Patents by Inventor Scott Will

Scott Will 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: 8655518
    Abstract: A system includes a scheduling module and a resolution module. The scheduling module determines plural initial schedules for plural different vehicles to concurrently travel in a transportation network. The initial schedules include locations and times for the vehicles to travel. The resolution module modifies at least one of the initial schedules to one or more modified schedules based on an anomaly in at least one of the vehicles or the routes that prevents one or more of the vehicles from traveling in the transportation network according to the initial schedules. The scheduling module communicates the modified schedules to the vehicles so that energy management systems disposed on the vehicles modify travel of the vehicles according to the modified schedules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jared Cooper, Joseph Noffsinger, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Mason Samuels, Paul Houpt, Joel Kickbusch, Mahir Telatar, David Eldredge, Mitchell Scott Wills, Ramu Chandra
  • Patent number: 8620733
    Abstract: A method and system for electronic distribution of incentives having real-time consumer-based directions according to another embodiment of the present invention are disclosed. An online promotion service may receive user profile information, which may include demographic information, location information, user preferences, user requests, and other information. Online promotion service may provide targeted incentives and promotions to a particular user or class of users based on user profile information and other information. Incentives may include coupons, promotions, rebates, sales notifications, free samples, and other product or service related incentives. A map and street directions identifying the location of associated facilities, such as redemption and retail/point-of-sale facilities, from a user's location may also be provided. The user's location may be identified as the user's home address, work address, or other convenient locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory B. Roberts, Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8620732
    Abstract: A method and system for generating electronic advertisement, such as banner ads, based on user profile information and other information are disclosed. An online promotion service may receive profile information, location information and other information from a user. The user may also define a proximity preference which may include a range of distance the user is willing to travel to redeem one or more promotions. A service or product provider or other authorized entity may define a proximity preference which may include a target range of advertisement exposure. The online promotion service may present advertisements for incentives and other promotions based on user profile information as well as proximity preference information where the proximity preference is defined by the user, the provider, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Greg Roberts, Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8589057
    Abstract: A scheduling system and method for moving plural objects through a multipath system described as a freight railway scheduling system. The scheduling system utilizes a cost reactive resource scheduler to minimize resource exception while at the same time minimizing the global costs associated with the solution. The achievable movement plan can be used to assist in the control of, or to automatically control, the movement of trains through the system. Alternative routes through congested areas are automatically selected using congestion prediction metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joel Kickbusch, Joseph Wesley Philp, Mitchell Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8583475
    Abstract: A method and system for generating electronic advertisement, such as banner ads, based on user profile information, location information and proximity preferences are disclosed. An online promotion service may receive profile information, location information and other information from a user. The user may also define a proximity preference which may include a range of distance the user is willing to travel to redeem one or more promotions. A service or product provider or other authorized entity may define a proximity preference which may include a target range of advertisement exposure. The online promotion service may present advertisements for incentives and other promotions based on user profile information as well as proximity preference information where the proximity preference is defined by the user, the provider, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventor: Scott Wills
  • Publication number: 20130297420
    Abstract: A method and system for generating customized incentives involving electronic distribution of coupons to remote personal computers based on proximity of the computer to a retail center are disclosed. A repository, such as an online service provider or a web site on the Internet, stores packages of incentive data for downloading automatically or on demand to a user's computer. A plurality of data fields is used to associate a user's location with a specific incentive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory B. Roberts, Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8554611
    Abstract: A method and system for the electronic distribution of product or service promotion information to a mobile user are disclosed. A user may provide profile information to an online promotion service, such as user interests and preferences with respect to products and services as well as other information. The online promotion service may receive location information of point-of-sale facilities associated with particular promotions for products or services. The online promotion service may generate one or more targeted promotions to a mobile user when the user travels within a predetermined distance of an associated point-of-sale facility. A mobile user's location may be identified by a global positioning system and conveyed to the online promotion service. The user location information may be transmitted via a cell phone, a PDA, a pager or other device. This enables the user to take advantage of targeted or requested promotions while the user is within a close proximity to an associated point-of-sale facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Greg Roberts, Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8548847
    Abstract: A method and system for generating customized incentives involving electronic distribution of coupons to remote personal computers based on proximity of the computer to a retail center are disclosed. A repository, such as an online service provider or a web site on the Internet, stores packages of incentive data for downloading automatically or on demand to a user's computer. A plurality of data fields is used to associate a user's location with a specific incentive. The incentive data corresponds to remote user computers in a predetermined geographic area. Means for identifying remote user computers in a predetermined geographic area and means for providing direction data, such as maps, etc. to the remote user computer are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory B. Roberts, Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8498762
    Abstract: A method of planning the movement of plural trains over a train network utilizing route protection for the route immediately ahead of a train to avoid undesirable changes to the planned route of the train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mitchell Scott Wills, Joanne Maceo, Randall Markley, Joel Kickbusch, Erdem Telatar
  • Patent number: 8484076
    Abstract: A method and system for generating customized incentives involving electronic distribution of coupons to remote personal computers based on proximity of the computer to a retail center are disclosed. A repository, such as an online service provider or a web site on the Internet, stores packages of incentive data for downloading automatically or on demand to a user's computer. A plurality of data fields is used to associate a user's location with a specific incentive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory B. Roberts, Scott Wills
