Patents by Inventor Michelle Eng Winters

Michelle Eng Winters 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: 20210319520
    Abstract: Provided is a system, method, and apparatus for enhancing search data using a search engine and a transaction handler. The method includes processing a plurality of in-person transactions initiated by a plurality of users, correlating a first plurality of searches performed by the plurality of users with the transaction data, processing a plurality of online transactions initiated by at least one user of the plurality of users, correlating at least one search performed by the at least one user that resulted in the search results with the transaction data corresponding to the plurality of online transactions that were based on the search results, and generating a profile for the at least one user based on the correlated data stored in the data warehouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventor: Michelle Eng Winters
  • Patent number: 11017482
    Abstract: Provided is a system, method, and apparatus for enhancing search data using a search engine and a transaction handler. The method includes processing a plurality of in-person transactions initiated by a plurality of users, correlating a first plurality of searches performed by the plurality of users with the transaction data, processing a plurality of online transactions initiated by at least one user of the plurality of users, correlating at least one search performed by the at least one user that resulted in the search results with the transaction data corresponding to the plurality of online transactions that were based on the search results, and generating a profile for the at least one user based on the correlated data stored in the data warehouse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Michelle Eng Winters
  • Patent number: 10607244
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed by the transaction handler, a portal coupled with the data warehouse to receive one or more parameters as an input and to provide spending activity information for presentation as a response to the input, and an analytics engine coupled with the portal and the data warehouse to analyze spending activities of a user based on the transaction data and the one or more parameters to generate the spending activity information regarding transactions in a plurality of accounts of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Edward W. Fordyce, Michelle Eng Winters, Leigh Amaro
  • Patent number: 10607247
    Abstract: A computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler configured to process transactions in a payment processing network; a data warehouse configured to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler; a profile generator configured to generate, based on the transaction data, a profile including business activity data configured to identify a time period of active business, and a portal configured to communicate with a search engine to enhance search results using the business activity data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Michelle Eng Winters, Vipul Bahety, Kevin Akerman
  • Patent number: 10430823
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to: capture first images of customers who have watched a digital sign, using a digital camera attached to the digital sign positioned in vicinity of a retail location; identify characteristics of the customers based on the first images; identify, using the characteristics, a subset of customers who have made payment transactions at the retail location through a transaction handler; determine an aggregated spending profile based on transactions of the subset of customers recorded by the transaction handler; and arrange content on the digital sign based on the aggregated spending profile. The computing apparatus may be further configured to capture second images of the customers who have made payment transactions at the retail location through the transaction handler, using a digital camera attached to a point of sale (POS) station at the retail location, and to correlate the first and second images to identify the subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Jeanette Yoder, Charles Raymond Byce, Michelle Eng Winters
  • Publication number: 20180322520
    Abstract: A computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler configured to process transactions in a payment processing network; a data warehouse configured to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler; a profile generator configured to generate, based on the transaction data, a profile including business activity data configured to identify a time period of active business, and a portal configured to communicate with a search engine to enhance search results using the business activity data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Michelle Eng Winters, Vipul Bahety, Kevin Akerman
  • Patent number: 10055751
    Abstract: A computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler configured to process transactions in a payment processing network; a data warehouse configured to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler; a profile generator configured to generate, based on the transaction data, a profile including business activity data configured to identify a time period of active business, and a portal configured to communicate with a search engine to enhance search results using the business activity data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Michelle Eng Winters, Vipul Bahety, Kevin Akerman
  • Publication number: 20180211331
