You Re Kidding, Right? Patents, 2008
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“YOU’RE KIDDING, RIGHT?” PATENTS, 2008
January 1, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method of and System for Delivering Combined Enabling a consumer to purchase on the Internet Social Expression Cards and Gift Certificates; US and have delivered a card and, from a list of 7,315,828 B1; January 1, 2008; Class 705/26; 26 merchants, a gift certificate claims; assigned to Hallmark Cards, Incorporated Mortgage Loan and Financial Services Data Using a computerized database to originate a Processing System; 7,315,841 B1; January 1, mortgage loan, collect data on the loan applicant, 2008; Class 705/38; 92 claims; assigned to generate a loan application and disclosure SOURCETEC, Inc. documents, transfer the loan application to a loan broker, and verify compliance with federal and state laws
January 15, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method for Collecting Sales and/or Use Taxes on Collecting sales or use taxes on purchases made Sales that Are Made Via the Internet and/or over the Internet and providing the taxes to the Catalogue; US 7,319,982 B1; January 15, 2008; appropriate jurisdiction. Class 705/31; 16 claims; assigned to Pitney Bowes Inc. Method and Apparatus for Creating and A commodity pool that invests in commodities Administering a Publicly Traded Interest in a and issues exchange-tradable equity interests to Commodity Pool; US 7,319,984 B2; January 15; investors Class 705/35; 14 claims; assigned to Goldman Sachs & Co. Loan Product and System and Method for Sequence of steps in which a borrower obtains a Providing and Monitoring a Loan Product; US loan from an institution and a second institution 7,319,985 B2; January 15, 2008; Class 705/38; 32 monitors, administers, and insures the loan claims Produce Identification and Pricing System for At a checkout counter, identifying and pricing a Checkouts; US 7,319,990 B1; January 15, 2008; product by inputting its image into a computer Class 705/400; 19 claims
January 22, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Dish-Providing Assisting System, Dish-Providing Appears to be a process to enable a provider of Assisting Application Providing System, Dish- food to procure the food through a computerized Providing Assisting Software and Recording network Medium; US 7,321,866 B2; January 22, 2008; Class 705/15; 9 claims; assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd.
January 29, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method of Processing Vehicle Damage Claims; The sequence of steps in reporting a vehicle US 7,324,951 B2; January 29, 2008; Class 704/4; damage claim, getting a damage estimate from a 32 claims representative of the insurance provider, selecting a repair facility, and having the vehicle repaired. The alleged unique steps seem to be that selection of and communication with the repair facility are done by the insurance company rather than the claimant Information Administering System for an Eating A food ordering system for a restaurant whereby House; US 7,324,958 B2; January 29, 2008; a customer places an order through a touch-screen Class 705/15; 12 claims; assigned to Fujifilm terminal at his or her table, and receives the status Corporation of the order from the kitchen; the customer can cancel the order any time before has started
February 5, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Financial Instruments, System, and Exchanges Creating and trading financial instruments based (Financial, Stock, Option and Commodity) Based upon the volatility of underlying assets (formulae Upon Realized Volatility; US 7,328,184 B1; given) February 5, 2008; Class 705/37; 1 claim Client Account and Information Management Organizing briefing packages from client data, System and Method; US 7,328,186 B2; February email messages, and other external data 5, 2008; Class 705/37; 7 claims; assigned to International Business Machines Corporation
February 12, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Multiple Account Single Managing multiple investor accounts by rapidly Security Trading; US 7,330,831 B2; February 12, computing and displaying the potential tax and 2008; Class 705/36T; 41 claims; assigned to gain/loss implications of proposed buy and sell CheckFree Corporation transactions involving a single security; the invention allows users to identify criteria including tax selection liability rules and gain/loss rules for the proposed trades, and generate a trading ("What-If") report identifying the tax lots in each account that would satisfy the selection criteria.
February 19, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System for Creating, Pricing and Managing and Creating, pricing, and selling synthetic credit Electronic Trading and Distribution of Credit products Risk Transfer Products; US 7,333,950 B2; February 19, 2008; Class 705/35; 25 claims Information Management System; US 7,333,956 An information management system tool that, B2; February 19, 2008; Class 705/50; 30 claims; according to predefined rules, extracts certain assigned to Orchestria Limited commercial data from outbound and inbound messages on a computer network
February 26, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Investment Company that Issues a Class of Creation of an investment company with both net Conventional Shares and a Class of Exchange- asset value shares and market value shares, the Traded Shares in the Same Fund; US 7,337, 138 owner of shares of either type having an B2; February 26, 2008; Class 705/36R; 24 undivided interest in the investment company claims; assigned to the Vanguard Group, Inc. Hedging Employee Stock Options; US 7,337,141 Avoiding margin requirements in the writing of B2; February 26, 2008; Class 705/37; 44 claims; call options on a company’s stock by providing assigned to iOptions the broker-dealer holding the account with an exercise notice on employee stock options for the stock on which the call options are written
March 4, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Providing Absorbent Enabling a customer to order personalized facial Paper Products and Packaging Therefor Having tissue, toilet tissue, paper towels, napkins, and Coordinated Consumer-Specified Features; US baby wipes 7,340,417 B2; March 4, 2008; Class 705/26; 14 claims; assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. March 11, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method and System for Converting an Annuity An insurance product in which an annuity fund is Fund to a Life Insurance Policy; US 7,343,333 converting to a life insurance policy at a B2; March 11, 2008; Class 705/35; 1 claim; predetermined date assigned to Bankers Insurance Group, Inc. System and Methods for Trading Emission Establishment of a market system for issuing and Reductions; US 7,343,341 B2; March 11, 2008; trading emission allowances and related financial Class 705/37; 20 claims; assigned to Chicago instruments Climate Exchange, Inc.
March 18, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Improving the Operation A process whereby an insurer sets standards for a of a Business Entity and Monitoring and healthcare facility and monitors compliance with Reporting the Results Thereof; US 7,346,524 B2; those standards; web-enabled software is used in March 18, 2008; Class 705/4; 22 claims the process Method and System for Providing Insurance to Malpractice insurance related to specific medical Consumers Against Unfavorable Outcomes procedures, the insurance being purchased by a Resulting from Services, and Method of Rating patient about to undergo a procedure Risks Associated with the Services; US 7,346,525 B1; March 18, 2008; Class 705/4; 21 claims Methods and Systems for Scheduling Complex Data structures, processes and systems to Work Orders for a Workforce of Mobile Service facilitate scheduling of complex work orders to a Technicians; US 7,346,531 B2; March 18, 2008; mobile workforce; the data structure identifies a Class 705/8; 14 claims; assigned to MDSI set of member sub-orders required for completing Software SRL complex work orders and relates those sub-orders to one another by precedence criteria that establish which sub-orders are dependent on which other sub-orders. The data structure is used in computer processes integrated with workforce management systems to permit such systems to schedule and/or assign individual work orders in a coordinated manner to satisfy the precedence criteria. System and Method for Business Analysis and Generation of a matrix for analysis and planning Planning; US 7,346,538 B2; March 18, 2008; that utilizes trend changes in the Average Selling Class 705/10; 9 claims; assigned to International Price (ASP) of End-User Products (EUP) and the Business Machines Corporation trend changes in the OEM price of specific components used in the EUP to provide quantifiable "fact based" analysis, quantification, planning, and measurable actions for developing profitable business plans and tracking their progress against the business objectives (beaucoup gobbledygook) License Plate Trading System and Method; US Matching sellers and buyers of license plates 7,346,553 B2; March 18, 2008; Class 705/26; 20 (process involves a database of license plates for claims sale) Conditional Fee Ownership Home Financing A method of financing a home purchase in which System and Business Method; US 7,346,567 B2; the buyer obtains purchasing help from a third March 18, 2008; Class 705/35; 34 claims; party, the third party in return receiving the assigned to REIT Contact, LLC possibility of obtaining the property if the buyer does not fulfill all of his obligations Serially Staged, Initial Public Stock Offering A method for offering stock of a privately-held Method; US 7,346,568 B1; March 18, 2008; company in which a first portion of shares of the Class 705/36R; 13 claims stock is offered at a one price and, after a time period that includes a trading interval, a second portion of the shares is offered
March 25, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method and Apparatus for Generating a Coupon; Based on purchase price of a item, determination US RE40,186 E1; March 25, 2008; Class 705/14; of a coupon value and issuance of the coupon 49 claims; assigned to Walker Digital, LLC
April 1, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System for and Method of Risk Minimization and Minimizing investment risk in a venture by Enhanced Returns in an Intellectual Capital acquiring a security interest in an intellectual Based Venture Investment; US 7,353,202 B2; asset that is part of the venture April 1, 2008; Class 705/38; 8 claims
