Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080243830 | User suggested ordering to influence search result ranking - A method, apparatus, and system of user suggested ordering to influence search result ranking are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a search result having a set of links each associated with a content data relevant to a search query, ranking individual ones of the set of links based on an algorithm in the search result, applying a weighting factor to certain ones of the set of links based on a user suggested ordering of the ranking of the individual ones of the set of links in relation to each other, and ordering the search result based on an application of the weighting factor on the search result. | 10-02-2008 |
20090024740 | Neighborhood block communication method and system - A method and system of neighborhood block communication is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of communication in a neighborhood block includes obtaining member data associated with a first member of the community network, determining a first location associated with the first member based on the member data, storing the member data in a member repository, determining a first number of points associated with the first member, and obtaining a first region of communication for the first member based on the first location and the first number of points. The method may further include displaying the first region of communication on a geo-spatial map. The method may also include bounding the first region of communication based on a connectedness of the first member in the first region of communication. | 01-22-2009 |
20090061883 | Business reviews claiming in a geo-spatial environment - A method, system and apparatus of business reviews claiming in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile to include an associated specific geographic location, at least a portion of the specific geographic locations associated with a business and/or a residence, associating a first user with a first user profile having a specific geographic location associated with a business, claiming the first user profile (e.g., may include verifying an email address, a business license, and/or a utility bill), and generating a promotion-related activity associated with the first user profile and the business. | 03-05-2009 |
20090061902 | Directories and groupings in a geo-spatial environment - A method, apparatus and system of directories and groupings in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes automatically placing communication information associated with a set of neighbors in a geo-spatial area into a group, mapping the set of neighbors in a map that simultaneously renders a set of pushpins representing each location of the set of neighbors to each other, and enabling a moderator and users of the group to provide additional information on each of the set of neighbors such that data associated with the set of neighbors is accessible by those of the set of neighbors who subscribe to the group. The method may further include providing a multi-modal interface such that the communication information enables communication through a plurality of modes including phone, fax, SMS, email, printed mail, and/or face to face meetings between the set of neighbors. | 03-05-2009 |
20090063467 | Persona management in a geo-spatial environment - A method and system of persona management in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment a method of a persona management includes creating a plurality of persona profiles associated with a first member of a community network, determining a plurality of locations associated with each of the persona profiles, displaying the persona profiles at the locations on a geo-spatial map, and managing the persona profiles using the geo-spatial map. The method may include accessing one of the persona profiles, determining a context of expression associated with the persona profiles, generating a communication between the persona profiles and/or a contact associated with the persona profiles based on the context of expression, and sending the communication to the contact using the community network. | 03-05-2009 |
20090069034 | Neighbor to neighbor relay in a geo-spatial environment - A method and system of neighbor to neighbor relay in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of managing a community network includes obtaining member data associated with a member of the community network, determining a location of the member based on the member data, storing the member data in a member repository, obtaining a number of profiles in the community network corresponding to a number of neighbors of the member based on the member data and the location, generating a neighbor to neighbor introduction using the member data and the profiles by forming a chain between neighbors such that one neighbor introduces a group formed between neighbors in the chain to another neighbor such that a neighbor to neighbor relay is formed in a geo-spatial social network, and facilitating the introduction between the member and a profiles using the neighbor to neighbor relay. | 03-12-2009 |
20090070435 | Targeted websites based on a user profile - A method, apparatus and system of targeted websites based on a user profile are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating profile information of a user based on interests of the user in a social network, associating links to the user based on contact information added by the user and by other users, creating a character profile of the user based on the profile information and the contact information, and selecting a targeted website address based on the character profile when the user requests access to a particular entity associated with targeted website. The method may further include applying a time of year filter when selecting the targeted website, such that the time of year filter automatically determines what information to show the user in the website based on an age an a marital status of the user captured through the profile information. | 03-12-2009 |
20140115671 | MAP BASED NEIGHBORHOOD SEARCH AND COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION - A method, apparatus and system of map based neighborhood search and community contribution are disclosed. In one embodiment, a neighborhood communication system is described. This embodiment includes a privacy server to apply an address verification algorithm associated with each user of the online community to verify that each user lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of an online community formed through a social community module of the privacy server using a processor and a memory. The privacy server automatically determines a set of access privileges in the online community associated with each user of the online community by constraining access in the online community based on a neighborhood boundary determined using an algorithm of the privacy server. The privacy server may constrain the particular user to communicate through the online community only with a set of neighbors having verified addresses using the privacy server. | 04-24-2014 |
