Patents by Inventor Robert J. Collins
Robert J. Collins 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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Publication number: 20260008170Abstract: In one or more embodiments, an adaptive grip handle device for handheld tools with a narrow-diameter handle and a method for providing the same are disclosed. The adaptive grip handle device includes a rounded grip handle with an opening that allows insertion of the small handheld tool wherein the opening includes any of: an adjustable bore, a flexible bore, a flexible slit, a flexible cross slit, or a combination thereof, to grip a range of handle sizes, or a two-part device consisting of a hard outer shell and a flexible insert including a bore, slit, a cross slit or a combination thereof, and wherein the bore, the slit, the cross slit or a combination thereof either extends the length of the device or part of the length of the device depending on the tool it is designed to be used with.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2025Publication date: January 8, 2026Inventors: Craig Sherwood Mackel, Lynn J. Rust, Robert J. Collins
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Patent number: 9934510Abstract: A system comprises an interface for enabling a user having a web property to input advertisement information including a web property advertisement, criteria indicating when presentation of the advertisement is desired by the user, a bid for the presentation of the advertisement when the criteria are met, and subsequent modifications to the advertisement information; geographically distributed servers, a plurality of the geographically distributed servers for storing the advertisement information, at least one of the geographically distributed servers for receiving a request for advertisement content from an advertising channel, at least one of the geographically distributed servers for determining whether the request meets the criteria, and at least one of the geographically distributed servers for forwarding the advertisement to the advertising channel in response to the request when the criteria have been met; and a distribution component for propagating the advertisement information to the geographicallyType: GrantFiled: July 19, 2006Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: EXCALIBUR IP, LLCInventors: Robert J. Collins, Scott Melvin Harvester, Paul Joseph Apodaca
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Publication number: 20180089379Abstract: The present disclosure details a system for processing healthcare claims to detect fraud, waste and abuse (“FWA”) and facilitate automatic claim adjudication. The distributed system comprises a Claim Analysis Network (“CAN”) that analyzes claims based on a cumulative record of claims received from various independent claim sources. The CAN analyzes each claim using a network of analytics engines that individually analyze a claim according to respective rule-sets and algorithms concerning FWA and generate raw scores respectively. The CAN further processes the independent analytics results to generate a normalized, aggregate score for the claim and automatically enhances an electronic claim record with the scores and salient metadata from the analysis. In addition, the CAN algorithmically generates a routing decision facilitating claim payment or further claim investigation, as necessary, and automatically distributes the decision to an appropriate claim adjudication system for final adjudication.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2017Publication date: March 29, 2018Inventors: Robert J. Collins, David J. Adams
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Patent number: 9836752Abstract: A method comprises providing a first set of geographically distributed pods for storing account information on a first set of advertisements associated with web properties associated with a first set of geographically distributed users; enabling the first set of users to update the account information on the first set of pods, each user being associated with at least one advertisement and a particular pod that is not the most distant pod from the user; recognizing that the first set of pods cannot satisfy a user demand threshold; coupling an additional pod for storing additional account information on a second set of advertisements for a second set of users; enabling the second set of users to update the additional account information, the additional pod being not the most distant pod from the second set of users; receiving a content request; and identifying a particular advertisement based on the content request.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2006Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLCInventor: Robert J. Collins
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Patent number: 9558498Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for optimizing and managing advertising campaigns. The method of the present invention comprises storing one or more advertisement data structures associated with an ad group data structure in the ad group data structure. One or more ad group data structures associated with a campaign data structure are stored in an ad campaign data structure. Additionally, one or more ad campaign data structures associated with an advertised property are stored in an account data structure.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2005Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: EXCALIBUR IP, LLCInventors: Robert J. Collins, Scott Melvin Harvester, Paul Joseph Apodaca
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Patent number: 9159073Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for optimizing and managing advertising campaigns. The method of the present invention comprises storing one or more advertisement data structures associated with an ad group data structure in the ad group data structure. One or more ad group data structures associated with a campaign data structure are stored in an ad campaign data structure. Additionally, one or more ad campaign data structures associated with an advertised property are stored in an account data structure.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2008Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Scott Melvin Harvester, Paul Joseph Apodaca
