Automated Electrical Financial Or Business Practice Or Management Arrangement Patents (Class 705/1.1)
  • Patent number: 10366403
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for distributed forecasting and pricing for a commodity supplied by a provider to a user. In one embodiment, the provider announces a pricing plan, and the provider receives a forecast of an estimated amount of the commodity from the provider that the user will use over a given period of time. The provider provides the user with an actual amount of the commodity over the given period; and the provider charges the user for the actual amount of the commodity provided to the user based on the pricing policy, the actual amount of the commodity provided to the user, and the accuracy of the forecast. In an embodiment, the forecast is received by the provider after the provider announces the pricing plan and before the given period begins. The forecast may be received from the user or from a third-party forecaster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Jia Yuan Yu
  • Patent number: 10360591
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to represent offer rules based on requirements for the detection of predefined types of events, and actions scheduled to be performed in response to the detection of each occurrence of the events. The events are processed independently from each other and are linked via prerequisite conditions to formulate the requirements of an offer campaign. In one embodiment, the requirements for the detection of the events are specified based on predetermined types of events, including a first type for an event specified for interaction with a first user when the first user performs an action as a result of a referral from a second user, and a second type for an event specified for interaction with the second user in response to the first user performing the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Mark Carlson, Joseph Spears, Patrick Stan
  • Patent number: 10354273
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking brand reputation and market share are provided. The system includes one or more devices having a processor and a non-transitory storage medium accessible to the hardware processor. The device is programmed to obtain an awareness index at a plurality of levels at least partially based on the brand data. The device is programmed to obtain a favorability index as a ratio of user numbers based on the brand data. The device is programmed to obtain a branding index by combining the awareness index and the favorability index. The device is programmed to obtain an affinity score for a group of users at least partially based on the brand data and recommend the group of users based on the affinity score to increase the branding index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC
    Inventors: Jing Jin, Pengyuan Wang, Ayman Farahat
  • Patent number: 10354305
    Abstract: A workflow management and online reverse auction system includes a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program. The program causes a computer to execute steps of posting electronic part details for a part to be sourced to an online reverse auction site, and receiving electronic bids including prices for supplying the part to be sourced through the online reverse auction site from a plurality of suppliers. The program also causes the computer to execute steps of selecting a chosen supplier from the plurality of suppliers based on the electronic bids, and providing an option for the chosen supplier to extend an initial supplier agreement duration by accepting an additional supplier agreement term beneficial to a buyer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Kordonowy, Carl Halder Rempert, Corey Calvin Eadie, Michael James Kiesewetter, Stefanie Jo Maloney, Paul Gerard Basler
  • Patent number: 10353925
    Abstract: A document classification device includes a characteristic extraction unit, a clustering unit, and a category update unit. The characteristic extraction unit extracts characteristic information from each of plural document data which are classified in advance into specific categories. The clustering unit classifies the document data with similar appearance frequency of the characteristic information into a same cluster. The category update unit assigns the document data which is classified into the same cluster with a category of different document data which is classified into the same cluster as a category of the document data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keigo Hattori, Hiroshi Masuichi
  • Patent number: 10356195
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for a single broadband portal where all content may be delivered to users of varied electronic devices. An example embodiment (i) provides a user interface for enabling user selection of media contents per varied electronic devices, each varied electronic device having a respective platform, the user interface indicating one or more different possible media contents; (ii) accepts from a user requests for distribution service to any of the varied electronic devices of the user, the requests specifying a user desired media content; (ii) locates the user desired media content from a plurality of storage modules; (iv) transmits the user desired media content to at least one of the varied electronic devices of the user; and (v) tracks the transmission of the user desired media content for billing purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: CUFER ASSET LTD. L.L.C.