April 8, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Secure Medical Facility Report Preparation and Generating a secure medical report by accessing Delivery; US 7,356,478 B1; April 8, 2008; Class data in a database, transmitting the accessed data 705/2; 36 claims; assigned to GE Medical by a secure means to a separate processing space, System, Inc. and producing the report Device and Method for Accommodating Business A process in which participants in different Process; US 7,356,479 B2; April 8, 2008; Class situations defined in plural epistemological spaces 705/7; 11 claims; assigned to Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. can be easily accommodated (candidate for top ten fuzziness; epistemological spaces?) Method of Data Transformation Via Efficient Efficiently transforming data, particularly where Path Discovery Using a Digraph; US 7,356,480 multiple transformation paths are available and B2; April 8, 2008; Class 705/7; 4 claims; where transformations may be one-to-one, one-to- assigned to International Business Machines many, many-to-one, or many-to-many Corporation (gobbledygook) System and Method for Virtually Matching or Taking a picture of a customer in a trying-on Comparing Previously Worn Clothing with room, and making that picture retrievable on a Currently Worn Clothing; US 7,356,489 B2; screen in another trying-on room, the purpose April 8, 2008; Class 705/26; 13 claims; assigned being to compare clothes to Accenture Global Services GmbH (Switzerland) System and Method for Synchronizing Ledger Synchronizing ledger accounts between a back-up Accounts by Company Group; US 7,356,496 B2; procurement system and a front-end requisition April 8, 2008; Class 705/30; 1 claim; assigned to and catalogue system for an enterprise providing International Business Machines Corporation procurement services and its customer companies Systems, Apparatus and Methods for Establishing Establishing fee and compensation arrangements a Flat Fee Brokerage Account System; US among a financial services firm, a customer, and a 7,356,497 B1; April 8, 2008; Class 705/36; 29 financial advisor claims; assigned to UBS Financial Services, Inc. Automated Trading Exchange System Having A computerized automated trading exchange Integrated Quote Risk Monitoring and Integrated having integrated quote risk monitoring and quote Quote Modification Services; US 7,356,498 B2; modification services April 8, 2008; Class 705/37; 28 claims; assigned to Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated Method for Directing and Executing Certified A computerized trading network in which Trading Interests; US 7,356,500 B1; April 8, participants are able to maintain a degree of 2008; Class 705/37; 58 claims; assigned to confidentiality Pipeline Financial Group, Inc. ASP Business Decision Engine; US 7,356,503 Integrating all components of a credit application B1; April 8, 2008; Class 705/38; 18 claims; process, including access to and manipulation of assigned to Fair Isaac and Company, Inc. credit bureau data, credit scoring, credit decisioning, and matching the correct products, into a single application service provider (ASP) platform which is accessible through a series of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Methods and Apparatus for Evaluating a Credit Reviewing and processing credit applications, Application; US 7,356,506 B2; April 8, 2008; particularly evaluating applications for true name Class 705/39; 39 claims; assigned to General fraud Electric Capital Corporation April 15, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Condition Component Framework for Amending reinsurance contracts through a Reinsurance; US 7,359,863 B1; April 15, 2008; software-based interactive framework Class 705/4; 41 claims; assigned to Computer Sciences Corporation Method of Scheduling Appointments; US Scheduling appointments for a service provider, 7,359,864 B2; April 15, 2008; Class 705/9; 4 such as a car repair facility claims Systems and Methods for Promoting Customer A computer system and databases that keep track Loyalty on the Internet; US 7,359,866 B2; April of visits to merchants’ websites, allocate award 15, 2008; Class 705/14; 14 claims; assigned to points to visitors who are registered, and transmit Maximiles (France) digital registration forms to those that aren’t Computer System, Server, and Method for An integrated computer system for supporting Supporting Cooking, and Computer Program cooking foods, the system providing menu and Generator; US 7,359,867 B2; April 15, 2008; related information to customers and a means for Class 705/15; 6 claims; assigned to Ricoh them to place orders Company, Ltd. (Japan) Method and System for Facilitating Parts Step-by-step interactive computer network Procurement and Production Planning Across an process for managing a supply chain in a multi- Extended Supply Chain; US 7,359,874 B2; April enterprise environment 15, 2008; Class 705/28; 21 claims; assigned to International Business Machines Corporation Method for Structuring an Equity Issue Utilizing Using a holding company and two classes of a Closed Block Business Entity; US 7,359,875 stock, one with conversion features, to structure B1; April 15, 2008; Class 705/36; 42 claims; an equity issue assigned to Goldman Sachs & Co. Odd Lot Processing in Centralized Automated A computerized trading system for trading Market System; US 7,359,877 B2; April 15, securities, with the capability of handling odd lot 2008; Class 705/37; 30 claims; assigned to The orders Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. Trading System and Method for Institutional Trading commodity options and futures related to Athletic and Education Programs; US 7,359,879 an educational institution's non-rival athletic B1; April 15, 2008; Class 705/37; 20 claims program to manage risks associated with producing collegiate athletic programs (say what?) System and Method for Consumer Control Over Providing an interface between a merchant or the Card-Based Transactions; US 7,359,880 B2; merchant's bank and the bank or banks at which a April 15, 2008; Class 705/39; 9 claims consumer has accounts for card-based transactions, the interface serving as an intermediary that is accessible to the consumer so that the consumer may place a variety of controls on card-based transactions April 22, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method of Network Addressing and Complex systems for determining addresses and Translation in a Transportation System; US routing items in networks 7,363,233 B1; April 22, 2008; Class 705/1; 168 claims Internet Based Airline Ticket Purchasing and A step-by-step process for purchasing airline Vacation Planning System and Method; US tickets and vacation packages that purports to be 7,363,242 B2; April 22, 2008; Class 705/5; 16 much more inclusive than existing methods claims; assigned to Emirates (Dubai) Methods, Apparatus, and Program Products for Measuring the audience while protecting against Inferring Service Usage; US 7,363,244 B2; April both inflation and deflation attempts by content 22, 2008; Class 705/11; 35 claims; assigned to distributors Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated System and Method for Enhancing Buyer and facilitating communications between a seller and Seller Interaction During a Group-Buying Sale; buyers, the latter participating together as a US 7,363,246 B1; April 22, 2008; Class 705/26; buying group, during an on-line group-buying 20 claims; assigned to Vulcan Portals, Inc. sale of a product offered by the seller (process includes voting by the buyers on a hypothetical price for the product, and providing the results to the seller) Online Product Ordering Method and System; US Ordering products online by providing customers 7,363,247; April 22, 2008; Class 705/26; 23 with an online worksheet on which they indicate claims; assigned to Tessco Communications the stock number of the product desired and the Incorporated quantity Market Center Based Purchasing System and Purchasing goods and services by distinct entities Method; US 7,363,250 B2; April 22, 2008; Class having a common relationship, the 705/26; 8 claims; assigned to Chrysler LLC communications among buyers and sellers being over an electronic purchasing system Dedicated Portable Computer Sales Presentation Doctoring a portable computer so that it can only System; US 7,363,251 B2; April 22, 2008; Class be used to make a sales presentation, and 705/26; 1 claim prescribing the sales steps that precede and follow the presentation Method, Computer Program Product and System Verifying financial data through a process of for Verifying Financial Data; US 7,363,261 B2; tracking and reporting the reconciliation and April 22, 2008; Class 705/30; 13 claims; assigned approval of the data (process includes a to Regions Asset Company hierarchical list of users responsible for verification) Method and System for Representing For a financial plan, allowing the user to Dependencies in a Financial Plan; US 7,363,263 selectively define variable input information, such B1; April 22, 2008; Class 705/35; 24 claims; as data corresponding to dates and amounts, to be assigned to Microsoft Corporation fixed or dependent on other plan information (in effect, financial plan software that a user can easily alter) Contingency-Based Options and Futures for Allowing a remote user to purchase, over the Contingent Travel Accommodations; US Internet, an option for a ticket and/or 7,363,267 B1; April 22, 2008; Class 705/37; 11 accommodations for a "contingent event," such as claims; assigned to the Ticket Reserve, Inc. an athletic playoff game for which the participants have not yet been determined System and Method for Settling Trades in a Settling trades in a digital merchant exchange that Digital Merchant Exchange; US 7,363,270 B2; includes a buyer, a seller, a transaction agent, a April 22, 2008; Class 705/37; 53 claims; assigned network, and a capital pool by facilitating to ASF Financial Corporation communication and using negotiable instruments and liquidity from the capital pool Trading System and Method for Institutional Trading commodity options and futures related to Athletic and Education Programs; US 7,363,272 an educational institution's non-rival athletic B1; April 22, 2008; Class 705/37; 19 claims (see program to manage risks associated with also US 7,359,879 B1; April 15, 2008) producing collegiate athletic programs (say what?) Debit Purchasing of Stored Value Card for Use Issuing a purchase card through a variety of by and/or Delivery to Others; US, 7,363,273 B2; means and in a variety of circumstances, most April 22, 2008; Class 705/41; 115 claims; basically through the steps of presenting a assigned to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. purchaser with the opportunity to buy the purchase card, determining whether the purchaser has sufficient funds to pay for the purchase card, creating a purchase card account for a recipient designated by the purchaser, and issuing the purchase card (no prior art on this???)
