Bill Preparation Patents (Class 705/34)
  • Patent number: 9851213
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a big data-based method or system for recommending electric vehicle (EV) charging stations with the shortest charge waiting time, which comprises a driving information receiving unit for receiving a charging station search request, and information about estimated discharge time and a current location from an electric vehicle; a charging station information receiving unit for receiving power consumption data from charging stations in real time; a charge waiting time calculation unit for receiving the power consumption data from the charging station information receiving unit, and, in response to a charging station search request, calculating charge waiting time of the charging stations on the basis of their power consumption; and an optimal charging station providing unit for receiving the information about the estimated discharge time and current location from the driving information receiving unit, and receiving the charge waiting time from the charge waiting time calculatio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: I-ON Communications Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Cheol Oh, Kyoung Seok Paik
  • Patent number: 9853759
    Abstract: Systems and methods for accepting payments for goods and services provided by a merchant. In one embodiment a method can be implemented by obtaining digital content; offering said digital content to a wireless telephone user; receiving payment information from said user for purchase of said digital content; processing said payment information so as to confirm payment for said digital content; and then downloading said digital content to said wireless telephone of said wireless telephone user. Optionally, the transaction may be staged by the consumer, or others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: First Data Corporation, The Western Union Company
    Inventors: Peter Rae, Nancy Loomis, Ken Algiene, Keith W. Dively
  • Patent number: 9842355
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and computer-readable media related to biller-initiated electronic billing activation. A biller system associated with a biller may receive entity information associated with an entity requesting to establish a biller account with the biller. The biller system may generate the biller account. The biller system may generate an electronic billing activation request. The biller system may transmit to a service provider system associated with an electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) service provider, the electronic billing activation request and receive a confirmation of processing of the electronic billing activation request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: FISERV, INC.
    Inventor: Todd A. Weiss
  • Patent number: 9829943
    Abstract: A remote monitoring method is provided for a remote monitoring system including a first communicator connected to a server that performs a charging process depending on a state of a power supply of an electrical apparatus and a second communicator connected to the first communicator via a wireless communication network and that monitors the state of the power supply of the electrical apparatus. When the second communicator detects turning-off of the electric power of the electrical apparatus, the second communicator transmits on-information indicating the change in the state to the first communicator via the wireless communication network, and maintains the electrical apparatus in the on-state as long as the wireless communication continues. However, if an occurrence of an interruption of the wireless communication is detected, the second communicator turns off the electric power of the electrical apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yokomizo, Hitomaro Tougou
  • Patent number: 9824375
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing payments. An invoice is generated based on a first invoice detail from a first participant and the generated invoice is displayed to a second participant. The system receives a modification of the first invoice detail from the second participant along with a comment associated with the modification. The first invoice detail, the modification, and the comment are stored to the computer readable memory and a payment between the participants is facilitated based at least in part on the modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TEXTURA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patrick J. Allin, Charles C. Cherry, William H. Eichhorn, John W. Smith
  • Patent number: 9817621
    Abstract: In order to make it possible to recognize the status in which job processing is disabled, by checking a job queue; printer 110 includes print-job obtaining unit 114 that obtains print job from a cloud server, image forming related unit 113 that is involved in image forming according to the print job obtained by print-job obtaining unit 114, and monitoring unit 115 that monitors a status of image forming related unit 113 and notifies the cloud server of status information on the status of image forming related unit 113, as information indicating a status of the print job obtained by print-job obtaining unit 114.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Kengo Ochi, Shota Kosuda
  • Patent number: 9811864
    Abstract: A method for generating a service provider invoice includes obtaining documents from a plurality of sources via a service provider mobile device of a service provider. The documents are generated for customer jobs performed by the service provider at jobsites. Based on a pre-determined criterion, the documents are analyzed to identify a subset of the documents corresponding to a jobsite. The job data is extracted from the subset of the documents, and used to generate the service provider invoice. The job data includes time and material information associated with a customer job of the customer jobs that is performed at the jobsite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Rea Willson
