Patents Issued in March 21, 2017
  • Patent number: 9600764
    Abstract: Features are disclosed for using a neural network to tag sequential input without using an internal representation of the neural network generated when scoring previous positions in the sequence. A predicted or determined label (e.g., the highest scoring or otherwise most probable label) for input at a given position in the sequence can be used when scoring input corresponding to the next position the sequence. Additional features are disclosed for training a neural network for use in tagging sequential input without using an internal representation of the neural network generated when scoring previous positions the sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ariya Rastrow, Spyros Matsoukas, Sri Venkata Surya Siva Rama Krishna Garimella, Nikko Ström, Bjorn Hoffmeister
  • Patent number: 9600765
    Abstract: A computerized classifier system that forms convex hulls containing all training experiences for each target class (e.g. threat/non-threat) is disclosed. The intersection of convex hulls for each pair of classes defines a region of ambiguity in feature space. Measurement of feature vector(s) outside an ambiguous region of feature space leads to a class decision while measurement of feature vector(s) within an ambiguous region of feature space defined by convex hulls causes a transition to a new feature space with new features. In particular embodiments, measured feature data includes estimated motion states and electrical lengths of a given object, and range, velocity and acceleration image data from second phase differences for debris mitigation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Richard N. Pedersen, Mark A. Friesel, Paul D. Mountcastle
  • Patent number: 9600766
    Abstract: A distributable and serializable finite state machine and methods for using the distributable and serializable finite state machine are provided wherein finite state machine instance can be location-shifted, time-shifted or location-shift and time-shifted, for example by serializing and deserializing each instance. Each instance can be located-shifted between agents, and a persistent memory storage location is provided to facilitate both location-shifting and time-shifting. Finite state machine instances and the actions that make up each instance can be run in a distributed fashion among a plurality of agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: James R. Challenger, Louis R. Degenaro, James R. Giles, Paul Reed, Rohit Wagle
  • Patent number: 9600767
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system, method, and computer program product for generating a single software code based on a description of a distributed architecture. The present invention introduces a BICA-SMART development framework that implements a distributed architecture in a flexible, parallel and scalable implementation that is embodied by a single software code. Thus, using the present invention, a user can input a description of the architecture into the system, with the system automatically generating the software code to implement the architectural description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Aleksey Nogin, Deepak Khosla, Yang Chen
  • Patent number: 9600768
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining whether a driving environment has changed relative to a detailed map stored by an autonomous vehicle. An autonomous driving computer system of the autonomous vehicle may determine whether the driving environment has probably changed based on the location of one or more objects detected in the driving environment. The autonomous driving computer system may include various object models, each object model being associated with an object type, and where each object model defines one or more probability values that a given object type is expected (or not expected) to be found at a given location. By aggregating the various probability values resulting from the detection of objects in the driving environment, and then comparing the aggregated probability values with one or more probability threshold values, the autonomous driving computer system may predict or determine whether the driving environment has probably changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: David I. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 9600769
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for constructing a personal knowledge graph for a user based on data contained in existing e-mail messages of the user, and using the personal knowledge graph to provide the user with contextually-relevant content and/or contact suggestions while the user is composing an e-mail message. A personal knowledge graph is constructed based on relations/connections between users and content identified from data contained in e-mail messages sent and/or received by the user. Such relations include content-content relations, user-content relations, and user-(content)-user relations. When a user is composing an e-mail message, the system responsively processes, analyzes, and indexes composing e-mail message data. The composing e-mail message data is used to fetch relevant information from the user's personal knowledge graph and generate one or more content and/or contact suggestions for presentation to the user alongside an e-mail message composing view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Yifang Liu, Clemens Buehling
  • Patent number: 9600770
    Abstract: A method includes receiving information identifying a first knowledge element from a plurality of knowledge elements. The method also includes, for a plurality of similar knowledge elements, for each of a plurality of similar knowledge elements determining a first value based on actions taken by a user with respect to a respective knowledge element from the plurality of similar knowledge elements, determining a second value that represents similarity of the first knowledge element to the respective knowledge element, and determining an expertise component value for the respective knowledge element based at least in part on a multiplicative product of the first value and the second value. The method also includes determining an expertise value that represents the user's expertise level relative to a subject matter described by the first knowledge element based on the expertise component values for the plurality of similar knowledge elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Emergent Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Moffa
