12th week of 2013 patent applcation highlights part 58 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20130073343 | Task Completion Tracking and Management System - A task fulfillment system is provided for facilitating the management and completion of activities by both single and team users. The system uses a social network platform to bring local community members together for the purpose of participating in activities and achieving life goals. Both personal and business users may submit tasks to the system, which are then available for others to view. Interested users select tasks to participate in and the system tracts their progress towards task completion. Users can participate individually or group together in teams to undertake larger projects. Earned points may be used for special promotions, discounts with website advertisers, or discounts on future task activities. The system provides a ranking method based on points earned for task completion. It thus inspires competition amongst community members and instigates participating in a variety of activities. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073344 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF FUNCTION ANALYSIS FOR OPTIMIZING PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE OF A WORKFORCE WITHIN A WORKSPACE - An integrated method for optimizing productivity and performance of a workforce (comprising at least one person) within a workspace, comprises the steps of a) acquiring at least one real time, continuous, data point set relating to said workforce, which includes data points relating to all activities, roles and functions of a person within a selected time frame, such data set being measured down to the level of a second (the “benchmark data point set”); b) measuring and comparing the benchmark data point set against previously compiled data points from within a usefully comparable, like workforces within a like workplaces and timeframes (the “comparable data point set”); and c) utilizing differences and similarities between the benchmark data point set and the comparable data point set to produce simulation models which identify and direct specific improvements to be made to increase the productivity and performance of the workforce. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073345 | VENDOR CONTRIBUTION ASSESSMENT - The disclosure relates to a computer implemented method and component configured to assess the value of goods and services provided by a vendor to a service agency. An embodiment of the method includes the act of storing, in an electronic database, a total-budget value, an amount-paid value, a case-score value, a total-case-score value, a vendor-service-score value, and a total-vendor-services-score value. The embodiment includes selecting a vendor, forming a vendor-score-contribution value, distributing the case value of one or more service items provided by the vendor, and computing the net contribution of the vendor. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073346 | IDENTIFYING COMPANIES MOST CLOSELY RELATED TO A GIVEN COMPANY - Techniques are provided for determining which entities, in a population of entities, is most like a given entity. In the context of companies, the techniques involve constructing a peer network graph based on company-to-company relationship data. Once the graph is constructed, the weights of the edges are determined, and values for the paths are determined based on the edge weights. Peer connection scores are generated for a particular company based on the number and values of the paths between the node that represents the company and the nodes that represent other companies. Based on the peer connection scores between the particular company and other companies, a subset of the other companies are selected as members of a peer group for the company. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073347 | VEHICULAR CITATION MANAGEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM - A method and a system capable of capturing, storing and managing information relating to vehicle citations and/or vehicle violations that occur across one or more jurisdictions, locally, nationally and even internationally. The method and system also being capable of providing timely notification of the citations and/or violations, regardless of the jurisdiction, and regardless whether the owner of the vehicle is at home to receive a citation in the mail. The method and system still further capable of maintaining a complete and comprehensive list of all citations pending and paid, and an efficient and effective means to pay any fines associated with one or more citations in a single transaction. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073348 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS - A method of establishing wireless communications between an interrogator and individual ones of multiple wireless identification devices, the method comprising combining tree search and Aloha methods to establish communications between the interrogator and individual ones of the multiple wireless identification devices without collision. A system comprising an interrogator, and a plurality of wireless identification devices configured to communicate with the interrogator In a wireless fashion, the respective wireless identification devices having a unique identification number, the interrogator being configured to employ tree search and Aloha techniques to determine the unique identification numbers of the different wireless identification devices so as to be able to establish communications between the interrogator identification and individual devices without ones of the multiple wireless collision by multiple wireless identification devices attempting to respond to the interrogator at the same time. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073349 | Method for the Computer Aided Management of Vehicles - An owned vehicle for use is registered at a management unit of a computer system as a rental vehicle. A first interface of the computer system that is accessible through registration, captures persons, approved by the vehicle owner, for a temporary use of the vehicle; a price model, specified by the owner, for the temporary use of the vehicle; and an operating area, defined by the owner. The operating area encompasses one or more demarcated areas, in which the vehicle may be parked by an approved person after the end of the temporary use. When an approved person is operating the vehicle, a data acquisition unit of the computer system receives telematically vehicle trip related data. An accounting unit determines, as a function of the vehicle trip related data and the price model for a predefined time for the respective approved person, an amount to be billed. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073350 | PARKING SPACE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - The present invention relates to a system and method for allowing owners of private parking spots to rent their parking spots for occasional vehicles in real time, wherein the system is able to distinguish between occasional vehicles parked in the parking spot and vehicles belonging to the owner of the parking lot. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073351 | Point-Based Rewards - A computer-implemented method for a points-based rewards program includes identifying, with a computer system, events that are associated with users of a business application; awarding, in response to the occurrence of an event identified by the computer system, points to the user associated with the event, where the points awarded are based on a business importance of the event, the business importance being determined by the computer system; storing the awarded points in a points account for the user; providing options to the user for redeeming the points in return for objects; redeeming, in response to a selected redemption option, one or more selected objects from the objects, and reducing points in the points account by an amount corresponding to the one or more selected objects; and causing the selected one or more objects to be provided to the user. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073352 | DYNAMIC GROUP DISCOUNTING - A system and method for sellers to provide dynamic group discounting to buyers of products and/or services is provided. The system and method allows a seller to determine discount parameters that will be applied to a quantity of goods and/or services to be sold. A purchaser agrees to pay full price for the goods and/or services and may later be provided with a unique discount relative to other purchasers based in part on when the purchaser bought the goods and/or services during the sale period. The system and method may utilize a discount curve to determine the amount of the discount each individual purchaser, or groups of purchasers, will receive. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073353 | Advertising Content Delivery - Programming media and advertising media may be presented in a manner that approximates or equals a target ratio. In one implementation, a total temporal length of one or more programming media segments is accessed after the user has selected the programming media segments. One or more advertising media segments are then selected. The advertising media segments have a total length that is based on the total temporal length of the programming media segments and a target temporal ratio between programming media and advertising media. The client system may present the one or more selected advertising media segments. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073354 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED MASS MEDIA COMMERCE - Systems and methods for implementing point of advertising purchasing include using mass media publications configured for or containing service, product or vendor transmittable signals, such as from radio frequency identification tags. In a preferred arrangement, a consumer perceiving an advertisement of the mass media publication may activate a reader in a portable communications device, such as a smart mobile or cellular phone, to receive information from the radio frequency signal associated with the advertisement to identify a vendor, product or service associated with the radio frequency identification. The smart mobile phone or communications device of the consumer may communicate with a system of a vendor across a network to order a product or product information from a system of the vendor over the network by using the information from the radio frequency identification. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073355 | VENDING MACHINE - The present invention relates to a vending machine, more specifically a vending machine that includes: a money deposit opening, into which a particular currency may be deposited; a money return opening; an input part configured to receive a user input from a user for product selection; a product dispenser opening configured to dispense a product selected by the user; and a product competition module configured to determine a ranking of products in consideration of a sales record of products during a predetermined period, and configured to perform a control to offer a benefit in correspondence to a ranking of the product selected by the user. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073356 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF SPONSORED PUBLISHING - A method and system of sponsored publishing is described. Compensation is provided to participants based on recruitment of merchants and actions by subscribers provided by a publisher. A publisher may determine offers provided via a publication. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073357 | BASELESS TOKEN USER INTERACTION INCENTIVE SYSTEM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS - A system, methods, and apparatus for facilitating a user interaction using baseless tokens are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a campaign is purchased by a campaign ruler from a campaign administrator for a cost that includes a rebate amount allocated to a rebate account. A set of rules for creation is received from the campaign ruler defining interactions with corresponding baseless token awards. A set of rules for destruction is received from the campaign ruler defining interactions such as participation in an auction with corresponding destruction of baseless tokens. Users are awarded baseless tokens which are redeemable only through a right of participation, and baseless tokens are destroyed based on user participation. A prize is delivered to a winning user. A rebate is provided to the campaign ruler for delivery of the prize, from the rebate account, which is maintained independently of baseless token creation and destruction. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073358 | RECOMMENDING PRINT LOCATIONS - Systems, methods, and computer-readable and executable instructions are provided for recommending print locations. Recommending print locations can include receiving recommendation, user, and geographic information for a first mobile print location (MPL) and a second MPL. Recommending print locations can also include indexing the recommendation, user, and geographic information for each of the first MPL and the second MPL as an automatically created uniform resource indicator (URI) on an MPL system. Furthermore, recommending print locations can include ranking the first MPL and the second MPL based on the recommendation, user, and geographic information and presenting a list, via a user interface, of the ranked first MPL and the second MPL. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073359 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RECEIVING AND APPORTIONING FEES IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT - In one embodiment, a method is provided for receiving and apportioning fees in an online environment comprising a plurality of user accounts of an organization. According to a first step, the organization receives a first payment, which includes one portion for hosting the first user account, a second portion for credits that may be used for online activity, and a third portion for first user discounts that may be used to recruit additional users. In a next step, the organization receives a second payment from a second user recruited by the first user. In an additional step, the organization automatically credits the first user's account in an amount equal to the first user discount redeemed by the second user. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073360 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENTING VIDEO CONTENT IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT - In one embodiment, a method is provided for presenting a plurality of video content in an online environment accessible by a plurality of users. According to a first step, the organization accesses a plurality of content from one or more content providers. In a next step, the organization receives a flowchart for navigating a plurality of playback sequences. The flowchart includes media content modules capable of accessing the content and decision modules for selecting a subset of media content modules. In an additional step, the organization presents a graphical representation of the playback sequences. In a further step, the organization uses a content ranking engine for delivering at least a portion of the playback sequences. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073361 | Methods and systems for offering targeted deals to customers and real-time automatic redemption thereof - A coupon on a card method for redeeming a spot on voucher comprises a step of providing a card product issued by a financial institution to a cardholder, and providing an offer, wherein the offer is a coupon. The offer is transmitted from a financial institution server to an electronic device of the cardholder. Cardholder purchase information is received. The cardholder purchase information indicates that the cardholder purchased the offer. A redemption choice is received from the cardholder. The redemption choice is to load the coupon on the cardholder's card product. The cardholder's purchase information is stored in an offer deployment system. A transaction approval request is receive from at least one of a merchant, an acquirer, an association, a bank, and an issuer. The transaction approval request is processed wherein the step of processing comprises at least one of querying the offer deployment system, approving the transaction, and applying the value of the offer. A receipt is issued to the cardholder wherein the receipt indicates the purchase and use of the coupon. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073362 | Method and system for rating and evaluating performing artists - A method and system for rating and evaluating music/songs of one or more performing artists includes playing at least two musical performances/songs of one or more performing artists, requesting a third party to indicate a preference of said musical performances/songs, and compensating a provider for determining the preference of the third party. The method and system also enables rating the music/songs of a performing artists by determining a number of different categories/genres of music, assigning a different indicia to each category/genre, assigning a different indicia to each song uploaded onto a system, requesting a third party to listen to one or more musical performances/songs and to designate a preference, and adjusting the numerical scores for the third party's musical category/genre preference by comparing the indicia designated by the third party user with that of the performing artist. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073363 | CHECKOUT-BASED DISTRIBUTION OF DIGITAL PROMOTIONS - Coupon information is provided electronically in association with receipts for transactions at physical stores and/or online stores. Input is received specifying one or more items for purchase by a customer. Based on the input, a transaction is completed in which the one or more items are purchased. An interface configured to accept input indicating a customer identifier associated with the transaction is provided. When input has been received via the interface, it is determined whether the customer identifier is associated with an electronic address of the customer, such as an email. If the customer identifier is associated with an electronic address, coupon information is provided via the electronic address, the coupon information identifying or linking to one or more coupon offers for which the customer is eligible. The coupon information may be provided in an electronic receipt for the transaction. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073364 | Method of Downloading Contents - Disclosed is a method of downloading contents corresponding to a plurality of icons displayed on a display of a terminal from a content server in the form of a package, and allowing a user to create a content-related chart to upload the created chart to the content server. The method includes: displaying, by a terminal, a plurality of first display icons downloaded from a content server storing icons corresponding to contents; displaying, by the terminal, second display icons, which remain after discarding one or more icons selected from the first display icons or replacing one or more icons selected from the first display icons with other icons; and collectively downloading, by the terminal, a plurality of contents corresponding to the second display icons, which remain after the discarding or the replacing, in the form of a package according to a download command. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073365 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING A PAYMENT USING A WIRELESS DEVICE - Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for performing a payment transaction. A method for performing a payment transaction may include receiving purchase information from a merchant and associating the purchase information with an identifier. The method may also include transmitting the identifier to the merchant and receiving the identifier from a wireless device of a customer. The wireless device may obtain the identifier by receiving a code from a merchant device and by interpreting the code. The method may additionally include associating the identifier with the purchasing information, determining a payment account associated with the customer, transmitting a request to a payment service provider system to provide funds for the payment transaction, and receiving an authorization from the payment service provider system to provide the funds. The method may additionally include transmitting a confirmation of the authorization to the merchant. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073366 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING, UTILIZING PREDICTING, AND IMPLEMENTING ONLINE CONSUMER BROWSING BEHAVIOR, BUYING PATTERNS, SOCIAL NETWORKING COMMUNICATIONS, ADVERTISEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS, FOR ONLINE COUPONS, PRODUCTS, GOODS & SERVICES, AUCTIONS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS USING GEOSPATIAL MAPPING TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - Systems and methods are provided for combined social behavior tracking, online surveillance and web bot software technologies via a mobile device or computer for tracking online consumer behavior and data, cookies, embedded advertisements, predicting online consumer behavior, buying patterns by monitoring online activities, online communications, search inquiries, social networking, social plugins, social applications, advertisements, purchasing, behavior, and buying patterns, consumer address books and contact lists, blogs, chat rooms, friends, acquaintances and strangers, instant messaging, text chat, internet forum, service providers, travel and hospitality, real estate, educational services, ancillary services (as defined herein) and delivery system for behavior targeting and filtering of coupons, mobile services, products, goods and services, advertisements and service providers and related company information on a three dimensional geospatial platform using multi-dimensional and scalable geospatial mapping associated with entities providing and/or members of the service and/or social networking. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073367 | METHOD AND SYSTEM TO MANAGE MULTIPLE PARTY REWARDS USING A SINGLE ACCOUNT AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE - Systems and methods for storing a transaction history with respect to a business entity, and an incentive regarding a business entity, previously offered to an account. A desired transaction involving a holder of the account and the business entity may be generated based on the transaction history and a metric. An incentive may be generated based on an artificial intelligence program (AIP), the transaction history, and the metric. The desired transaction and the incentive may be transmitted for presentation to a holder of the account. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073368 | INCENTIVIZING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - Systems and methods that incentivize physical fitness of a user are discussed herein. In one embodiment, such a system can include a motion component and a control component. The motion component can monitor motion data associated with the user. The control component can provide one or more rewards to the user, wherein the rewards can be based at least in part on the user meeting a target associated with the motion data. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073369 | System and Method For Influencing Consumer Purchasing Of Consumer Packaged Goods - The present invention has been developed in response to problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully resolved by currently available marketing systems and methods, particularly in the area of consumer packaged goods (CPG). Thus, these systems and methods are developed to connect the consumers, retailers, and CPG companies together to entice consumers to buy brands and products of the CPG company brands, while engendering brand loyalty. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073370 | Method and Apparatus for Issuing Municipal Credit Cards for Future Tax Credits and Other Incentives - A system and method for offering tax incentives for credit card usage includes partnering, between a municipality and a credit card issuer, to issue a credit card sponsored by the municipality, wherein the municipality receives a percentage of every transaction charged to the card, tracking, by a reporting and tracking computer, card usage by the users via transactions charged to the card, and offering, from a municipality computer, tax incentives, by the municipality, to users based on card usage. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073371 | Location Aware Deals - In one embodiment, a computer system, in response to a first user's request, creates a location-triggered gift for a second user and for a particular vendor location, determines the second user's location, and transmits information for redeeming the location-triggered gift at the particular vendor location to the second user if the second user is at the particular vendor location. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073372 | INTEGRATED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING ELECTRONIC COUPONS - A networked electronic coupon management system is disclosed for managing electronic coupons. The system includes tightly integrated database, application server, and client components facilitating performing electronic coupon definition, issuance, and redemption operations. The operations include creating electronic coupons, wherein each electronic coupon includes a unique coupon ID, creating customer accounts, wherein each customer account comprises a unique customer ID; creating manufacturer accounts, wherein each manufacturer account comprises a Unique ID; and creating retailer accounts, wherein each retailer account comprises a unique retailer ID; and assigning a unique electronic coupon ID to a unique customer ID. Thereafter the system validates the electronic coupon with a product purchase transaction by a customer associated with the unique customer ID. Furthermore, funds transfers associated with the product purchase transaction are tracked, and historical transactional level data is maintained for all customer, manufacturer and retailer accounts. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073373 | SINGLE TAP TRANSACTIONS USING A POINT-OF-SALE TERMINAL - The invention describes how a consumer can hold their NFC enabled device in proximity to an NFC enabled point-of-sale terminal and with a single “wave” or “tap” to automatically redeem coupons, pay for a purchase using a default payment card or a selected card, view receipts view reward point balances, and receive relevant coupons and other digital artifacts both before and after the purchase. The NFC enabled device includes a secure element with a payment application, payment credentials, and other digital artifacts such as coupons. The secure element can be internal to the mobile device, externally affixed to the mobile device, or inserted into a slot within the body of the mobile device. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073374 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING COMBINED COUPON/GEOSPATIAL MAPPING/ COMPANY-LOCAL & SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS INFORMATION AND SOCIAL NETWORKING (C-GM-C/L&SC/I-SN) - Alternative computer based systems and methods are provided for mobile device, mobile banking, server and/or cloud based internet access to a geospatial website for a multidimensional representation of information and/or scalable versions of web content that comprises social networking and/or socially conscious information and/or activities, digital coupons and discounts, and multi-dimensional and scalable geospatial mapping associated with entities providing and/or members of the coupons and/or social networking. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073375 | NEAR-FIELD COMMUNICATION ENABLED WEARABLE APPAREL GARMENT AND METHOD TO CAPTURE GEOSPATIAL AND SOCIALLY RELEVANT DATA OF A WEARER OF THE WEARABLE APPAREL GARMENT AND/OR A USER OF A READER DEVICE ASSOCIATED THEREWITH - A method includes providing, through a server device, a number of wearable apparel garments to an entity and monitoring readings of near-field communication tags associated with the number of wearable apparel garments procured from the entity through a number of reader devices of a corresponding number of another human mammals. The method also includes transmitting a profile information of the human mammal wearing the wearable apparel garment to the reader device of the another human mammal and/or a geospatial information of the reader device to the server device configured to collect information from the number of reader devices. Further, the method includes obtaining, through the server device and/or another server device, information related to market intelligence based on the transmitted profile information and/or the geospatial information. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073376 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING COMBINATION OF ONLINE COUPONS, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES WITH ADVERTISEMENTS, GEOSPATIAL MAPPING, RELATED COMPANY OR LOCAL INFORMATION, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - Alternative computer based systems and methods are provided for online, server and/or cloud based internet access to online advertisements, auctions, products, services, service providers, media and entertainment, sports, personal & financial network, real estate, service providers and business owners e.g. for business services, healthcare services, specialty financial services, consumer products, specialty retail and media and entertainment, lenders, mortgage companies, social networking, online dating, gaming, retail stores, virtual communities and virtual goods, microloans or microcredit, humanitarian aid and support other worldly causes through charitable donations or sustainable gifts to those in need (collectively “Products & Services” as any product or service or subgroup thereof), in combination with geospatial website for a multidimensional representation of information and/or scalable versions of web content that comprises social networking and/or socially conscious information and/or activities, and social networking, on a three dimensional geospatial platform using multi-dimensional and scalable geospatial mapping associated with entities providing and/or members of the service and/or social networking. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073377 | MOBILE DEVICE SYSTEM AND METHOD PROVIDING 3D GEO-TARGET LOCATION-BASED MOBILE COMMERCE SEARCHING/PURCHASES, DISCOUNTS/COUPONS PRODUCTS, GOODS, AND SERVICES, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - Mobile device based systems and methods are provided for combined delivery system that will allow shoppers to search and pay for their purchases, redeem coupons and earn reward points via the web or a mobile device or portable device to engage in social networking integration & mobile: services, payment, wallet, express checkout, money transfer, social media widgets, keywords, coupons, instant messaging marketing, voting, eCards, short codes, commerce, shopping, push content, geo-mobile, and geo-social services (collectively referred to as “Mobile Services”) with access to advertisements, daily deal coupons and free or discounted printable coupons, products & services, clickable advertisements & mobile advertisements by geo-target location from merchants, business owners, B2B business directory, retailers and major brands around the world, in combination with geospatial website for a multidimensional representation of information and/or scalable versions of web content associated with entities providing and/or members of the service and/or social networking. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073378 | SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN METRICS - A social marketing system may measure the performance of marketing campaigns using the effective click through rates that include impressions that are due to propagation of items through social networks. A social marketing system may track an initial effectiveness in starting a campaign, as well as track the propagation of the campaign information through multiple social networks. The effectiveness of the campaign may be measured using the effective click through rates for various target audiences. The social marketing system may create links to advertising materials and thereby track interactions when users click through the links to interact with the materials. The effectiveness of the social media campaign may be based in part by measuring the actual or estimated number of impressions through social media networks. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073379 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERNET CUSTOMER RETENTION - A method of dynamically optimizing customer retention for a web marketing site is provided. That method includes specifying a permissible defunct threshold, specifying a range of offers to be included in a set of promotions, determining a probability that a customer will become defunct in a predetermined period of time since the last interaction of that customer with the web site, and providing a promotion to a customer if the probability that the customer will become defunct in the predetermined period of time since the last interaction of that customer with the web site is greater than a predetermined threshold. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073380 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEDIA INITIALIZATION VIA DATA SHARING - A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium estimate media performance on advertising space inventory. The method selects at least one media cell that shares one or more common attributes with a target media cell. The method subsequently estimates mean revenue per impression (RPI) of the selected media cell, and then defines an initial estimate of a RPI of the target media cell based on the estimated RPI of the selected cell. The method computes the RPI of the target media cell by combining the initial RPI estimate for the target media cell with performance data associated with the target media cell. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073381 | MANAGED DISTRIBUTION OF BUSINESS PROMOTIONAL OFFERS TO CONSUMERS - A system for managed distribution of business promotional offers, including a business-side interface for enabling each of a plurality of businesses to submit one or more definitions of promotional offers, each definition comprising at least one distribution constraint, and one or more scheduling constraints, a consumer-side interface for enabling each of a plurality of consumers to submit preferences for receiving promotional offers, a scheduler for deriving a schedule for distributing specific promotional offers to specific consumers at specific dates and times, in accordance with the distribution constraints, the scheduling constraints and the consumer preferences, and an event handler for invoking the scheduler in response to submissions by business and by consumers processed respectively by the business-side interface and the consumer-side interface. A method is also described and claimed. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073382 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING WEB CONTENT BASED ON A WEB SEARCH QUERY - Methods and systems for enhancing a web page are described. Consistent with some embodiments, a content enhancement server analyzes receives a user's web search query submitted to a search engine during a web browsing session. Using the received web search query, the content enhancement server performs various algorithmic operations to select text within a web page being presented to a user for conversion to an interactive link, and/or to select content (e.g., an advertisement) to be presented in connection with the presentation of the web page. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073383 | BROADCASTING ADVERTISEMENT, PROMOTION, OR COUPON - An interactive model may be provided for defining an advertisement, a promotion, or a coupon (“commercial message”) and a corresponding audience criteria. A database of audience members may be checked to determine who, among the audience members, satisfy the defined audience criteria and whether the satisfying audience members, collectively, satisfy a particular criteria. If the particular criteria is satisfied, the commercial message may be broadcast. Otherwise, a user may be permitted to redefine the audience criteria. In variations of embodiments: vehicle identifying information may be collected and an association between the vehicle identifying information and an identity of a vehicle owner may be created; vehicle condition information may be collected and stored in a database; demographic information regarding vehicle owners may be collected and stored in a database; and usage patterns may be tracked, trend analysis may be performed and aspects of a commercial message may be refined. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073384 | System and method for forced delivery of advertisement over Internet media streaming - A method and system for forced delivery and reception of multimedia advertisement before or during playback of requested steaming content from a communications system is disclosed. The system includes an application launched from a device, in communication with a host server that provides streaming multimedia contents, which is responsive to user inputs. The host server includes software that can deliver advertisement before or during playback of desired content, as well as receive and verify user response to the ad-related questionnaire after the advertisement was viewed. Upon verification of the desired response from user, the server will play the content. Otherwise, content will not be played. This system and method increases the effectiveness of delivered advertisement, due to mandatory viewing and understanding of the advertised message, thus generating greater revenue. Practical application, in which subsidized or free streaming content is made possible, is also disclosed. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073385 | COMMUNICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ONLINE AND OFFLINE SOCIAL COMMERCE - Computer-implemented methods, systems facilitating the methods, and computer-readable medium storing computer readable code, which, when executed, performs the methods are provided for online to offline social commerce services. The methods may include (1) receiving a request from a content provider to post a content including an advertisement of a item for sale, (2) causing display of the content to a designated group, (3) receiving a request from a user to purchase the item after reviewing the content, (4) receiving payment for the item from the user, and (5) informing the user that the purchase is executed. The content can be a blog message, wherein the designated group includes followers of the content provider's blog, or the content can be a game, wherein the designated group includes players of the game. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073386 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING FINANCIAL INSTITUTION PRODUCT OFFER PROPOSALS - Systems and methods for generating financial institution product offer proposals are provided. Historical information associated with a customer of a first financial institution may be evaluated to identify transaction information including at least one of (i) a set of one or more payments directed to a second financial institution different from the first financial institution or (ii) a set of one or more bills received from the second financial institution. Based at least in part upon an evaluation of the transaction information, a customer candidacy for an offer associated with a first financial institution product may be determined, and an offer proposal for the first financial institution product may be generated. The generated offer proposal or an offer for the first financial institution product may then be transmitted to a recipient. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073387 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL RELATED SOCIAL/GEO/PROMO LINK PROMOTIONAL DATA SETS FOR END USER DISPLAY OF INTERACTIVE AD LINKS, PROMOTIONS AND SALE OF PRODUCTS, GOODS, AND/OR SERVICES INTEGRATED WITH 3D SPATIAL GEOMAPPING, COMPANY AND LOCAL INFORMATION FOR SELECTED WORLDWIDE LOCATIONS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - A technique, method, apparatus, and system to provide educational related, integrated social networking, real time geospatial mapping, geo-target location based technologies including GPS and GIS and multiple points of interest, receiving current location of user's electronic or mobile device and multiple points of interest, cloud-type configuration storing and handling user data across multiple enterprises, generating user behavior data and ad links, promotions (“social/geo/promo”) links on a website for educational related products, goods, and/or services, including educational related social/geo/promo data sets for user customized visual displays showing 3D map presentations with correlated or related broad or alternative categories of social/geo/promo links to be displayed with web page content for view and interaction by an end user. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073388 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING IMPRESSIONS TRACKING AND ANALYSIS, LOCATION INFORMATION, 2D AND 3D MAPPING, MOBILE MAPPING, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND USER BEHAVIOR AND INFORMATION FOR GENERATING MOBILE AND INTERNET POSTED PROMOTIONS OR OFFERS FOR, AND/OR SALES OF, PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES - A method, apparatus, computer readable medium, computer system, network, or system, is provided for using impressions tracking and analysis, location information, 2D and 3D mapping, social media, and user behavior and information for generating mobile and internet posted promotions or offers for, and/or sales of, products and/or services, for example, through an advertising application programming interfaces (APIs) on mobile devices, tablets, or computers, that provides mobile and web based promotions or offers that connect information and user behavior data to a user or related demographic location or user specified or predicted demographic location(s), such as through the use of as social networking, user or demographic profiles, behavior, and/or relationships, for targeted promotions or offers for products and/or services. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073389 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SPORTS AND SPORTING EVENTS RELATED SOCIAL/GEO/PROMO LINK PROMOTIONAL DATA SETS FOR END USER DISPLAY OF INTERACTIVE AD LINKS, PROMOTIONS AND SALE OF PRODUCTS, GOODS, GAMBLING AND/OR SERVICES INTEGRATED WITH 3D SPATIAL GEOMAPPING, COMPANY AND LOCAL INFORMATION FOR SELECTED WORLDWIDE LOCATIONS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - A technique, method, apparatus, and system to provide sports and sporting events related, integrated social networking, real time geospatial mapping, geo-target location based technologies including GPS and GIS and multiple points of interest, receiving current location of user's electronic or mobile device and multiple points of interest, cloud-type configuration storing and handling user data across multiple enterprises, generating user behavior data and ad links, promotions (“social/geo/promo”) links on a website for sports and sporting events related products, goods, gambling, and/or services, including sports related social/geo/promo data sets for user customized visual displays showing 3D map presentations with correlated or related broad or alternative categories of social/geo/promo links to be displayed with web page content for view and interaction by an end user. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073390 | AUTOMATIC, PERSONALIZED ONLINE INFORMATION AND PRODUCT SERVICES - A method for providing automatic, personalized information services to a computer user includes the following steps: transparently monitoring user interactions with data during normal use of the computer; updating user-specific data files including a set of user-related documents; estimating parameters of a learning machine that define a User Model specific to the user, using the user-specific data files; analyzing a document to identify its properties; estimating the probability that the user is interested in the document by applying the document properties to the parameters of the User Model; and providing personalized services based on the estimated probability. Personalized services include personalized searches that return only documents of interest to the user, personalized crawling for maintaining an index of documents of interest to the user; personalized navigation that recommends interesting documents that are hyperlinked to documents currently being viewed; and personalized news, in which a third party server customized its interaction with the user. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073391 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SHARING REVENUE IN AN INTERNET PRINTING SYSTEM - Systems and methods share revenue in an Internet printing system comprising a search engine provider, a host computer, and an advertisement sponsor. A user of the host computer registers with the search engine provider. The user of the host computer conducts a search utilizing the search engine provider and selects an option to print a displayed search result page. The host computer generates print data to print the search result page together with advertisement data, submits the generated print data to the printer, and receives a confirmation from the printer confirming the successful printout of the generated print data, which includes the advertisement data. The host computer notifies the search engine provider of the successful printout. The search engine provider charges the advertisement sponsor for the printing of the advertisement data and credits an account of the registered user a portion of the amount charged to the advertisement sponsor. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073392 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING OFFLINE PURCHASE INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - In some embodiments, a non-transitory processor-readable medium stores code representing instructions to cause a processor to receive, at a time, an indication from a communication device that an item from a vendor-agnostic list has been located. The item having been previously added to a vendor-agnostic list in response to a user of the communication device perceiving an offline advertisement for the item, has been located. The code represents instructions to cause the processor to determine, based on a location indicator associated with the communication device, if the communication device is located within a range of a vendor substantially at the time. The code further represents instructions to cause the processor to store a relationship between an identifier associated with the offline advertisement and an identifier associated with the vendor if the communication device was located within the range of the vendor substantially at the time. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073393 | COMMUNICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM - A communications method and system and more particularly, to systems, methods and apparatuses for universal user-to-user communications. A communication system is described which uses a Universal Identification Number (UIN) that identifies each user on the system, encapsulating data that represent the user him or herself. Such data may include, the user's current physical geolocation on the globe; current status (busy, reachable, not reachable); current active endpoint to reach at and preferred method of reach; and an aggregation of all endpoints at which the user can be reached, and their geolocation. The described method and network system thereby can dynamically introduce, adapt, and communicate services (in essence personalize) to each user based on their current location and status. Thus, a user may communicate with another user efficiently without the need to know all of their endpoints or without the need to have multiple communication attempts on multiple devices. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073394 | HUMAN CURATED TARGETING OF OFFERS - There is disclosed a method, apparatus and server for human curated targeting of offers. The method includes sending the link to the first offer to the first group of mobile devices via short message service using the first user group contact information; and accepting input of second user group contact information for a second group of mobile devices to which to provide the first offer from a mobile device of the first group of mobile devices. The method also includes retaining the first and second user group contact information and the first offer provided to the first and second groups of mobile devices. Finally, the method includes creating a second offer for at least one of the first and second groups of mobile devices based upon the input of the first and second user group contact information. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073395 | ADVERTISEMENT FUNDED TELEPHONE CALLS - A method for rendering a document is disclosed. The method includes identifying a phone number in the document. The sponsorship configuration of the phone number is then determined. A caller account configuration is also determined. The caller account configuration is associated with a user of a device and the device is configured to display the document. The document is amended to format the phone number according to the sponsorship configuration and the caller account configuration. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073396 | ADVERTISEMENT EXCHANGE USING NEURO-RESPONSE DATA - Example methods, systems and machine readable instructions are disclosed for assessing advertising effectiveness based on neurological data. An example method includes determining advertisement slot characteristics for a plurality of advertisement slots. The example advertisement slot characteristics include subject resonance measured by determining a first event related potential from neuro-response data gathered from multiple regions of a brain of a subject, determining a second event related potential from the neuro-response data and calculating a differential measurement of the first event related potential and the second event related potential, the subject resonance based on the differential measurement. The example method also includes matching the plurality of advertisement slots with a plurality of advertisements based on the advertisement slot characteristics. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073397 | THIRD PARTY PAYMENTS IN RECIPROCAL LINK SYSTEM - A method, within a computer hardware system, includes the following. A second functional marketing element and a first website are associated with a first user. A first functional marketing element and a second website are associated with a second user. The first functional marketing element and a web asset authored by a third party separate from the computer hardware system are inserted within the first website. The second functional marketing element is reciprocally inserting within the second website based upon the first functional marketing element being inserted within the first website. The third party is compensated responsive to the web asset being inserted into the first website. The second functional marketing element, within the second website, includes a link to the first website. The first functional marketing element, within the first website, includes a link to the second website. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073398 | Self Service Platform for Building Engagement Advertisements - The system and method for building an engagement advertisement disclosed herein includes enabling an advertiser to choose from multiple design templates and specify phases to create a rich, interactive advertisement. The engagement advertisement can be deployed onto the Internet, where a viewer can take part in an advertising experience based on the engagement advertisement. The advertising experience includes phases, and the viewer may be required to perform at least one action in a phase in order to advance to another phase. A completion to the advertising experience may be signified to the viewer, and in response to the completion to the advertising experience, the viewer may optionally be provided with a remuneration. The engagement advertisement may be used either as a stand-alone engagement advertisement or as part of a campaign, which includes targeting data, start/end dates, and a budget. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073399 | SIDETABS - A system for displaying containers designed for viewing advertisements embedded on a website, wherein the containers can display sorted tabs that emulate the tabs of an address book, the system comprising a client connected via a network to a web page on a Publisher server, a Ad Server connected to the network, a Content Manager server connected to the network, the Content Manager server storing the creative assets and properties, the Ad Server tracking the activity reported by a client using a web browser, and the Content Man-ager server further comprising publishing tools that allow a content Publisher to customize a container according to a variety of parameters and store the parameters of the container in a database | 2013-03-21 |
20130073400 | BROAD AND ALTERNATIVE CATEGORY CLUSTERING OF THE SAME, SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES IN SOCIAL/GEO/PROMO LINK PROMOTIONAL DATA SETS FOR END USER DISPLAY OF INTERACTIVE AD LINKS, PROMOTIONS AND SALE OF PRODUCTS, GOODS AND SERVICES INTEGRATED WITH 3D SPATIAL GEOMAPPING AND SOCIAL NETWORKING - A technique, method, apparatus, and system to provide related and integrated social networking, real time geospatial mapping, geo-target location and multiple points of interest, receiving current location of user's electronic or mobile device and multiple points of interest, cloud-type configuration storing and handling user data across multiple enterprises, generating user behavior data and ad links, promotions (“social/geo/promo”) links on a website for any product, good or service, including social/geo/promo data sets for user customized visual displays showing 3D map presentations with correlated or related broad or alternative categories of social/geo/promo links to be displayed with web page content for view by an end user. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073401 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOADING OF WEB PAGE ASSETS - The present solution is directed to methods and systems for asynchronously loading tag management code and vendor tags on a web page while remaining portions of the web page load. An application executing on a device may receive a web page comprising a configuration object configured to asynchronously load tag management code. The configuration object may load asynchronously, upon execution by the application, the tag management code into memory of the application while the application continues to load a remainder of the web page. The tag management code may request, while the application continues to load the remainder of the web page, one or more vendor tags from a server over a network. The tag management code may receive, while the application continues to load the remainder of the web page, a vendor tag from the server. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073402 | INTERACTION PROMPT FOR INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING - Systems and methods for dynamically sizing, structuring and operating advertisements that include a variety of content, including interaction prompts and other elements, which enable an engagement-based revenue generation model. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing advertising content, serving an XML file from an advertising server to an advertisement manager in order to control a player on a user computer, dynamically generating the advertisement through the player based on directions from the advertisement manager and the stored content, and tracking and reporting a user's engagement with the advertisement in order to determine compensation for the publisher. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073403 | METHOD FOR ACTIVATING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH A PRODUCT VIA A SERVICE CENTER SUPPORTING A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS - A service center receives a request for activating a subscribed service on a first device that has been registered with the service center, where the service center provides services to a plurality of products on behalf of a plurality of product providers. In response to the request, device information about the registered first device is retrieved from an internal database, where the device information was collected when the first device was registered with the service center. Subscription information including credentials of a user who has subscribed the subscribed service is obtained for authentication. The device information and the credentials are transmitted to a service provider that provides the subscribed service to allow the service provider to activate the subscribed service on the first device, without having the user to directly contact the service provider for activating the subscribed service. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073404 | VIRTUAL OPEN LOOP PAYMENT - A user's mobile device is associated with multiple merchant accounts. The merchant accounts may be gift cards, prepaid cards, stored value cards, or the like. Merchant cards may be topped up automatically at the point of sale so that a large number of closed loop merchant cards operate as a virtual open loop network. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073405 | CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A system and method for engaging a customer in an enhanced shopping experience. The customer provides customer information which is stored on a database. An identifying token (e.g. a card) is issued to the customer. This identifying token is detected (e.g. by an RFID sensor) when carried by the customer into a retailer's space. This causes at least a portion of the customer information to be accessible from the database by an automated shopping cart, which has capability to display customized information regarding items for sale located proximate to the cart. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073406 | PORTABLE COMPUTERIZED WIRELESS INFORMATION APPARATUS AND METHODS - A mobile user apparatus and associated methods useful for transferring information wirelessly, such as for instance at points of departure or point-of-sale locations. In one embodiment, the mobile user apparatus is a cellular-enabled mobile device with a GPS receiver and a short-range radio frequency device that enables transfer of information to the device from a wireless-enabled entity such as a kiosk. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073407 | METHOD, REVERSE VENDING MACHINE, DATA PROCESSING UNIT AND COMPUTER PROGRAMME PRODUCT FOR INITIATING A DATA TRANSACTION IN RELATION TO A SELF-SERVICE PURCHASE - A method, a reverse vending machine, a data processing unit and a computer programme product for initiating a data transaction in relation to a self-service purchase, including the splitting of or the making of a supplementary payment to a deposit credit. A first data is generated, which is representative of a first value corresponding to a deposit credit of an amount of packaging items of a user. A purchase transaction is initiated on the basis of a second data, which second data represents a second value of the purchase in question. A third data is generated if the second value is smaller than the first value, and a pay-out transaction is initiated in the form of a credit to be paid out to the user or a further purchase transaction. A fourth data is generated and a supplementary payment is started. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073408 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DATA COLLECTION AND PROVIDING COUPONS AT A POINT OF RETURN - Systems and methods are described for collecting data at a merchant's point of return for use in processing a merchandise return transaction that is being requested by a customer. In various embodiments, the data may be collected using a wide variety of data collection technologies and may be used in conjunction with stored data, including data collected from other merchants, by a return authorization system to make a determination whether to accept or deny the requested merchandise return. The data may additionally or alternatively be used to determine whether to issue a warning to the customer about limitations on future return transactions presented by the customer. Examples of data categories that may be collected include, but are not limited to, information about: the merchant, the customer, the requested transaction, the merchandise being returned, one or more receipts, a clerk processing the transaction, and other general applicable information. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073409 | DYNAMIC AUCTION MONITOR WITH GRAPHIC INTERPRETIVE DATA CHANGE INDICATORS - A method, system, and computer program product for updating an auction monitor display with highlighting or emphasis in the form of graphic data change indicators. The method commences by capturing a first set of auction variables, the auction variables pertaining to an ecommerce auction involving a plurality of auction participants in the ecommerce auction. Then, for ongoing real-time display, the method introduces a delay of a variable duration of time, the variable duration of time based on the length of time before the end of the auction. At various points within each delay period, the method captures a second set of auction variables which are compared to the first set of auction variables to identify a candidate set of changed auction variables for emphasis. The determination of the manner of emphasis is based on the changed auction variable and characteristics of the type of change of the changed auction variable. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073410 | Estimation of Auction Utilization and Price - A level of certainty associated with a hypothetical price of an item to be listed in an online or electronic auction is provided to a user of the auction by receiving at least one descriptive parameter corresponding to an item for potential offering in an auction; using the descriptive parameter to query historical auction results for items relevant to the item for potential offering; analyzing the historical auction results retrieved by the query to determine a likely first price of sale of the item for potential offering, and determining a confidence value for the first price; and conveying the first price and the confidence value to an offeror console. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073411 | Auction Overbidding Vigilance Tool - Vigilance monitoring and a navigation aid are provided to a user in an electronic auction by receiving by a computer a command to watch similar items to a first item in an online or electronic auction; extracting by a computer from the command, from the auction, or from both the command and the auction one or more item descriptive parameters; using by a computer the extracted parameters to query one or more online or electronic sales sources for similar items matching the extracted parameters, the sales sources being electronic sources other than the auction; receiving by a computer at least one price for an available similar item from at least one sales source; and causing prompting by a computer a user of the auction with the similar item price and sales source. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073412 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE FACILITY CLIENT-BASED PRESENTATION OFFER MANAGEMENT - A method, system and computer readable medium for facilitating interactive electronic commerce transactions over an electronic commerce network between a plurality of sellers and a plurality of buyers via an independent service provider. An auction program process associated with a seller is generated by an electronic commerce computer of the independent service provider. A portable code segment associated with the auction program process is generated by the electronic commerce computer. The portable code segment is communicated for insertion into a web page hosted on a website other than the independent service provider's website. A client auction interface associated with the auction program process is displayed when a buyer activates the inserted portable code segment on the hosting website. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073413 | Automated Bidding Patience Tool - Frenzied bidding in an electronic auction is avoided or prevented by receiving by a proxy bidding agent computer one or more counter-bidding control parameters from a bidder console, wherein the counter-bidding control parameters identify an item to watch, counter-bid conditions, and counter-bid patience parameters; during an electronic auction, monitoring one or more conditions of an item in the auction while automatic counter-bidding is performed by the proxy bidding agent; during the monitoring detecting counter-bid conditions being unmet or violated; and responsive to the detecting, preventing counter-bidding by the proxy bidding agent. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073414 | CONSUMPTION ENGINE - One example method for facilitating a sale of a good or a service includes: receiving a selection of a geographic tier, the geographic tier defining a particular geography in which a seller is located; receiving a time period; receiving a bid from the seller for the sale of the good or the service within the time period; matching the bid with consumers whose offers meet requirements of the bid from the seller; when the bid results in maximum consumption of the good or the service, selecting the bid; and transfer money from the consumers to the seller. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073415 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO FACILITATE TRANSACTIONS - Systems and methods to facilitate programmatic access to a network-based commerce facility via a network are described. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request from a third party application via the network at the network based commerce facility. The request performs an action pertaining to electronic commerce and being one of a plurality of requests recognized by the network-based commerce facility. In responsive to the request, the method performs the action pertaining to the electronic commerce and communicates from a result of the action from the network-based commerce facility to the third party application in a programmatically accessible format. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073416 | ONLINE BIDDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - There is described an online bid management system where a consumer may post a receipt for a purchase or an intent to purchase a product or service and receive bids for equivalents to the original product or service from a series of merchants. The system acts as a filter between the consumers and the merchants. The posted receipts are initially filtered for the merchants such that only merchants that offer equivalents to the original product or service are provided with any given posted receipt. Similarly, the bids received by the merchants in response to a given original product or service are also filtered for the consumer such that only offers that are truly a “better offer” are presented to the consumer. The information is therefore processed in both directions, i.e. from the consumer to the merchant and from the merchant to the consumer, and is streamlined for the needs of both the merchants and the consumers. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073417 | Award Case Design Kiosk - A system for producing military decoration racks, including a military related retail space, a storage unit that stores regulation data corresponding with military decoration rack regulations and instruction data. The system additionally includes a kiosk within the military related retail space and in electrical communication with the storage unit, the kiosk including a display unit, an input interface, and a communication unit. The system also includes a processing unit configured to execute the instruction data and a production facility in electronic communication with the kiosk configured to receive rack data from the kiosk and produce a military decoration rack based upon the received rack data. The instruction data includes an input module, an arrangement model, a display module, and a communication module. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073418 | METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING MILITARY DECORATION RACK DESIGNS - A method for communicating military decoration rack designs designed by a user, including the steps of providing a military decoration rack production system in data communication with a computer network, generating a generated decoration rack design in response to user input from the user, and communicating to a social media site the generated decoration rack design. Some examples include displaying a rendering of the generated decoration rack design on the social media site. The military decoration rack production system comprising may include an input interface, a storage unit storing instruction data including an arrangement module configured to generate a decoration rack design, and a processing unit. Some examples may include displaying a design link configured to direct social media participants to the military decoration rack production system. Further examples may include distributing a rendering of the generated decoration rack design to social media participants. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073419 | PLATFORM FOR AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SERVICES - An integrated end-to-end maintenance platform for maintenance of an aircraft comprising a customer interface for selecting a customized service package including modular services of different aircraft maintenance service suppliers by means of a customer terminal having access to said maintenance platform via a communication network. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073420 | System and Method for Interior Design - A method of collaborative interior design between users on a displayed graphical user interface includes for each user, displaying on the graphical user interface a first list of design elements retrieved from a remote third-party data sources and a second list of design elements retrieved from a service provider data source. The method further includes receiving a placement of a design element from one of the design element lists in an interactive view of the graphical user interface by at least one of the users, and displaying an arrangement of design elements placed in the interactive view. The method includes executing on a computing processor an information acquisition routine that determines purchasing information for design elements of the first list placed in the interactive view, and displaying a shopping list populated with at least some of the design elements placed in the interactive view. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073421 | GIFT GIVING USING A CUSTOM CATALOG OF GIFTS - Gift giving is disclosed, including: receiving a characteristic of an intended gift recipient and a gift amount; and generating a custom catalog of gifts that includes gift items selected based at least in part on the characteristic and the gift amount. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073422 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS WITH A LOCATION-BASED SERVICE - A mobile application is provided that provides intelligent recommendations based on the knowledge of where the user has been, and what venues the user would like to visit. Further, such an application may be capable of determining where people in a user's social network have been and what venue locations these related users would like to visit. Also, in another implementation, the application may be capable of determining where people with similar tastes have been, and where they would like to go. Some or all of this information may be used by a mobile application that provides recommendations to a user. For instance, in one implementation, a user having a mobile device such as a cell phone wishes to locate a venue to based on one or more parameters, and some or all of this information may be used to order or rank recommendations within the interface. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073423 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING A UNIVERSAL LIST SYSTEM - In some embodiments, a non-transitory processor-readable medium includes code to cause a processor to receive, via a first communication mode, a first indicator associated with a first user-performed process, and receive, via a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, a second indicator associated with a second user-performed process. The code includes code to cause the processor to identify, using the first indicator a first set of items for the first user-performed process, and identify, using the second indicator, a second set of items for the second user-performed process. The code further includes code to cause the processor to define a vendor-agnostic list to include the first set of items and the second set of items, and send a signal associated with at least a portion of the vendor-agnostic list to a communication device. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073424 | UNIVERSAL USER INTERACTION MODULE FOR WEB TRANSACTIONS WITH USER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS - A universal user interaction module for web transactions with user controlled conditions. A request is received from a user to begin an order. User information is collected from one or more data repositories. The user information is consolidated and a determination is made as to what additional data is required to complete the order. The additional data is requested from the user and is received from the user. The additional data includes one or more user conditions for placing the order. The order is then stored. The order for the product includes the one or more user conditions, and the order is placed only after all of the one or more user conditions have been met. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073425 | Method and Apparatus for Providing a Shopping List Service - A method and apparatus is disclosed that provides an Internet wish list for deferred purchasing. A user clicks on an add to wish list button located on locations, such as, a product page, a banner ad, or search results to add an item to the wish list. A reminder system is used to remind a user to purchase an item at a future time. The shopping list service may be integrated at a high level of integration and a low level of integration. On a low level of integration a proxy platform is used to add functionality to a website. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073426 | METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR FACILITATING A TRANSACTION BETWEEN A CUSTOMER, A MERCHANT AND AN ASSOCIATE - A method and system for facilitating a transaction between at least one user, at least one merchant, at least one associate is provided. The method includes the steps of the associate processing device transferring into the user processing device a first merchant link for a first merchant Web site on a first merchant processing device. The first merchant link is framed with associate information. The user selects the first merchant link. The associate processing device transfers into the user processing device information regarding a first product from the first merchant Web site. The user selects the first product to purchase. The user provides purchase information for purchasing the first product. The user processing device transfers the purchase information to the associate processing device. The associate processing device adds promotional information to the purchase information responsive to the user identification value. The associate processing device transfers the promotional information and the purchase information to the merchant processing device. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073427 | STORE INFORMATION PRESENTATION SYSTEM AND SERVER DEVICE - In a store information presentation system which is connected to perform communication with a plurality of game machines installed in stores, a server and a user terminal which transmits position information to the server, each of the plurality of game machines transmits installation information including a game machine code used to individually identify the game machine and a store code used to individually identify the store to the server, the server manages the game machine code and the store code, specifies the store closest the position represented by the position information received from the user terminal with reference to the game machine list and the store list and transmits store information of specified store to the user terminal, and the user terminal presents a user with the store information received from the server. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073428 | Electric Vehicle Charging Station Adapted for the Delivery of Goods and Services - The present application provides a solar canopy station having a processor. The processor receives requests for delivery of goods or services and transmits the delivery request to a provider along with information regarding the processor location. The provider provides the requested goods or services. The station also is provided with a mechanism to couple the solar canopy to a battery, which may be a vehicle battery such as an electric car or electric scooter. The solar canopy would provide electrical energy either directly to the battery or through a power conditioner and, optionally, a storage facility. The solar canopy, storage facility, or power conditioner may be provided to power equipment associated with providing services such as, for example, power refrigeration units or freezer units to allow delivery of perishable and frozen goods. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073429 | SECURE COMMERCE WITHIN ELECTRONIC BANKING - Users perform in-application purchases when logged in to an electronic financial application. User funds are transferred into an intermediate account at the user's financial institution, and merchants are paid from a guaranteed account at a separate financial institution. Non-real-time settlement is performed between the intermediate account and the guaranteed account. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073430 | GIFT GIVING SYSTEM AND METHOD - Systems, methods, and computer program products capable of facilitating gift giving are disclosed. The social media contacts of a consumer may be identified. Personal information may be stored for the social media contacts. The consumer may enter gift criteria for the social media contacts, and based on the criteria, it may be determined that a social media contact should receive a gift for a particular occasion. A gift may be automatically purchased and sent to the social media contact on behalf of the consumer. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073431 | Product Display For Wireless Load Control Devices - A merchandise display system presents a product for sale to a potential customer and allows the customer to control the product using their personal smart phone. The display system includes an electrical load and a load control device (i.e., the product for sale), which is electrically coupled to the electrical load and is operable to receive a wireless message for control of the electrical load. The display system may also include a scannable tag adapted to be scanned by the smart phone, such that the smart phone downloads a product control application in response to scanning the tag. The load control device controls the electrical load in response to the smart phone executing the product control application. Accordingly, the customer is able to simply download the product control application onto the smart phone, and then control the product by executing the product control application on the smart phone. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073432 | SHOPPING AND/OR PERFORMING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS USING A SMARTPHONE - An authenticated user is enabled to purchase a product or information using a registered mobile device, and including in examples described using only a registered mobile device. A mobile device can be assigned a derived unique identifier associated with the user's phone number. Product identifying information can be received, for example from a product information server, and product information is displayed to the user. An indication may be received from the user that product/information is desired to be purchased, and payment is arranged to be transferred to a vendor associated with the product using credits or other payment methods, including for example pre-purchased credits. For example, payment can be arranged in part by dedicating the user with an authentication server using authentication information, for example a device identifier encoded in or with the mobile device. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073433 | UNIVERSAL USER INTERACTION MODULE FOR WEB TRANSACTIONS WITH USER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS - A universal user interaction module for web transactions with user controlled conditions. Initially a request is received from a user to begin an order. Upon receipt of the request, user information is collected from one or more data repositories. The user information is consolidated and a determination is made as to what additional data is required to complete the order. The additional data is requested from the user and is received from the user. The additional data includes one or more user conditions for placing the order. The order is then stored. The order for the product includes the one or more user conditions, and the order is placed only after all of the one or more user conditions have been met. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073434 | Service Based Certificate - A claim on service or service based certificate (SBC) is a new form of currency. The SBC is non-fiat and not tied to a commodity. Rather, SBCs are valued in relation to a value-added resource that grows with economic advancement or other increases in technology. In exemplary embodiments, the SBC is valued with regard to computing power and, as such, increases, decreases or is otherwise altered in value with advancements in computing power. Over any given period of time, the value of an SBC may increase, decrease or remain steady based on advancements in computing power or changes in related financial or economic conditions. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073435 | PERSONALIZED ITEM TRADING CARD GENERATION AND MANAGEMENT - Methods and systems to generate and manage an item trading card are provided. A method may include providing an interface to access an item trading card associated with an item, and generating the item trading card including an item identifier associated with the item, a trading card identifier associated with the trading card, item data about the item, and market data about the item. The method further includes sharing the item trading card. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073436 | DATA PORTAL FOR CONCURRENT ASSESSMENT - A method of concurrently assessing a closure status for multiple ledgers may comprise accessing a general ledger and a plurality of subledgers including a first subledger and a second subledger, having first and second close periods, respectively. The method may also include translating the second subledger such that the second subledger has the first close period, and determining a closure status for each subledger over the first period. The method may additionally include determining a status for the general ledger indicating a closure status over the first period, and concurrently displaying an indication for each of the plurality of subledgers and the general ledger. The method may further include displaying the status of each of the plurality of subledgers next to the indication for each, and displaying the status of the general ledger next to the indication for the general ledger. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073437 | PREVIEWING PROJECTED BALANCE IMPACTS - A method of previewing projected balance impacts in an Enterprise Financial Accounting System is presented. The method may include receiving journal entries that have not been posted to an accounting ledger; displaying the journal entries in a journal portlet; receiving a selection of a first journal entry with a first amount; determining a first ledger that is associated with the first amount; receiving a start date and a beginning balance of the first ledger on the start date; receiving an activity total including a sum of journal entries posted to the first ledger between the start date and a current date; determining a projected balance representing a combination of the beginning balance, the activity total, and the first amount; and displaying a projected balances portlet together with the journal portlet, that includes the beginning balance, the activity total, the first amount, and the projected balance. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073438 | EFFICIENT DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCES - A method of detecting variances in a plurality of accounts from different organizations within an Enterprise Financial Accounting system includes receiving a selection of a first account with an account type; receiving a selection of a first time interval and a second time interval; determining a first amount that is associated with the first account during the first time interval; determining a second amount that is associated with the first account during the second time interval; receiving a selection of a comparison operator that relates the first amount to the second amount; receiving a selection of a threshold; determining a comparison value by comparing the first amount to the second amount according to the comparison operator; determining that the comparison value violates the threshold according to the comparison operator; and displaying a first indication in a portal comprised of the first amount, the second amount, and the comparison value. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073439 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PATENT VALUATION USING FINANCIAL RATIOS - A technique for valuation of intangible assets is provided. The technique includes determining a present value of all future earnings from an intangible asset based on a current earning and one or more financial ratios. The technique further includes determining a value of the intangible asset based on the present value of all future earnings. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073440 | PAYROLL SYSTEM AND METHOD - A paycheck-centric payroll system and method for generating, accumulating and reporting on payroll information including payroll deductions and payroll tax deposits. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073441 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TRANSACTION RECORD DELIVERY USING THRESHOLDS AND MULTI-STAGE PROTOCOL - The present invention provides systems and methods for conducting electronic transactions in a distributed computing environment. A communications protocol is provided that enables reliable transactional state synchronization for peers participating in a distributed transaction. A transaction processing application is deployed on a local computer system to manage transactions thereon. The local computer system contacts a remote computer system to obtain authorization to execute a transaction. The local computer system initiates a failure-recovery job that is operable to automatically resend status signals and other information to the remote system if the communication with the remote system exhibits certain predefined fault conditions. The remote system is able to dynamically adjust the definition of the predefined fault conditions. If the transaction concludes without triggering the predefined fault conditions, the failure-recovery job is cancelled. The transaction processing application may also allow deferred transactions between remote parties. The transaction processing application maintains a record of the transactions performed by the consumer on the consumer's local system. Upon the occurrence of predefined conditions, transactional records are sent to a remote vendor or clearinghouse. The vendor or clearinghouse can manage the risk it bears by setting the predefined conditions appropriately. | 2013-03-21 |
20130073442 | Trading system - An automated method, computer program product and system for using artificial intelligence based cognitive learning methods to enable the identification and optional implementation of trades for an organization security. The elements of value, components of value and categories of value of the organization are analyzed and modeled using predictive models that are developed by learning from the data associated with said organization. The output from these models is then used to calculate a market sentiment value that is used to determine the types of trades that will be recommended and optionally completed. | 2013-03-21 |