    Inventors: Gene S. Fein, Edward Merritt
  • Patent number: 10356052
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable storage medium has instructions executed by a processor to host a proxy identity depot service application program interface to provide communication channels for proxy identity enabled applications operative on client devices. A proxy identity depot has a proxy identity management service, a proxy identity reputation service and a proxy identity transfer service. The proxy identity depot includes proxy identities for a real user, where each proxy identity has its own identity attributes to protect primary identity attributes of the real user and thereby each proxy identity is operative as a personal privacy proxy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Anonyome Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Ashley, Steve Shillingford, John David Mumford, Simon Gee, Greg Clark
  • Patent number: 10346885
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to improve the process of generating promotions. The method includes identifying a promotion structure for approval, the promotion structure defining a promotion to be displayed via a promotion and marketing service and determining whether the promotion structure satisfies automatic approval requirements, the automatic approval requirements including one or more parameters relating to the promotion structure. The method further includes in an instance in which the promotion structure satisfies the automatic approval requirements, automatically approving the promotion structure for display via the promotion and marketing service, and in an instance in which the promotion structure does not satisfy the automatic approval requirements, indicating that the promotion structure cannot be automatically approved. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Shafiq Shariff, Mechie Nkengla, Kavita Kochar, Logan Tyler Jennings, Stephen Wooten, Igor Polevoy
  • Patent number: 10345898
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer system, and a computer program product for automatically presenting enhanced content on a mobile device based on user focus. The present invention may include presenting content on a screen. The present invention may include determining that a user is focused on a specific screen region of the presented content. The present invention may include generating a zoomed view of the presented content based on the specific screen region the user is focused on. The present invention may include presenting the zoomed view on the screen. The present invention may include determining that the user reacted positively to the zoomed view. The present invention may include, in response to determining that the user reacted positively, determining enhanced content based on zoomed content displayed in the zoomed view. The present invention may include presenting the enhanced content on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jim C. Chen, Rafal P. Konik, Ryan L. Rossiter, John M. Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 10346489
    Abstract: Structured information about nodes may be generated and shared using sub-nodes. A node in a social networking system may be associated with sub-nodes that are definable by the node owner, such as menu items for a restaurant or songs in playlists for an artist. Users of the system may interact with the sub-nodes, and the interactions may be presented back on the page to a user, aggregated according to the user's connections in the social networking system (e.g., which songs your friends listened to the most by the artist, which menu items were consumed the most). Users may associate other sub-nodes to the node, such as identifying other menu items served by a restaurant, and the node owner may confirm these associations. Location awareness functionalities may be used to inform a user of highly recommended sub-nodes nearby as indicated by other users of the social networking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno Rahle, Blaise Andrew DiPersia, Rousseau Kazi
  • Patent number: 10339483
    Abstract: The present disclosure envisages a computer implemented system and method for identifying employees who are likely to attrite from an organization with plurality of outputs interrelated to this likelihood, significantly being their cumulative weighted trigger score and their cumulative risk flag. This increases the overall usability and accuracy of the prediction and assessment of the attrition risk analyzer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Limited
    Inventors: Thoppil Antony Varghese, Sriram Joshi, Shrilekha Sampathkumaran
  • Patent number: 10339492
    Abstract: Systems and methods for re-routing parcels being delivered to attended delivery/pickup locations that have no capacity and/or ability to take delivery of the parcels. In various embodiments, in response to determining that the attended delivery/pickup location doesn't have sufficient capacity and/or ability to accept delivery of the parcel, the system is configured to: (1) re-route the parcel to a different location; or (2) hold the parcel for later delivery. In some embodiments, the system is configured to determine an appropriate response to determining that the attended delivery/pickup location cannot accept delivery of the parcel substantially automatically. In other embodiments, the system is configured to provide the parcel recipient with one or more re-routing options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: United Parcel Services of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lievens, Vincent Dethier, Luc Pirenne
  • Patent number: 10341176
    Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provided for a system for provisioning network resources. The system includes a network provisioning abstraction layer having an application interface for receiving network provisioning requests from applications and determine provisioning instructions for fulfilling the requests. Each of the received provisioning instructions is queued in a priority queuing system according to a request priority. The provisioning instructions for the highest priority requests are removed from the front of the queue and sent to a resource interface that relays the requests to the appropriate network resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Charles Uzelac, Darren Behmlander, Michael Dana Chan, Thomas Doyle, Gregory Pendergrast, Kenneth Zaleski, Richard Dean Terpstra, Richard D. Moore, George McFalls
  • Patent number: 10336631
    Abstract: A wastewater treatment method and a wastewater treatment apparatus securely and readily remove selenium, which is considered harmful, by removing not only 0-valent selenium, 4-valent selenium, and 6-valent selenium, but also -2-valent selenium. In the wastewater treatment method and the wastewater treatment apparatus for treating wastewater including selenium, -2-valent selenium included in the wastewater is oxidated by using an oxidant, or -2-valent selenium included in the water is removed by using a remover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Chiyomaru
  • Patent number: 10339725
    Abstract: A road toll system comprises a vehicle-mounted unit having a satellite navigation receiver. A first data processing means determines a route taken based on satellite navigation data provided from the receiver, and the satellite navigation data is associated with a variable identity. A road toll level is derived. A second data processing means receives the road toll level provided by the first data processing means, and the satellite navigation obtains the determined road toll level from the second data processing means using the variable identity. This provides a thin client scenario (the receiver does not implement the map calculations), but with data security corresponding to a thick client solution. Thus, the map matching and trip cost computation steps are delegated by the on-board unit to an external unit, but this delegation is performed anonymously, so that no data sent for external processing compromises the privacy of the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TELIT AUTOMOTIVE SOLUTIONS NV
    Inventors: Frank C. H. Daems, Michael M. P. Peeters
  • Patent number: 10331907
    Abstract: Architecture for centralized photo storage for user profiles with consent and cardkey system integration. A picture picker can connect to a cardkey/security badge photo system to allow users to choose from badge photos. Consent is also captured by the picker to allow user photos to be used in other applications. Other applications can interact with the photo storage using standard web services and APIs for the user profile and user profile change log services. Centralized storage and insured accessibility enable applications to consume from the photo storage. The photo storage can also function as a virtual directory with distributed storage as utilized for geographical deployments. Extensions of the photo storage can include an add-in for a personal information manager application and a management agent for web-based collaboration and document management to copy photos from/to other directory structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory T. Mattox, Jr., Jad N. Honein, Elia M. Karagiannis, Erin L. Stewart, David C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10332212
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system performing a method that includes a processor(s) obtaining a digital document defining insurance parameters for utilization by a user of a portion of computing resources selected from a group of computing resources comprising the shared computing environment. The processor(s) generates, based on the digital document, parameters defining the portion of the computing resources and risk management rules reflecting guaranteed thresholds for utilization and performance of the portion of the computing resources defined in the digital document. The processor(s) configures a controller in the shared computing environment, based on the parameters and the risk management rules and obtains a notification of a failure in the portion of the computing resources in violation of the risk management rules and details of the failure to determine the extent and impact of the failure. The processor(s) automatically generates a claim package and transmits it to the administrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Albee Jhoney, Hariharan Krishna, Anbazhagan Mani, Umasuthan Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 10332121
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for light-based data communication for a personal inventory and product support system are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises using a device associated with a user, including capturing visible light carrying data identifying a product, obtaining the data identifying the product from the captured visible light, configuring the device to receive product support content for the product based on the identifying data, the product support content having been curated from a plurality of content servers on behalf of the user, receiving a notification that curated product support content for the product is available, and presenting the curated product support content to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: PROTOCOMM SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: Harry Bims