  • Publication number: 20130144467
    Abstract: A method includes forming a first schedule for a first vehicle to travel in a transportation network. The first schedule includes a first arrival time of the first vehicle at a scheduled location. The method also includes receiving a first trip plan for the first vehicle from an energy management system. The first trip plan is based on the first schedule and designates at least one of tractive efforts or braking efforts to be provided by the first vehicle to reduce at least one of an amount of energy consumed by the first vehicle or an amount of emissions generated by the first vehicle when the first vehicle travels through the transportation network to the scheduled location. The method further includes determining whether to modify the first schedule to avoid interfering with movement of one or more other vehicles by examining the trip plan for the first vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Joel Kickbusch, Jared Cooper, Joseph Noffsinger, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Mason Samuels, Paul Houpt, Mahir Telatar, David Eldredge, Mitchell Scott Wills, Ramu Chandra
  • Publication number: 20130144466
    Abstract: A system includes a scheduling module and a resolution module. The scheduling module determines plural initial schedules for plural different vehicles to concurrently travel in a transportation network. The initial schedules include locations and times for the vehicles to travel. The resolution module modifies at least one of the initial schedules to one or more modified schedules based on an anomaly in at least one of the vehicles or the routes that prevents one or more of the vehicles from traveling in the transportation network according to the initial schedules. The scheduling module communicates the modified schedules to the vehicles so that energy management systems disposed on the vehicles modify travel of the vehicles according to the modified schedules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Jared Cooper, Joseph Noffsinger, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Mason Samuels, Paul Houpt, Joel Kickbusch, Mahir Telatar, David Eldredge, Mitchell Scott Wills, Ramu Chandra
  • Publication number: 20130131968
    Abstract: A system includes an energy module and a scheduling module. The energy module is configured to determine a first consumption parameter representative of a first amount of energy that is projected to be expended by a first vehicle during an upcoming movement event involving the first vehicle. The energy module is configured to determine the first consumption parameter as the first vehicle moves along a route toward a destination location and prior to the first vehicle taking part in the upcoming movement event. The scheduling module is configured to receive the first consumption parameter from the energy module and to at least one of create or modify a first schedule for the first vehicle to move along the route based on the first consumption parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventor: Mitchell Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8433461
    Abstract: A method of scheduling the movement of trains using the creation and the pre-allocation of virtual resources in order to develop an optimized schedule of actual train movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wolfgang Daum, John Hershey, Randall Markley, Mitchell Scott Wills
  • Patent number: 8380373
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling the movement of plural trains over a rail network, where the rail network is divided into at least one control area with a dispatcher assigned to manage the movement of trains in a control area by predicting the occurrence of events along the network based on the movement plan and prompting the dispatcher to provide information or take specified actions relating to the predicted events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul M. Julich, Mitchell Scott Wills, Joanne Maceo, Joseph Wesley Philp, Brian Smith, Christopher P. Roney
  • Publication number: 20120290185
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a control unit configured to be disposed on-board at least one of a first vehicle or a second vehicle. The control unit also is configured to receive an updated time of an event involving the first vehicle and the second vehicle traveling in a transportation network. The control unit also is configured to change a speed of said at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle in response to the updated time to arrive at the event. A method is provided that includes, at one of a first vehicle or a second vehicle, receiving an updated time of an event involving the first vehicle and the second vehicle in a transportation network. The method also includes changing a speed of said one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle in response to the updated tune to arrive at the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Jared Cooper, Mitchell Scott Wills, Kevin Campbell, John McElroy, Jian Li, Bruce Hancock, Sherri Boyd, Mason Samuels, Paul Denton, David Eldredge, Scott Dulmage
  • Publication number: 20120290182
    Abstract: A system includes a monitoring module, a congestion module, a modification module, and a communication module. The monitoring module monitors vehicles in a transportation network. The congestion module calculates a throughput parameter that is representative of a statistical measure of adherence to a movement plan by the vehicles. The modification module determines a confidence parameter representative of a probability that changing the original meet event does not reduce the throughput parameter. The modification module modifies the original meet event to an updated meet event when the confidence parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold. The communication module transmits the updated meet event to the yielding vehicle and/or the passing vehicle, for the yielding vehicle and/or the passing vehicle to receive the updated meet event from the communication module and change a speed of the yielding vehicle or the passing rail vehicle to arrive at the updated meet event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Jared COOPER, Mitchell Scott Wills, Kevin Campbell, John McElroy, Jian Li, Bruce Hancock, Sherri Boyd, Mason Samuels, Paul Denton, David Eldredge, Scott Dulmage
  • Patent number: 8301494
    Abstract: Provided is a method and system for the management of inventory and/or promotional campaigns associated with electronic distribution of secure money saving or discount incentives, including coupons and other marketing incentives and, in particular, to modifying a promotional campaign and/or modifying inventory levels and product ordering based on transaction data relating to coupons distributed as part of an online computer system for interactively distributing such incentives to remotely connected consumer computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
    Inventor: Scott Wills
  • Publication number: 20120181058
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a polymeric composition containing a vinyl chloride resin and an epoxidized fatty acid ester. The polymeric composition also includes a heat stabilizing composition. The heat stabilizing composition includes a first metal salt, a second metal salt, and a ?-diketone. The epoxidized fatty acid ester is the primary, or the sole, plasticizer in the polymeric composition. The present polymeric composition finds advantageous application as a coating for wire and cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Bharat I. Chaudhary, Scott Wills, Manish Mundra
  • Patent number: 8082071
    Abstract: A system and method of scheduling the movement of trains as a function of the predicted crew behavior and predicted rail conditions based on the historical behavior of the crew for specific rail conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wolfgang Daum, John Hershey, Randall Markley, Paul Julich, Mitchell Scott Wills