Patents by Inventor Philip Yuen
Philip Yuen 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: 8423457Abstract: Anonymous mobile payments enable a user to make and/or receive payments without disclosing personal or private information to another party. In some aspects, a provider of a payment may request an anonymous payment for a specified value from a host. In response, the host may transmit to the provider a code that is available for redemption. The provider may then relay the code to a recipient, who may redeem the code from the host. In other aspects, a recipient may request a temporary identifier (special code) from a host. The recipient may relay the temporary identifier to a provider, who may in turn transmit a payment, via the host, using the temporary identifier. The recipient may then claim the payment from the host. In additional aspects, the codes of the anonymous payments may include expiration times and/or restrictions on a number of uses of the code.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2009Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Paul C. Schattauer, Derek Wegner, Diwakar Gupta, Chih-Jen Huang, Philip Yuen
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Patent number: 8401968Abstract: A mobile group payment service enables members of a group to access a group account. The group account may enable members to transmit funds, request funds, and perform account queries, and modify account settings, among other possible operations. A member may request a payment from the group account to a target account. A transaction authorization service may facilitate an authorization process to determine whether the requested payment is authorized by one or more of the other members of the group. Upon authorization, the requested payment may be completed by transferring funds to the target account.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2008Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Paul C. Schattauer, Gerald Yuen, Philip Yuen, Diwakar Gupta
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Patent number: 8352376Abstract: System and method for authorizing transactions, such as payments or money transfers. A transaction authorization mechanism may be provided through which a transaction initiated via a first communications channel may be authorized through a second, separate communications channel or mechanism. A source entity may initiate a transaction to a target entity via a first communications channel to a transaction authorization service. The transaction authorization service may confirm the transaction with the source entity via a second communications channel. Various embodiments may use different communications channels, for example conventional telephone systems, mobile/cellular phone systems, and text messaging systems as the first or second communications channels. After the transaction has been authorized via the second communications channel, the transaction authorization service and/or the source entity may contact the target entity to inform the target entity of the transaction.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2006Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Philip Yuen, Chih-Jen Huang, Gerald Yuen
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Publication number: 20120303482Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for message-based purchasing are described. The system and method for message-based purchasing may include a message-based purchase service configured to determine that a selection has been performed through a network-based interface. Such selection may be indicative of one or more items offered for sale via the network-based interface. The message-based purchase service may be configured to, in response to the selection of one or more items, send to a communication device, a message indicating a code corresponding to the selection. The message-based purchase service may receive from the communication device through a communication channel that does not include the network-based interface, a message including the code. The message-based purchase service may be configured to, in response to determining that the message received from the communication device includes the code, generate a purchase request for the one or more previously selected items.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Inventors: Vishay S. Nihalani, Diwakar Gupta, Chih-Jen Huang, Philip Yuen, Howard B. Gefen, Gerald Yuen
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Patent number: 8302187Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for preventing large-scale account lockout are described. The system and method for preventing large-scale account lockout may include an account access control component configured to prevent fraudulent individuals from locking access to user accounts. The account access control component may lock access to an account after a lockout threshold is tripped. To prevent an account from being locked by fraudulent individuals, the account access control component may utilize a warning threshold.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2007Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Diwakar Gupta, Philip Yuen, Chih-Jen Huang, Gerald Yuen
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Patent number: 8295863Abstract: Techniques for providing information to users implemented through personal mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, electronic book readers, and other such devices are described herein. The described techniques and systems allow users to request searches, perform information seeking, purchasing, or other types of transactions with a provider via a mobile or wireless network using the messaging service capabilities of the users' mobile devices. Messages may be compiled in a manner customized to a user request and may be provided without the user authenticating to the provider in some instances.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2008Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Diwakar Gupta, Chih-Jen Huang, Gerald Yuen, Philip Yuen
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Patent number: 8255288Abstract: Item scarcity resulting from a high demand of the item is addressed by providing users a high demand sale process. In some aspects, users may opt-in to purchase the item in a sale by transmitting a mobile message to a host over a mobile device network prior to a sale of the item. If the user is eligible, the host then attempts to purchase the item on behalf of the user once the sale begins.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2009Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Diwakar Gupta, Paul C. Schattauer, Chih-Jen Huang, Philip Yuen, Ammar Chinoy, Kiran Kumar Meduri
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Patent number: 8244592Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for message-based purchasing are described. The system and method for message-based purchasing may include a message-based purchase service configured to determine that a selection has been performed through a network-based interface. Such selection may be indicative of one or more items offered for sale via the network-based interface. The message-based purchase service may be configured to, in response to the selection of one or more items, send to a communication device, a message indicating a code corresponding to the selection. The message-based purchase service may receive from the communication device through a communication channel that does not include the network-based interface, a message including the code. The message-based purchase service may be configured to, in response to determining that the message received from the communication device includes the code, generate a purchase request for the one or more previously selected items.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2008Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Vishay S. Nihalani, Diwakar Gupta, Chih-Jen Huang, Philip Yuen, Howard B. Gefen, Gerald Yuen
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Patent number: 8239326Abstract: A transaction processing and authorization service. If a source entity does not respond to an authorization attempt via a communications channel, the service may generate a transaction phrase corresponding to the transaction and communicate the transaction phrase to the source entity. The transaction phrase may also be stored by the service and associated with the source entity's account and the particular transaction as initiated, and may be used to identify the transaction. After receiving the transaction phrase, the source entity may then, if desired, return the transaction phrase to the service. Upon receiving the transaction phrase from the source entity, the service may then contact the source entity via the communications channel to authorize the transaction. As an alternative, a source entity may submit a replay command to the service to replay any pending transactions.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2007Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Philip Yuen, Chih-Jen Huang, Diwakar Gupta, Gerald Yuen, Michael M. George