20140123246 | MULTI-OCCUPANT STRUCTURE IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus, and system of multi-occupant structure in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. This embodiment includes a central module of a mapping server to determine, using a processor and a memory, that a marker is colliding with another marker simultaneously displayed in a map based on an overlap area of the marker with another marker, automatically create a group pointer that replaces the marker and another marker on the map, generate a view of the marker and the another marker when a user selects the group pointer, and generate a multiple-structure group pointer when the marker and the another marker are associated with adjacent structures which are not shared by occupants identified through the marker and another marker. | 05-01-2014 |
20140123247 | NEXTDOOR NEIGHBOR CONNECT - A method, apparatus and system of authenticating a particular user of a third-party application as being a verified user of a neighborhood communication system having a verified residential address in the neighborhood communication system are disclosed. In one embodiment a verification module of a privacy server authenticates a particular user of a third-party application as being a verified user of the neighborhood communication system having a verified residential address in the neighborhood communication system, communicates a social graph of the particular user based on the personal address privacy preference of the particular user to the third-party application, and provides the verified residential address to the third-party application based on the authentication of the particular user of the third-party application as being the verified user of the neighborhood communication system. | 05-01-2014 |
20140130140 | SECURITY IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus, and system of security in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment a privacy server verifies that each user of the community network lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of the community network formed through a social community module of a privacy server using a processor and a memory, to obtain from each user of the community network, using the processor of a computing device, member data associated with each user, the member data including an address, to associate the address with a profile of each user, to determine a location of each user based on the member data, to store the member data in a database, and to obtain a personal address privacy preference from each user, the personal address privacy preference specifying if the address should be displayed to other users. | 05-08-2014 |
20140136328 | IMMEDIATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NEIGHBORING USERS SURROUNDING A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - A system and methods for providing users with timely information including a geographic location, a description and information related to the marketing of goods associated with the news story are disclosed. A contact database is searched to select users whose geographic locations indicate a proximity to the geographic location of the news story. The information about the news story is generated to the selected users. An interface is created enabling an interested user to form an immediate communication in the form of an online interview with a neighboring user surrounding the specific geographic location of the news story. A contact information including an email address, an instant message identification and a telephonic contact number of users is generated. Other users can to access the contact information of the user when the user makes a submission in order to permit immediate communication between the other user and the submitter user. | 05-15-2014 |
20140136414 | AUTONOMOUS NEIGHBORHOOD VEHICLE COMMERCE NETWORK AND COMMUNITY - A method, device and system of an autonomous neighborhood vehicle commerce network in a community are disclosed. An autonomous neighborhood vehicle includes a set of wheels aligned in a pattern to provide the autonomous neighborhood vehicle stability while traversing a sidewalk, a bike lane and a roadway. The autonomous neighborhood vehicle has an electronic locking mechanism and a storage compartment which is capable of storing items. The embodiment includes a computer system of the autonomous neighborhood vehicle communicatively coupled to a commerce server of a neighborhood communication system through a wireless network to autonomously navigate the autonomous neighborhood vehicle to a destination specified by the commerce server. A navigation server of the autonomous neighborhood vehicle provides a remote sensing capability to the autonomous neighborhood vehicle such that the autonomous neighborhood vehicle is autonomously navigable to the destination. | 05-15-2014 |
20140143004 | EVENT PUBLICATION IN A NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL NETWORK - A method and system of event broadcast data publication through a neighborhood events server are disclosed. This embodiment includes validating that an event broadcast data is associated with a verified user of the neighborhood events server using a processor and memory. The embodiment includes verifying that a set of geospatial coordinates associated with the event broadcast data are trusted based on a claimed geospatial location of the verified user of the neighborhood events server and determining that a time stamp of the event broadcast data is trusted based on the claimed geospatial location of the verified user of the neighborhood events server. The embodiment includes automatically publishing the event broadcast data on a set of user profiles having verified addresses in a threshold radial distance from the set of geospatial coordinates associated with the event broadcast data of the verified user of the neighborhood events server using a radial algorithm. | 05-22-2014 |