April 29, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Methods and Apparatus for Increasing, Monitor In a variety of arrangements, having medicine ing and/or Rewarding a Party’s Compliance with containers send signals to each other and to a Schedule for Taking Medicines; US 7,366,675 monitoring stations indicating that medicines B1; April 29, 2008; Class 705/2; 34 claims; have been taken according to a prescribed assigned to Walker Digital LLC schedule Facilitating Error Checking of Service Elements; Managing service elements, which are defined US 7,366,678 B2; April 29, 2008; Class 705/7; 1 and represented by a data structure, the managing claim; assigned to International Business including various tasks associated with: creating, Machines Corporation modifying, and deleting service elements; establishing relationships; error checking; and optimization (gobbledygook) System, Method, and Code for Providing Providing promotions to users of communications Promotions in a Network Environment; US networks, such as the Internet, by connecting 7,366,682 B1; April 29, 2008; Class 705/14; 23 promoter systems, a promotion management claims; assigned to E.Piphany, Inc. system, vendors, and users Methods and Apparatuses for Offline Selection of Tracking information and billing advertisers Pay-Per-Call Advertisers; US 7,366,683 B2; about telephone calls resulting from April 29, 2008; Class 705/14; 34 claims; assigned advertisements for groups of advertisers to UTBK, Inc. System for Processing Applications for Enabling customers to order vehicle parts from a Manufacture of Vehicle Parts; US 7,366,688 B2; manufacturer, the process beginning by the April 29, 2008; Class 705/26; 32 claims; assigned generation of an application interface on a to Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, LLC customer’s computer Architecture for Anonymous Trading System; US Trading fungible instruments over an anonymous 7,366,690 B1; April 29, 2008; Class 705/35; 29 computer trading system connecting brokers, each claims; assigned to EBS Group Limited (United of which has an equal status and can match Kingdom) orders, initiate trades, and distribute prices Method and Interface for Presenting Last Traded Displaying trading information on a trading Quantity Information; US 7,366,691 B1; April screen 29, 2008; Class 705/35; 18 claims; assigned to Trading Technologies International Inc. Electronic Bill Presentment with Bill Upon request by a payor, electronically Categorization; US 7,366,697 B2; April 29, 2008; presenting bills by categories Class 705/40; 22 claims; assigned to CheckFree Corporation
May 6, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Providing Additional Based on information given by an insured party to Insurance; US 7,370,000 B2; May 6, 2008; Class a primary insurer, providing the insured party 705/4; 24 claims; assigned to Value-Security, with a secondary insurance policy from a second L.L.C. insurer Personalized Interactive Network Architecture; Allowing for personalized interactivity between US 7,370,004 B1; May 6, 2008; Class 705/14; 31 an Internet web site user and a web site provider claims; assigned to The Chase Manhattan Bank of information/services/goods Automated Semi-Deterministic Trading System; Allowing the trading of financial instruments US 7,370,010 B2; May 6, 2008; Class 705/37; 13 between traders to be done both on a strict input- claims; assigned to OMX Technology AB output basis and on a best-effort basis in which (Sweden) outputs are not necessarily tied strictly to inputs
May 13, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Integrated Customer Assigning talent rating to customer Management; US 7,323,304 B1; May 13, 2008; representatives, determining value of calls, and Class 705/1; 3 claims; assigned to JPMorgan routing calls to appropriate representatives Chase Banks, N.A. Systems and Methods for Tracking Employee Processing and tracking employee requests for Leaves under the FMLA; US 7,373,306 B1; May leave under the Family Medical Leave Act 13, 2008; Class 705/3; 38 claims; assigned to (FMLA) General Electric Capital Corporation Computer System Warranty Upgrade Method Upgrading a computer system warranty at the with Configuration Change Detection Feature; request of the user, communications concerning US 7,373,308 B2; May 13, 2008; Class 705/4; 9 the request being largely carried out by computer, claims; assigned to Dell Products L.P. and the new configuration for which the warranty upgrade is requested being verified by computer System and Method for Calculating and Handling customer transaction requests through Displaying Estimated Wait Times for Transaction customer terminals, operator terminals, and a Request Based on the Skill Required to Process computer system that routes requests based on the Transaction Request; US 7,373,309 B2; May skills required and operators available and that 13, 2008; Class 705/7; 1 claim; assigned to calculates wait times International Business Machines Corporation Method and Apparatus for Facilitating User Facilitating user registration in a network-based Registration in an On-Line Auction Environment; facility by assigning a verification rating based on US 7,373,312; May 13, 2008; Class 705/26; 34 the accuracy of the submitted registration claims; assigned to eBay Inc. information Service for Enabling Users to Share Information Sharing product information through a system of Regarding Products Represented on Web Pages; user computers each of which has a client US 7,373,313 B1; May 13, 2008; Class 705/26; program connected to a data server that provides 22 claims; assigned to Alexa Internet product information including comments of other users of the product Unified Product Purchasing Method; US Permitting a user to use a single shopping website 7,373,314 B2; May 13, 2008; Class 705/26; 13 to search for products, compare product prices, claims; assigned to American Express Travel and order products that are on multiple websites Related Services Company, Inc. Automated Sales Support Method; US 7,373,316 Notifying a salesperson when one of their B2; May 13, 2008; Class 705/26; 1 claim; customers communicates with the salesperson’s assigned to AT&T Corp. employer about a target item that is the salesperson’s responsibility Method and Apparatus for Facilitating Sales of Selling goods through an on-line marketer, the Goods by Independent Parties; US 7,373,317 B1; goods being readily identifiable goods with May 13, 2008; Class 705/27; 31 claims; assigned standard identification codes and the marketer to eBay, Inc. presenting the goods for sale to buyers shopping in the marketer’s website (EBay!) Method and Apparatus for Facilitating Sales of Selling goods through an on-line marketer, the Goods by Independent Parties; US 7,373,319 B2; selling prices being selected from a menu of May 13, 2008; Class 705/27; 20 claims; assigned options for determining sales prices, and in to eBay, Inc. addition for items not listed for sale at the on-line marketer’s website, the marketer having the ability to direct buyers to third party vendors (More EBay!) Mechanism and Business Method for Buying and selling service futures contracts on an Implementing a Service Contract Futures exchange Exchange; US 7,373,320; May 13, 2008; Class 705/35; 62 claims Two-Way Wireless Communication System for Providing assured communication in a two-way Financial Industry Transactions; US 7,373,322; wireless financial exchange data communication May 13, 2008; Class 705/35; 6 claims; assigned system by using an instruction signal with a to Papyrus Technology Corporation sequence number and adjustable hierarchical values (like in “Smokey and the Bandit” when Jerry Reed suggests to Burt Reynolds that, to keep the smokeys from listening, the radio frequency be changed with each transmission?) Method and System for Multi-Enterprise Optimizing, largely by computer and without user Optimization Using Flexible Trade Contracts; US input, supply chain activity in a multi-enterprise 7,373,323 B1; May 13, 2008; Class 705/36R; 30 environment by forecasting demand and claims; assigned to i2 Technologies US, Inc. generating proposed flexible trade contracts, the contracts being responded to by computer- generated counter flexible trade contracts (Sounds to Frip like computers negotiating with themselves) Method and System for Exchange of Financial Through an interactive computerized process, Investment Advice; US 7,373,324 B1; May 13, receiving investment strategies, applying 2008; Class 705/36R; 17 claims; assigned to investor-defined weights, and entering trades Robert C. Osborne Automated Trading for E-Markets; US 7,373,325 Negotiating contracts through software that B1; May 13, 2008; Class 705/37; 18 claims; includes negotiating profiles, means for assigned to Nortel Networks Limited converting qualitative attributes for part of a bid or counter bid into numerical values, means for weighting each part of a bid, and means to arrive at a single numerical value indicating whether or not to accept a bid System and Method for Developing and Using a Enabling a market maker to develop a request for Request for Transaction Framework; US transaction framework, and market participants to 7,373,326 B1; May 13, 2008; Class 705/37; 11 prepare requests for transactions relating to claims; assigned to Sun Microsystems, Inc. resource requirements and to accept responses to the requests (Frip says majorly confusing) Method and Interface for Preserving Last Traded Graphically displaying market information related Quantity Information; US 7,373,327 B1; May 13, to a tradeable object, the information including 2008; Class 705/37; 20 claims; assigned to bid and ask prices and