Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130054313 | Computer System for Generating Purchase Recommendations with Corresponding Loan Offers - A computer system receives specification information about a future purchase by a customer and subsequently determines a candidate purchase from the specification information. The computer system may also generate and send a loan offer for the candidate purchase based on the degree of greenness of the candidate purchase. If the computer receives a response that is indicative of selecting the candidate purchase by the customer, the computer system may initiate a loan procedure for the candidate purchase and/or a reward for the candidate purchase. The loan offer for purchasing an item may be at least partially structured according to the degree of greenness of the item. For example, the interest rate for the loan may be reduced with the increased degree of greenness. | 02-28-2013 |
20130054332 | Computer System Supporting Green Incentive Program - A computer system processes transaction data about a customer's purchase. The computer system may access green index data that includes information about environmentally green purchases for green purchases. Based on comparing the green index data and the transaction data, an award may be provided to the customer in accordance with at least one purchase criterion, such as the purchase price and/or the degree of greenness of the purchased item. The account data for the customer is consequently updated for the award. The green index data may be derived by obtaining a list of candidate merchants and by comparing characteristics of a candidate merchant with at least one green factor. The candidate merchant may then be included in the green index data when a merchant score is greater than a predetermined score, where the merchant score may be based on the green characteristics of the candidate merchant. | 02-28-2013 |
20130054359 | Computer System for Generating Recommendations to a Customer About Being Greener - A computer system obtains purchase history data about past purchases from merchants by a customer. Based on location information about the merchants, the computer system determines a bundled travel plan so that the customer may travel to the merchants in a single trip to reduce a trip characteristic such as travel time, mileage, gasoline usage, or a combination thereof. The computer system may further send map information to a terminal device to display the bundled travel plan to facilitate navigation by the customer. The computer system may also provide a suggested purchase alternative for one of the past purchases by a customer. For example, the computer system may consider different factors including the relative degree of greenness between the past purchase and the suggested purchase alternative based on carbon footprints. | 02-28-2013 |
20130060617 | Rewarding Fiscal Responsibility - An enhanced rewards server may analyze the progress of an individual, group, and/or organization towards a financial goal and may reward the individual, group, and/or organization once the goal has been achieved. The enhanced rewards server may analyze various pieces of information, including transaction data related to credit cards and bank accounts, to determine whether the individual, group, and/or organization is making progress towards the financial goal. In addition, the rewards server may consider progress evaluations made by a social network associated with the individual, group, and/or organization in deciding whether or not a reward should be transmitted. | 03-07-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080238487 | Duty cycle comparator - A duty cycle comparator is described for comparing the duty cycles of two digital signals. The duty cycle comparator comprises a first controllable current source, a second controllable current source and a charge accumulation device. The comparator provides an output signal that is representative of the difference between the duty cycles independent of the frequency of the two digital signals. | 10-02-2008 |
20080240688 | Fan controller with duty cycle comparator - A control circuit for a direct current motor is described. In accordance with the principles of the invention, a duty cycle comparator is provided to control the speed of the motor. | 10-02-2008 |
20080265811 | DC motor variable kick-start - A method of operating a direct current motor fan assembly is provided in which a motor controller operates to apply full power to kick-start a motor to overcome static forces. As soon as a sensor determines that the motor has begun to rotate, the motor controller changes the motor drive level from full power to a predetermined lower level to maintain a desired rotational speed. | 10-30-2008 |
20080273865 | Noise suppresion suppression for hall sensor arrangements - A method and apparatus is provided for processing signals from a Hall effect device arrangement coupled to a monolithic brushless DC motor where the motor is driven by a PWM circuit providing PWM drive signals. | 11-06-2008 |
20090230904 | NOISE SUPPRESSION FOR HALL SENSOR ARRANGEMENTS - A method and apparatus is provided for processing signals from a Hall-effect device arrangement coupled to a monolithic brushless DC motor where the motor is driven by a PWM circuit providing PWM drive signals. | 09-17-2009 |