  • Patent number: 9600771
    Abstract: Various embodiments of technologies for information coding based on semantic data reasoning are provided. In some examples, a process performs semantic reasoning on semantic sentences of a textual message to generate a code, and embeds the code in the textual message as additional information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventors: Daqi Li, Jun Fang
  • Patent number: 9600772
    Abstract: Methods and systems enable a symbol-based descriptive information system to acquire various forms of awareness, including self-awareness. The methods and systems include an operations specification of awareness for the system, a process for acquiring awareness, and special symbols that support the various forms of awareness. For example, a system may include at least one processor and memory storing a database that includes symbols, definitions of symbols, and processing rules. One symbol in the database may be an awareness symbol and another may be a database symbol. The system may also include memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to acquire awareness of at least one symbol from the database, acquire awareness of the system being aware using the awareness symbol, and acquire awareness of the system's information content and capabilities using the database symbol. The awareness and database symbols allow the system to gain the capability of self-awareness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Omniphysical LLC
    Inventor: John Hilley
  • Patent number: 9600773
    Abstract: A method for detecting anomalous energy usage of building or household entities. The method applies a number of successively stringent anomaly detection techniques to isolate households that are highly suspect for having engaged in electricity theft via meter tampering. The system utilizes historical time series data of electricity usage, weather, and household characteristics (e.g., size, age, value) and provides a list of households that are worthy of a formal theft investigation. Generally, raw utility usage data, weather history data, and household characteristics are cleansed, and loaded into an analytics data mart. The data mart feeds four classes of anomaly detection algorithms developed, with each analytic producing a set of households suspected of having engaged in electricity theft. The system allows a user to select households from each list or a set based on the intersection of all individual sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Amit Dhurandhar, Jayant R. Kalagnanam, Stuart A. Siegel, Yada Zhu
  • Patent number: 9600774
    Abstract: Remote computing resource service providers allow customers to execute virtual computer systems in a virtual environment on hardware provided by the computing resource service provider. The hardware may be distributed between various geographic locations connected by a network. The distributed environment may increase latency of various operations of the virtual computer systems executed by the customer. To reduce latency of various operations predictive modeling is used to predict the occurrence of various operations and initiate the operations before they may occur, thereby reducing the amount of latency perceived by the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sebastian Martin Biemueller, Christopher Richard Jacques de Kadt, Mathew Daniel, Adi Meyers, James Alfred Gordon Greenfield, Thomas Friebel, Jean-Paul Bauer, Benjamin Van Der Merwe
  • Patent number: 9600775
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of categorizing a subterranean formation including collecting data related to the formation, performing an algorithm comprising guided Bayesian survey design, identifying data observations to collect, and collecting additional data observations related to the formation. In some embodiments, the performing comprises forming a matrix or loading a matrix or both. Apparatus and methods of categorizing a subterranean formation including collecting data related to the formation, performing an algorithm comprising guided Bayesian survey design, identifying data observations to use, and processing the data observations wherein the observations require less processing time than if no algorithm were performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Darrell Coles, Michael David Prange, Hugues A. Djikpesse
  • Patent number: 9600776
    Abstract: In general, embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and computer readable media for automated dynamic data quality assessment. One aspect of the subject matter described in this specification includes the actions of receiving a data quality job including a new data sample; and, if the new data sample is determined to be added to a reservoir of data samples, sending a quality verification request to an oracle; receiving a new data sample quality estimate from the oracle; and adding the new data sample and estimate to the reservoir. A second aspect of the subject matter includes the actions of receiving, from a predictive model, a judgment associated with a new data sample; analyzing the new data sample based in part on the judgment to determine whether to send a new data sample quality verification request to an oracle; and, if a new data sample quality estimate is received from the oracle, determining whether to add the new data sample and the judgment to the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Groupon, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Thomas Daly, Shawn Ryan Jeffery, Matthew DeLand, Nick Pendar, Andrew James, David Johnston