quantities and last traded Trading Technologies International, Inc. price and quantity (Wow! Patenting how data looks on a screen) Method, Software Program, and System for Specifying how a borrower of variable rate debt is Managing Debt; US 7,373,328 B1; May 13, required to manage the debt (Frip could use this 2008; Class 705/39; 3 claims; assigned to with the Little Woman) Goldman Sachs & Co. May 20, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Apparatus and Method for Providing Providing, interactively, compensation Compensation Information; US 7,376,569 B2; information over a communication network, the May 20, 2008; Class 705/1; 24 claims; assigned information including comparisons and links to to Salary.com job opportunities System and Method for Customer Satisfaction Receiving and storing customer indications of Survey and Analysis for Off-Site Customer satisfaction with a telephonic communication, the Service; US 7,376,570 B2; May 20, 2008; Class indications being push-tones during the 705/1; 9 claims; assigned to Fujitsu Limited communication and a customer satisfaction at the (Japan) end Return Centers with Rules-Based Dispositioning Enabling consumers to return merchandise by of Merchandise; US 7,376,572 B2; May 20, having a local return agent go to a consumer’s 2008; Class 705/1; 22 claims; assigned to location to retrieve the merchandise, the agent Newgistics, Inc. applying return rules of the merchant associated with the merchandise System for Managing Process and Man-Hour; US Organizing work by selecting a standard, 7,376,577 B1; May 20, 2008; Class 705/9; 11 selecting a management method, breaking down claims; assigned to Mitsubishi Automotive Engin. the work into component activities; and Co., Ltd. (Japan) monitoring performance (formulae given) Method and Apparatus for Providing a Benefit Allowing a customer to purchase or otherwise During a Transaction for Use During a Later receive a benefit during a first transaction that Transaction; US 7,376,580 B1; May 20, 2008; will be redeemed by the customer or provided to Class 705/14; 18 claims; assigned to Walker the customer at a later time or during a future Digital, LLC transaction Interactive Internet Shopping and Data Interactively shopping for groceries, especially on Integration Method and System; US 7,376,591 an Internet website, where the user may create a B2; May 20, 2008; Class 705/26; 23 claims shopping list, shop as a selected store, and arrange for delivery of the items Automated Sales Support Method; US 7,376,597 Alerting salespersons of consumer interactions B2; May 20, 2008; Class 705/26; 1 claim; with an employer of the salespersons assigned to AT&T Corp. Method for Investing Yield Restricted Monies; Investing at least a portion of yield restricted US 7,376,604 B1; May 20, 2008; Class 705/35; 3 monies from bond proceeds in a tax-exempt claims; assigned to Goldman Sachs & Co. inverse-floater financial instrument so that the aggregate yield is greater than would otherwise be permitted Electronic Market Calendar for Displaying On an electronic calendar, displaying settlement Standard Settlement Dates, Future Market- dates, holidays, and market-related events Related Events and Holidays Pertaining to A pertaining to a financial transaction Financial Transaction; US 7,376,605 B2; May 20, 2008; Class 705/35; 29 claims; assigned to FX Alliance, LLC Method and Apparatus for Fully Insuring Large Ensuring that funds subject to deposit insurance Bank Deposits; US 7,376,606 B2; May 20, 2008; limits are divided among banks so that the limits Class 705/35; 14 claims; assigned to Promontory are not violated and the funds are fully insured Interfinancial Network, LLC Systems and Methods for Issuing and Issuing a bond with an option to extend an initial Maintaining a Bond; US 7,376,607 B2; May 20, mandatory tender date, and extending the date 2008; Class 705/35; 13 claims; assigned to upon notification by the investor (Frip: Duh) Goldman Sachs & Co. Method and System for Providing Retirement Administering an annuity product having a Income Benefits; US 7,376,608 B1; May 20, withdrawal feature and a guarantee, the guarantee 2008; Class 705/36R; 19 claims; assigned to being that even if the account value is exhausted Lincoln National Life Insurance Company before the end of a specified time period amounts up to the maximum withdrawal will continue to be paid Maximization of a Hedged Investment Budget for Creating an index-linked life insurance product an Index-Linked Insurance Product; US having a term, an annual guarantee, and a hedged 7,376,609 B2; May 20, 2008; Class 705/36R; 55 investment portion (Frip: and you wonder why claims; assigned to Aviva USA Corporation the financial system is unraveling) Demand Aggregation and Distribution System; Aggregating demands for an item from different US 7,376,611 B1; May 20, 2008; Class 705/37; users, querying suppliers and receiving responses 21 claims; assigned to Sabre, Inc. without providing suppliers with user information, and notifying users of the responses System and Method for Conducting an Electronic Enabling depositors to anonymously seek bids for Financial Asset Deposit Auction over Computer their deposits, the bids being made by financial Network; US 7,376,612 B1; May 20, 2008; Class institutions 705/37; 20 claims Clearing System for an Electronic-Based Market; Clearing transactions on an electronic exchange, US 7,376,614 B1; May 20, 2008; Class 705/37; the process including a determination of whether 23 claims; assigned to The Clearing Corporation a cash based margin protocol or an asset based margin protocol is applicable Personal Coaching System for Clients with Interactively coaching clients over the Internet in Ongoing Concerns such as Weight Loss; US weight loss and physical fitness 7,376,700; May 20, 2008; Class 709/204; 32 claims; assigned to Wellcoaches Corporation
May 27, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Incident Reporting System and Method; US Reporting by witnesses of incidents, the reporting 7,379,879 B1; May 27, 2008; Class 705/1; 20 being on a computer system that attempts to claims locate other witnesses and that determines the jurisdictions to which the incident reports should be sent (Frip: Meet my new neighborhood cop, the computer) Architecture Designing Method and System for Designing an e-business solution by: describing E-Business Solutions; US 7,379,882 B2; May 27, the business; developing a pictorial 2008; Class 705/1; 9 claims; assigned to representation; and establishing business patterns, International Business Machines Corporation integration patterns, composite patterns, and application patterns (Frip: As with most IBM business methods patents, say what?) Cellular Telephone Interactive Wagering System; Interactively waging on races with a cellular US 7,379,886 B1; May 27, 2008; Class 705/5; 71 phone (Frip: Isn’t this just an update of The Sting claims; assigned to ODS Properties, Inc. with Paul Newman?) Integrated Decision Support System for Rapidly generating multiple alternative pilot Optimizing the Training and Transition of Airline training and transition plans, the plans including a Pilots; US 7,379,887 B2; May 27, 2008; Class recall of furloughed pilots for an entire airline 705/7; 20 claims; assigned to Accenture Global (process involves a MIP (mixed integer Services GmbH (Switzerland) programming) Model and a multi-term formula with lots of double summation signs; Frip: So what do the Swiss know about the fragility of our airlines that we don’t?) ATM Customer Marketing System; US 7,379,893 Delivering advertisements to users of ATMs B1; May 27, 2008; Class 705/16; 36 claims; (Frip: Now that’s something society needs!) assigned to Diebold, Incorporated Method for Acquiring and Processing Data of Processing data concerning a business transaction Business Transactions; US 7,379,906 B2; May and posting information to accounts (Frip: Sounds 27, 2008; Class 705/30; 27 claims complex but isn’t this just Accounting 101?) Populating Cells of an Electronic Financial Populating row and column cells of an electronic Statement; US 7,379,908 B2; May 27, 2008; financial statement by using formulas and data Class 705/35; 16 claims; assigned to Modernsoft, (Frip: You guys ever hear of a spread sheet?) Inc. Systems and Methods for Providing Financial Executing trades for hedged instruments, hedged Instruments Including Contrary Positions; US instruments being contrary positions in tradable 7,379,911 B2; May 27, 2008; Class 705/37; 21 financial instruments (Frip: Isn’t this how we got claims; assigned to eSpeed, Inc. into the current financial mess?) System and Method for Processing Loan Receiving, storing, and updating loan Information; US 7,379,912 B1; May 27, 2008; information, the updating being in accordance Class 705/38; 29 claims; assigned to Federal with rules (Frip: Yawn) Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
June 3, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Automated Short Term Option Order Processing; Facilitating trading, apparently in financial US 7,383,220 B1; June 3, 2008; Class 705/37; 50 instruments, by a process using ultra-short term claims; assigned to Stikine Technology, LLC options, sometimes on the order of a second or less; Frip: Ordinary trading losing money too slowing for you? Then one-second options are right up your alley. Method of Designing an Electronic Transaction How to design an electronic transaction system; System; US 7,383,233 B1; June 3, 2008; Class Frip: Not even an electronic transaction sytem; 705/80; 29 claims; assigned to General Electric just how to design one. Hey, I’ve got a design for Company a better world: no more business methods patents.