20140143061 | GARAGE SALES IN A GEO-SPATIAL SOCIAL NETWORK - Disclosed are a method and a system of an automatic publication of garage sale broadcast data on a set of user profiles having associated verified addresses in a threshold radial distance from a set of geospatial coordinates associated with the garage sale broadcast data. The garage sale broadcast data is radially distributed to data processing systems associated with users and their profiles around an epicenter (defined at the set of geospatial coordinates associated with the garage sale broadcast data) to all subscribed user profiles in a circular geo-fenced area (defined by the threshold distance from the set of geospatial coordinates associated with the garage sale broadcast data) through the radial algorithm of a neighborhood broadcasting system that measures a distance away of each address associated with each user profile from the current geospatial location at the epicenter. | 05-22-2014 |
20140149244 | DEMAND AGGREGATION TO ENABLE EFFICIENT NEIGHBORHOOD DELIVERY - A method, apparatus, and system of demand aggregation in a geo-spatial network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes creating an item group associated with a registered user of a geo-spatial network, inviting a set of neighboring users geo-spatially proximate to the registered user to join the item group, placing at least one of the set of neighboring users as a member of the item group and/or communicating items of the item group to a set of providers of the items of the item group. The method may include placing a good and/or a service in the item group, and/or generating a frequency data, a pricing data, a unit data, and/or a time data. The method may further include geo-fencing the item group in an area that encompasses a neighborhood community in a threshold geographical radius from the registered user who creates the item group. | 05-29-2014 |
20140165091 | TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS BROADCASTED BY USERS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL NETWORK USING A RADIAL ALGORITHM - Disclosed are a method, a device and a system of television and radio station broadcast data generation in a constrained geospatial vicinity around a broadcast location of a neighborhood social network. In one embodiment, the station broadcast data is radially distributed as a notification data through at least one of an on-page posting, an electronic communication, and a push notification delivered to a set of recipients through an internet protocol (IP) based network associated with users and their user profiles around an epicenter defined at the set of geospatial coordinates associated with the station broadcast data generated through the computing device. | 06-12-2014 |
20140180914 | PEER-TO-PEER NEIGHBORHOOD DELIVERY MULTI-COPTER AND METHOD - A method, device and system of an autonomous neighborhood multi-copter commerce network in a community are disclosed. In one embodiment, an autonomous neighborhood multi-copter includes a storage compartment of the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter in which items are storable, a computer system of the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter that is communicatively coupled to a commerce server of a neighborhood communication system through a wireless network to autonomously navigate the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter to a destination in the neighborhood specified by the commerce server using a peer-to-peer network of client side devices in the neighborhood that are geo-constrained to a location of a defined neighborhood, and a navigation server of the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter to provide a remote sensing capability to the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter such that the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter is autonomously navigable to the destination using the peer-to-peer network. | 06-26-2014 |
20140188880 | PRIVATE NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL NETWORK, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - Disclosed are a method and system of private neighborhood social networks, according to one embodiment. In one aspect, a method of providing users of information with timely information about a news story related to the geographic locations of the users includes receiving a submission of a news story from the Internet via a computer network interface device. A contact database is searched to select users whose geographic locations indicate a proximity to the geographic location of the news story. The selected users are provided with the geographic location of the news story, the description of the details of the news story, and the information related to items associated with the news story. An interested user is enabled to form an immediate communication in the form of an online interview with a neighboring user surrounding the specific geographic location of the news story. | 07-03-2014 |
20140189013 | GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES AND NEIGBHORHOOD LEADS IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus and system of determining neighborhood leads and forming government structures in an online geo-spatial social community are disclosed. A method of organizing a community network includes obtaining a region on a geo-spatial map, obtaining a first subset of members of the community network associated with the region, determining a second subset of the members with a highest number of points from the first subset, creating a representative body (e.g., based on an activity level of each of the first subset) from the second subset, and enabling the representative body to manage a portion of the community network associated with the region. A lead member user may be appointed or designated from the representative body from the second subset of the plurality of members with the highest number of points from the first subset based on an acceptance of the lead member (having additional access privileges). | 07-03-2014 |
20140195350 | WHITE PAGE AND YELLOW PAGE DIRECTORIES IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus and system of white page and yellow page directories in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes geocoding an address data associated with a listing of a directory on a map and publishing an inventory of a user associated with the listing to market to other users and residents a threshold distance away from the address data associated with the listing. The method may include generating a set of coupons of a business associated with the listing as the inventory, and providing the set of coupons to the other users and residents the threshold distance away from the address data associated with the listing. The method may also include adjusting the threshold distance away based on a request of the user associated with the listing. | 07-10-2014 |