  • Patent number: 9807940
    Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing the collection of a windrowed crop are described. In an exemplary implementation, conditions data is accessed and used to estimate the moisture content of a windrowed crop. The estimated moisture content is used to create an optimal collection prescription for the operation of baling equipment to collect the crop. During the collection of the crop, the moisture content of the crop is measured and compared to the estimated moisture value. The system may then revise the optimal collection prescription based on the measured moisture value. This process can then be repeated until all of the windrowed crop is collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Jerome J. Roell, Terence D. Pickett
  • Patent number: 9785982
    Abstract: Billing data associated with telecom products provided by a variety of vendors is captured, normalized, and processed to calculate true profit margins by invoice, by vendor, by geographic location, by end-customer, by circuit, or combinations of these. A bill may be received from the vendor, and associated with a specific vendor profile. The vendor profile may include a validation routine specific to the vendor. A plurality of telephone numbers associated with an end-customer may be extracted from the bill based on the vendor profile and stored on a storage device. A previous bill from the vendor may be accessed in response to receiving the bill from the vendor. End-customer profitability may be determined for a first time period based on data extracted from the received bill and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: DOCO LABS, LLC
    Inventor: Ghen Saito
  • Patent number: 9773262
    Abstract: An electronic funds transfer bill payment operation of a financial institution receives first information, representing an account restructuring of a biller which uses the bill payment operation, which information is combined with second information, which is formatted differently than the first information, into a uniformly formatted file. The second information includes card update information for recurring payment card payments made with payment cards issued by the financial institution. The uniformly formatted file is transferred to an operator of a payment network of a kind configured to facilitate transactions between multiple issuers and multiple acquirers, and it specifies at least one old account number associated with a biller and at least one new account number associated with the biller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED PURCHASE
    Inventors: Sharon A. Rosano, Bryan-Earl Kerola, Pauline Ow, Darlene M. Lohman
  • Patent number: 9773037
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing user requests for updating data in a CRM system. When a user requests to update data in the CRM system, it is determined if the requested data change involves a DCR-controlled field. If yes, the requested data change may be routed to the MDM system for validation first and the data change may not be used to update the CRM until the validation is successful. If the requested data change does not involve any DCR-controlled field, it may update the CRM immediately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: VEEVA SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Uri Reich, Pengfei Liu, Arno Sosna, Povilas Petkevicius, Edward Gee, David Wright, Jay H Hartley, Sadhana Jain, Abhay Pimprikar
  • Patent number: 9766843
    Abstract: The invention relates to printing and other output of documents using data processors, and particularly to methods, apparatus, and computer programming useful for controlling output processes. In various aspects the invention provides systems, methods, and computer programming useful for minimizing the number of command inputs required from a user to complete printing or other output of multiple documents. In other aspects, the invention provides systems, methods, and computer programming useful for printing documents using content data received from users or other sources, together with previously-provided form data, according to predetermined formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK
    Inventors: Thomas M. Kerigan, Robert Trojan, Jeffrey A. Martin, Christianne Moretti, John Jong Suk Lee
  • Patent number: 9766969
    Abstract: Systems and methods receive manually created event logs that include manually entered data of executed processes, and such systems and methods automatically identify errors in the event logs (based on whether the data violates expected log content). The systems and methods classify the errors, prioritize the event logs into a priority order (based on a previously established error priority ranking), and output the event logs classified into different classifications (and in priority order). The systems and methods receive feedback in order to alter the priority order and the different classifications of the event logs. Further, these systems and methods automatically generate recommendations to correct the errors, using different recommendation processes based on the classifications of the errors. The event logs are output in the different classifications and in the priority order, and the locations of the errors within the event logs are identified by the systems and methods herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Jagadeesh Chandra Bose Rantham Prabhakara
  • Patent number: 9752239
    Abstract: An electrochemical reduction device comprises an electrode unit including an electrolyte membrane, a reduction electrode, and an oxygen evolving electrode; a power control unit that applies a voltage Va between the reduction electrode and the oxygen evolving electrode; a hydrogen gas generation rate measurement unit that measures a hydrogen gas generation rate F1; and a control unit that controls the power control unit so as to gradually increase the Va within a range that satisfies a relationship of F1?F0 and VCA>VHER?acceptable potential difference (APD), when the potential at a reversible hydrogen electrode is VHER, the potential of the reduction electrode is VCA, the acceptable upper limit of the hydrogen gas generation rate is F0, and the APD is a potential difference that defines an upper limit of a potential difference between VCA and VHER.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Kota Miyoshi, Kojiro Nakagawa, Yoshihiro Kobori
