Patents by Inventor Stephen Ross

Stephen Ross 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: 8589299
    Abstract: In general terms, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for providing a financial service that involves a coverage network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8582850
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for using real-time video analysis and AR or the like to assist the user of mobile devices with commerce activities. Through the use of real-time vision object recognition medical conditions can be recognized in the real-time video stream and can be matched to medical condition related information regarding the medical condition and can also be matched to one or more targeted offers for products related to the medical condition. The medical condition related information may be presenting to the user of the mobile device in conjunction with display of the associated medical condition in a live video stream. Further, in some embodiments, a product can be recognized as products related to a previously recognized medical condition and indicators associated with the recognized products can be presented with the real-time video stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. Calman, Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8583554
    Abstract: The present invention provides embodiments of a dependent payment device, such as a credit card, for allowing a primary customer to control and monitor the transactions made by a dependent customer who is authorized to use the account of the primary customer. The primary customer can control the maximum limit that the dependent customer can spend on the dependent card up to the maximum amount that the financial institution has approved for the primary customer. The primary customer can also block/approve purchases that the dependent customer can make at store or on products by adding MCCs, store names, store types, UPCs, or other product or store identifiers to a list of blocked/approved transactions. The primary customer can set monetary and time limits on the amount and frequency of the transactions the dependent customer can make at stores or on products that have been blocked/approved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Kathleen Lisa Dooley Maley, Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8577796
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to assisting credit account holders during economic hardship. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for providing a rebate of at least a portion of a finance charge applied to a credit account. Unlike certain prior art systems and methods, embodiments disclosed herein may benefit both the credit account holder as well as the financial institution that extends the credit account. In one embodiment, it may be determined that several credit accounts meet a threshold of probability of having a charge-off. In certain embodiments, the number of accounts that receive a rebate may be limited to a certain percentage of credit accounts with a non-zero balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Stephen Ross, Matthew Rice, Hans Dirk Schumacher, David Neil Joffe, Yanghong Shao, Tracy Elizabeth Marcin, John Scott Bailer
  • Patent number: 8571986
    Abstract: The present invention provides embodiments of a dependent payment device, such as a credit card, for allowing a primary customer to control and monitor the transactions made by a dependent customer who is authorized to use the account of the primary customer. The primary customer can control the maximum limit that the dependent customer can spend on the dependent card up to the maximum amount that the financial institution has approved for the primary customer. The primary customer can also block/approve purchases that the dependent customer can make at store or on products by adding MCCs, store names, store types, UPCs, or other product or store identifiers to a list of blocked/approved transactions. The primary customer can set monetary and time limits on the amount and frequency of the transactions the dependent customer can make at stores or on products that have been blocked/approved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Kathleen Lisa Dooley Maley, Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8571888
    Abstract: In general terms, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing health or flexible spending account information in association with products identified in an augmented reality environment. In some embodiments, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving information associated with an image, where the image was captured by a mobile device; (b) determining, based at least partially on the information associated with the image, that the image shows a product that qualifies for purchase under a medical savings plan; and (c) presenting, via the mobile device, information that indicates that the product qualifies for purchase under the medical savings plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. Calman, Erik Stephen Ross, Alfred Hamilton
  • Publication number: 20130278257
    Abstract: Systems and methods capable of improving acquisition times associated with obtaining diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data are discussed. In aspects, multiple points in q-space can be sampled in a single repetition time (TR). Acquisition time can be further increased using other techniques, such as a radial raster or compressed sensing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: University of Pittsburgh Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Fernando E. Boada, Stephen Ross Yutzy
  • Patent number: 8548214
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for using real-time video analysis and AR or the like to assist the user of mobile devices with commerce activities. Through the use of real-time vision object recognition medical conditions can be recognized in the real-time video stream and can be matched to medical condition related information regarding the medical condition and can also be matched to one or more targeted offers for products related to the medical condition. The medical condition related information may be presenting to the user of the mobile device in conjunction with display of the associated medical condition in a live video stream. Further, in some embodiments, a product can be recognized as products related to a previously recognized medical condition and indicators associated with the recognized products can be presented with the real-time video stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. Calman, Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8548930
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for an institution provided data share platform. The institution provided data share platform allows customers and commercial partners to access data the institution may have. Specific platform data access may be limited and/or monitored by the institution to ensure customer safety and privacy compliance. Allowing access to the institution data provides a customer the means to create customized applications utilizing the data in combination with data provided by the customer. In return for access to the platform, the institution may recover assessments based on the application the customer creates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Stephen Ross
  • Patent number: 8532280
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a call center system providing network metrics based off of an individual's social networking connections, and more particularly embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing a recommendation to an individual contacting the call center, based on the reason the customer is contacting the call center and the customer's network metrics. The network metrics include analyzing an individual's social networks and the social network of connections associated with the customer. In this way, recommendations, such as a promotion, product, service, or response to the communication to the call center may be tailored to network metrics of an individual from social networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Stephen Ross, Katherine Ann Krumme
  • Patent number: 8527414
    Abstract: In general terms, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for prepaying, covering, avoiding, negating, and/or otherwise offsetting future account discrepancy assessments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Stephen Ross, Tamara S. Kingston, John Franklin Tuders, John Harden Quintiliani