20140195629 | GEO-SPATIALLY CONSTRAINED PRIVATE NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL NETWORK - A method and system of a geo-spatially constrained private neighborhood social network is disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer server of the global neighborhood to verify that a user lives at a residence associated with a geographic location claimed by the user of the global neighborhood environment through a social community module of the computer server using a processor and a memory, to create a social network page of each user once verified, to enable the user to limit communications with only neighbors in a neighborhood in a geospatial vicinity of the user, and to distribute a message in a specified range of distance away from the registered users using an announce module. The computer server to constrain access in the online community with neighbors of the user based on the residence associated with the geographic location claimed by the user of the global neighborhood environment. | 07-10-2014 |
20140200963 | NEIGHBORHOOD POLLING IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus and system of polling in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile associated with a specific geographic location, determining a geographic region associated with a neighborhood, determining a first group of user profiles, the specific geographic location of each user profile associated with the geographic region, generating a first play view to include a three-dimensional map view embodied by the community network and the first group of the user profiles represented at locations in the three-dimensional map view associated with the specific geographic location of each user profile, generating a poll associated with the first group of user profiles and receiving poll results associated with the poll via a communication mode. The method may also include automatically tabulating the poll results and publishing, via the communication mode, the poll results. | 07-17-2014 |
20140222339 | HOLIDAY EXPRESSION AND SHARING IN A GEOSPATIALLY CONSTRAINED SOCIAL NETWORK - Disclosed are methods of verifying a user of a geospatial social network has a primary residence in a particular location associated with a claimed neighborhood using a processor and a memory. The user verified in the geospatial social network as having the primary residence at the particular location is permitted to place a holiday pushpin on a geospatial representation of a property boundary associated with the user. A holiday map in generated in which various homes associated with users of the geospatial social network who have placed holiday pushpins on their property boundaries are published to other verified users in the claimed neighborhood. The method restricts the visibility of the holiday map to users who have verified their address in the claimed neighborhood and denies access to the holiday map to users who have verified their addresses in neighborhoods different than the claimed neighborhood. | 08-07-2014 |
20140222534 | MOBILE CONTENT CREATION, SHARING, AND COMMERCE IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus, and system of a mobile content creation, sharing, and commerce in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes communicating a positioning data of the mobile device to a server at a periodic interval, automatically generating in the mobile device, in response to the server, a present location profile associated with a present geographic location of the mobile device, simultaneously generating, in the mobile device, a set of adjacent profiles provided by the server as being a direction away from the present geographic location of the mobile device and refreshing, in the mobile device, the present location profile and the set of adjacent profiles at the periodic interval. The method may include automatically attaching a present sense data in the present location profile when a user selects a capture function in the present location profile. | 08-07-2014 |
20140222577 | CAMPAIGN IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus, and system of a campaign in a geo-spatial environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes populating each profile of a geo-spatial social network with an address data, forming a group in support of a campaign in the geo-spatial network when a particular user creates the group in support of the campaign and automatically communicating media to a physical location of a member of the group based on the address data associated with each profile of the geo-spatial network. The method may also include automatically creating the group based on a public data associated with each profile of the geo-spatial social network even prior to certain users associated with each profile registering geo-spatial social network by applying the public data to the each profile. | 08-07-2014 |
20140222667 | COMMUNITY BASED CHARACTER EXPRESSION IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus and system of character expression in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile associated with a specific geographic location, associating a first user with a first user profile, providing a first character expression associated with the first user profile, generating a first display view to include a three-dimensional map view embodied by the community network, the first character expression, and the first user profile represented at a location in the three-dimensional map view associated with the specific geographic location of the first user profile, and simultaneously representing other user profiles adjacent to the first user profile in the three-dimensional map view. The method may also include providing elements as a part of a commerce transaction and enabling the commerce transaction via a user profile. | 08-07-2014 |
20140222704 | COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method and system of community boundaries in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method may include obtaining a location on a geo-spatial map, determining a representative of a community in the community network associated with the location, and obtaining a community boundary selection associated with a the community from the representative. A region corresponding to the community boundary selection on the geo-spatial map is determined and a community boundary associated with the community on the geo-spatial map from the community boundary selection is created. A residence may be determined of a member of the community network in the region. | 08-07-2014 |