  • Patent number: 9734522
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods and devices for creating an electronic invoice file using a baseline electronic purchase order file. The methods and devices can receive data representing an electronic purchase order file, comprising a plurality of fields of information. The methods and devices can also confirm that the received electronic purchase order file, was received from a valid retail trading partner, the format of the received electronic purchase order file is consistent with the format of the baseline electronic purchase order file, and the fields of the received electronic purchase order file are consistent with the fields in the baseline electronic purchase order file, in a single step, by applying a hashing function to the data representing the baseline electronic purchase order file and received electronic purchase order file. The methods and devices can also create an electronic invoice file, using a plurality of fields from the electronic purchase order file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Slocum, Kyle Reed, Ramesh Janjyam, Gregory Voss, Ian Cross
  • Patent number: 9736281
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide various communication techniques for communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory. An accessory protocol that is generic to the mobile computing device can be used for some communication. An application executing at the mobile computing device can communicate with the accessory using an application communication protocol. In some embodiments, the application communication protocol can be different from the accessory communication protocol. In other embodiments the application protocol may only be recognized by the application and the accessory. In some embodiments, messages conforming to an application protocol can be communicated between the application and the accessory by packaging the messages inside a message conforming to the accessory communication protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Paul-Phillip Holden, Lawrence G. Bolton, Nitin Ganatra, Mitchell D. Adler, Emily Clark Schubert, Jesse Lee Dorogusker
  • Patent number: 9736320
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system and method for metering on a prepaid wireless access point the amount of data transferred between a wireless device and the Internet and inhibiting further data transmission when the amount of prepaid data available reaches or drops below a pre-determined threshold. Specifically, the wireless access point includes a metering client to track one of data usage or an amount of prepaid data available. When the metering client indicates that the amount of data available has dropped below a pre-determined threshold, the wireless access point inhibits further data transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Satish Ramprasad
  • Patent number: 9730088
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital broadcasting system for transmitting/receiving a digital broadcasting signal and a method of processing data. In one aspect of the present invention provides a method of processing data, the method including receiving a broadcasting signal in which mobile service data and main service data are multiplexed, demodulating the received broadcasting signal, obtaining an identifier indicating that data frame of the broadcasting signal includes service guide information, decoding and storing the service guide information from the data frame; and outputting a service included in the mobile service data according to the decoded service guide information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jae Hyung Song, In Hwan Choi, Ho Taek Hong, Kook Yeon Kwak, Byoung Gill Kim, Jong Yeul Suh, Jin Pil Kim, Won Gyu Song, Chul Soo Lee, Jin Woo Kim, Hyoung Gon Lee, Joon Hui Lee
  • Patent number: 9727854
    Abstract: A system for identifying and expediting the release of held items, such as checks. Paying banks (having accounts against which the checks are drawn) provide paid item files to the system, and depository banks (where checks have been deposited) provide held item files to the system. If there is a match of a paid item file and held item file (indicating that a held check has been paid by the paying bank), the depository bank is notified that the item has been paid and that the hold may be released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Early Warning Services, LLC
    Inventor: Laura Weinflash
  • Patent number: 9715876
    Abstract: Methods and systems for requesting a transcription of audio data. One method includes displaying a send-for-transcription button within an email-client interface on a computer-controlled display, and automatically sending a selected email message and associated audio data to a transcription server as a request for a transcription of the associated audio data when a user selects the send-for-transcription button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: III HOLDINGS 1, LLC
    Inventor: Paul M. Hager
  • Patent number: 9699180
    Abstract: Providing access to a cloud service includes a system receiving an application request to access a cloud service. In response, the system sends an identity provider (IP) a token request, comprising an application identifier (ID), an operating system (OS) cloud credential associated with login credentials of a user of an OS hosting the application, and a cloud service ID of the cloud service. Based on sending the token request, and on the IP authenticating the user and verifying the application ID is valid, the system receives a token from the IP. The token, which is signed with an IP signature, comprises the cloud service ID, the application ID, and a user assigned ID associated with the cloud service. The system provides the token to the application for submission to a cloud service provider for access, and obtains cloud service access based on the cloud service provider validating the IP signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Allan Edwin Wetter, Adrian Frei, Peter M. Tsang, Yordan Rouskov