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Patent number: 8204827Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for personalized commands are described. The system and method for personalized commands may include a payment service including a command management component. Such payment service may be responsive to one or more base commands. The command management component may be configured to generate a user interface for specifying personalized commands that correspond to the base commands. The command management component may be configured to generate mapping information from the information received via the user interface. The command management component may be configured to receive one or more messages that may include commands for the payment service, including personalized commands. From the personalized commands, the command management component may be configured to determine a corresponding base commands (e.g., based on the mapping information). Once the base command is determined, the payment service may perform the base command.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2008Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Diwakar Gupta, Chih-Jen Huang, Philip Yuen, Gerald Yuen
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Patent number: 7729989Abstract: A transaction processing and authorization service. A transaction initiation message received from a source entity by the service may include one or more errors. The service may, in response to receiving an incorrect transaction initiation message, contact the source entity via a second communications channel and allow the source entity to correct the faulty transaction initiation message during the communication session. The service may allow the source entity to correct only incorrect or missing portions of the transaction initiation message, and thus the source entity may not be required to re-enter the entire message. Correction of the transaction initiation message may be performed as part of an authorization contact from the service to the source entity on a communications channel, and thus the correction may not require any extra communications attempts or sessions between the service and the source entity.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2007Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Philip Yuen, Chih-Jen Huang, Diwakar Gupta, Gerald Yuen, Michael M. George
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Publication number: 20090249459Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for receiving task requests from unregistered devices are described. Embodiments may include a communication interface service configured to receive from a communication device a message indicative of a request to perform a task. The communication interface service may determine that the communication device is not registered with an existing account that provides information for performing said task. The communication interface service may obtain identification and authentication information for an existing account via a communication channel. The existing account may be an account for that is accessible via a network-based interface. The communication channel through which the identification and authentication information is received by the communication interface service may be any communication channel that does not include the network-based interface of the existing account.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2008Publication date: October 1, 2009Inventors: Chesley Coughlin, Isaac Oates, Diwakar Gupta, Philip Yuen, Gerald Yuen, Chih-Jen Huang, Lee Butler, Howard Gefen
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Publication number: 20090248543Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for message-based purchasing are described. The system and method for message-based purchasing may include a message-based purchase service configured to determine that a selection has been performed through a network-based interface. Such selection may be indicative of one or more items offered for sale via the network-based interface. The message-based purchase service may be configured to, in response to the selection of one or more items, send to a communication device, a message indicating a code corresponding to the selection. The message-based purchase service may receive from the communication device through a communication channel that does not include the network-based interface, a message including the code. The message-based purchase service may be configured to, in response to determining that the message received from the communication device includes the code, generate a purchase request for the one or more previously selected items.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2008Publication date: October 1, 2009Inventors: Vishay S. Nihalani, Diwakar Gupta, Chih-Jen Huang, Philip Yuen, Howard B. Gefen, Gerald Yuen
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Patent number: 7587410Abstract: A method and system for dynamic creation of an OLAP cube is disclosed which enables OLAP cubes to be created from custom database entities and custom database entity relationships. A created cube may be implemented on a local or remote data server using a variety of modular database protocols. A computer-readable medium and system for OLAP cube data permission derivation is also disclosed. OLAP cube data permissions are derived from category data associated with an OLAP database. The resulting cube data permissions are associated with data in the OLAP cube.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2005Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Alexander A. Sourov, James Zhen Lin, Philip Yuen, Keshav Puttaswamy
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Publication number: 20070107044Abstract: System and method for authorizing transactions, such as payments or money transfers. A transaction authorization mechanism may be provided through which a transaction initiated via a first communications channel may be authorized through a second, separate communications channel or mechanism. A source entity may initiate a transaction to a target entity via a first communications channel to a transaction authorization service. The transaction authorization service may confirm the transaction with the source entity via a second communications channel. Various embodiments may use different communications channels, for example conventional telephone systems, mobile/cellular phone systems, and text messaging systems as the first or second communications channels. After the transaction has been authorized via the second communications channel, the transaction authorization service and/or the source entity may contact the target entity to inform the target entity of the transaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2006Publication date: May 10, 2007Inventors: Philip Yuen, Chih-Jen Huang, Gerald Yuen
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Publication number: 20070094150Abstract: System and method for authorizing transactions, such as payments or money transfers. A source entity may initiate a transaction with a target entity via a first communications channel. In initiating the transaction, the source entity may indicate that the transaction is to be performed through a transaction authorization service. The target entity may send a transaction initiation message to the transaction authorization service. In response to receiving the transaction initiation message, the service may authorize the transaction with the source entity via a second communications channel. To authorize the transaction, the source entity may provide a PIN number or other identifier via the second communications channel. After receiving and validating the response from the source entity, the transaction authorization service may inform the target entity that the transaction is authorized. The target entity may then complete the transaction with the transaction authorization service and the source entity.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2006Publication date: April 26, 2007Inventors: Philip Yuen, Chih-Jen Huang, Gerald Yuen
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Publication number: 20060218157Abstract: A method and system for dynamic creation of an OLAP cube is disclosed which enables OLAP cubes to be created from custom database entities and custom database entity relationships. A created cube may be implemented on a local or remote data server using a variety of modular database protocols. A computer-readable medium and system for OLAP cube data permission derivation is also disclosed. OLAP cube data permissions are derived from category data associated with an OLAP database. The resulting cube data permissions are associated with data in the OLAP cube.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2005Publication date: September 28, 2006Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Alexander Sourov, James Lin, Philip Yuen, Keshav Puttaswamy