  • Patent number: 10325017
    Abstract: A computer-based system and method for intelligent resume search on online repositories is disclosed. The parameters in the resumes and the attributes related to the said parameters are identified and extracted by scanning the resumes sequentially and are stored in an index file. Search queries are constructed based on accepted query parts as input. The index file is indexed to locate the parameters relevant to the search queries. An initial score is assigned to the parameters located which is transformed to new score based on identifying additional domain intelligence in the derived attributes related to the located parameters. Finally, the resumes relevant to the parameters with the transformed score are retrieved and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Rajiv Radheyshyam Srivastava, Girish Keshav Palshikar
  • Patent number: 10319012
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing shopping information for a plurality of contacts of a social network of a user to a computing device corresponding to the user includes receiving a request from the computing device to provide shopping information for one or more contacts of the social network. The shopping information relates to one or more items offered for sale by a retailer indicative of a shopping action performed and explicitly shared by the one or more contacts. The shopping information is obtained based on the request and shopping display data is generated based on the obtained shopping information. The shopping display data is prompted to the computing device. The shopping display data prompts the computing device to display the shopping information in a graphical user interface of the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Valerie Goulart, Lauren Jill Patti
  • Patent number: 10318247
    Abstract: A telematics control system includes: an external server configured to serialize a script with an external protocol buffer and transmit the serialized script to a telematics control units (TCU); a vehicle having sensors and the TCU, the TCU configured to: deserialize the script with a TCU protocol buffer, execute the script via an interpreter preloaded on the TCU, store data from the sensors based on the script.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Basavaraj Tonshal, Jamal Alezzani, John William Schmotzer, Panduranga Chary Kondoju, Harminder Sandhu, Mark Meyer
  • Patent number: 10320734
    Abstract: In some embodiments, social matching includes determining one or more friends of a subscriber, in which the one or more friends of the subscriber are associated with the subscriber based on a social graph; notifying (e.g., pinging) a selected set of the one or more friends of the subscriber for input regarding selected matches for the subscriber, in which matches for the subscriber are generated by a matching engine performed by a processor; and displaying the input received from the selected set of the one or more friends of the subscriber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: eHarmony, Inc.
    Inventors: Arvind Mishra, Jonathan Eppers, Gregory Steiner, Joseph Essas
  • Patent number: 10311109
    Abstract: A system for identification and/or authentication of a user in a travel terminal, the system comprising: a multiuser interactive screen having one or more interaction zones, with which a user can interact; an image generation system for generating information on the interaction zone to provide information to the user with which the user can interact and; an image capture system which generates a captured image of any item in contact with the interaction zone; a recognition system for recognizing one or more features from the captured image to enable identification and/or authentication of the user; a communication system for communicating with the user by means of the image generation means to confirm identification or request additional information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: AMADEUS S.A.S.
    Inventors: Benjamin Bezine, Benjamin Ruffier, Richard Savornin, Ingolf-Tobias Rothe
  • Patent number: 10313285
    Abstract: A system, method, and program for the processing of large amounts of email based on user-configurable criteria in close to real-time. The invention enables filtering of all journaled emails in an organization for the duration of a regulatory proceeding, or for audit purposes, thus greatly reducing the manual effort required to produce a targeted set of emails. The journaling feature copies all unique emails coming through the distributed email server farm to a smaller set of email mailboxes. The filtering application could run as a batch operation on each of those “journaling” mailboxes at periodic intervals or could run interactively. The user-defined filter criteria are applied to the emails filling up the “journaling” mailboxes, and matches are separated from the non-matches for analysis. The invention can be executed on offline data, such as personal message stores or individual compound message files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: OPEN INVENTION NETWORK LLC
    Inventor: Nathan Robert Jones
  • Patent number: 10311529
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, media, and methods of applying machine learning to create a digital request for proposal for use in property construction and improvement. Consumers are enabled by the systems, media, and methods disclosed herein to compose property improvement proposals and generate electronic documentation to assist contractors in evaluating said proposals and providing bids for the completion of the proposed property improvement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: EMPROVE, INC.
