| Sears Brands, L.L.C. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120072295 | SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING MULTI-CHANNEL PURCHASE OF FSA ELIGIBLE ITEMS - In a database that is associated with the retailer POS system, inventory is flagged as being FSA-eligible and a retailer POS system is programmed to support FSA debit card auto-adjudication, i.e., the retailer POS system is IIAS certified. The FSA-eligible information that is stored in the retailer POS database is also used to flag for a customer FSA-eligible items presented to the user online, e.g., in an online catalog. When an FSA-eligible item is purchased on-line or at a retailer POS, the FSA debit card information is captured and the purchase transaction is processed by the retailer POS system so the customer has easy access to FSA purchases via either channel. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120046958 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A MULTI-CHANNEL RETAIL LAYAWAY SERVICE - Multi-channel layaway services are provided whereby a customer may use an online retail channel or a physical retail channel to form a layaway contract to purchase one or more ordered items and then use the online retail channel and/or the physical retail channel to make payments on, view, or otherwise manage the formed layaway contract. Upon completion of the terms of the formed layaway contract the customer is able to receive the ordered items. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120017389 | VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE WITH AIR QUALITY MONITORING SYSTEM - An air quality monitoring system is associated with a housing of a vacuum cleaner and includes at least one sensor for measuring data of an air quality parameter and a display, such as a color screen, for presenting information regarding the air quality parameter that is measured by the at least one sensor. The air quality monitoring system may be a self contained unit that may be removed from the housing of the vacuum cleaner or may be included as an integral part of the vacuum cleaner. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20110320309 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING ORDERS MADE VIA A COMPUTER NETWORK - A system and method for allowing a user to schedule pickup of an ordered item provides a user interface having user interface elements for allowing a user to specify a frequency with which an order is it to be picked up, for informing a user as to availability of the item for pickup, and/or for allowing a user to request that an item be held in reserve for pickup within a given period of time, such as 24 hours. Frequency options provided to the user for selection when scheduling an order for pickup may include a one-time frequency, a daily frequency, a weekly frequency, a monthly frequency, and user specified dates. The information as to availability of the item for pickup is determined considering a time of order and real-time stocking information for the item. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110281059 | PADDING SYSTEM FOR PROTECTING A HOME APPLIANCE - A padding system for protecting an outer surface of an appliance. The padding system includes a securing device that is attached to opposed first and second ends of a pad. The securing device consists of a first securing member that is releasably attachable to a second securing member when the pad is secured around the outer surface of the appliance. The padding system additionally includes a hand strap that is attached to the first end of the pad. A slit is formed in the pad adjacent to the second end of the pad. The hand strap is passable through the slit to provide a hand grip when the pad is secured around the outer surface of the appliance. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110225858 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING COLOR TO INDICATE A STATE OF A HOME APPLIANCE, SUCH AS AN IRON - A system and method for using color to indicate a state of a home appliance, such as an iron. The iron has a sole plate and a water tank in fluid communication with the sole plate, a heater for heating the sole plate, a sensor for sensing a temperature of the sole plate, a user interface for setting a desired temperature for the sole plate, and a controller in communication with user interface and the sensor for controlling the heater. An illumination device under the control of the controller is provided to illuminate the water tank, particularly the interior thereof, in a color that is representative of a state of the iron, such as a power condition of the iron and/or a temperature of the sole plate. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110218957 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES - A request to diagnose a problem with an appliance is provided to a diagnostic system whereupon the diagnostic system functions to interpret the information indicative of the problem with the appliance to thereby normalize the information indicative of the problem with the appliance. The normalized information indicative of the problem with the appliance is then used to select from a knowledge base in which is maintained a plurality of solutions each having associated tags that function to identify concepts and values in a domain model a set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance. As necessary, information within the set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance is used to dynamically generate additional questions to thereby obtain further information indicative of the problem with the appliance. The further information indicative of the problem with the appliance may then be used to identify from with the set of possible solutions for the problem with the appliance a subset of best possible solutions for the problem with the appliance. This subset of best possible solutions for the problem with the appliance may then be presented to an end user to thereby allow the end user to perform the repair(s) needed to correct the problem. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110196732 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HANDLING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE A FOLLOWED ITEM - A system receives from a customer having an associated rewards points account a price offer for an item. The system determines if the price offer for the item is below an established threshold price, e.g., a price a retailer would accept for the item. When the price offer for the item is below the established threshold price, the system determines an amount of rewards points to be redeemed by the customer to thereby allow the customer to purchase the item at the price offer for the item as received from the customer. The system then allows the item to be purchased by the customer at the price offer for the item as received from the customer in the event that the customer indicates a willingness to redeem the determined amount of rewards points from their associated rewards points account. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110191207 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A MOBILE DEVICE TO LOCATE A FOLLOWED ITEM IN A RETAIL STORE - A computing device receives information that is representative of a location of a mobile device and uses the information representative of the location of the mobile device to select one or more maps corresponding to a retail establishment. The computing device also receives information that is representative of a customer and uses the information representative of the customer to place on the one or more selected maps indicia indicative of one or more locations within the retail establishment at which one or more items determined to be of interest to the customer are located. The one or more selected maps with the indicia are then provided to the mobile device for display. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110153451 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING A SOCIAL NETWORK TO PROVIDE PRODUCT RELATED INFORMATION - Social product related content, such as user reviews, comments, and catalogs, are presented to a user via an e-commerce website by assembling, in response to the user requesting accesses to a webpage of the e-commerce website having information for a product, such as a product detail page, a set of documents that have been cross-referenced to the product and by extracting from the set of documents a subset of documents that have been cross-referenced to individuals within a related persons map of the user. The requested webpage is then presented to the user in a manner that additionally provides the user with access to the subset of documents. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110138517 | GLOVE SYSTEM - An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a glove system including a glove and a wrist attachment. The glove has a base portion, which includes a first fastener. The wrist attachment includes one or more straps for enabling wearing of the wrist attachment on a human wrist, a functional feature, and a second fastener adapted to couple with the first fastener and for selectively attaching the first wrist attachment to the glove. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110126123 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING TO-DO LIST TASK ITEMS VIA A COMPUTER NETWORK - A system and method for managing to-do list task items provides a user interface having user interface elements for allowing the user to add one or more task items to a to-do list, for allowing the user to edit one or more fields associated with a task item added to the to-do list, and for allowing the user to designate a task item within the to-do list as completed whereupon the designated task item is placed into a completed list and removed from the to-do list. Within the system, a task item is defined by at least a title, a description, a due date, and a tag. The tags provide a means for the task items to be organized within lists as well as within the system to, for example, allow task items to be shared, searched on, and the like. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110122723 | THROUGH-HEAD STAND MIXER - An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a stand mixer including a base with an upstanding pedestal portion and a mixer head supported on the pedestal portion, the mixer head having a upward-facing side, a downward-facing side and an aperture passing through the mixer head from the upward-facing side to the downward-facing side. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110088281 | SHOE HAVING AN AIR CUSHIONING BED - An air cushioning system for use in a shoe is formed from a first layer of a plastic material and a second layer of plastic material both of which are sized to fit within an interior of the shoe. The periphery of the second layer is joined to the periphery of the first layer and one or more interior locations within the periphery of the second layer are also joined to correspondingly adjacent interior locations within the periphery of the first layer. The unjoined surfaces of the second layer are spaced from the first layer and thereby function to define a trapped air chamber within the joined peripheries of the second layer and the first layer. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110040651 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING ORDERS MADE VIA A COMPUTER NETWORK - A system and method for allowing a user to schedule pickup of an ordered item provides a user interface having user interface elements for allowing a user to specify a frequency with which an order is it to be picked up, for informing a user as to availability of the item for pickup, and/or for allowing a user to request that an item be held in reserve for pickup within a given period of time, such as 24 hours. Frequency options provided to the user for selection when scheduling an order for pickup may include a one-time frequency, a daily frequency, a weekly frequency, a monthly frequency, and user specified dates. The information as to availability of the item for pickup is determined considering a time of order and real-time stocking information for the item. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110030148 | Automated Laundry System - An embodiment of the present invention is directed to an automated laundry system. The system includes a number of perforated clothes drums, each of which holds a single load of laundry, and a washer/dryer unit. The washer/dryer unit includes a loading rack for queuing the drums for subsequent washing, a clothes washing component adapted to sequentially receive the drums from the loading rack and wash the respective loads of laundry therein, a clothes drying component adapted to sequentially receive the drums from the clothes washing component and dry the loads of laundry therein, and a holding rack for sequentially receiving the drums from the clothes drying component and holding the drums for a period of time. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110006114 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A MOBILE DEVICE TO FOLLOW A PRICE FOR AN ITEM - A mobile device, such as a cellular telephone, is used to obtain information that is indicative of an item, such as a photograph of the item or a scan of an information carrying indicia associated with the item. The information obtained is then used to present on the mobile device a page by which a user can establish parameters for following the price of the item. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110006021 | HANGING DEVICE FOR RESEALABLE STORAGE BAGS - An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a device for hanging a storage bag having a resealable mechanical seal. The device includes an elongate body. The body includes at least two opposing flaps, a longitudinal slit passing a distance between the opposing flaps and having a width that is narrower than the mechanical seal of the storage bag, and a tapered opening at an edge of the body. The tapered opening is adapted to guide a leading edge of the storage bag that is below the mechanical seal into the slit. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20100269359 | DUAL WHEEL PIZZA CUTTER - A pizza cutter has a body portion, a front cutting wheel rotatably coupled to the body portion, and a rear cutting wheel rotatably coupled to the body portion. The front cutting wheel and the rear cutting wheel are aligned in a cutting direction. A top of the body portion opposite the front cutting wheel and the rear cutting wheel has a graspable handle. Adjacent to the handle and positioned generally over the front cutting wheel and/or the rear cutting wheel the body portion is provided with an upswept corner. The body portion also provides a front cutting wheel well and a rear cutting wheel well with the front cutting wheel well covering a portion of one side of the front cutting wheel, the rear cutting wheel well covering a portion of one side of the rear cutting, and the opposite sides of the front cutting wheel and the rear cutting wheel remain exposed. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100262477 | ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING COMMERCE - An online social networking system for conducting commerce utilizes a grid environment, a widget architecture including a widget operating system, and semantic integration technologies to provide personalized bundling of products and services tied to an individual's life, emergent marketplaces that support collaboratively-based product and service development, merchandising, and recommendations, emergent user experiences, emergent gaming, emergent behavior predictions, collaborative discovery, i.e., social searching, and content and/or people voyeurism. These features are achieved through the use of various techniques including emergent programming, emergent widget processing, emergent computations, emergent applications, widget composition, data integration and exchange, complex system management, security graphs, trust/reputation management, intersecting graphs, database sharding, use of fractal graphs (which may be thinned and expanded), and content mashups. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100186256 | SHOE HAVING AN AIR CUSHIONING SYSTEM - An air cushioning system for use in a shoe has a molded heel absorber member the includes a center member that forms a sealed center air chamber and a peripheral member that extends about at least a portion of the periphery of the center member and that forms a vented peripheral air chamber. A vented air conduit is in communication with the vented peripheral air chamber. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100173572 | MULTI-DRUM SANDER AND/OR RASP - Described herein is technology for, among other things, a multi-purpose sanding or filing apparatus. The apparatus includes a motor, a plurality of drive mechanisms in mechanical communication with the motor, and a plurality of drums, where each of the drums has an axis passing therethrough, the drums are coupled with respective drive mechanisms, and the drive mechanisms are operable to rotate the drums about their respective axes. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100151774 | INTERCHANGEABLE SANDING SYSTEM - An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a multi-purpose sanding system. The sanding system includes a motor, a drive mechanism in mechanical communication with the motor, and a plurality of interchangeable sanding devices. Each of the interchangeable sanding devices is interchangeably coupleable with the drive mechanism. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100121727 | EXCHANGING VALUE BETWEEN A SERVICE BUYER AND A SERVICE PROVIDER - Described herein is technology for, among other things, exchanging value between a service buyer and a service provider. The technology involves establishing a virtual funds account associated with the service buyer. A request for services is received from the service buyer, which includes an amount that the service buyer is willing to pay for the services. An indication that the service provider will perform the services for the service buyer is received, and a hold is placed in the buyer's virtual funds account on an amount of virtual funds corresponding to the amount that the service buyer is willing to pay for the services. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100077553 | TOOLS HAVING MARKINGS FOR MEASURING - An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a tool that includes an elongated surface. The elongated surface has a plurality of spaced markings thereon for enabling a user of the tool to measure a length of an object or a depth by comparing the length of the object to the spaced markings. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100042461 | GROUPING SERVICE ORDERS IN AN ELECTRONIC SERVICES MARKETPLACE - Described herein is technology for, among other things, grouping service orders in an electronic services marketplace. The technology involves receiving first and second service orders, comparing the first and second service orders, determining whether a relationship exists between certain criteria of the first and second service orders, and routing the first and second service orders together to a service provider that is to perform the services associated with the first and second service orders, when there is a relationship between the certain criteria of the first and second service orders. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100018090 | THREE-DIMENSION GIFT CARD ASSEMBLY - A gift card assembly includes a substrate, a gift card, and a card carrying member interposed between the substrate and the gift card. The card carrying member is releasably attached to the substrate and releasably attached to the gift card. The card carrying member resiliently or movably carries the gift card relative to the substrate such that the gift card is allowed to be spaced from the substrate when the gift card assembly is in a displayed configuration (which thereby provides a three-dimensional effect to the gift card assembly) and is allowed to achieve a position adjacent to the substrate when the gift card assembly is in a stowed configuration. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20090294527 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PAYMENT CARD INDUSTRY ENTERPRISE ACCOUNT NUMBER ELIMINATION - A system and method replaces credit card numbers in systems that are customer facing with token Ids to thereby reduce exposure to credit card number theft. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090114787 | VERSATILE BRACKET SYSTEM FOR DISPLAY DEVICES - A versatile bracket system for display devices includes a component that is attached to a backside of the display device. The component is moveable about the attachment between a first position relative to the backside of the display device and a second position relative to the backside of the display device. The first position of the component allows the component to be attached to an underside surface to thereby place the display device in a hanging viewing position. The second position of the component allows the component to cooperate with the display device and a topside surface to thereby place the display device in a standing viewing position. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090106034 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAKING THIRD PARTY PICKUP AVAILABLE TO RETAIL CUSTOMERS - Third party pickup for an ordered item is made available to a customer by authenticating the identity of the customer. The identity of the customer is authenticated by retrieving information associated with the customer from a public record; posing a question to the customer based upon the retrieved information; receiving a response to the question from the customer; and evaluating the received response to determine if the response achieves a threshold score. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090100971 | FASTENER REMOVING TOOL - A fastener removing tool is provided. The fastener removing tool includes an extractor portion having an inside surface adapted to grip a fastener. The extractor portion further defines an outside surface with a cutting edge is adapted to cut a bore when the tool grips and removes a fastener. The fastener removing tool further includes a main body fixed relative to the extractor portion. The main body is adapted to engage with a driving tool for powering rotation of the fastener removing tool. The fastener removing tool also includes a cutter portion fixed relative to the main body opposite the extractor portion. The cutter portion includes a plurality of cutting members defining a plug forming space therebetween. A formed plug is to be placed into the bore formed during extraction of the fastener. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20080313007 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SCHEDULING AN IN-HOME APPLIANCE REPAIR SERVICE - A system for scheduling an in-home appliance repair service is disclosed. The system receives inputs from a user via a client device. The inputs are used to identify one or more home appliances in need of repair. For example, the user may have a clogged dishwasher. Data identifying the appliance is then transmitted to a repair scheduling server. The repair scheduling server executes a program which determines a plurality of available repair time slots and transmits a list of choices to the client device for display. The available repair time slots may depend on the type of appliance, the brand of the appliance, the particular model, the user's identify, and/or the geographical location of the appliance. Preferably, time slots are dynamically determined in cooperation with a plurality of service providers. Once the user selects a timeslot, the service is confirmed and scheduled. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080295359 | Shoe with detachable and flexible heel strap - A shoe manufactured from a moldable foam material having a heel strap formed of a flexible and elastic material. The heel strap has a first end which is fixedly attached to an interior outer side of an upper portion of shoe. The heel strap also has a second end which is removeably attachable to an exterior outer side of the upper portion of the shoe though use of a Velcro loop arrangement and a cooperating Velcro hook arrangement which are attached each to one of the exterior outer side of the upper portion of the shoe and the second end of the heel strap. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080237340 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SELF SERVICE CHECKOUT AND PRODUCT DELIVERY USING A MOBILE DEVICE - A mobile device, such as a cellular telephone, is used to extract information from an information carrying indicia, such as a barcode. The information extracted from the information carrying indicia is then used to redirect a browser of the mobile device to a first web/WAP page having information related to a product, the first web/WAP page having a link that is activatable to allow for the purchase of the product. In response to activation of the link, the mobile device is caused to display a second web/WAP page that provides a means for the user to specify a method for paying for the product, such as by using an e-commerce like wallet, via a customer-service representative, etc., and a third web/WAP page that provides a means for the user to specify a method by which the product is to be delivered to the user, such as at home, in-store, at an in-car pickup facility etc. | 10-02-2008 |
