user accesses the website, the random value is returned to the server from the user. The server may then place the user into a test group for a test to which the user will be exposed on the website based upon the result of an operation that includes the random value received from the user and a unique test value previously associated with the test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventor: Ian B. Robertson