    Inventors: James Noel, Shih-Chien Lee, Ervi Susanti Ali Bongso
  • Patent number: 10311512
    Abstract: A system for generating rate and payment information for a customer receives an inquiry type from a customer relating to a loan or mortgage. The system also receives a value specific to the potential loan or mortgage. In combination with a product and policy database and a pricing/fee database, relevant financial products are determined and provided to the customer. The inquiry type can include buying a property, refinancing a mortgage, improving a property, and/or using funds from a property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.
    Inventors: Christina A. Trayers, Stuart Rehfuss, Julie A. Lane, Sue Murphy, Rodney E. O'Neal, Ashwin Pinto
  • Patent number: 10306280
    Abstract: A method, system, mobile device, apparatus and computer program product are provided for accurately determining whether one or more rights objects associated with a mobile device are valid. In particular, a secure time source (e.g., DRM clock or time) may be maintained by the mobile device and used to check the validity of the one or more rights objects. In order to ensure that the secure time source or clock remains accurate, the mobile device may update the secure time source by regularly requesting and receiving the DVB-H network time from a DVB-H network entity. Because the DVB-H network time is secure, accurate and readily accessible, it provides an ideal tool for correcting possible drift in the mobile device's secure time source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.a r.l.
    Inventors: Tero Reinikainen, Henri Hämäläinen, Arto Kiiskinen
  • Patent number: 10304091
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer readable media for providing a point-of-sale system that can be configured to facilitate the sale of products and transmit transaction data to a cloud based system are provided herein. The cloud based system can be maintained by a promotional party and be configured to generate deal offers and/or provide other services based on the transaction data received. In some embodiments, a fee may be charged for some or all of the services offered and/or the transactional data provided to the promotional system may be governed by an agreement between the promotional party and the merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: GROUPON, INC.
    Inventors: Nathaniel Blake Scholl, Yishai Lerner, Francisco Larrain, Joshua Puckett
  • Patent number: 10303803
    Abstract: A system comprising a hardware storage device storing at least one program and a computer-implemented method for matching social data to a user of a networked-based content publisher are provided. Consistent with some embodiments, the method may access social network entries published on one or more social networks. Social network entries that include a reference to content published by a particular content publisher may be identified. A social network profile corresponding to a first social network entry of the identified social network entries may be identified. The method may further include determining that the social network profile corresponds to a particular user of the content publisher based on information embedded in the reference to the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Corinne Elizabeth Sherman
  • Patent number: 10303732
    Abstract: Formulation of queries by providing quick-picks to the user is based, at least in part, on the context in which the query is being formulated. Quick-picks are items that, when selected, add search criteria items to a query that is being formed. The quick picks that are presented to the user are selected based on the context in which the search is being performed. For example, a user may be presented with (a) a search box for entering keywords for a search, and (b) selectable words extracted from or otherwise related to the content currently being displayed on the device that is being used to formulate the search query. When the user selects one of the selectable words, the selected word is inserted into the search box, thereby obviating the need to separately enter each character of the word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: EXCALIBUR IP, LLC
    Inventor: Kirk Lieb
  • Patent number: 10304064
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for facilitating the completion of a questionnaire. A storage medium stores a plurality of questions and associated answers. Similar questions are linked. An interface presents to a user through a computer network a presented question as part of a questionnaire to be completed. The interface also presents to the user answers associated with similar questions linked to the presented question. Upon user selection, an answer to a similar question is stored as an answer to the selected question. The user may modify the answer. The method and system may present additional questions and answers associated with similar questions linked to the additional question. A user may have access to stored questions, add questions, and link similar questions. Answers to questions may be stored before the user completes the questionnaire. The questionnaire may include fields populated with information previously supplied by the user without user selection. The storage medium may be a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: ALTUM, INC.
    Inventor: Dahna Goldstein
  • Patent number: 10296872
    Abstract: A computer system and method for managing access to a resume database. For each skill or experience-related phrase in a resume, the system computes a term of experience based on an experience range associated with a contextual use of the phrase in the resume. The term of experience for a phrase that occurs multiple times in the resume is the summation of the term of experience for each occurrence of the phrase associated with a different contextual use. The system stores each phrase and the term of experience in a parsed resume. The resume database also stores job descriptions that include required phrases and a required term of experience for each required phrase. The job descriptions also store a required level of education or field of specialization, and a required salary range. A recruiter searches the resume database to find matching resumes that satisfy a job description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: JOBDIVA, INC.