20140236542 | INTERIOR SPACES IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus, and system of interior spaces in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of user profiles, each user profile in the plurality of user profiles including an associated specific geographic location. A user profile in the plurality of user profiles is selected. A first virtual interior space view of a first structure associated with a first specific geographic location of the selected user profile in the plurality of user profiles is generated. At least one claimable profile associated with the first virtual interior space view is generated with the first interior space view. Content, generating with the at least one claimable profile, may be appended to the at least one claimable profile. | 08-21-2014 |
20140236644 | MEALTIME COMMERCE AND PUBLISHING IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus and system of mealtime commerce and publishing in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile of the user profiles associated with a specific geographic location, generating meal events, each meal event of the meal events associated with a user profile of the user profiles, associating a first user with a first user profile, generating a first display view to include a map view embodied by the community network and a representation of a meal event associated with a second user profile of the user profiles represented at a location in the map view associated with the specific geographic location of the second user profile of the user profiles, and simultaneously representing other user profiles adjacent to the second user profile in the map view. | 08-21-2014 |
20140236700 | USER-MANAGED COUPONS IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus, and system of user-managed coupons in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes automatically applying a location meta-data to a coupon when a user provides the coupon to a geospatial environment based on a geographic marker of the user, storing the coupon in a library of coupons, searching the library of coupons based on the location meta-data based on a user request and flagging certain coupons in the library of coupons as being expired based on a user response. The method may further include providing an incentive to the user who provides the coupon to the geo-spatial environment in exchange of providing the coupon and/or in exchange of sharing a content meta-data that tags and identifies a source, duration, a value, and/or a description of the coupon. | 08-21-2014 |
20140236723 | BUSINESS REVIEWS CLAIMING IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, system and apparatus of business reviews claiming in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile to include an associated specific geographic location of the user, at least a portion of the specific geographic locations associated with a business, associating a first user with a first user profile having a specific geographic location associated with a business at the specific geographic location, enabling the first user to claim the first user profile (e.g., may include verifying an email address, a business license, and/or a utility bill), and generating for the first user a promotion-related activity associated with the business at the specific geographic location after the first user claims ownership of the first user profile. | 08-21-2014 |
20140236732 | PET MANAGEMENT AND PET GROUPS IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus, and system of pet management and pet groups in a geospatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile associated with a specific geographic location, procuring pet data, providing categories of the pet data, automatically generating, within the community network, groups of user profiles, each group of user profiles based on at least one category of the pet data, and generating a display view to include a map view embodied by the community network, a first group of user profiles, each user profile of the first group represented at a location in the map view corresponding to the specific geographic location with which each user profile is associated. | 08-21-2014 |
20140236753 | NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCE IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method of neighborhood commerce in a geo-spatial environment is disclosed. In one embodiment method includes associating a verified registered user with a user profile in a constrained online neighborhood community network that verifies all addresses of users, permitting the verified registered user to mark their profile as private, associating the user profile with a specific geographic location, marking a status of specific ones of the item data as being at least one of an on-sale status, a for-loan status, a free status, a donation status and a not-for-sale status based on responses of the user in populating an inventory database, and publishing the inventory database based on a request of the user during a duration of a specific day and time when an inventory is marketable. | 08-21-2014 |
20140236848 | DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus and system of dispute resolution in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a claimable interface such that users modify and add profiles of others prior to the profiles being claimed, permitting an initial claimant to control editability of a claimable portion of a selected profile when the initial claimant claims the selected profile, capturing what personally identifiable information the initial claimant is willing to submit if the selected profile is disputed, placing the selected profile in dispute when a disputing claimant challenges an ownership of the selected profile by the initial claimant, electing a dispute resolution process that communicates a code through a direct mail mechanism to a physical address associated with the selected profile, and allocating the selected profile to one of the initial claimant and the disputing claimant based on entry of the code in the selected profile. | 08-21-2014 |
20140236946 | NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK COMMUNICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM - A method and system of communication in a neighborhood block includes obtaining member data associated with a first member of the community network and determining a first location associated with the first member based on the member data, where the first location is a neighborhood address. The method and system further include storing the member data in a member repository, determining a first number of points associated with the first member, wherein points are connections of members with each other through social links, and obtaining a first region of communication for the first member based on the first location and the first number of points. The method and system may include displaying the first region of communication on a geo-spatial map and/or bounding the first region of communication based on a connectedness of the first member in the first region of communication. | 08-21-2014 |