  • Patent number: 9684734
    Abstract: A user may access a host server and receive display information within a single browser window. The display information includes at least one lens, wherein each lens controls server side web browsing and allows the user to view a separate web page from the Internet. The host server provides personalized web browsing capability specific to a particular user independent of the browser, device or location of the user. After the user submits a request to view a particular web page, the web page information is retrieved by the host server and transmitted to the user for display within a selected lens. Each lens controls server-side web browsing through independent navigational controls, such as a horizontal and vertical scroll bar, a resize button and the like. One lens may also control the web content displayed in another lens. The host server may reformat entire web pages so that they can be displayed within a lens without the need for scrolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: ZARBAÑA DIGITAL FUND LLC
    Inventor: Hiang-Swee Chiang
  • Patent number: 9680687
    Abstract: An apparatus and mechanism to manage multi-modal real-time or quasi real-time sessions such as voice, video, instant messaging, or web-conferencing across multiple devices through a simple subscription to a session management service. A user can subscribe to the service from many devices (e.g. mobile device, desk phone, personal computer, internet appliance, internet TV, communication terminal, etc.) and through the service seamlessly move sessions back and forth between subscribed devices. In a preferred embodiment, a user utilizes a “virtual slider” in a simple “two touch” procedure to effectuate the movement of a communication session from one device to another device via the service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Unify, Inc.
    Inventors: Doug Chappelle, Johannes Ruetschi, Jeffrey Cripe, Ricardo De Lemos, Qiusheng Jiang, Robert Hofstetter, Hashim Shafique, Keith Glasnapp, Rodrigo Pastro, Jeff McNiece, Dinesh Kapani Gowda, Luiz Cesar Zaniolo, Viraj Puranik, Christian Garbin
  • Patent number: 9647999
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for assigning a level of authentication to an authentication bucket. Embodiments determine a current level of authentication corresponding to a first authentication bucket comprising a plurality of mobile banking functions; collect a set of circumstantial data corresponding with the apparatus; determine a circumstances score based at least in part on the set of circumstantial data; and determine whether the current level of authentication corresponding to the first authentication bucket is appropriate based at least in part on the circumstances score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Grigg, Joseph Neil Johansen, Michael E. Toth, Daniel Lynn Carpenter, Hood Qaim-Maqami, Carrie Anne Hanson, Elizabeth S. Votaw
  • Patent number: 9626449
    Abstract: A system includes storage devices for storing content along with two or more computing devices such as two or more servers. One of the computing devices includes a staging memory that stores content that is received from the storage devices. The computing device also includes a user memory that is assigned to a user and stores content transferred from the staging memory. The user memory is accessible by the user while the staging memory is inaccessible by the user. The system also includes another computing device that has a content manager that initiates transferring of content from the storage devices to the staging memory and transferring content from the staging memory to the user memory for electronic publication of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Brooke Sharp, John S. Baumgarten
  • Patent number: 9621446
    Abstract: Usage data representing resource accesses on a network by client devices in a plurality of households is accessed. Based on the accessed usage data, a set of the households that the usage data indicates are associated with a specified number and type of client devices is determined. A subset of the usage data is extracted, where the subset corresponds to resource accesses by client devices associated with the subset of households. Usage information is determined for the specified number and type of client devices based on the extracted subset of the usage data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: comScore, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Pugh, Hilary Spring, Balakrishnan Vinayak Nair
  • Patent number: 9612785
    Abstract: The invention relates to printing and other output of documents using data processors, and particularly to methods, apparatus, and computer programming useful for controlling output processes. In various aspects the invention provides systems, methods, and computer programming useful for minimizing the number of command inputs required from a user to complete printing or other output of multiple documents. In other aspects, the invention provides systems, methods, and computer programming useful for printing documents using content data received from users or other sources, together with previously-provided form data, according to predetermined formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK
    Inventors: Thomas M. Kerigan, Robert Trojan, Jeffrey A. Martin, Christianne Moretti, John Jong Suk Lee
  • Patent number: 9612786