June 10, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Managing Concentration Establishing a threshold for the quantity of debt of Corporate Debt; US 7,386,493 B2; June 10, of a particular company that can be held by an 2008; Class 705/35; 17 claims; assigned to investor or investor group, the threshold Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP triggering a change in a parameter, such as the maturity, priority, or rate, of the debt, the change making the debt less valuable
Frip: Such fancy financial instruments as these caused our current troubles, and we’re granting them patent protection? Method and Apparatus for Receiving a Receiving information about and subscribing to a Subscription for a Security; US 7,386,494 B1; mutual fund, both the receiving and subscribing June 10, 2008; Class 705/36R; 16 claims; being through an online webpage assigned to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Frip doesn’t understand how doing something “online” makes a previously nonpatented process patentable; but then, Frip doesn’t understand a lot of things. Computer Based System for Valuing and Using a computer to determine the value of a Hedging Customized Indexed Call Option; US customized indexed call option. 7,386,500 B1; June 10, 2008; Class 705/37; 10 claims; assigned to Genesis Financial Products, Frip: First, what the hey is a “customized indexed Inc. call option”? Second, with references to “lattice” nodes, “epochs,” and “expiry,” the gibberish quota in the description of the process is most definitely high Method, Software Program, and System for Structuring risk by defining first and second Structuring Risk in a Financial Transaction; US credits, first and second senior holders, first and 7,386,502 B1; June 10, 2008; Class 705/38; 13 second subordinate holders, and the relationships, claims; assigned to Goldman Sachs & Co. between, among, and regarding them
Frip: Gives you great confidence in the investment bankers who control our financial system.
June 17, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Network Based Financial Transaction Processing Processing payments with a user terminal, an System; US 7,389,256 B1; June 17, 2008; Class account processor, and a processing server 705/35; 89 claims; assigned to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Frip: Just because you can draw a flow chart doesn’t mean you have invented something new. Method for Structuring a Debt Issue Utilizing a Structuring a debt issue by establishing a holding Closed Block Business Entity; US 7,389,261 B1; company that is a subsidiary of a parent company June 17, 2008; Class 705/36; 18 claims; assigned but whose debt is not the responsibility of the to Goldman Sachs & Co. parent company (Note: the patent application was filed in 2001, well before the current times of financial debacles)
Frip: Hey guys, recent events show you can’t completely seal yourself off from your debts; YOUR ALLEGED INVENTION DOESN’T WORK. Method of Determining Pricing to Ensure Projecting a target gross profit that provides a Profitability; US 7,389,276 B1; June 17, 2008; specific net profit by following a convoluted Class 705/400; 7 claims; assigned to Profit Boost, series of steps involving costs, budgets, hours, LLC sales, and other stuff MBAs are taught, the result being a magical “adjusted gross profit index factor”
Frip: Doesn’t George Bush have an MBA?
June 24, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method for Selecting Cosmetics; US 7,392,204 Obtaining through computer graphics methods an B1; June 24, 2008; Class 705/10; 8 claims; average face composition for members of assigned to Shiseido Co., Ltd. different races, getting opinions on the best eye shadow and rouge for each average face, and preparing color maps of the results
Frip: Sounds like how the blind dates of Frip’s youth prepared themselves. Workflow Management System and Method; US Detailing the workflow for a trustee handling 7,392,210 B1; June 24, 2008; Class 705/35; 131 securitization transactions claims; assigned to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Frip: Some more financial wizardry by the folks that brought you the subprime mortgage debacle. Generator Libraries; US 7,392,213 B2; June 24, Developing risk management software through 2008; Class 705/36R; 12 claims; assigned to the use of “an object-oriented library of library Algorithmics Software LLC objects”
Frip: The real risk here is that you don’t have a clue what the invention is.
July 1, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Conditional Fee Ownership Home Financing Financing the purchase of real property or System and Business Method; US 7,395,233 B2; refinancing real property using a conditional fee July 1, 2008; Class 705/35; 25 claims simple deed, a conditional fee purchaser, and a conditional remainder purchaser, whatever they are
Frip: All this conditional stuff means you probably won’t end up with a house. Method, Apparatus and Program for Pricing, Contracting for education costs now and paying Transferring, Buying, Selling and Exercising the contracted price if the individual is granted Financial Options for Paying Educational Course admission at a later time Fees; US 7,395,234 B2; July 1, 2008; Class 705/36R; 22 claims Frip: That’s one big “if,” Dude. Financial Product and Collaborative System and Selling through banks and other large reputable Method for Providing and Monitoring a Financial financial organizations (intermediaries) a Product; US 7,395,240 B2; July 1, 2008; Class financial product of a finance company (the 705/38; 36 claims contractor), the finance company insuring the intermediaries against risk of loss.
Frip: The patent’s abstract has the immortal words, “all while completely eliminating the risk of loss on the contracted Financial Products.” A can’t lose deal, like one of those Nigerian things.
July 8, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method for Managing an Investment Portfolio; In the words of the patent’s abstract, “determining US 7,398,243 B1; July 8, 2008; Class 705/36; 19 a feasible loss in notional value of a contract sub- claims; assigned to Trajectory Asset Management portfolio of the investment portfolio, and LLC determining a composition between the contract sub-portfolio and an asset sub-portfolio of the investment portfolio such that a value of the investment portfolio on a second date that is subsequent to a first date is no less than a highest marked-to-market value for the investment portfolio that occurred on or between the first date and the second date”
Frip: Come on, seriously, what is your invention? Risk Stripping System and Method; US Managing risk by automatically entering into a 7,398,742 B2; July 8, 2008; Class 705/36R; 24 hedging transaction when a financial position claims; assigned to UBS AG (Switzerland) having a risk is entered into
Frip: Yeah, that hedging thing is working pretty well, eh? Method and System for Managing a Mortgage Paying down mortgage debt by using a credit card Rebate Transaction Card Account; US 7,398,246 B2; July 8, 2008; Class 705/38; 15 claims; Frip: What, airline miles not enough for you? assigned to Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
July 15, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Genetic Profiling and Banking System and Storing genetic profile data of individuals and Method; US 7,401,026 B2; July 15, 2008; Class allowing access only to those specifically 705/1; 26 claims; assigned to Cerner Innovation, authorized by the individuals Inc. Frip: 1984? System, Method, and Computer Program Product Establishing an annuity with two pools of assets, for Providing Stabilized Annuity Payments and one pool for the annuitant and one pool for other Control of Investments in a Variable Annuity; US beneficiaries, and periodically adjusting the pools 7,401,037 B2; July 15, 2008; Class 705/35; 4 so that first pool is able to maintain the claims; assigned to The Prudential Insurance predetermined payments to the annuitant Company of America Frip: In other words, the other beneficiaries get to watch their pool of assets slowly evaporate. Analytical Tools for a Community of Investors Providing analytical tools for a community of Having Investment Portfolios; US 7,401,039 B1; investors having investment portfolios, the first July 15, 2008; Class 705/36; 18 claims; assigned tool giving an indication of a user’s selection to eBay Inc. effectiveness, the second allowing the user to evaluate community stimuli, and the third and fourth allowing the user to look at other analysts
Frip: eBay!? eBay?! It has us by the throat! Financial Modeling and Counseling System; US Providing personalized financial counseling over 7,401,040 B2; July 15, 2008; Class 705/36; 22 the Internet claims; assigned to Accenture LLP Frip: Part of the process is “prompting the user to input personal financial information” over the Internet. Sounds like one of those Nigerian things. Method and System for Issuing Securities and Issuing securities by, after an identification Fixed Rate Financing Instruments, Method for process, printing out a hardcopy for a purchaser, Establishing a Market with the System; US the printer being one of a number that are placed 7,401,043 B2; July 15, 2008; Class 705/36R; 3 in locations available to the public claims Frip: Hardcopies? Doesn’t this guy know that the world is now paperless?