20140237051 | NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR RELAY IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method and system of neighbor to neighbor relay in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of managing a community network, using a process and a memory, includes obtaining member data associated with a member of the community network from a member repository, and determining a location of a member based on the member data from a geo-spatial repository. A plurality of profiles are obtained corresponding to a plurality of neighbors of the member based on the member data, stored in the member repository, and the location. A member introduction algorithm is used to obtain a subset of members corresponding to a number of neighbors of a member based on member data and location. The member introduction algorithm is used to facilitate the introduction between the member and at least one of the subset of the plurality of members using the neighbor to neighbor relay. | 08-21-2014 |
20140237053 | USER-GENERATED COMMUNITY PUBLICATION IN AN ONLINE NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL NETWORK - A method of user-generated community publication in an online neighborhood social network is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method comprising generating an online neighborhood social network in which residents are represented as users, and in which residents have associated meta-data indicating at least one of a verified physical location and a privacy setting of the users; automatically generating a community publication based on the article submitted by a community journalist at a periodically occurring interval, wherein the community journalist is a resident of a private neighborhood constrained only to neighbors living in the private neighborhood through the online neighborhood social network; and publishing the community publication in the geospatial environment to targeted users distributable to an electronic location of at least a subset of the targeted users subscribing to the community publication when the electronic location is available in the private neighborhood of the online neighborhood social network. | 08-21-2014 |
20140237062 | DIRECT MAILING IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method and system of direct mailing in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a community network of user profiles, each user profile associated with a verified geographic location and at least one of a contact address, associating a first user with a first user profile, selecting a mail mode, selecting a communication, generating a first display view to include a map view embodied by the community network, at least a portion of the user profiles represented at a location in the map view associated with the verified geographic location of the first user profile, selecting a second user profile from the portion of the user profiles, and generating a mailing of the communication, in a format associated with the mail mode, between the first user profile and the contact address associated with the second user profile. | 08-21-2014 |
20140317696 | NEXTDOOR NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL NETWORK METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM - A method and system an online neighborhood social network designed to create private websites to facilitate communication among neighbors and build stronger neighborhoods. The private websites are embodied in a website having a domain name of nextdoor.com. In one embodiment, a method verifies that a user lives at a residence associated with a residential address claimed by the user of an online neighborhood social network. The method restricts access to a particular neighborhood to the user and to neighboring users living within the neighborhood boundary of the residence. A social network page of the user is created once verified and access privileges are determined. A message is distributed to neighboring users that are verified to live within a neighborhood boundary of the residence. The method may designate the user (e.g., as a lead user) with an additional privilege based on a participation level of the user in the online community. | 10-23-2014 |
20140337938 | BOOKMARKING AND LASSOING IN A GEO-SPATIAL ENVIRONMENT - A method, apparatus and system of bookmarking and lassoing in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment a method of bookmarking a plurality of entries includes receiving a lasso drawn on a geo-spatial map by a user, obtaining a region on the geo-spatial map based on the lasso, obtaining the plurality of entries from within the region, creating a plurality of bookmarks corresponding to the plurality of entries, associating the plurality of bookmarks with the user, and enabling access to the plurality of entries by the user using the plurality of bookmarks. The method may further include associating the plurality of entries with a group. The method may also include providing additional information corresponding to the plurality of entries to the user. The method may include presenting a mass profile edit option to the user for the plurality of entries. | 11-13-2014 |
20150019328 | ADVERTISING IN A NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL NETWORK METHOD, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEM - Disclosed are a method and a system of advertising in a next-door neighborhood social network. The method verifies that a user lives at a location that is associated with a current address where the user is living. A social network page of the user is created once verified in an online neighborhood social network. A message is distributed in a specified range of a distance away from the user to a geographic vicinity around the user originating the message. Permission of access in the neighborhood of the online neighborhood social network associated with the user is automatically determined. The user is permitted to submit a delisting request associated with a profile data. An access is segregated such that only a verified individual is able to view information. Neighbors in the neighborhood are notified regarding an event, an advertisement, and a promotion in their area based on radius for notification. | 01-15-2015 |
