Patents by Inventor Robert C. Trout

Robert C. Trout 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: 9262764
    Abstract: A brand engine receives a request from a user device operated by a first user to display user information of a second user. User information of the first user is mapped to at least the user information of the second user by the brand engine. The mapping may map the user information of the first user to user information of further users in a social network. The mapping may map of any combination of spatial, temporal, social, and topical data related to the users. A modified representation of received content is generated by the brand engine based on the mapping. The modified representation is transmitted to the user device. The user device displays the modified representation for the first user. The modified representation of the received content may include any combination of filtered and/or sorted content items, recommended content items, and/or modified content items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Robert C. Trout, Christopher Higgins, Joseph O'Sullivan, Marc E. Davis, Ronald G. Martinez
  • Patent number: 9058609
    Abstract: A brand engine receives a request from a user device operated by a first user to display user information of a second user. User information of the first user is mapped to at least the user information of the second user by the brand engine. The mapping may map the user information of the first user to user information of further users in a social network. The mapping may map of any combination of spatial, temporal, social, and topical data related to the users. A modified representation of a brand profile of the second user is generated by the brand engine based on the mapping. The modified representation is transmitted to the user device. The user device displays the modified representation for the first user. The modified representation of the brand profile may include any combination of filtered and/or sorted brand objects, recommended brand objects, and/or modified brand objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Robert C. Trout, Christopher W. Higgins, Joseph O'Sullivan, Marc E. Davis, Ronald G. Martinez
  • Patent number: 8280766
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is described that matches commercial incentives to consumers based on targeting data associated with the commercial incentive and user data associated with consumers in a manner that advantageously allows for highly-targeted delivery of commercial incentives to the consumers that are most likely to use them. Because both the targeting data and the user data may include spatial, temporal, social and topical data, matching may be performed based on any or all of these data types, as well as based on any combination of these data types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20120239487
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is described that matches commercial incentives to consumers based on targeting data associated with the commercial incentive and user data associated with consumers in a manner that advantageously allows for highly-targeted delivery of commercial incentives to the consumers that are most likely to use them. Because both the targeting data and the user data may include spatial, temporal, social and topical data, matching may be performed based on any or all of these data types, as well as based on any combination of these data types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20120016729
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is described that matches commercial incentives to consumers based on targeting data associated with the commercial incentive and user data associated with consumers in a manner that advantageously allows for highly-targeted delivery of commercial incentives to the consumers that are most likely to use them. Because both the targeting data and the user data may include spatial, temporal, social and topical data, matching may be performed based on any or all of these data types, as well as based on any combination of these data types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20110313841
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is described that matches commercial incentives to consumers based on targeting data associated with the commercial incentive and user data associated with consumers in a manner that advantageously allows for highly-targeted delivery of commercial incentives to the consumers that are most likely to use them. Because both the targeting data and the user data may include spatial, temporal, social and topical data, matching may be performed based on any or all of these data types, as well as based on any combination of these data types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20110313829
    Abstract: A commercial incentive engine and network is described that advantageously allows content and/or terms associated with a commercial incentive that has already been distributed to a consumer over a network to be dynamically augmented. The dynamic augmentation may occur responsive to one or more of revisions to the content and/or terms input by an advertiser, responsive to business information provided by an advertiser, or responsive to spatial, temporal, social and topical data associated with the consumer. An alternate implementation also advantageously allows the content and/or terms associated with a commercial incentive to be dynamically determined prior to distribution of the commercial incentive to a consumer over a network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20090276453
    Abstract: A brand engine receives a request from a user device operated by a first user to display user information of a second user. User information of the first user is mapped to at least the user information of the second user by the brand engine. The mapping may map the user information of the first user to user information of further users in a social network. The mapping may map of any combination of spatial, temporal, social, and topical data related to the users. A modified representation of a brand profile of the second user is generated by the brand engine based on the mapping. The modified representation is transmitted to the user device. The user device displays the modified representation for the first user. The modified representation of the brand profile may include any combination of filtered and/or sorted brand objects, recommended brand objects, and/or modified brand objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Robert C. Trout, Christopher Higgins, Joseph O'Sullivan, Marc E. Davis, Ronald G. Martinez
  • Publication number: 20090276459
    Abstract: A brand engine receives a request from a user device operated by a first user to display user information of a second user. User information of the first user is mapped to at least the user information of the second user by the brand engine. The mapping may map the user information of the first user to user information of further users in a social network. The mapping may map of any combination of spatial, temporal, social, and topical data related to the users. A modified representation of received content is generated by the brand engine based on the mapping. The modified representation is transmitted to the user device. The user device displays the modified representation for the first user. The modified representation of the received content may include any combination of filtered and/or sorted content items, recommended content items, and/or modified content items.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Robert C. Trout, Christopher Higgins, Joseph O'Sullivan, Marc E. Davis, Ronald G. Martinez
  • Publication number: 20090138347
    Abstract: A commercial incentive engine and network is described that advantageously allows content and/or terms associated with a commercial incentive that has already been distributed to a consumer over a network to be dynamically augmented. The dynamic augmentation may occur responsive to one or more of revisions to the content and/or terms input by an advertiser, responsive to business information provided by an advertiser, or responsive to spatial, temporal, social and topical data associated with the consumer. An alternate implementation also advantageously allows the content and/or terms associated with a commercial incentive to be dynamically determined prior to distribution of the commercial incentive to a consumer over a network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20090138348
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for permitting commercial incentives received by a consumer device to be redistributed to other consumer devices, thereby facilitating the sharing and/or transport of commercial incentives between and among consumers. Systems and methods for distributing and/or redistributing commercial incentives from a node to consumer devices within a local network associated with the node are also described. In both distribution and redistribution scenarios, compensation may be issued to a distributor and/or redistributor upon redemption of a commercial incentive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20090138328
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is described that matches commercial incentives to consumers based on targeting data associated with the commercial incentive and user data associated with consumers in a manner that advantageously allows for highly-targeted delivery of commercial incentives to the consumers that are most likely to use them. Because both the targeting data and the user data may include spatial, temporal, social and topical data, matching may be performed based on any or all of these data types, as well as based on any combination of these data types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout