Patents by Inventor Richard Postrel

Richard Postrel 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).

  • Patent number: 9544744
    Abstract: A wireless beacon message management system and method of operating the system with a mobile device. At least one wireless beacon is strategically located in a premises, such as a building or other geocentrically defined area. Each wireless beacon has means for transmitting a wireless beacon signal, wherein the wireless beacon signal includes a beacon data message that has a beacon identification that identifies the beacon transmitting the signal, and optionally the content being delivered. A mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet or the like receives the wireless beacon signal and analyzes it to extract the beacon identification and optional beacon content. The mobile device may then apply one or more software filters to the beacon data message that enables the mobile device to initiate an action based on the filtered beacon data message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20170006440
    Abstract: A wireless beacon message management system and method of operating the system with a mobile device. At least one wireless beacon is strategically located in a premises, such as a building or other geocentrically defined area. Each wireless beacon has means for transmitting a wireless beacon signal, wherein the wireless beacon signal includes a beacon data message that has a beacon identification that identifies the beacon transmitting the signal, and optionally the content being delivered. A mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet or the like receives the wireless beacon signal and analyzes it to extract the beacon identification and optional beacon content. The mobile device may then apply one or more software filters to the beacon data message that enables the mobile device to initiate an action based on the filtered beacon data message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20170004523
    Abstract: A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns reward points from a plurality of independent reward points issuing entities, with each tracking the user's earned reward points in a user reward point account stored on a multi-function card (such as a frequent flyer account or a credit card loyalty account). The multi-function card is adapted to aggregate some or all of the user's earned reward points from the reward accounts and credit the aggregated points into a single reward exchange account on the multi-function card. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated reward points from the multi-function card. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the reward points from the multi-function card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160343019
    Abstract: Providing a purchase incentive to a mobile device based for example the user's location, predicted route of travel, and prior transactions. A tracking server computer determines a number of locations of a mobile device as it travels along a route and an associated timeframe when it is at each of the locations. The tracking server computer records the locations and associated timeframes in a location log and analyzes the location log to predict a subsequent location and associated timeframe that the mobile device will be at that location. The tracking server computer then determines a merchant proximate to the predicted subsequent location of the mobile device and generates a purchase incentive for use at the merchant and delivers the purchase incentive to the mobile device. In the alternative, the incentive may be generated by a merchant computer or the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160343020
    Abstract: Providing a purchase incentive to a mobile device based for example the user's location, predicted route of travel, and prior transactions. A tracking server computer determines a number of locations of a mobile device as it travels along a route and an associated timeframe when it is at each of the locations. The tracking server computer records the locations and associated timeframes in a location log and analyzes the location log to predict a subsequent location and associated timeframe that the mobile device will be at that location. The tracking server computer then determines a merchant proximate to the predicted subsequent location of the mobile device and generates a purchase incentive for use at the merchant and delivers the purchase incentive to the mobile device. In the alternative, the incentive may be generated by a merchant computer or the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160328979
    Abstract: A drone traffic management system comprising a computer comprising memory means for storing origin coordinates indicating an origin location of a drone, destination coordinates indicating a destination of the drone, and traffic management factors located between the origin location of the drone and the destination of the drone; and processing means for controlling the flight of a drone. This is accomplished by calculating a flight path for the drone to fly automatically from the origin location to the destination location without manual intervention, sending the flight path to the drone, receiving location data of the drone as it travels from the origin location to the destination, re-calculating the flight path of the drone as a function of the traffic management factors and the location data of the drone, and sending the re-calculated flight path to the drone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160275541
    Abstract: A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns reward points from a plurality of independent reward points issuing entities, with each tracking the user's earned reward points in a user reward point account stored on a multi-function card (such as a frequent flyer account or a credit card loyalty account). The multi-function card is adapted to aggregate some or all of the user's earned reward points from the reward accounts and credit the aggregated points into a single reward exchange account on the multi-function card. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated reward points from the multi-function card. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the reward points from the multi-function card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160247149
    Abstract: A method of and system for a user executing a mobile transaction. A virtual wallet is generated on a mobile device, the mobile wallet including a reward value component. Information about an item desired to be purchased by the user is input to the mobile device. A proposed payment solution is generated from the virtual wallet that is sufficient to pay for the item and then presented to a point of sale terminal. The point of sale terminal then executes instructions from the proposed payment solution sufficient to execute payment for the item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160232558
    Abstract: A system and method for implementation of product searches via a search engine over a networked computer system such as the Internet. In particular, a user may execute a search for product offers that are accompanied with reward components (e.g. reward points, rebates, coupons, etc.) and/or those that allow payment in whole or in part with payment components (e.g. reward points, rebates, coupons, etc.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160232556
    Abstract: A loyalty reward point system that utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of network such as a credit card network. A user makes a purchase at a merchant using a token such as a credit card. The user is awarded loyalty points from the merchant based on the amount of the purchase (e.g. 100 points for a $100 purchase). The reward points, which are specific to the merchant and the user, are stored in a database at the issuing bank, the acquiring bank, or a central reward server. The user may redeem the reward points earned from the transaction with the merchant at a later time, or may redeem the points with another merchant in the same marketing cluster, or may aggregate those reward points with those of other merchants into a reward point exchange account, and then redeem the aggregated reward points for goods or services from any approved merchant on the network, depending on the configuration of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160142777