    Abstract: The invention relates to printing and other output of documents using data processors, and particularly to methods, apparatus, and computer programming useful for controlling output processes. In various aspects the invention provides systems, methods, and computer programming useful for minimizing the number of command inputs required from a user to complete printing or other output of multiple documents. In other aspects, the invention provides systems, methods, and computer programming useful for printing documents using content data received from users or other sources, together with previously-provided form data, according to predetermined formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK
    Inventors: Thomas M. Kerigan, Robert Trojan, Jeffrey A. Martin
  • Patent number: 9602949
    Abstract: A system and method that allows an applicant to select a third party to provide data to populate a plurality of fields of a web-based form, a communication interface that receives a selection of the third party to provide data to populate the plurality of fields of the web-based form and an application server, that transmits a third-party application programming interface (API) call to the at least one selected third party; transmits data indicative of an authentication request associated with the selected third party; and receives a security token in response to a validated authentication request, the security token enabling communication between application server and the third party system via the third party API, wherein the enabled communications is based on a set of permissions, each permission associated with a specific data field in the web-based form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher Wetzel, Dwij Trivedi, Robert Colenso
  • Patent number: 9596145
    Abstract: An event list required by a graphical user interface (GUI) apparatus is notified to a service apparatus. The service apparatus assigns an ID to an event list and responds to the GUI apparatus. In a case where an event occurs in the service apparatus, the service apparatus determines based on an event list from the GUI apparatus whether to perform an event notification. When notifying an event to the service apparatus, the GUI apparatus transmits an ID in place of an event list in a case where the ID exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Ujiie, Jumpei Hato, Mikio Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9595843
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery charging apparatus. The battery charging apparatus includes a charging plug receiving an AC power supplied from an outside, a plurality of charging units individually converting the AC power received through the charging plug into a DC power, a battery storing the DC power output through at least one of the charging units, and a charging control unit comparing a specification of the battery with specifications of the charging units, determining at least one of the charging units to be used for charging of the battery, and controlling the charging of the battery by the at least one charging unit that is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD
    Inventor: Jeong Geun Kim
  • Patent number: 9596228
    Abstract: A method including authenticating one or more service providers that provide one or more services to users, the one or more service providers being authenticated for sending content to the users via a document banking system. The method further includes receiving one or more templates from the one or more service providers. The method furthermore includes receiving content from a service provider corresponding to a service used by a user, the content is received via secure Application Program Interfaces (APIs). The method includes determining whether the service provider is an authenticated service provider and based on the determination, the method includes identifying a template corresponding to the service for which the content is received. Additionally, the method includes overlaying the received content over the identified template and adding the generated document or the updated document to the document bank account of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Anirban Mondal, Kuldeep Yadav, Atul Singh, Koustuv Dasgupta, Nischal Murthy Piratla
  • Patent number: 9588865
    Abstract: A system and method displaying usage histories of applications by devices on a network are provided. The method includes storing usage histories of applications that a first device has executed with a plurality of other devices through a network connection; setting, in the first device, at least one of a first mode and a second mode for displaying at least a part of the usage histories; displaying, if the first device is set in the first mode, usage histories of the executed applications arranged by device, with respect to the plurality of other devices; and displaying, if the first device is set in the second mode, usage histories of the plurality of other devices arranged by application, with respect to the executed applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Changhwan Hwang, Sahnghee Bahn, Sungsoo Hong
  • Patent number: 9566523
    Abstract: A method for testing a new feature of an online gaming application is provided, including: receiving a gaming application request from a user; determining whether to add the user to a live test for a new game feature; if the user is added to the live test, then determining whether to assign the user to a test group or a control group; if the user is assigned to the test group, then, providing a gaming application including the new game feature enabled, evaluating gaming activity and social network activity of the user; if the user is assigned to the control group, then, providing the gaming application without the new game feature enabled, evaluating gaming activity and social network activity of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Ocko, Justin Driemeyer
  • Patent number: 9549306