    Abstract: Provided is a system, method, and apparatus for enhancing search data using a search engine and a transaction handler. The method includes processing a plurality of in-person transactions initiated by a plurality of users, correlating a first plurality of searches performed by the plurality of users with the transaction data, processing a plurality of online transactions initiated by at least one user of the plurality of users, correlating at least one search performed by the at least one user that resulted in the search results with the transaction data corresponding to the plurality of online transactions that were based on the search results, and generating a profile for the at least one user based on the correlated data stored in the data warehouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventor: Michelle Eng Winters
  • Publication number: 20180189806
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed by the transaction handler, a portal coupled with the data warehouse to receive one or more parameters as an input and to provide spending activity information for presentation as a response to the input, and an analytics engine coupled with the portal and the data warehouse to analyze spending activities of a user based on the transaction data and the one or more parameters to generate the spending activity information regarding transactions in a plurality of accounts of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Edward W. Fordyce, Michelle Eng Winters, Leigh Amaro
  • Patent number: 9953373
    Abstract: Provided is a system, method, and apparatus for enhancing search data using a search engine and a transaction handler. The method includes processing, by a transaction handler, a plurality of transactions initiated at a plurality of user terminals associated with a plurality of users, receiving a request to retrieve search statistics, the request identifying at least one search term, identifying a set of search statistics based on the at least one search term identified in the request, generating a set of transaction statistics corresponding to the set of search statistics based on the transaction data, the set of transaction statistics relating the searches performed by the user terminals to an impact on transactions, correlating the set of search statistics to the set of transaction statistics, and juxtaposing the set of search statistics with the set of transaction statistics to generate a response to the request from the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Michelle Eng Winters
  • Patent number: 9947020
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed by the transaction handler, a portal coupled with the data warehouse to receive one or more parameters as an input and to provide spending activity information for presentation as a response to the input, and an analytics engine coupled with the portal and the data warehouse to analyze spending activities of a user based on the transaction data and the one or more parameters to generate the spending activity information regarding transactions in a plurality of accounts of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Edward W. Fordyce, III, Michelle Eng Winters, Leigh Amaro
  • Publication number: 20170372434
    Abstract: Provided is a system, method, and apparatus for enhancing search data using a search engine and a transaction handler. The method includes processing, by a transaction handler, a plurality of transactions initiated at a plurality of user terminals associated with a plurality of users, receiving a request to retrieve search statistics, the request identifying at least one search term, identifying a set of search statistics based on the at least one search term identified in the request, generating a set of transaction statistics corresponding to the set of search statistics based on the transaction data, the set of transaction statistics relating the searches performed by the user terminals to an impact on transactions, correlating the set of search statistics to the set of transaction statistics, and juxtaposing the set of search statistics with the set of transaction statistics to generate a response to the request from the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: Michelle Eng Winters
  • Patent number: 9799078
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store data recording the transactions, a portal configured to communicate with a search engine and to provide a user interface to receive a request from a merchant, and at least one processor coupled with the data warehouse and the portal. In response to the request received from the merchant via the portal, the at least one processor identifies a set of first statistics based on search activities of the search engine, identifies a set of second statistics based on the transactions relevant to the search activities, and uses the portal to juxtapose the set of first statistics and the set of second statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Michelle Eng Winters
  • Publication number: 20170300957
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to: capture first images of customers who have watched a digital sign, using a digital camera attached to the digital sign positioned in vicinity of a retail location; identify characteristics of the customers based on the first images; identify, using the characteristics, a subset of customers who have made payment transactions at the retail location through a transaction handler; determine an aggregated spending profile based on transactions of the subset of customers recorded by the transaction handler; and arrange content on the digital sign based on the aggregated spending profile. The computing apparatus may be further configured to capture second images of the customers who have made payment transactions at the retail location through the transaction handler, using a digital camera attached to a point of sale (POS) station at the retail location, and to correlate the first and second images to identify the subset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Jeanette Yoder, Charles Raymond Byce, Michelle Eng Winters
  • Patent number: 9760905