  • Patent number: 9600777
    Abstract: A method provides program structures for constructing a program that is learned over training data. In one example, two specific program structures are provided in which the first program structure transforms each vector in an input tuple of vectors to provide an output tuple of vectors, and the second program structure operates on an input tuple of vectors to provide an output tuple of vectors by applying one or more transformations that each involves two or more vectors in the input tuple. The transformations of the first and second program structures may be linear transformations. The program may alternatively execute the first program structure and the second program structure in any suitable order a number of times, beginning with operating one of the program structures on an initial tuple of vectors. The vectors may each consist of an ordered set of real numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventor: Georges Harik
  • Patent number: 9600778
    Abstract: A volumetric segmentation method is disclosed for brain region analysis, in particular but not limited to, regions of the basal ganglia such as the subthalamic nucleus (STN). This serves for visualization and localization within the sub-cortical region of the basal ganglia, as an example of prediction of a region of interest for deep brain stimulation procedures. A statistical shape model is applied for variation modes of the STN, or the corresponding regions of interest, and its predictors on high-quality training sets obtained from high-field, e.g., 7T, MR imaging. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) method is applied to induce the spatial relationship between the region to be predicted, e.g., STN, and its predictors. The prediction accuracy for validating the invention is evaluated by measuring the shape similarity and the errors in position, size, and orientation between manually segmented STN and its predicted one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Surgical Information Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Guillermo Sapiro, Noam Harel, Yuval Duchin, Jinyoung Kim
  • Patent number: 9600779
    Abstract: A machine learning classifier system includes a data set processing subsystem to generate a training set and a validation set from multiple data sources. Classifier hardware induces a classifier according to the training set, and tests the classifier according to the validation set. A buffer connected to the classifier hardware stores data objects to be classified, and a register connected to the classifier hardware stores outputs of the classifier, including classified data objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: James Hoover, Jeffrey Scott Miller, Lisa Wester, Randall C. Gowat
  • Patent number: 9600780
    Abstract: An example approach is provided for sharing and managing resource availability information. One or more resource availability information is received. Further, one or more requests to access the one or more resource availability messages are received from at least one consuming device. Access to the one or more resource availability messages is reserved based, at least in part, on the one or more requests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Baik Hoh, Kenneth Tracton, Yan Tingxin, Ganesan Deepak, Juong-Sik Lee
  • Patent number: 9600781
    Abstract: Methods and systems for improving seat selection at a venue are described. The methods and systems help users understand how good a view they will have of a performance or event and/or how enjoyable an experience they will have before they purchase a ticket. A user selects a seat and is able to access relevant traits of people who purchased seats proximate to the selected seat. Relevant traits include physical features such as height, weight, build, etc., and behavior information, such as how noisy or quiet the person is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: Kamal Zamer
  • Patent number: 9600782
    Abstract: At a mobile information processing terminal, a close-range communication unit performs close-range communications with another mobile information processing terminal, a reception unit receives through the close-range communication unit a user identifier for uniquely identifying a user of an application for a social networking service (SNS) on the other mobile information processing terminal, a determination unit is configured to determine whether there is a match between the social networking service on the other mobile information processing terminal and an SNS used on the mobile information processing terminal, and when the determination unit determines that there is a match, the transmission unit transmits the received user identifier to a server of the SNS so as to register a user identified by the user identifier as a friend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohito Takusari, Hiromoto One
  • Patent number: 9600783
    Abstract: Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method for evaluating total cost of ownership (TCO) of a system includes obtaining reference values associated with respective aspects of a TCO measurement model. The TCO measurement model is configured for use in measuring TCO, the reference values reflecting a reference TCO determined for a reference system. The method includes mapping actual expenses to the TCO measurement model, the actual expenses identified as associated with a system whose TCO is to be evaluated. The method includes performing an analysis that includes at least comparing the actual expenses to the reference values according to the mapping. The method includes recording a result of the analysis that indicates at least whether the TCO of the system differs from the reference TCO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Eugene Stepanski, Dirk Rohdemann
  • Patent number: 9600784