July 22, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Information Mediating Apparatus and Method Mediating with a computer system and Storage Medium Storing Information Mediating Program Therein; US 7,403,920 B2; Frip: What mediating means in this patent is July 22, 2008; Class 705/37; 20 claims; assigned beyond clear. In fact, the whole patent is beyond to Fujitsu Limited (Japan) clear. System and Method for Calculating and Calculating volume by subtracting bid side trades Displaying Volume to Identify Buying and from and adding ask side trades to a running total, Selling in an Electronic Trading Environment; and displaying the result US 7,403,921 B2; July 22, 2008; Class 705/37; 17 claims; assigned to Trading Technologies Frip: Say what? International Inc.
July 29, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Migration of a Workflow System to Changed “[E]xecuting a work flow in a workflow Process Definitions; US 7,406,424 B2; July 29, management system (WFMS) having at least one 2008; Class 705/1; 4 claims; assigned to Hewlett- process instance executing an original process Packard Development Company, L.P. definition, and migrating the said process instance to a changed process definition. . .”
Frip: Oookay, if you say so. Method and System for Multi-Dimensional Trading objects over a network, the objects Trading; US 7,406,443 B1; July 29, 2008; Class having at least four dimensions 705/37; 6 claims; assigned to Powerloom Frip: Four dimensions!? You have just entered the Twilight Zone, or at least the realm of string theory Method and System for Banking; US 7,406,445 Banking online via interface services printed with B1; July 29, 2008; Class 705/42; 34 claims; information and coded data and read with sensing assigned to Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd devices (Australia) Frip: Guess this means kissing ATM’s goodbye.
August 5, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method and System for Intelligent Supply Chain Improving supply chain management through the Collaboration; US 7,409,356 B1; August 5, 2008; use of a knowledge base, an inference engine, a Class 705/7; 18 claims; assigned to Applied management system that collects and distributes Systems Intelligence, Inc. data regarding one or more business process and determines one or more goals, and a graphical user interface system
Frip: Really, that’s how it’s described. Vendor-Driven, Social-Network Enabled Review Collecting, storing, and providing reviews System and Method with Flexible Syndication; US 7,409,362 B2; August 5, 2008; Class 705/26; Frip: Have you guys ever heard of Google? 30 claims; assigned to Diamond Review, Inc. Derivative Securities and System for Trading Creating and trading a group of related financial Same; US 7,409,367 B2; August 5, 2008; Class products 705/37; 3 claims; assigned to Delta Rangers Inc. Frip: Derivatives? Creating and trading them is what has brought the financial system to its knees.
August 12, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Founding Establishment Using the Internet to establish a business by Through Internet; US 7,412,394 B2; August 12, locating resources and forming business plans 2008; Class 705/1; 13 claims; assigned to United Microelectronics Corps. Frip: The inventors are located in Tawain, and the patent reads like it was written in Chinese. System and Method for Providing Personal Providing information about the location of a Location Information to Location Consumers location owner to a location consumer in response from a Location Services Server; US 7,412,400 to the receipt of a location request from the B1; August 12, 2008; Class 705/10; 59 claims; location consumer assigned to Microsoft Corporation Frip: Note the assignee; Microsoft always knows where you are.
August 19, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method, Computer Network, and Signal Bearing Performing a negotiation on a computer network, Medium for Performing a Negotiation Utilizing the negotiation consisting in part of initiating an Pareto-Optimization; US 7,415,427 B2; August auction by issuing a Request For Quote (RFQ), 19, 2008; Class 705/26; 15 claims; assigned to calculating a Pareto-Optimal point, and International Business Machines Corporation determining whether the Pareto-Optimal point is satisfied
Frip: The old Pareto-Optimal ploy, eh? Processing Meat Products Responsive to Processing meat for a meat seller, the process Customer Orders; US 7,415,428 B2; August 19, including preparing a meat product according to 2008; Class 705/26; 12 claims; assigned to the seller’s specifications, packaging the meat SafeFresh Technologies, LLC product “in a modified atmosphere package and tracking the temperature and oxygen gas composition of the package during shipment,” and determining a shelf life for the product
Frip: Hey, Yo. Why donchja’ patent my meat?
August 26, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Gamma Trading Pool; US 7,418,416 B2; August Automated hedging of financial instruments 26, 2008; Class 705/36R; 26 claims; assigned to including the automated generation of orders to Morgan Stanley hedge a financial exposure associated with a financial instrument
Frip: Hedging, derivatives, financial instruments: would the first Patent Examiner, one T. Jefferson, say such stuff should be the subject of patents? I don’t think so. September 2, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method and A System with Improved Tracking of Tracking of trading positions through trading and Trading Positions; US 7,421,404 B2; September clearing cycles 2, 2008; Class 705/35; 13 claims; assigned to OMX Technology AB (Sweden) Frip: Methinks the Swedes made something simple sound difficult. System and Method for Asset Accumulation and Managing by computer “an integrated financial Risk Management; US 7,421,406 B2; September product designed to manage a consumer’s 2, 2008; Class 705/36R; 15 claims unemployment risk and promote good savings behavior”
Frip: The key word here is “designed.” The world is full of things designed for one result but that produce another. Financial products designed to achieve good results have often left those involved wondering where their money went. Now if instead of “designed” the invention was a “guaranteed” way to get rich. . .
September 9, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Data Mining for Managing Marketing Resources; Managing marketing resources through a data US 7,424,439 B1; September 9, 2008; Class mining system that, in a series of steps involving 705/10; 12 claims; assigned to Microsoft a user database, searches thereof, determinations Corporation of user attributes, and observations of responses to marketing campaigns, provides data for new marketing campaigns.
Frip: Data mining can be done in an infinite number of ways. Is each one patentable? Something ain’t right. Method and System for Initiating and Clearing Facilitating the exchange of data between price Trades; US 7,424,452 B2; September 9, 2008; providers and customers who use a variety of Class 705/37; 14 claims; assigned to American portals by, in part, normalizing the data to a International Group, Inc. standardized format
Frip: Isn’t this just a glorified bit of software that, in theory, is not patentable? Opening Price Process for Trading System; US Determining an opening price for a financial 7,424,454 B2; September 9, 2008; Class 705/37; instrument traded in a trading system by 38 claims; assigned to Primex Holdings, LLC examining pending buy and sell orders
Frip: Duh.
September 16, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Automated Order Entry Automatically sending orders to a market when on Short Queues; US 7,426,490 B1; September certain user defined conditions are met 16, 2008; Class 705/37; 22 claims; assigned to Trading Technologies International, Inc. Frip: To this ol’ boy, sounds like automating chaos.
