Patents by Inventor Wendell Hicken

Wendell Hicken 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: 11763345
    Abstract: A data processing system collects messages to create user profiles for users of user devices. The messages are collected from various systems and include data regarding user events on user devices in order to create user profiles. The user profiles are stored. In response to a request for information corresponding to a user device, a user profile is identified using data from the request and information from the profile is provided to the requester. A method and system is utilized to select and provide targeted advertisements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Thryv, Inc.
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Patent number: 11386439
    Abstract: A determination is produced as to the number of leads that can be provided from a system to a target business entity, wherein the leads are generated from a plurality of platforms. The platforms may include platforms that comprise system sources for leads, i.e., sources that are internal or organic to the system, for which it is unnecessary to pay third parties for the leads. The platforms may also include platforms that comprise external sources for leads, such that the leads must be purchased from the external sources. In response to parameters related to the target business entity, an estimated number of leads per unit time is generated for a range of payments to the system by the target business entity. The number of leads to be originated from each of the respective platforms is determined by business rules preferences, which may be specified by the target business entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Corey McMahon, Deepak Thakral, Teodoro Gomez, Giri Damerla, Harish Goli, Nagendra Lavu
  • Publication number: 20220164828
    Abstract: A data processing system collects messages to create user profiles for users of user devices. The messages are collected from various systems and include data regarding user events on user devices in order to create user profiles. The user profiles are stored. In response to a request for information corresponding to a user device, a user profile is identified using data from the request and information from the profile is provided to the requester. A method and system is utilized to select and provide targeted advertisements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20200258097
    Abstract: A determination is produced as to the number of leads that can be provided from a system to a target business entity, wherein the leads are generated from a plurality of platforms. The platforms may include platforms that comprise system sources for leads, i.e., sources that are internal or organic to the system, for which it is unnecessary to pay third parties for the leads. The platforms may also include platforms that comprise external sources for leads, such that the leads must be purchased from the external sources. In response to parameters related to the target business entity, an estimated number of leads per unit time is generated for a range of payments to the system by the target business entity. The number of leads to be originated from each of the respective platforms is determined by business rules preferences, which may be specified by the target business entity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Corey McMahon, Deepak Thakral, Teodoro Gomez, Giri Damerla, Harish Goli, Nagendra Lavu
  • Patent number: 10679246
    Abstract: An advertising system determines the context of a user accessing a publication media (e.g., an online web site). The advertising system retrieves candidate advertisements from one or more databases based on the user's context (e.g., a user search request). The advertising system selects particular advertisements and then sends them to the user (e.g. for display on the user's terminal or device).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: THRYV, INC.
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Patent number: 10565610
    Abstract: A search request is received from a user and the user's context is determined. A publisher is determined for the search request. Candidate advertisements are retrieved from at least one advertisement database to create an advertisement candidate pool, the retrieving based on the user context and the search request. A set of advertisements are selected from the advertisement candidate pool. A georelevance is determined for each of the set of advertisements. The set of advertisements is sorted, wherein the advertisements are sorted based on, at least in part, the georelevance of each of the set of advertisements. The sorted set of advertisements is then transmitted to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Patent number: 10552853
    Abstract: A determination is produced as to the number of leads that can be provided from a system to a target business entity, wherein the leads are generated from a plurality of platforms. The platforms may include platforms that comprise system sources for leads, i.e., sources that are internal or organic to the system, for which it is unnecessary to pay third parties for the leads. The platforms may also include platforms that comprise external sources for leads, such that the leads must be purchased from the external sources. In response to parameters related to the target business entity, an estimated number of leads per unit time is generated for a range of payments to the system by the target business entity. The number of leads to be originated from each of the respective platforms is determined by business rules preferences, which may be specified by the target business entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: YP LLC
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Corey McMahon, Deepak Thakral, Teodoro Gomez, Giri Damerla, Harish Goli, Nagendra Lavu
  • Publication number: 20200013086
    Abstract: A data processing system collects messages to create user profiles for users of user devices. The messages are collected from various systems and include data regarding user events on user devices. The user profiles are stored in a targeting database. In response to a request for information corresponding to a user device, a user profile is identified using data from the request and information from the profile is provided to the requester.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Patent number: 10417660
    Abstract: A data processing system collects messages to create user profiles for users of user devices. The messages are collected from various systems and include data regarding user events on user devices. The user profiles are stored in a targeting database. In response to a request for information corresponding to a user device, a user profile is identified using data from the request and information from the profile is provided to the requester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: YELLOWPAGES.COM LLC
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20180374117
    Abstract: An advertising system logs performance data regarding user interactions with advertisements from a plurality of advertisers. The advertising system uses the performance data to calculate various performance metrics, which are, in turn, used to determine budget weighting values for each of the plurality of advertisers. The advertising system retrieves candidate advertisements from one to more databases based on the user's context (e.g., a user search request). The advertising system selects particular advertisements and/or sorts the advertisements using the budget weighting values, and then sends them to the user (e.g., for display on the user's terminal or device).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20170330227