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for quantitatively estimating a value of a given process, such as an IT service management process. For example, a computer-implemented method for estimating a value based on a complexity analysis of a given process comprises a computer performing the following steps. A context for the given process is identified. A baseline for the given process is quantified. The process baseline comprises a key performance indicator and an underlying complexity measure. An improvement measure for the given process is determined. The improvement measure is achieved by at least one of a tooling deployment or a process transformation. A value derived for the given process is estimated based on the context identifying, baseline quantifying, and improvement determining steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yixin Diao, Kamal Kumar Bhattacharya
  • Patent number: 9600785
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to tools for optimizing complex processes or systems, such as flow process charts and, more specifically to the automatic graphical renderings of processes. In an exemplary embodiment, the process is a complex process including hundreds or thousands of operations. In an exemplary embodiment, a device displays a first view that includes a complete progression diagram automatically generated from data stored in a database, and at least some directional lines of the complete progression diagram unintelligibly overlap. In response to a selection of a particular operation in the complete progression diagram, in an exemplary embodiment, the display toggles to a second view that includes a focus diagram. In an exemplary embodiment, an edit to the focus diagram is checked in real-time and rejected if the edit orphans an object currently undergoing the process on a live production line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James M. Bogusky, Mary Ann Emmett, Donald A. Hallock, Arden Steuart Lake, Joseph Paul Palmeri, James I. Paradies, William Madison Sipperley
  • Patent number: 9600786
    Abstract: A technique of optimizing analytic flows includes sampling source data using a sampling method, executing a flow over the sampled data, obtaining runtime statistics from the executed flow, and combining runtime statistics with historical statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Alkiviadis Simitsis, William K. Wilkinson, Petar Jovanovic
  • Patent number: 9600787
    Abstract: Embodiments provide techniques for deferring authentication and resource loading through the use of a local web server. One embodiment includes, upon receiving a request for remote web application content, at a local web server, from a client application, transmitting placeholder content to the client application. A remote web server is selected to fulfill the received request. Embodiments further include, upon determining that the remote web server is available to fulfill the received request, redirecting the client application to an address for the remote web server corresponding to the requested remote web application content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation
    Inventors: Luis Felipe Lopez, Yongan Wang
  • Patent number: 9600788
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relates to a crowdsourcing directory system. The crowdsourcing directory system is configured for identifying and comparing one or more of a plurality of crowdsourcing platforms based on a plurality of attributes associated with each of the plurality of crowdsourcing platforms. The crowdsourcing directory system then recommends a set of crowdsourcing platforms from the one or more crowdsourcing platforms based on values of the plurality of attributes. The crowdsourcing directory system also maintains a repository of information pertaining to the plurality of crowdsourcing platforms. In an embodiment, the repository may be updated by implementing software adaptors configured to extract various information pertaining to the plurality of crowdsourcing platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Chithralekha Balamurugan, Koustuv Dasgupta, Karnam Saraschandra, Shourya Roy
  • Patent number: 9600789
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for generating a roster template used in scheduling agent resources to conduct a campaign involving sending outbound communications using a first channel of communication to generate inbound communications using a second channel of communication. Specifically, a forecast is generated establishing a success rate for generating an inbound communication using the second channel of communication as a result of sending an outbound communication using the first channel of communication and an average response time to receive the inbound communication. Further, the forecast identifies a number of inbound communications predicted to be received for the campaign.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ellwood I. Neuer, III, Jason P. Ouimette, Christopher S. Haggerty
  • Patent number: 9600790
    Abstract: Systems and methods for responding to electric power grid conditions may include identifying a portion of the electric power grid for power response, identifying at least one mobile energy resource and at least one connection site, and dispatching the mobile energy resource to a connection site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventors: Salman Mohagheghi, Jean-Charles Tournier
  • Patent number: 9600791
    Abstract: Managing a network system includes determining metrics for a plurality of nodes in the network system, determining a plurality of zones including the plurality of nodes based on the metrics for the network system, and, for each zone of the plurality of zones, determining a computational architecture to be implemented for the zone based on the metrics for each node of the plurality of nodes in the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Vanish Talwar, Susanta Adhikary, Jeffrey R. Hilland, Kannan Vidhya, V Prashanth, KS Sandeep
  • Patent number: 9600792