20150199742 | TRADE RECOMMENDATIONS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD ENVIRONMENT WITH CONFLICT RESOLUTION - A method, apparatus, and system of trade recommendations in a neighborhood environment with conflict resolution are disclosed. In one embodiment, a privacy server to verify that a user of the community network lives at a residence associated with a claimable residential address of the community network formed through a social community module of the privacy server, to establish a set of standards of service set by users of the community module restricted to a neighborhood boundary that a professional service provider must uphold, to provide a recommendation of the professional service provider to restricted to verified users in the neighborhood boundary, to provide a license to advertise in the community network constrained by the neighborhood boundary to the professional service provider, to provide a conflict management system resolving disputes related to service quality between the professional service provider and users of the community network constrained by the neighborhood boundary. | 07-16-2015 |
20150202770 | SIDEWALK MESSAGING OF AN AUTONOMOUS ROBOT - A method, device and system of sidewalk messaging of an autonomous robot are disclosed. In one embodiment, an autonomous robot includes a motherboard comprising a processor communicatively coupled with a memory, a sensory fusion circuitry to execute a command of a sensory fusion algorithm, and a communication circuitry to bi-directionally communicate an instruction between a central server and the autonomous robot. A sidewalk lighting circuitry executes a projection command of a sidewalk messaging algorithm. The sidewalk lighting circuitry autonomously projects a relevant projection of at least one of an operational status message, a directional message, and an advertisement message on a ground of a sidewalk area immediately in front of a present trajectory of the autonomous robot based on the projection command generated by applying the sidewalk messaging algorithm to instructions of at least one of the sensory fusion circuitry, the central server, and the communication circuitry. | 07-23-2015 |
20150369621 | VARIABLE BUS STOPS ACROSS A BUS ROUTE IN A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORK - Disclosed are a method and a system of variable bus stops across a bus route in a regional transportation network, according to one embodiment. A method of a bus server includes analyzing a current geospatial location of a mobile device responsive to a pick up request of a prospective bus passenger, associating a closest street intersection with the current geospatial location of the mobile device, and determining if a bus route traverses the closest street intersection associated with the current geospatial location of the mobile device. A message may be communicated to the mobile device based on the determination of whether the bus route traverses the closest street intersection. A bus associated with the bus route may be instructed to pick up the prospective bus passenger when the bus route traverses the closest street intersection associated with the current geospatial location of the mobile device. | 12-24-2015 |
20150371178 | TRAIN BASED COMMUNITY - Disclosed are a method and a system of a train based community, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a train track adjacent to a set of homes in a residential community, placing a boarding location in a property boundary of each one of the set of homes in the residential community, and routing the train track to a merchant in the residential community. A shopping cart is autonomously routed from at least one boarding location of the property boundary to the merchant based on a request of an occupier of a home associated with the property boundary. | 12-24-2015 |
20160021178 | DISTRIBUTED COMMUNICATION OF INDEPENDENT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES TO PROVIDE REDUNDANCY AND PERFORMANCE - A method and system of distributed communication of independent autonomous vehicles to provide redundancy and performance are disclosed. In one embodiment, a set of autonomous vehicles operates in a geographically proximate area through which peer-to-peer communication sessions are established between nearby ones of the set of autonomous vehicles through an ad-hoc network based on a present geo-spatial location of each one of the set of autonomous vehicles in communication proximity to preferred adjacent ones of the set of autonomous vehicles. A central server directly coupled to each of the set of autonomous vehicles establishes centralized communication paths with each of the set of autonomous vehicles through a wide area network. The centralized server processes a communication from adjacent ones of the set of autonomous vehicles when an error condition is detected in an operational mode of a non-functional vehicle that has lost communication with the central server. | 01-21-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100274674 | MEDIA NAVIGATION SYSTEM - A media navigation system provides a user interface for navigating and interacting with streamed media objects, including video. The system may employ media markers representing time locations within a media file in addition to images or other representations derived from the media object. The system displays a tile layout representing a sequence of the media at an interval comprising a set of sub intervals corresponding to the tiles, and enables a user to click on the tiles to navigate to a next set of tiles which correspond to a different interval, and which replace the currently displayed tiles on the display. Navigation can include zooming in (smaller interval), zooming out (larger interval) and “panning” (preceding or succeeding interval) at arbitrary intervals. Individual tiles may also include visual indicators of relative importance or activity such as the number of comments associated with a sub interval. | 10-28-2010 |
20110161409 | MEDIA MASHUP SYSTEM - A media mashup system functions as a virtualizable endpoint called an Intelligent Multimedia Pod, or IMP, that ensures a reliable and high-quality multimedia user-experience for a variety of mobile user devices such as intelligent phones etc. The media mashup platform uses a web 2.0 media mashup model that offers several key features including Near Real Time (NRT) service continuity, control-proxy for a mobile-friendly web-surfing experience, finely-filtered content aggregation based on meta-data, context sensors and buddy blaster content sharing/recommendation. These features are brought together using a web 2.0 service mashup model that integrates media meta-data together with various context sensors including mobility-related sensors such as location and presence, time-of-day, voice commands, as well as time-shifted playback. | 06-30-2011 |