    Abstract: An Online Charging System (“OCS”) that processes charging on a telecommunications network receives an indication of usage of a telecommunications service by a subscriber. In response to the indication, the OCS determines a configured offering for the service, where the configured offering includes a time period, and a credit and/or debit. The OCS determines if the usage of the service is a first usage within the time period, and when the usage is the first usage, applies the credit and/or debit. The OCS then determines a charge for the usage based on credit and/or debit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Helen N. Wiant, Debdulal Dey, Gireesh Malaksamudra, Richard Beaumont Tasker
  • Patent number: 9535726
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to utilizing reverse dependency injection for managing bootstrapping of applications in web browser and mobile environments. By using reverse dependency injection, embodiments enable a component to declare that it is a “dependency of” another component in a visual analyzer application. This ensures that the dependencies are loaded before the other component is loaded, thereby minimizing delays when a user starts up an application. In some embodiments, information identifying a plugin to be loaded can be received. Embodiments can determine configuration information for the plugin where the configuration information includes both forward and reverse dependencies. Embodiments may generate, based on the configuration information, a data structure that represents the forward and reverse dependencies. Embodiments may analyze the data structure to determine an ordered list of loadings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Bo Jonas Birger Lagerblad, Arun Lakshminarayan Katkere
  • Patent number: 9525559
    Abstract: Disclosed are a charging method and system for Machine-Type Communication (MTC), and a message processing entity. After receiving an MTC service request message or an MTC service requesting Short Message (SM), a message processing entity generates a charging request including MTC service type information, and sends the charging request to an online charging subsystem/offline charging subsystem; and after receiving the charging request, the online charging subsystem/offline charging subsystem performs a charging operation using a charging method corresponding to the MTC service type information, and returns a charging response to the message processing entity. With the disclosure, charging for different MTC services can be implemented, such that charging is performed more accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Qing Liu, Zhijun Li, Baoguo Xie
  • Patent number: 9521370
    Abstract: Systems and/or processes related but not limited to a machine configured to create a physical reality of receiving a level-one encrypted output of a surveillance device; a machine configured to create a physical reality of decrypting at least a part of the level-one encrypted output of the surveillance device with a level-one decryption key that is practicably inaccessible by a level-one encryption entity; and a machine configured to create a physical reality of transmitting a plaintext output of the surveillance device. Other machines/processes are also disclosed/claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Elwha, LLC
    Inventors: Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud
  • Patent number: 9521001
    Abstract: An electronic document signature system preserves the security of an electronic document while tracking a signature process corresponding to the electronic document. In particular, using a client application on a client device, an originating user can protect an electronic document and send the protected electronic document to a tracking server. The tracking server receives only a protected document such that the security the electronic document is preserved. Using a client applications on client devices, one or more participating users can subsequently receive the protected document from the tracking server, access the contents of the electronic document, and sign the electronic document. The tracking server can record events that occur with respect to the protected document to create an event log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Benjamin David Follis, Marc Thomas Kaufman
  • Patent number: 9495216
    Abstract: Optimizing job scheduling in a data processing system includes determining a time factor associated with a report, determining one or more jobs that contribute to the report, and narrowing execution frequency of the one or more jobs based on the time factor of the report. The time factor provides information about timing details for data included in the report. The jobs are executed in a computing environment according to a time schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Frankhauser, Benjamin Halberstadt, Roger K. Hecker
  • Patent number: 9469207
    Abstract: Dynamic wireless charging systems may involve coordinating multiple charging base pads to provide coordinated, continuous power transfers to a moving receiver along the distance in which the dynamic wireless charging system is installed. The layout and design of the charging base pads, the current flow through the charging base pads, and the sequencing of charging base pad activation and current flow implemented may dramatically affect the power transfers and practicality of such dynamic systems. The sequencing and control of these coils may need to be capable of managing the individual coils with minimal infrastructure as well as be capable of distributing the required power from the power grid to these pads efficiently and safely, and may comprise charging base pads, controllers to control the power flow to, activation of, and current flow direction within the base pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Nicholas Athol Keeling, Mickel Bipin Budhia, Chang-Yu Huang, Michael Le Gallais Kissin, Jonathan Beaver
  • Patent number: 9473572