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Patent number: 8700462Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer readable media comprising instructions for generating a media plan for the distribution of one or more advertisements comprising a campaign. The method of the present invention comprises retrieving one or more advertiser specified advertising metric target values and analytics data associated with the campaign. The actual performance of the campaign with respect to one or more advertising metrics associated with the one or more advertiser specified advertising metric target values is determined. A modification is performed of one or more advertiser specified values based upon a comparison of the actual performance of the campaign and the one or more advertiser specified advertising metric target values. A media plan is thereafter generated for the campaign through use of the one or more modified advertiser specified values.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Collins
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Patent number: 8533040Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for generating weights with which one or more advertisements comprising an advertisement group are selected for distribution. The method of the present invention comprises retrieving analytics data for the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement group, and retrieving advertiser specified configuration data associated with the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement group. A score is calculated for the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement group, and weights are assigned to the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement group based upon the scores and analytics data associated with the one or more advertisements.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2007Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Collins
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Patent number: 8321275Abstract: A system and method provide advertisement campaign information about an advertisement campaign to an advertiser. The system includes means for organizing advertisement campaign information into one or more ad groups and a web interface to receive advertiser inputs and provide a visual report including the advertisement campaign information to the advertiser. The system further includes a campaign data store configured to store advertisement campaign account data and a reporting system to produce the visual report about performance of the advertisement campaign. The visual report is based on the organization of the advertisement campaign information into the one or more ad groups.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2006Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Paul Joseph Apodaca, Adam J. Wand, Claude Jones, III
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Patent number: 8321274Abstract: A system and method provide advertisement campaign information about an advertisement campaign to an advertiser. The system includes means for organizing advertisement campaign information into one or more ad groups and a web interface to receive advertiser inputs and provide system alerts about the advertisement campaign information to the advertiser. The system further includes a campaign data store configured to store advertisement campaign account data and an alerting system to produce the system alerts about performance of the advertisement campaign.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2006Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Paul Joseph Apodaca, Adam J. Wand, Claude Jones, III
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Patent number: 7949563Abstract: A system comprises users disposed in various locations within a region, each user associated with an advertisement of an associated web property, each advertisement for enabling visitors to navigate to the associated web property; pods distributed within the region, each user being associated with at least one pod located more proximate to the user than another pod and that stores account information on the advertisement associated with the user; an advertisement channel for receiving a content request from a visitor, for obtaining an advertisement of a web property based on the content request, and for presenting the advertisement to the visitor in response to the content request; and a tag-based tracking mechanism for collecting visitor events if the visitor navigates to the web property and for forwarding visitor data based on the visitor events to the pod associated with the user that is associated with the advertisement.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2006Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Collins
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Patent number: 7949562Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for the optimized selection and delivery of one or more advertisements from among one or more advertising campaigns. The method of the present invention comprises generating one or more media plans identifying execution parameters for the optimized selection and delivery of one or more advertisements. One or more advertisements organized according to one or more advertisement campaigns are retrieved. Additionally, advertiser specified constraint and target values associated with the one or more advertisements are retrieved. A forecast for the performance of the one or more advertisements is generated. A media plan is generated for the one or more advertisements according to the constraint and target values, as well as the forecast data. The one or more advertisements are distributed according to the execution parameters identified by the media plan.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2005Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Collins
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Patent number: 7809731Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for the reordering of an ordered result set using a weight associated with a query and values associated with items in a result set. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a query and generating a result set comprising content items with associated values. The result set is given an initial ordering based upon the context of the query received. A weight is retrieved corresponding to the received query. Weighted values are assigned to one or more items in the result set by traversing the result set and calculating a weighted value using the weight associated with the received query and the values associated with the items in the result set. The result set is reordered according to the weighted values in descending order. The reordered result set is delivered to the user or client device initiating the query.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2005Date of Patent: October 5, 2010Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Collins