    Inventor: Diya B. Obeid
  • Patent number: 10296956
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are technologies for providing recommendations as to particular products and/or services that are customer specific and general, based on customer preference and inquiry. The recommendations are provided as part of an online shopping system. In accordance with one aspect, an item query is received from a customer, and analyzed by a query analyzer to determine if the query is a general item query or a specific item query. A search may be performed for items based on the item query in an items database listing items offered for purchase. If the query is the general item query, customer preference is determined from results of the search. If the query is the specific item query, the items from the results of the search are grouped based on cost performance. The items of the search result are ranked and provided to the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Zhan Shi, Yu Cheng, Gufei Sun, Wen-Syan Li
  • Patent number: 10296970
    Abstract: In an example embodiment, bid specifications for an ecommerce transaction are transmitted from a party requesting bids to a plurality of bidders. Then a modification to the bid specifications is received from a first bidder of the plurality of bidders along with a bid in accordance with the modified bid specifications. The modified bid specifications may then be transmitted to the plurality of bidders other than the first bidder. Bids in accordance with the modified bid specifications are then received from each of the plurality of bidders other than the first bidder. One of the bids may be selected, and the ecommerce transaction may be consummated based on the selected bid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Shilpa Parekh, Gaurav Rekhi, Joe Augenbraun
  • Patent number: 10289719
    Abstract: The present invention is provided with a command acceptance unit (110) to accept a query command (201) to acquire data from a database, the query command including a value designation range to designate a range of a definition value corresponding to the data to be acquired, an acquisition definition storage unit (160) to store acquisition definition information (161) wherein a value definition range is associated with an acquisition method to acquire data from the database, and a command generation unit (120) to judge whether a range that overlaps with the value definition range exists in the value designation range, and when it is judged that the overlapping range exists, to generate a data acquisition command (202) to acquire data corresponding to a definition value included in the overlapping range in an acquisition method corresponding to the value definition range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Tanaka, Mitsunori Kori
  • Patent number: 10289740
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a system. The system comprises an input device, an output device, one or more processing modules, and one or more non-transitory memory storage modules storing computer instructions. The non-transitory memory storage module(s) are configured to run on the processing module(s) and perform acts of: receiving a search query; and responsive to receiving the search query: identifying a restricted group of questions, the questions of the restricted group of questions being relevant to the search query; transforming the restricted group of questions into a first group of questions and a second group of questions, the questions of the restricted group of questions comprising the questions of the first group of questions and the questions of the second group of questions; and communicating to a user the first group of questions and the second group of questions. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SEARCHMETRICS GMBH
    Inventors: Marcus Tober, Stephan Sommer-Schulz, Isabeau Premont-Schwarz
  • Patent number: 10291583
    Abstract: A vehicle communication system boarded on a vehicle, comprises a main processor, a Controller Area Network (CAN) controller, and a bi-directional firewall module. The main processor is configured to send one or more CAN messages to the CAN controller and the CAN controller is configured to forward the CAN messages to a CAN through the bi-directional firewall module. The bi-directional firewall module further includes a vehicle status logger, a CAN message filter and a storage module, and the vehicle status logger is configured to check the vehicle's status by collecting diagnostic parameters from ECUs, the storage module is configured to store a white-list and a black-list, and the CAN message filter is configured to selectively choose one of the white-list and the black-list according to different statuses of the vehicle and apply the one of the white-list and the black-list to the CAN messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: VISUALTHREAT INC.