September 23, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Descriptive-Profile Mercantile Method; US Selling profiles of network computer users to 7,428,493 B2; September 23, 2008; Class 705/1; third parties who use the profiles to target 51 claims; assigned to AlmondNet, Inc. advertisements to the users (the user apparently has to agree to the sale of his or her profile)
Frip: Why won’t they leave us alone? Creating an Incentive to Author Useful Item Having consumers (customers of Amazon.com) Reviews; US 7,428,496 B1; September 23, 2008; evaluate reviews of books posted on the site; Class 705/10; 21 claims; assigned to rewarding reviewers who provide, in the Amazon.com, Inc. collective opinion of the consumers, useful evaluations
Frip: And so if some other online bookseller wants to do this, they can’t because of Amazon’s patent? That, my friends, is not very capitalistic. Information Distribution System, Information Permitting a user’s PC that has used and stored Distribution Device, Information Receiving limited-use data from a data provider once to Device; Information Distribution Method, communicate with the data provider and receive Information Distribution Program, Recording permission to use the data again (most likely for a Medium Recording the Information Distribution fee) Program, Information Receiving Method, Information Receiving Program, and Recording Frip: Those Japanese are a barrel of laughs, aren’t Medium Recording the Information Receiving they? Program; US 7,428,512 B2; September 23, 2008; Class 705/57; 26 claims; assigned to Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd. (Japan) Information-Processing Apparatus, Information- Determining which party initiated a transfer of Processing Method, Accounting-Processing data over a network, and what the cost of the Apparatus, Accounting-Processing Method and transfer should be Recording Medium; US 7,428,513 B2; September 23, 2008; Class 705/400; 8 claims; assigned to Frip: See preceding comment. Sony Corporation
September 30, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Externalization of Creating and updating a knowledge base of Formulas for Assessing Damages; US 7,430,515 business rules and formulas to process insurance B1; September 30, 2008; Class 705/4; 59 claims; claims involving bodily injury assigned to Computer Sciences Corporation Frip: Ouch, I stubbed my toe on your corroding sidewalk. $5 million please. System and Method for Assisting Customers in Assisting a customer in choosing a combination Choosing a Bundled Set of Commodities Using of commodities based on the preferences of the Customer Preferences; US 7,430,531 B1; customer September 30, 2008; Class 705/35; 47 claims; assigned to Verisign, Inc. Frip: Or, another way of separating a Joe Sixpack from his money. Automated Batch Auctions in Conjunction with Performing a batch auction whereby a series of Continuous Financial Markets; US 7,430,533 B1; orders, according to a variety of predetermined September 30, 2008; Class 705/37; 35 claims; order types, are generated by qualified market assigned to ITG Software Solutions, Inc. participants and communicated to an auction system that takes into account each order and its impact upon relative supply and demand to determine by a preset algorithm a price and share transaction quantity
Frip: Wow, these financial engineers are brilliant! Methods and Systems for Identifying Prospective Managing an interactive deal process through a Customers and Managing Deals; US 7,430,535 database of deal information, business rules, B2; September 30, 2008; Class 705/38; 27 libraries, templates, and input from a prospective claims; assigned to General Electric Capital deal doer Corporation Frip: Hey Dude, let’s do a deal. System and Method for Assisting a Bank in Assisting a bank in meeting all or a portion of the Meeting Requirements under the Community bank’s investment test requirement under the Reinvestment Act; US 7,430,536 B1; September Community Reinvestment Act on a tax- 30, 2008; Class 705/38; 9 claims advantaged basis through the use of cash value life insurance on the lives of employees of the bank or an affiliate
Frip: This is majorly nutty. October 7, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Managing Global Risk; Tracking compliance with risk management US 7,433,829 B2; October 7, 2008; Class 705/7; policies in an enterprise, and providing risk status 15 claims; assigned to JPMorgan Chase Bank, feedback to the organization’s managerial levels N.A. Frip: Boy, did this come along just in time! And in the hands of JPMorgan Chase, no less! Methods and Systems for Distributing Allowing a customer of an electronic commerce Information Within a Dynamically Defined entity to communicate information related to the Community; US 7,433,832 B1; October 7, 2008; customer’s purchases to others Class 705/26; 29 claims; assigned to Amazon.com, Inc. Frip: Huh? Total Return Asset Contracts and Associated Implementing trading of a derivative futures Processing Systems; US 7,433,839 B2; October contract by: (a) collecting client data and a 7, 2008; Class 705/36R; 20 claims request for establishing a long position; (b) creating an account and funding it with 100 percent of a contract price for a long position; (c) holding a contract corresponding to a select portfolio of underlying assets; (d) pricing the contract on a total return basis; and (e) passing interest rate payments from the long side of the contract to the short side (this is just one claim, no. 11)
Frip: Reinventing the ol’ wheel, eh? Method and Data Structure for Participation in “Participating by a purchaser in a plurality of Multiple Negotiations; US 7,433,841 B2; October negotiations for purchasable items, where an item 7, 2008; Class 705/37; 5 claims; assigned to may be a good or a service, in order to obtain one Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. of a plurality of alternative collections of complementary purchasable items, comprising maintaining a probabilistic model of said negotiations and making bids or offers to increase the probability of success in negotiations for purchasable items in one of said alternative collections determined from current states of said negotiations and said probabilistic model as providing a largest expectation of value to the purchaser”
Frip: My friends, civilization is winding down.
October 14, 2008 PATENT COMMENTS Managing Investment Assets; US 7,437,322 B1; Acquiring properties from investors in exchange October 14, 2008; Class 705/36R; 10 claims; for interests in an investment entity, and for assigned to Prana Fund Manager, LLC managing, holding, and exchanging real properties through tax-advantaged transactions
Frip: Another get rich quick patent.
October 21, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method and Apparatus for Fully Insuring Large Offering bank customers an interchange service Bank Deposits; US 7,440,914 B2; October 21, through which a deposit exceeding the applicable 2008; Class 705/35; 28 claims; assigned to Federal deposit insurance limit (normally Promontory Interfinancial Networks, LLC $100,000) for any one bank is used to purchase certificates of deposit below the limit in multiple participating banks
Frip: And this improves on a bank customer’s ability to apportion his money between banks how? System and Method for a Financial Planning Conducting an online financial planning Competition; US 7,440,919 B2; October 21, competition by generating a client profile, 2008; Class 705/37; 35 claims; assigned to receiving proposed financial plans from the Ameriprise Financial, Inc. participating teams, and judging the proposed plans
Frip: Sort of like a pick the meanest shark contest Rights Establishing System and Method; US Providing a present consideration to a consumer 7,440,926 B2; October 21, 2008; Class 705/80; and coincidentally establishing a future right for a 66 claims; assigned to OptNow Real Estate holder to offer or to provide, at the holder’s Corporation option, a defined set of goods or services in response to a trigger event
Frip: Where do they get this stuff?
October 28, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method and System for Improved Fund Managing and trading an investment fund having Investment and Trading Processes; US 7,444,300; a portfolio including any combination of financial October 28, 2008; Class 705/35; 50 claims; instruments and cash and having a general class assigned to Managed ETFs LLC of fund shares tradable in a secondary market, the system involving assets entering and being removed from the investment fund through an exchange-traded fund share creation and redemption process governed by a set of rules.
Frip: Why are all these financial patents incomprehensible? Method and System for Enhanced Distribution of Modeling proposed financial instruments with Financial Instruments; US 7,444,301; October 28, initial financial parameters to facilitate defining a 2008; Class 705/37; 57 claims; assigned to financial instrument with final financial Incapital Holdings LLC parameters for actual issuance in a primary offering, the issuer and the underwriter collaborating via electronic communications
Frip: The epitome of a “You’re Kidding, Right? Patent.” Online System for Fulfilling Loan Applications Processing loan applications online with a from Loan Originations; US 7,444,302 B2; computer program that receives, formats, and October 28, 2008; Class 705/38; 24 claims; transmits data Assigned to Ellie Mae, Inc. Frip: Aren’t computer programs nonpatentable? Methods of Coordinating Products and Service Coordinating product and service demonstrations, Demonstrations; US 7,444,305 B2; October 28, an event coordinator directing event operators to 2008; Class 705/41; 10 claims; assigned to Mass conduct a product or service demonstration event Connections, Inc. and providing the operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration
Frip: Is there no end to the ridiculousness?
November 4, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Digital Computer System for Operating a Receiving specifications for a customized Customizable Investment Fund; US 7,447,651 investment fund and acquiring the investments for B1; November 4, 2008; Class 705/36; 55 claims; the fund assigned to New Market Solutions, L.L.C. Frip: For a service fee, of course. Computer Trading of Financial Interests; US Improved trading of financial interests, the 7,447,654 B2; November 4, 2008; Class 705/37; invention including “methods and processes as 9 claims; assigned to Bloomberg L.P. well as suitable computer programs and data processing systems”
Frip: Well, that certainly is a precisely defined invention. System and Method for Automatic Scalping of a Displaying bid and ask prices on an indicator, Tradeable Object in an Electronic Trading following the movement of the prices, at some Environment; US 7,447,655 B2; November 4, point entering an order, and then entering an 2008; Class 705/37; 25 claims; assigned to offsetting order Trading Technologies International, Inc. Frip: I don’t understand this stuff, and I don’t think the Patent Office does either.
November 11, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method for Electronically Surveying Prospective Marking educational services including surveying Candidates for Admission to Educational candidates who may be interested in an Institutions and Encouraging Interest in educational institution Attending; US 7,451,094 B2; November 11, 2008; Class 705/1; 9 claims; assigned to Royall & Frip: Hey, ya wanna come to the University of Company What’s Happenin’ Now? Well, Dummy, send yer money. Method for Funding an Organization; US Funding an organization with cash flows derived 7,451,104 B1; November 11, 2008; Class 705/35; from the death benefits of life insurance policies 20 claims; assigned to LTI Agency, LLC on individuals in which the organization has an insurable interest, the premiums on the policies being paid with proceeds from the issuance of an asset-backed security the asset being the insurance policies
Frip: In other words, we have the securitization of death. Method and System for Administering a Issuing an exchangeable security that is traded in Discounted Security; US 7,451,109 B1; a secondary market on a securities exchange, that November 11, 2008; Class 705/37; 11 claims; is related to an underlying security, and that may assigned to Morgan Guarantee Trust Company of be exchanged or redeemed in various obtuse ways New York Frip: Another example of why the financial world is in crisis. System, Method and Computer Program Product Receiving a request to execute a trade of a for Providing an Efficient Trading Market; US security from a user, generating a derivative 7,451,110 B2; November 11, 2008; Class 705/37; security for the security, and executing the trade 18 claims; assigned to Network Resonance, Inc. requested by the user using the derivative security instead of the security
Frip: As a Midwesterner would say, eh?