    Abstract: A broadcast signal having reward and broadcast (programming and/or advertising) content is broadcast, and viewers provide reward responses in response to queries in the broadcast content. Viewers also provide consumer data associated with the reward response provided. Rewards may then be awarded based on the accuracy of the reward response as well as the utilization of the associated consumer data provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160132920
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a multi-user, multi-celebrity award distribution, exchange and redemption program by allocating in an award server computer a plurality of sets of celebrity awards, each of the plurality of sets of celebrity awards associated with one of a plurality of celebrities; monitoring web activities of a plurality of users interacting over a computer network; and for each of the plurality of celebrities and for each of the plurality of users, determining a celebrity sub-score based on a correlation between the celebrity and the monitored web activities of the user, and distributing, based on the celebrity sub-score for the celebrity with the user, a portion of the set of celebrity awards associated with the celebrity to a user account associated with the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160133077
    Abstract: A method of and system for obtaining a user response to a query such as a political poll. A query is displayed to a user on a touch screen of a computing device. The computing device detects a finger touch of the user on the touch screen, the finger touch proving a location, a movement vector, an intensity, and a hold time. Then, the computing device determines a user response to the query as a function of the location, the movement vector, the intensity, and the hold time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160117709
    Abstract: A social network server computer forms a social network including a primary member linked to a plurality of secondary members, each of whom provides a member profile. A network profile is generated based on an analysis of the member profiles. A social network server computer then determines a relative value of the social network with respect to a merchant by analyzing the associated network profile, and offers a merchant incentive to the primary member of the network as a function of the determined relative value. In a second embodiment, a merchant computer associated with a merchant determines a relative value of the social network with respect to a merchant by analyzing the network profile, and offers a merchant incentive to the primary member of the network as a function of the determined relative value. The merchant incentives may be also offered to the secondary members of the associated social network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160098744
    Abstract: A method and system for generating and distributing incentives. An incentive server computer (ISC) receives a user identification from a mobile device that identifies an associated user. The ISC determines the location of the mobile device, and uses the user identification to determine one or more reward programs with which the user has a reward account. For each such reward program, the ISC determines if the location of the mobile device is within a predefined distance of a merchant affiliated with the reward program, and if so then generates a purchase incentive for the user to redeem at the merchant and transmits the purchase incentive to the mobile device. As a result, incentives are provided to those purchasers who are within a predefined proximity to the merchant, and who are more likely to use the incentive since they are already a member of an affiliated reward program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20160098741
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing a dynamic purchase incentive to a purchase of a product. A product identification is input into a purchasing device which transmits it to a discount server computer along with customer identification data. The discount server computer uses the product identification to retrieve from a product discount database associated product discount data, and uses the customer identification data to retrieve from a customer profile database associated customer profile data. The discount server computer uses the retrieved customer profile data and the product identification to generate a dynamic purchase incentive to be applied to the purchase of the product by the customer, the incentive varying as a function of the retrieved customer profile data and the product identification. The discount server computer transmits the purchase incentive to the purchasing device, and the purchase incentive is applied to the purchase of the product by the customer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Applicant: SIGNATURE SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20150363767
    Abstract: A portable multi-function device with data memory for storing a plurality of transaction applications, each of the transaction applications configured to make payment in a transaction; program storage comprising instructions to use a selected transaction application to make payment in the transaction; and processing circuitry for performing the instructions in the program storage to use the selected transaction application to execute the transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20150324834
    Abstract: A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns rewards from a plurality of independent reward issuing entities, with each tracking the user's earned rewards. A trading server accumulates some or all of the user's earned rewards from the reward servers and credits the accumulated rewards into a single reward exchange account associated with the user. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated rewards. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the rewards. Reward points may also be redeemed in exchange for services, such as the playing of a video game or Internet access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20150281183
    Abstract: A method and system for communicating anonymously between two parties until such time that the parties may wish to reveal their identities to each other. This is accomplished by using a portable device that enables anonymous communications between a sender (operating a sender device such as a smartphone) and a recipient (operating a recipient device such as a smartphone) via an anonymous communications server computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Publication number: 20150170207
    Abstract: Providing a purchase incentive to a mobile device based for example the user's location, predicted route of travel, and prior transactions. A tracking server computer determines a number of locations of a mobile device as it travels along a route and an associated timeframe when it is at each of the locations. The tracking server computer records the locations and associated timeframes in a location log and analyzes the location log to predict a subsequent location and associated timeframe that the mobile device will be at that location. The tracking server computer then determines a merchant proximate to the predicted subsequent location of the mobile device and generates a purchase incentive for use at the merchant and delivers the purchase incentive to the mobile device. In the alternative, the incentive may be generated by a merchant computer or the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventor: Richard Postrel