    Inventor: Wei Yan
  • Patent number: 10282767
    Abstract: A method and system for negotiating improved terms for a product being purchased over the Internet. Once a purchaser has made a decision to buy a specific product over the Internet, the purchaser may use the services of a personal negotiating broker-agent program to beat the best available purchase transaction within a specifiable time window. The personal broker-agent program may detect an issuance of a commitment to purchase over the Internet by a purchaser. The personal broker-agent program may then make an offer to the purchaser the option of waiting a predetermined amount of time while the broker agent searches for improved items. On acceptance of the option by the purchaser, the personal broker-agent program may conduct an auction and/or search the Internet for a better deal and may evaluate the auction and/or search responses to determine the best deal. The personal broker-agent program may then execute the best deal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Morimoto
  • Patent number: 10282392
    Abstract: A document application is used to interact with a document as if the document was an application. Data from the document is automatically/manually selected to be associated with the document application. The document application displays document application pages (DAPs) that are used to interact with the document. One or more DAPs are automatically created using the selected data along with any rules associated with the data. For example, column names from selected data in the document may be used to create data entry/display fields within one or more DAPs and the rules may be used to specify how to interact with the data in the document application. The automatically created default DAPs may be customized by a user. For example, one DAP may be configured to be the starting page for the document application and another DAP may be configured to display a chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Rajat Bhargav, Raghvendra Maloo
  • Patent number: 10275533
    Abstract: Search engine method includes: receiving a user query request input; searching candidate results matching with the query request; determining a semantic relatedness between the query request and each candidate result based on a click-escape model; sorting the candidate results according to the semantic relativity. The click-escape model has an escape dictionary, a non-escape dictionary, or a combination thereof. Sorting candidate results of a search in accordance with a semantic relatedness can enhance the sorting effect of the searched results, avoid searched results which do not match the user's query appearing in the forefront of the searched result list, and guarantee a good user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gaolin Fang
  • Patent number: 10275804
    Abstract: A method of placing advertisements involves sending, from a device, a request for at least one ad position, receiving, in response to the request, ad positioning information specifying an ad position in a stream and a related content position in the stream, determining, by the device, that a related content item is present in the stream, and overriding, by the device, the ad positioning information by placing an advertisement associated with the related content in the related content position within the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Twitter, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabor Cselle, Nassar Stoertz, Tural Badirkhanli, Carl Joseph Blubaugh, Boris Logvinskiy
  • Patent number: 10275791
    Abstract: Systems and methods configure a set of sharing options in an electronic communication to be sent to recipients based on the recipients' sharing preferences. The sharing preferences may be generally applicable to all categories of content or may be specific to one or more specific categories of content. One embodiment involves identifying a category of content, identifying a sharing preference of a particular recipient for sharing that category of content, configuring a set of sharing options based on that sharing preference, and sending the sharing-preference targeted communication with the content to the recipient. The recipient receiving the communication and seeing his or her preferred sharing option available may use that option and share the content of the communication with others enhancing the distribution of the content. The recipient's most preferred sharing option may be more prominently displayed than others to further encourage sharing of the content by the recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignees: Adobe Inc., Neolane SAS
    Inventors: Ashish Duggal, Anmol Dhawan, Sachin Soni, Stéphane Moreau
  • Patent number: 10274951
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a controller that is configured to generate control signals for moving vehicles in a yard or other facility. The vehicle control system is configured to generate the control signals responsive to a determination that a user selection of vehicle movement is possible within the yard or other facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC
    Inventor: David Bell
  • Patent number: 10277619
    Abstract: The invention relates to detecting vulnerabilities in technology infrastructure environments. Data describing vulnerabilities detected in a technological environment of an enterprise is obtained. The vulnerability data is combined with data relating to servers, applications associated with the servers, and business functions associated with the applications, within the technological environment of the enterprise in order to create enriched data. The enriched data is enhanced using one or more of the following processes: deduplicating records in the enriched data; modifying of a severity assigned to vulnerabilities based on one or more enterprise-infrastructure factors; archiving and purging of records included in the enriched data; consolidating IP addresses associated with the vulnerabilities; excepting records in the enriched data for vulnerabilities undergoing active remediation; and validating the enriched data. After the enriched data is enhanced, it may be sorted in accordance with one or more filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
    Inventors: David B. Clark, II, Kevin J. Sullivan, Jane L M Kuberski, Paul J. Melko, Jr., Narayanasamy Balakrishnan, Koen Klaas Kuiken, Travis Ray Lenocker, Zachary J. Eyen, Shad Cummins, Daniel W. David
  • Patent number: 10275741
    Abstract: A computer system and method for managing access to a resume database. For each skill or experience-related phrase in a resume, the system computes a term of experience based on an experience range associated with a contextual use of the phrase in the resume. The term of experience for a phrase that occurs multiple times in the resume is the summation of the term of experience for each occurrence of the phrase associated with a different contextual use. The system stores each phrase and the term of experience in a parsed resume. The resume database also stores job descriptions that include required phrases and a required term of experience for each required phrase. The job descriptions also store a required level of education or field of specialization, and a required salary range. A recruiter searches the resume database to find matching resumes that satisfy a job description.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: JOBDIVA, INC.