November 18, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Online Investment Trust Creation and Creating and administering trusts over the Management; US 7,454,376 B1; November 18, Internet 2008; Class 705/36R; 24 claims Frip: Dispense with that irritating, pompous, expensive attorney. Let the Internet be your lawyer! Computer Method and Apparatus for Aggregating As the Patent’s abstract says: “Computer method and Segmenting Probabilistic Distributions; US and apparatus that permits a sensory oriented 7,454,377 B1; November 18, 2008; Class interactive real time aggregation and 705/36T; 10 claims segmentation of probabilistic distributions derived from quantitative and qualitative data of one or more sources with a feedback mechanism that describes distribution attributes in a variety of visual, kinetic, and aural contexts.”
Frip: Sounds almost like porn, doesn’t it?
November 25, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Dynamic Reallocation Hedge Accounting; US Reducing periodic earnings volatility by tinkering 7,457,774 B1; November 25, 2008; Class 705/36; with the relationship between a hedged exposure 12 claims; assigned to Goldman Sachs & Co. and an associated hedging instrument
Frip: Goldman Sachs doing more of that financial engineering that drove Wall Street into the crapper. System and Method for Selecting Securities for Automatedly selecting securities within an index Investment; US 7,457,775 B1; November 25, for purchase and sale 2008; Class 705/36R; 15 claims Frip: If I read Bilski correctly, you can take a common procedure, tie it to a computer, and get yourself a bona fide U.S. Government patent. Systems and Methods for Providing a Taking annuitant information, mortality data, Combination Financial Product; US 7,457,776 annuity pricing information, asset price B1; November 25, 2008; Class 705/36R; 2 information, annuity pricing routines, and claims; assigned to Massachusetts Mutual Life payment schedule routines and administering Insurance Company combination annuity products
Frip: Yeah, having a “combination annuity product” should make some old gal feel better. And the person who sold it to her was such a nice young man. Contents Management Apparatus, Contents Managing contents Management System, Contents Management Method, Computer Product, and Contents Data; Frip: The English language took a beating on this US 7,457,784 B2; November 25, 2008; Class one. 705/500; 26 claims; assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Japan)
December 2, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Creating and Tracking Creating an agreement between a seller and a Agreements for Selling Loans to a Secondary purchaser for the sale of mortgage loans, and Market Purchaser; US 7,461,020 B2; December tracking compliance with the terms of the 2, 2008; Class 705/35; 11 claims; assigned to agreement, the system being computer-implement Fannie Mae and including deal management logic and a rules processor
Frip: Fannie Mae. . .Say, wasn’t that the semi- government outfit that had to be rescued? Nah, couldn’t be.
Basket Creation Process for Actively Managed Administering an actively managed investment ETF That Does Not Reveal All of the Underlying company that invests assets in fixed income Fund Securities; US 7,461,027 B1; December 2, securities 2008; Class 705/37; 16 claims; assigned to The Vanguard Group, Inc. Frip: Who was the tone-deaf inventor that included the phrase “does not reveal all of the underlying fund securities” in the name of the invention? Okay, so none of you investment whizzes tell us suckers what you’re doing, but we at least like to think you’re telling us what you’re doing.
December 9, 2008 PATENT COMMENTS Method and System for Changing an Order in a Changing an order for a product where production Flexible Order Transaction System; US 7,464,038 of the order is currently in progress in a flexible B2; December 9, 2008; Class 705/1; 22 claims; order transaction system and where yield, scrap, assigned to SAP AG (Germany) and work-in-process (WIP) are calculated for reporting points in the order process and are transferred to the new order for the new product
Frip: See what those teenagers behind the counter have to do when you change your order from a Double Cheese Burger to a Big Mac®? Buyer-Driven Purchasing Loyalty System and Effectuating a buyer-driven and buyer-executed Method Using an Electronic Network; US commerce system that allows prospective buyers 7,464,053; December 9, 2008; Class 705/37; 5 and sellers of goods and services to anonymously claims exchange conditional Requests For Bids and Conditional Sales Offers based on the buyer’s guaranteed “purchasing loyalty”
Frip: Trust buyers? The only people with less loyalty are sellers. Providing Customs Information; US 7,464,054 Receiving information that establishes the identity B2; December 9, 2008; Class 705/37; 28 claims; of a user, and providing on-line access to customs assigned to Accenture LLP information from an account-based database
Frip: Customs information? Who cares; Frip comes from a long line of smugglers. System and Method for Monitoring Trades Notifying the staff of the Chicago Mercantile Outside of a No-Bust Range in an Electronic Exchange of a trade outside an expected market Trading System; US 7,464,055 B2; December 9, range of prices 2008; Class 705/37; 64 claims; assigned to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Frip: Man the lifeboats, women and children first! On second thought, me first.
December 16, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS System and Method for Offer Management; US Managing offers by considering the accounts 7,467,106 B1; December 16, 2008; Class 705/35; targeted and applying business rules 30 claims; assigned to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Frip: The actual wording is much more convoluted but the above brief description captures the essence, at least in Frip’s opinion. System and Method for Determining Eligibility Enrolling an individual, who has an obligation to and Enrolling Members in Various Programs; US a financial institution, in a program wherein at 7,467,109 B1; December 16, 2008; Class least some financial status information relating to 705/36R; 16 claims; assigned to JPMorgan Chase the individual is known Bank, N.A. Frip: So one of the pre-eminent financial institutions in the country comes up with this? No wonder we are going into the tank. Method for Listing a Futures Contract that In settling a futures contract, requiring entry into Physically Settles into a Swap; US 7,467,112 B2; a credit default index swap December 16, 2008; Class 705/37; 3 claims; assigned to Goldman Sachs & Co Frip: Goldman Sachs and their credit default swaps: what scamps those boys and girls are.
December 23, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Systems and Methods for Efficient Frontier Supplementing an efficient frontier in multi- Supplementation in Multi-Objective Portfolio objective portfolio analysis Analysis; US 7,469,228 B2; December 23, 2008; Class 705/36R; 6 claims; assigned to General Frip: Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it. Electrical Company Generation of Estimated Prices of Instruments for Operating an automatic trade system through an a Trade in a Combination of Instruments; US indecipherable procedure for matching bid and 7,469,229 B2; December 23, 2008; Class 705/37; ask prices 36 claims; assigned to OMX Technology AB (Sweden) Frip: Is complexity the antithesis of profitability?
December 30, 2008
PATENT COMMENTS Method of Protecting an Initial Investment Value Protecting at least a portion of an initial of an Instrument; US 7,472,086 B1; December investment value of an investment through a C- 30, 2008; Class 705/36R; 20 claims; assigned to corporation that is treated as a regulated Barclays Bank PLC (United Kingdom) investment company and put and call options
Frip: So what is the protected portion? Five percent? Ten percent? Big deal. Trading Program for Interacting with Market Supporting trading processes and market Programs on a Platform; US 7,472,087 B2; processes on a platform that also that also December 30, 2008; Class 705/37; 110 claims; supports platform processes for providing assigned to Stikine Technology, LLC services to the trading processes and market processes
Frip: Well, ain’t that special. System and Method for Offering a Financial Surreptitiously checking out a customer while he Product; US 7,472,088 B2; December 30, 2008; or she is conducting a transaction over a network, Class 705/38; 67 claims; assigned to JPMorgan and if he or she qualifies, offering him or her a Chase Bank N.A. financial product
Frip: :You sneaky b**tards. Loan Origination System Interface for Online Processing and submitting loan application data Loan Application Processing; US 7,472,089 B2; over the Internet, the initiator being a loan broker December 30, 2008; Class 705/38; 31 claims; and the party at the other end of the process being assigned to Ellie Mae, Inc. a lender
Frip: Ellie Mae? You any relation to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac? Method and System for Providing a Higher Credit Assigning a higher credit limit to a customer by Limit to a Customer; US 7,472,090 B1; forming an agreement with a guarantor December 30, 2008; Class 705/38; 50 claims; assigned to Capital One Financial Corporation Frip: If deadbeat X’s credit limit doesn’t cut the mustard, deadbeat Y can vouch for him.