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to: capture first images of customers who have watched a digital sign, using a digital camera attached to the digital sign positioned in vicinity of a retail location; identify characteristics of the customers based on the first images; identify, using the characteristics, a subset of customers who have made payment transactions at the retail location through a transaction handler; determine an aggregated spending profile based on transactions of the subset of customers recorded by the transaction handler; and arrange content on the digital sign based on the aggregated spending profile. The computing apparatus may be further configured to capture second images of the customers who have made payment transactions at the retail location through the transaction handler, using a digital camera attached to a point of sale (POS) station at the retail location, and to correlate the first and second images to identify the subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION
    Inventors: Jeanette Yoder, Charles Raymond Byce, Michelle Eng Winters
  • Publication number: 20160217446
    Abstract: A system including a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler, a profile generator to generate a profile of a user based on the transaction data, an advertisement selector to identify an advertisement based on the profile of the user in response to the transaction handler processing a transaction of the user, and a portal coupled to the transaction handler to provide the advertisement for presentation to the user in connection with information about the transaction of the user. In one example, the profile includes a plurality of values representing aggregated spending of the user in various areas to summarize the transactions of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Edward W. Fordyce, III, Michelle Eng Winters, Kevin Paul Siegel, Leigh Amaro, Charles Raymond Byce, Nurtekin Savas
  • Patent number: 9342835
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler, a profile generator to generate a profile of a user based on the transaction data, an advertisement selector to identify an advertisement based on the profile of the user in response to the transaction handler processing a transaction of the user, and a portal coupled to the transaction handler to provide the advertisement for presentation to the user in connection with information about the transaction of the user. In one example, the profile includes a plurality of values representing aggregated spending of the user in various areas to summarize the transactions of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: VISA U.S.A
    Inventors: Edward W. Fordyce, III, Michelle Eng Winters, Kevin Paul Siegel, Leigh Amaro, Charles Raymond Byce, Nurtekin Savas
  • Patent number: 9031860
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a data warehouse to store data associating a plurality of account identifiers with an offer having a predefined purchase requirement and an aggregated purchase requirement for a benefit; and a transaction handler configured to process a plurality of transactions. The transaction handler is further configured to determine whether each of the plurality of transactions satisfies a predefined purchase requirement, identify a set of transactions each satisfying the predefined purchase requirement, and determine whether the set of transactions satisfies an aggregated purchase requirement for the benefit. In one example, the transaction handler is configured to provide the benefit via statement credits when the set of transactions satisfies the aggregated purchase requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Eng Winters, Alfred William Griggs, Laura DiGioacchino, Diane C. Salmon, Kevin Paul Siegel, Kaushik Subramanian, James Alan VonDerheide, Edward W. Fordyce, III, Leigh Amaro
  • Publication number: 20150058108
    Abstract: A computing apparatus includes: a data warehouse to store data associating a plurality of account identifiers with an offer having a predefined purchase requirement and an aggregated purchase requirement for a benefit; and a transaction handler configured to process a plurality of transactions. The transaction handler is further configured to determine whether each of the plurality of transactions satisfies a predefined purchase requirement, identify a set of transactions each satisfying the predefined purchase requirement, and determine whether the set of transactions satisfies an aggregated purchase requirement for the benefit. In one example, the transaction handler is configured to provide the benefit via statement credits when the set of transactions satisfies the aggregated purchase requirement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Michelle Eng Winters, Alfred William Griggs, Laura DiGioacchino, Diane C. Salmon, Kevin Paul Siegel, Kaushik Subramanian, James Alan VonDerheide, Edward W. Fordyce, Leigh Amaro
  • Publication number: 20140351048
    Abstract: A system includes a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler and to store mapping data between first user identifiers and first account identifiers, a profile generator to generate a profile of a user based on the transaction data, and a portal coupled to the transaction handler to receive a query identifying a second user identifier used by the first tracker to track online activities of a user. The system is to identify a second account identifier of the user from the second user identifier based on the mapping data between the first user identifiers and the first account identifiers to facilitate targeted advertising using the profile of the user and/or to provide information about certain transactions of the user related to a previously presented advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Edward W. Fordyce, Leigh Amaro, Michelle Eng Winters, Nurtekin Savas, Charles Raymond Byce, Ryan Hagey