  • Publication number: 20130191279
    Abstract: A mobile device with a rewritable general purpose card is disclosed. The mobile device includes a mobile wallet accessible to the user such that the user may select a payment vehicle (e.g., debit card, credit card, gift card, etc.) or other vehicle (e.g., merchant loyalty cards, membership cards, rewards cards, medical cards, insurance cards, identification cards, etc.) and encode data related to that vehicle to the rewritable general purpose card. The user may then utilize the encoded general purpose card to make a transaction. Generally, the general purpose card includes one or more displays which may be configured to display information, graphics, data, etc. (e.g. account number, expiration date, user identification such as name and/or photograph, card brand logo, bar codes or other codes readable to an electronic device, etc.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew A. CALMAN, Erik Stephen Ross
  • Publication number: 20130191193
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-program products that provide shopping plan optimization. In one embodiment of the invention, information associated with a shopping plan is retrieved by the system; the shopping plan may include a grocery or other shopping list. The system compares the information associated with the shopping plan to a database. The database may include information associated with a plurality of merchants and businesses. The system optimizes the shopping plan based at least partially on the comparison of the information associated with the shopping plan to the database. In an embodiment, the system optimizes the shopping by determining an efficient travel route based on the products and/or items in the shopping plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew A. Calman, Erik Stephen Ross, Susan Smith Thomas, Jooyong Lee, Zhenshuo Fang, James Mulholland, Brendan Kiu, Nastasha Tan
  • Publication number: 20130191232
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products that provide for an enhanced mobile application for assisting users at a point-of-transaction (POT). In one embodiment of the invention the POT assistance application program may determines that a user is conducting a transaction with a merchant. The user may utilize a user device to assist in the transaction. First, the user device may be paired with a POT system, such as a cash register. Once the devices are paired a communication link is created that allows the user to audibly and/or visually monitor the transaction using the user device. Furthermore, the user may flag an item for review during the transaction, silence the transaction, receive a subtotal for the transaction, select a payment method, or complete the transaction using the POT assistance application program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew A. Calman, Erik Stephen Ross, Susan Smith Thomas, Jooyong Lee, Zhenshuo Fang, James Mulholland, Brendan Kiu, Nastasha Tan
  • Publication number: 20130191246
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products that provide for a unique directional wayfinding system. In one embodiment of the invention, products are received from the user, such as a shopping list or wish list. The system determines the location of the user, determines the location of the product in the business, determines a route from the user to the product, and provides instructions to the user along the route. In an embodiment, the system identifies and/or confirms the product when the user reaches the product. In at least one embodiment, the systems, methods, and computer-program products provide functionality for the visually-impaired to assist in everyday shopping for products in businesses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: MATTHEW A. CALMAN, SUSAN SMITH THOMAS, ERIK STEPHEN ROSS, JOOYONG LEE, ZHENSHUO FANG, JAMES MULHOLLAND, BRENDAN KIU, NASTASHA TAN
  • Publication number: 20130191789
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products that provide for a unique system for controlling transactions based on command gestures. In one embodiment of the invention, a computer-implemented method determines that a user is conducting a transaction with a mobile device. The mobile device senses a gesture performed by the user with the mobile device and alters at least one aspect of the transaction based on the gesture. The gestures can control a wide variety of aspects of the transaction. For example, the user may flag an item for review during the transaction, silence the transaction, receive a subtotal for the transaction, select a payment method, or complete the transaction. In an embodiment, the user is able to customize the gestures to control the transaction according to the user's preferences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: MATTHEW A. CALMAN, SUSAN SMITH THOMAS, ERIK STEPHEN ROSS, JOOYONG LEE, ZHENSHUO FANG, JAMES MULHOLLAND, BRENDAN KIU, NASTASHA TAN
  • Publication number: 20130179246
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, systems, apparatus and computer program products for collecting location data, wherein the location data comprises information related to a physical location of a user, retrieving, based at least in part on the collected location data, aggregate data related to the product, the aggregate data comprising at least one of aggregate demand data or aggregate supply data, identifying at least one offer related to the product based at least in part on the collected location data and the retrieved aggregate data; and communicating the offer to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Erik Stephen Ross
  • Publication number: 20130179316
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to a provisioning of a savings plan for one or more users. In some embodiments, a plan may be generated based on an analysis of information associated with a user. The plan may be adapted or modified over time, optionally in response to the occurrence of one or more events. In some embodiments, a user may have an opportunity to modify a term, value, or condition associated with the plan or a portion thereof. In some embodiments, a user may be provided an incentive for participating in the plan. For example, a user may receive a contribution or be enrolled in a lottery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Erik Stephen Ross
  • Publication number: 20130179219
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for a predictive analytics platform. First, the platform may be populated by individuals or entities with data. The data may then be categorized into a searchable format. The data may be analyzed to create feed category data and patterns that may provide indications of future trends. The future trends may be in the financial, risk, or product development fields. In this way, the invention may combine data from multiple sources into a single platform for predictive analytics, thus using current data to attempt to predict future trends. Individuals and entities may have access to the platform to analyze the data on the platform or receive patterns previously provided by the system, in order to further predict future trends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventor: Erik Stephen Ross
  • Publication number: 20130173393
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for providing users customized offers that reflect the user's opportunity cost associated with accepting the offer. In this regard, the customized offers may include additional savings, in terms of an additional discount, percentage-off or other incentive, to account for the user's specific transportation costs, time costs and the like. In additional embodiments the customization accounts for the user's propensity for accepting offers and adjusts the offer discount, percentage-off or other incentive based on their historical acceptance rates. By customizing the offers to account for opportunity costs, and in some embodiments historical offer acceptance rates, the present invention serves to increase offer acceptance, thereby benefiting the program provider and/or the merchants offering the offers/deals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 1, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew A. Calman, Erik Stephen Ross