    Inventor: Diya Obeid
  • Patent number: 10269011
    Abstract: Configuring a plurality of security isolated wallet containers on a single mobile device includes configuring at least one mobile transaction platform-specific application programming interface for facilitating access to secure mobile transaction platform resources by a wallet container executing on a mobile device; disposing a plurality of distinct wallet containers in a memory of the mobile device, wherein each wallet container interfaces with secure mobile transaction platform resources via the at least one application programming interface; disposing at least one service provider-specific wallet in each of the plurality of distinct wallet containers; and enforcing service-provider specific wallet security by a distinct wallet container accessing a portion of the secure mobile transaction platform resources via the at least one application programming interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: MASTERCARD MOBILE TRANSACTIONS SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Mehul Desai, Satyan G. Pitroda, Nehal Maniar
  • Patent number: 10268773
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for identifying relevant content in a social media website. A social media site is mined for data and that data is stored as a data set. The data set is identified using a computer. A plurality of electronic records of the data set are received, wherein the electronic records are a result of the data mining. A plurality of ontologies is generated based on the electronic records and a subset of the plurality of ontologies is displayed on a user device. A user input is recorded as a user record and the set of ontologies that is displayed is modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ilse M. Breedvelt-Schouten
  • Patent number: 10269158
    Abstract: Systems and methods for presenting augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) representations of digital content entitlements owned by a user are provided. An AR or VR environment is generated in which the AR or VR representations are presented to simulate a physical collection of media. The user is allowed to interact with the AR or VR representations, thereby triggering one or more actions, such as presentation of the corresponding digital content, presentation of additional, related content, presentation of an option to engage in a purchase transaction for related content or products, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Josiah Eatedali, Benjamin F. Havey
  • Patent number: 10268986
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for requirement feasibility scoring based on a data object and a social network website. In one method, one or more computing devices receive, over a network, a data object that is associated with a user and that includes a requirement. The computers obtain information from a social network website. The computers calculate, based on the data object and the information from the social network website, a score that indicates a likelihood of satisfying the requirement. The computers send the score over the network to a computing device of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Prabhakaran Krishnamoorthy, Uday Sankar Sen
  • Patent number: 10264870
    Abstract: A makeup assisting apparatus includes a makeup collector that collects, from each of a plurality of people, an applied makeup information item indicating makeup selected by the person as makeup to be applied in a makeup application, a makeup analyzer that estimates fashionable makeup by analyzing the collected applied makeup information items and determines a selection criterion in such a way that the estimated fashionable makeup is selected, and a makeup presenter that selects makeup based on the determined selection criterion and presents proposed makeup information indicating the selected makeup and cosmetics information of cosmetics required for applying the makeup to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomofumi Yamanashi, Rieko Asai, Aoi Muta, Chie Nishi, Kaori Ajiki