    Abstract: An advertising system determines the context of a user accessing a publication media (e.g., an online web site). The advertising system retrieves candidate advertisements from one or more databases based on the user's context (e.g., a user search request). The advertising system selects particular advertisements and then sends them to the user (e.g. for display on the user's terminal or device).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20160098731
    Abstract: A determination is produced as to the number of leads that can be provided from a system to a target business entity, wherein the leads are generated from a plurality of platforms. The platforms may include platforms that comprise system sources for leads, i.e., sources that are internal or organic to the system, for which it is unnecessary to pay third parties for the leads. The platforms may also include platforms that comprise external sources for leads, such that the leads must be purchased from the external sources. In response to parameters related to the target business entity, an estimated number of leads per unit time is generated for a range of payments to the system by the target business entity. The number of leads to be originated from each of the respective platforms is determined by business rules preferences, which may be specified by the target business entity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Corey McMahon, Deepak Thakral, Teodoro Gomez, Giri Damerla, Harish Goli, Nagendra Lavu
  • Publication number: 20150046259
    Abstract: Systems and methods for personalized orchestration of business information are provided. Responsive to a request, personalized curation information for an identified end user may be accessed and may include geo-relevant graph information, collection information specifying collection characteristics corresponding to collections associated with the identified end user, and/or window information specifying window characteristics corresponding to business participants in a listing directory service and having been previously associated with the identified end user consequent to indications of end-user interest. A set of business information related to the one or more business participants may be accessed, may include business listing information, and may be windowed as a function of the window information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: YP Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Sanjay Sood, Grace Mase, Mark Shuman
  • Publication number: 20120150627
    Abstract: A search request is received from a user and the user's context is determined. A publisher is determined for the search request. Candidate advertisements are retrieved from at least one advertisement database to create an advertisement candidate pool, the retrieving based on the user context and the search request. A set of advertisements are selected from the advertisement candidate pool. A georelevance is determined for each of the set of advertisements. The set of advertisements is sorted, wherein the advertisements are sorted based on, at least in part, the georelevance of each of the set of advertisements. The sorted set of advertisements is then transmitted to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20120150630
    Abstract: An advertising system logs performance data regarding user interactions with advertisements from a plurality of advertisers. The advertising system uses the performance data to calculate various performance metrics, which are, in turn, used to determine budget weighting values for each of the plurality of advertisers. The advertising system retrieves candidate advertisements from one or more databases based on the user's context (e.g., a user search request). The advertising system selects particular advertisements and/or sorts the advertisements using the budget weighting values, and then sends them to the user (e.g., for display on the user's terminal or device).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20120130813
    Abstract: A data processing system collects messages to create user profiles for users of user devices. The messages are collected from various systems and include data regarding user events on user devices. The user profiles are stored in a targeting database. In response to a request for information corresponding to a user device, a user profile is identified using data from the request and information from the profile is provided to the requester.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20120116872
    Abstract: An advertising system determines the context of a user accessing a publication media (e.g., an online web site). The advertising system retrieves candidate advertisements from one or more databases based on the user's context (e.g., a user search request). The advertising system selects particular advertisements and then sends them to the user (e.g. for display on the user's terminal or device).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Wendell Hicken, Joshua Melick
  • Publication number: 20090254541
    Abstract: A computer system representing user preferences in an N-dimensional preference topography and making recommendations based on such topography. The preference topography depicts user ratings of products in a recommendation database. Each product is represented by a product vector associated with N objectively measurable characteristics. The user rating of a product, therefore, represents the user's preference for the particular combination of the N objectively measurable characteristics making up the product. In making a recommendation of products to the user, the system assigns a rating to each product in the recommendation database based on the preference topography. The system then selects a plurality of maximally unique choices from the rated products for recommendation to the user. These maximally unique choices are calculated to be as diverse from one another as possible but still to the user's liking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Inventors: Adam K. Kolawa, Wendell Hicken, Marek Kucharski
  • Publication number: 20090234712
    Abstract: A computer system representing user preferences in an N-dimensional preference topography and making recommendations based on such topography. The preference topography depicts user ratings of products in a recommendation database. Each product is represented by a product vector associated with N objectively measurable characteristics. The user rating of a product, therefore, represents the user's preference for the particular combination of the N objectively measurable characteristics making up the product. In making a recommendation of products to the user, the system assigns a rating to each product in the recommendation database based on the preference topography. The system then selects a plurality of maximally unique choices from the rated products for recommendation to the user. These maximally unique choices are calculated to be as diverse from one another as possible but still to the user's liking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Adam K. Kolawa, Wendell Hicken, Marek Kucharski
  • Publication number: 20060265349
    Abstract: A system for sharing playlists and playlist essence with different users. A user desiring to share his or her playlist generates the playlist and a playlist characterization. The playlist characterization is based on acoustic analysis data of one or more songs in the playlist. The playlist and playlist characterization is then transmitted to another end user device. The end user device receiving the shared playlist searches the user's music collection for the songs in the playlist. If a gap is detected in the playlist because the receiving user does not own a particular song, the receiving end user devices automatically selects another song that is owned by the user to fill-in the gap. The song is selected based on the playlist characterization with the aim of preserving the essence of the shared playlist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventor: Wendell Hicken