    Abstract: Computer system configured to generate an engineering work-flow, said system comprising a first database which stores a library of engineering patterns and a second database which stores a library of engineering tool functions of an engineering tool, wherein a sequence of automatically concatenated workflow steps forming said engineering workflow is generated by mapping for each workflow step a selected engineering pattern to a selected tool function of said engineering tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Matthias Foehr, Stefan Horn, Tobias Jager, Mathias Muhlhause, Heiko Seidel
  • Patent number: 9600793
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods, devices and systems for calculating or selecting a first set of chemical compounds for an odor additive. For example, a method identifies a second set of chemical compounds present in a sample and intensities of individual chemical compounds in the second set of chemical compounds, and calculates the first set of chemical compounds for the odor additive such that an olfactory perception of a mixture of the sample and the odor additive is an olfactory white.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kush R. Varshney, Lav R. Varshney
  • Patent number: 9600794
    Abstract: An apparatus for assessing and controlling the quality of a project in a production environment is provided. The apparatus is configured to: receive a first score, wherein the first score comprises a first numerical value associated with a first level of quality, wherein the first level of quality is associated with a first deliverable; receive a second score, wherein the second score comprises a second numerical value associated with a second level of quality, wherein the second level of quality is associated with the first deliverable; and process the first score and the second score to generate a third score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeannette M. Ross, Shilpi Choudhari, Priyanka Kapoor, Tomy Victor Pathrose, Antonio J. Kinney
  • Patent number: 9600795
    Abstract: Common sub-process patterns in a plurality of deployed process models may be discovered, and performance measures associated with the sub-process patterns may be computed based on runtime events of the deployed process models. Positive or negative performance patterns among sub-process patterns may be identified and used for creating new process models or improving existing process models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steve Demuth, Aliza R. Heching, Jimeng Sun, Judah M. Diament
  • Patent number: 9600796
    Abstract: An method and system for handling service interdependencies in an ontology-based emergent environment that prompts service partners to provide both service type information and service parameters through a partner-portal so that the registered services can be classified into ontologies which allow parameters and rules to be associated with each registered service. The ontology modification information is generated by identifying an interdependency, manifesting the interdependency, generating new rules and parameters, and adding the new rules and parameters to the relevant service categories within the ontology database. The service partners are asked about these new parameters when registering a service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Software AG
    Inventors: Harald Schöning, Juliane Harbarth
  • Patent number: 9600797
    Abstract: System, methods, and computer program products are provided for enhanced freight tracking and monitoring. The system may track the location of a freight shipment within a carrier's transportation network from the time it is picked up by a carrier from a consignor until it is delivered to a consignee, provide for weight determinations and shipping re-classifications of the freight shipment during transport, and provide real-time status information and reports to the carrier, consignor, and/or consignee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: William Mark Moir, Scott Christopher Vandy
  • Patent number: 9600798
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for an automated materials handling facility. The automated materials handling facility uses a series of automated devices, such as automated guidance vehicles, mobile drive units, robotic arms, automated sorters, etc., to facilitate item receive, stow, pick, shipping and other aspects of materials handling. The automated devices are controlled by a materials handling control system that sends instructions to the various devices to coordinate operation of those devices and to coordinate flow of items through the materials handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Stuart Battles, Jayson Michael Jochim, Martin Peter Aalund, Ned Lecky, Samuel Gardner Garrett, Paul Roy Raines, Jr., Kaushik Mani, Yan Yan, David Henry Clark, John Tan
  • Patent number: 9600799
    Abstract: A storage array includes one or more tier including a plurality of roller pairs and at least one motor for spinning each roller pair. Plates are positioned between each roller pair. A horizontal nudger is positioned above each plate moves tires horizontally within the storage array. A tire is moved longitudinally within the storage array by causing a roller pair bearing the tire to spin followed by lifting the plate below the tire, thereby causing the tire to roll forward or backward within the storage array. A controller coupled to actuators for the plates and the horizontal nudger invokes movement of tires in and out of the storage array and within the storage array according to a storage, retrieval, and inventory management program. Tires may include electronically readable chips that are detected by sensors at a front edge of the storage array that are coupled to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas J. Allen
  • Patent number: 9600800