    Abstract: If a first workload is supported by candidate servers with different architectures, a determination is made that a selected workload is the first workload. If the first workload is not supported by candidate servers with the different architectures, a determination is made that the selected workload is a second workload. Components of the candidate servers are determined, and statistics are collected, and component values are determined. If the components impact performance of the selected workload, weights are set for the components to be a percentage impact of the components on the selected workload. If the components do not impact performance, weights are set to be one. Functions of the component values and the weights are calculated. The results of the functions are processed with costs of the candidate servers to yield adjusted costs. The selected workload is moved to the candidate server with a lowest adjusted cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Ryan, Bruce A. Foster
  • Patent number: 9471382
    Abstract: Optimizing job scheduling in a data processing system includes determining a time factor associated with a report, determining one or more jobs that contribute to the report, and narrowing execution frequency of the one or more jobs based on the time factor of the report. The time factor provides information about timing details for data included in the report. The jobs are executed in a computing environment according to a time schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Frankhauser, Benjamin Halberstadt, Roger K. Hecker
  • Patent number: 9470079
    Abstract: A low profile high energy gas fracturing device, comprising a closed steel tube having a uniform wall thickness, except for having thinned areas that are designed to rupture when subjected to pressure greater than a predetermined level. Propellant is packed into the said steel tube sufficient to create high pressure above said predetermined level, when ignited. Finally, an ignition mechanism passes through said tube, to ignite the propellant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: THE GASGUN, INC.
    Inventors: Jaia D. Schmidt, Adam C. Schmidt, Richard A. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9460126
    Abstract: A distributed database management system may comprise a group of partitions that includes a master writeable partition and one or more additional partitions that act as read-only replicas of the master. A rotational mechanism for performing maintenance operations on non-master partitions may be employed to transition a second partition, selected for undergoing maintenance, into a role as the new master following performance of the maintenance operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ross Bevan Engers
  • Patent number: 9450768
    Abstract: A method for subscriber tracing comprises capturing user plane packets in a network apparatus implementing a 3GPP policy and charging enforcement functionality PCEF. Packet-specific metadata is added to a captured user plane packet. The packet-specific metadata may be used for facilitating subscriber-specific troubleshooting of core network elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
    Inventors: Jani Olavi Soderlund, Juha Pekka Hyttinen, Jyrki Olavi Nousiainen, Tapio Antero Kiviharju, Niko Markus Savolainen
  • Patent number: 9438595
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for use with digital data processing systems to control or otherwise limit access to networked resources based, at least in part, on transactional artifacts and/or derived artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Cheng Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas W. Lynch
  • Patent number: 9427660
    Abstract: A system communicates with a device in both a wired mode and a wireless mode, and is able to switch between these two modes without permanent disruption to an ongoing use. The system is configured to receive an indication of a condition that suggests switching from the wireless mode of operation to a wired mode of operation, to display a notification for the device to switch, and to transition from the wireless mode of operation to the wired mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Lum, Wei Guo
  • Patent number: 9418216
    Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for obtaining access to a cloud service. In particular, a user may log into a client device using an operating system (OS) cloud login ID. The user may access cloud services (e.g., a music streaming service, a data storage service, etc.) through applications executing on the client device using merely the OS cloud login ID without providing additional login credentials specific to the cloud services. A client side application may request a token to access a cloud service. The token may be generated by an identity provider based upon the identity provider verifying an application ID identifying the application, a cloud service ID identifying the cloud service and/or OS cloud credentials. In this way, the application may present the token to a cloud service provider for verification to gain access to the cloud service hosted by the cloud service provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Allan Edwin Wetter, Adrian Frei, Peter M. Tsang, Yordan Rouskov
  • Patent number: 9417997
    Abstract: A computer-executable method, system, and computer program product comprising providing a policy based scheduling model comprising modeled instances of objects representing resources, wherein the resources are provisioned within a heterogeneous storage environment, wherein the modeled instances of objects includes a transport zone for mapping a data storage resource within the heterogeneous storage environment to a data storage host, wherein each of the modeled instances of objects includes one or more ports to create I/O paths between the data storage resource and the data storage host, and using the policy based scheduling model to manage the provisioning of the data storage resource in the heterogeneous storage environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Salvatore DeSimone, Edgar J. St. Pierre, Vinodh Ravindran, Frederick A. Crable