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Patent number: 7685019Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for the optimized delivery of one or more advertisements from a group of advertisements. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a request for one or more advertisements and retrieving advertisements responsive to the request received. Click through data associated with the one or more advertisements is retrieved and is normalized using a normalization algorithm. The normalized click through data is used to assign weights to the one or more advertisements. Tracking codes are generated for the one or more advertisements to track user interactions with a given advertisement. Advertisements are distributed according to the one or more advertisements' associated weights with associated tracking codes in one or more formats to one or more locations through which advertising may be conducted.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2005Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Collins
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Publication number: 20090198684Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for determining semantically related terms. Generally, one or more seed terms are received from a user. A system searches a first index comprising a plurality of terms and one or more webpages associated with each term of the plurality of terms to determine a plurality of webpages associated with the seed terms. The system then searches a second index comprising a plurality of webpages and one or more terms associated with each webpage of the plurality of webpages to determine a plurality of potential terms associated with the plurality of webpages associated with the seed terms. At least one term of the plurality of potential terms is suggested to a user.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2009Publication date: August 6, 2009Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Graham Harris, Jesse Harris, Grant Kushida, Lance Riedel, Mohammad Sabah, Shaji Sebastian, Jeff Yuan, Yiping Zhou
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Patent number: 7548929Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for determining semantically related terms. Generally, one or more seed terms are received from a user. A system searches a first index comprising a plurality of terms and one or more webpages associated with each term of the plurality of terms to determine a plurality of webpages associated with the seed terms. The system then searches a second index comprising a plurality of webpages and one or more terms associated with each webpage of the plurality of webpages to determine a plurality of potential terms associated with the plurality of webpages associated with the seed terms. At least one term of the plurality of potential terms is suggested to a user.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2006Date of Patent: June 16, 2009Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Graham Harris, Jesse Harris, Grant Kushida, Lance Riedel, Mohammad Sabah, Shaji Sebastian, Jeff Yuan, Yiping Zhou
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Publication number: 20080270223Abstract: Systems and Methods for creating and providing a user interface for displaying advertiser defined groups of advertisement campaign information is disclosed. In one implementation, a quality score associated with an ad group is calculated based at least in part on a historical performance of the ad group. Ad campaign information associated with the ad group is then sent to a user interface for display on the user interface, the advertisement campaign information comprising a graphical representation of the calculated quality score.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2008Publication date: October 30, 2008Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: ROBERT J. COLLINS, PAUL JOSEPH APODACA, ADAM J. WAND, CLAUDE JONES
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Publication number: 20080255915Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for optimizing and managing advertising campaigns. The method of the present invention comprises storing one or more advertisement data structures associated with an ad group data structure in the ad group data structure. One or more ad group data structures associated with a campaign data structure are stored in an ad campaign data structure. Additionally, one or more ad campaign data structures associated with an advertised property are stored in an account data structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2008Publication date: October 16, 2008Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Scott Melvin Harvester, Paul Joseph Apodaca
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Publication number: 20080249855Abstract: A system is described for generating advertising creatives. The system may include a processor and a memory. The memory may be operatively connected to the processor and may store an ad group of an advertiser, a first set of creative components relating to the ad group, a second set of creative components relating to the ad group, a set of matched groups of creative components, and a set of destination URLs relating to the ad group. The processor may identify the ad group, the first set of creative components, the second set of creative components and the set of destination URLs, match each creative component in the first set of creative components to each creative component in the second set of creative components to create a set of matched groups of creative components and match each matched group of creative components to each destination URL in the set of destination URLs thereby generating advertising creatives.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2007Publication date: October 9, 2008Inventors: Robert J. Collins, Paul J. Apodaca, Adam J. Wand
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Publication number: 20070157245Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer readable media comprising instructions for generating a media plan for the distribution of one or more advertisements comprising a campaign. The method of the present invention comprises retrieving one or more advertiser specified advertising metric target values and analytics data associated with the campaign. The actual performance of the campaign with respect to one or more advertising metrics associated with the one or more advertiser specified advertising metric target values is determined. A modification is performed of one or more advertiser specified values based upon a comparison of the actual performance of the campaign and the one or more advertiser specified advertising metric target values. A media plan is thereafter generated for the campaign through use of the one or more modified advertiser specified values.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2006Publication date: July 5, 2007Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.Inventor: Robert J. Collins