    Abstract: A social environment is provided by creating an object in response to recognition of an entity in a portion of web content, wherein the object represents the entity, the object is associated with a type selected from a set of types, and the type is associated with a schema selected from a set of schemas, where the social environment includes a set of objects including the object, wherein the objects are instances of corresponding types in a rich system of predefined types, the schemas are associated with the types, metadata is associated with the objects, and there is at least one relationship between at least two objects selected from the set of objects, where the set of objects and the metadata are extensible, such that extensions provided by a first user are available for use by a second user. In one example, metadata provided by a first user is only available to a second user having a relationship with the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew S. Tomkins, Raghu Ramakrishnan, Shanmugasundaram Ravikumar
  • Patent number: 9600801
    Abstract: Systems and methods for integrating research and incorporation of information into a construction specification involve providing information for potential inclusion in a specification to a user as part of the specification editing process so as to reduce the time spent in finding and researching information and including the information in the specification. A template specification with sections is provided, each section having one or more computer links corresponding to potential customization of the section with customized information. In response to selection of the link, construction information for potential inclusion in the template specification as a customization thereof corresponding to the selected computer link is retrieved from a database of construction information and is displayed adjacent the template specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Architectural Computer Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher G. Bushnell, Matthew D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9600802
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for providing an intelligence-oriented service using context information estimation in a mobile terminal are provided. In the method, a correlation relation between a low level context variable and a high level context variable is registered. The low level context variable is obtained from at least one data stored in the mobile terminal. The high level context variable is generated using at least one low level context variable. The high level context variable is provided to an upper application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD, KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Nam-Hoon Kim, Mu-Hong Byun, Dong-Man Lee, In-Suk Park, Soon-Joo Hyun
  • Patent number: 9600803
    Abstract: A mobile-first authoring tool for the authoring of a wrap package of cards on a mobile device by creating a plurality of cards for the wrap package using a number of media capture modes, selectively customizing the cards using a plurality of customization tools, defining one or more sequence order(s) for navigating the cards when the wrap is consumed and generating a wrap descriptor for the wrap package. The wrap descriptor specifies the cards of the wrap package and includes a plurality of cards descriptors, each card descriptor specifying content, a structure and a layout of an associated card respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Wrap Media, LLC
    Inventors: Eric H. Greenberg, John M. Garris, Kunal K. Bhasin, Jared L. Ficklin, Mark E. Rolston, Matthew J. Santone, Peter Petras
  • Patent number: 9600804
    Abstract: An aggregate display of contact data from internal and external sources is provided. Contact data associated with at least one contact is obtained from a plurality of sources, including at least an internal source and an external source. The obtained contact data is processed to generate an aggregated collection of contact data. The aggregated collection of contact data is stored. A display of the aggregated collection of contact data is displayed in a single, interactive interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ginger Elizabeth Tien, Michael Anthony Affronti, Rikinkumar Shah, Christina Marie Meyer
  • Patent number: 9600805
    Abstract: Techniques for presenting information on a mobile communication device to an employee of an organization include receiving an indication to present information associated with an organization to an employee of the organization; in response to receiving the indication, determining a current geographic location of the employee; identifying a facility of a plurality of facilities associated with the organization based on the determined current geographic location of the employee; retrieving information associated with the identified facility from a local memory of the mobile communication device; and presenting the retrieved information to the employee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Stephan Lange, Manuela Janicki, Torsten Wichmann
  • Patent number: 9600806
    Abstract: Methods and systems to process computer readable electronic messages, such as electronic mail messages or e-mail. Methods and system include auto-tagging based on one or more of statistical machine learning based clustering techniques, custom parsers, and crowd-sourced message tagging. Methods and systems further include relevancy determination based on combinations of features, user-configurable hybrid web browser/e-mail client rendering, tabbed rendering, plug-in based local computational features, implied social graph based decision making, and automatic detection of account settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Arcode Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Baggett, Simon Gregory Smith
  • Patent number: 9600807
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for server-side modification of messages during a mobile terminal message exchange. Upon receiving a dialog message (e.g., an email message) from a first user device, the method determines the format (e.g., IMAP) of the dialog message in order to insert similarly-formatted additional content. Then, the method modifies the dialog message by inserting selected additional content into the dialog message. The method receives a request from a second user (at a mobile terminal) and the method transmits the outbound dialog message with the inserted additional content to the second user's mobile terminal. The second user's mobile terminal supports native applications for reviewing the additional content, and some modified dialog messages include personalized content, including personalization based on the dialog message from the first user device. The second user reviews the personalized content on the mobile terminal without having to explicitly launch a browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
    Inventor: Viraj Sudhir Chavan
  • Patent number: 9600808
    Abstract: A payment card system uses a static payment card identifying number and generates, for each attempted transaction, an authentication cryptogram based at least upon a seed value stored within the payment card and further based upon a temporal signal value that changes for each attempted use of the payment card. The authentication cryptogram may be alpha-numerically encoded, preferably using a radix-32 coding to provide 5-bits of information for each character or symbol, and may be communicated in a 26-character payment card account name field instead of communicating a payment account name in said payment card account name field, to thus convey up to 130-bits of information while maintaining compatibility with existing point-of-sale equipment and payment system infrastructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: EPIC ONE TEXAS, LLC
    Inventors: William Gomez, Sr., William Gomez, Jr., Oscar J. Gomez
  • Patent number: 9600809
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for a stacking purge-bin (“SPB”) are provided. The SPB may be configured to rotate. The SPB may include a plurality of receiving sections. One or more tangible items retracted by the SSK may be stored in each receiving section. Rotating the SPB between each retraction may prevent tangible items from two consecutive retractions from being stored in a single receiving section. Preventing tangible items from two consecutive retractions from being stored in a single receiving section may allow each tangible item to be associated with transaction information corresponding to a retraction. The SPB may store separators. A separator may be inserted between tangible items received from two consecutive retractions. Separating between tangible items received from two consecutive retractions may allow each tangible item to be associated with transaction information corresponding to a retraction. Transaction information associated with a retraction may be marked on the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Kristy M. Crist, Terrelle Carswell, Eric McConnell, Rahul Puri, Devin D. Rhodes, James D. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 9600810
    Abstract: The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer-implemented methods for managing access of device management systems in license management operations associated with purchase accounts of a bulk licensing system. An example method includes identifying a request for a license management operation associated with a purchase account of a bulk licensing system, wherein the request includes a licensing identity associated with the purchase account; in response to the identifying, determining that the license management operation is to be performed based on the licensing identity; and in response to the determining, performing the license management operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Christopher Smith, Micheal Tyler
  • Patent number: 9600811
    Abstract: A method and system for conducting an online payment transaction through a point of sale device. The method includes receiving input from a user selecting an item for purchase through the point of sale device; calculating a total purchase amount for the item in response to a request from the user to purchase the item; and sending payment authorization for the total purchase amount from the point of sale device to a payment entity, in which the payment authorization is sent to the payment entity via a mobile communication device of the user. The method further includes receiving a result of the payment authorization from the payment entity through the mobile communication device; and completing the payment transaction based on the result of the payment authorization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventor: Michelle Fisher
  • Patent number: 9600812
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for fulfilling purchases is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, a portable communication device having a controller element that receives from an online system a barcode image as an object of acknowledgment of a product purchased from said online system, and presents on a display of the portable communication device said barcode image to complete a purchase fulfillment process by way of at least one among a visual inspection of the barcode image by a merchant employee and processing of said barcode image by a point of sale (POS) device. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventor: Scott White
  • Patent number: 9600813
    Abstract: A point of sale computer system that allows a customer to select and consummate a sale himself. The system may include graphics storage media configured to store two- and three-dimensional graphics data relating to the sale, as well as business rules storage media, configured to store business rules that specify the graphics that should be displayed during the selection and consummation process based on input received from the customer. The technology allows a presentation to be made to the customer that is entertaining and that maintains the attention of the customer throughout the sale selection and consummation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Tillster, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Sidlo, William Kovacs, Philip J. Brock, John O'Keefe, Jonathan Humpherys, Andrew Whiddett, Simon Feltman, Amar Kurani