20120002717 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LIVE STREAMING VIDEO WITH DYNAMIC RATE ADAPTATION - A live streaming system/method provides cross platform live streaming capabilities to mobile devices. A file format compatible with legacy HTTP infrastructure is used to deliver media over a persistent connection. Legacy client media players can dynamically change the encoded rate of the media delivered over a persistent connection. Standard HTTP servers may be used without modification, leveraging standard media players embedded in mobile devices for seamless media delivery over wireless networks with high bandwidth fluctuations. | 01-05-2012 |
20120004960 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT STREAMING VIDEO DYNAMIC RATE ADAPTATION - A streaming media system employs dynamic rate adaptation. The method includes a file format compatible with legacy HTTP infrastructure to deliver media over a persistent connection. The method further includes the ability for legacy client media players to dynamically change the encoded delivery rate of the media over a persistent connection. The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP servers, requiring no modification and leverages standard media players embedded in mobile devices for seamless media delivery over wireless networks with high bandwidth fluctuations. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server in accordance with the method. | 01-05-2012 |
20120005364 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NETWORK AWARE ADAPTIVE STREAMING FOR NOMADIC ENDPOINTS - In a system for streaming data over a network, the type and rate of streaming are automatically varied based on available network bandwidth. Video media is transcoded into different bit rate encodings that are divided into segment files. Segments are sent from a network-aware adaptive streaming (NAAS) server and reassembled and presented to a media player at a client device. The system may download additional segment files ahead of time from multiple NAAS servers to increase throughput. A playback status (“bookmark”) may be maintained to keep track of what the user has viewed and to allow the user to continue playing from where the user left off. The user may continue watching from the bookmark point on the same device or on a different device. | 01-05-2012 |
20120005365 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT STREAMING VIDEO DYNAMIC RATE ADAPTATION - A streaming media system employs dynamic rate adaptation. The method includes a file format compatible with legacy HTTP infrastructure to deliver media over a persistent connection. The method further includes the ability for legacy client media players to dynamically change the encoded delivery rate of the media over a persistent connection. The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP servers, requiring no modification and leverages standard media players embedded in mobile devices for seamless media delivery over wireless networks with high bandwidth fluctuations. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server in accordance with the method. | 01-05-2012 |
20120005366 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RETRIEVING AND RENDERING LIVE STREAMING DATA - A live streaming system/method provides cross platform live streaming capabilities to mobile devices. A file format compatible with legacy HTTP infrastructure is used to deliver media over a persistent connection. Legacy client media players can dynamically change the encoded rate of the media delivered over a persistent connection. Standard HTTP servers may be used without modification, leveraging standard media players embedded in mobile devices for seamless media delivery over wireless networks with high bandwidth fluctuations. | 01-05-2012 |
20120011267 | LIVE STREAMING MEDIA DELIVERY FOR MOBILE AUDIENCES - A live streaming system/method provides cross platform live streaming capabilities to mobile devices. The live streaming system includes a live streaming recorder operative to (1) capture a live media stream generated by a live media source and save the captured live media stream as a recorded stream in a recorded media file, and (2) transcode the recorded stream into a plurality of transcoded media files of respective different media encoding formats. The system further includes a stream distribution subsystem operative to generate a plurality of distributed media streams each generated from one or more of the transcoded media files, each distributed media stream being delivered to a corresponding set of the mobile endpoint devices. | 01-12-2012 |
20120144195 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR UNIFIED MOBILE CONTENT PROTECTION - Media content is delivered to a variety of mobile devices in a protected manner based on client-server architecture with a symmetric (private-key) encryption scheme. A media preparation server (MPS) encrypts media content and publishes and stores it on a content delivery server (CDS), such as a server in a content distribution network (CDN). Client devices can freely obtain the media content from the CDS and can also freely distribute the media content further. They cannot, however, play the content without first obtaining a decryption key and license. Access to decryption keys is via a centralized rights manager, providing a desired level of DRM control. | 06-07-2012 |
20120240176 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FEDERATED OVER-THE-TOP CONTENT DELIVERY - A method is provided for managing over-the-top delivery of content through a plurality of content delivery networks (CDN). The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP servers supporting an initial request for content from a client to a first preferred CDN. If the first CDN does not have the content, the method includes provisions for the first CDN to acquire the content from a second CDN, or for the client to request the content from a second CDN directly. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server infrastructure in accordance with the provisions of the method. | 09-20-2012 |
20120265892 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURE AND RELIABLE VIDEO STREAMING WITH RATE ADAPTATION - A system for media delivery includes a server-side proxy for aggregating and encrypting stream data for efficient HTTP-based distribution over an unsecured network. A client-side proxy decrypts and distributes the encapsulated stream data to client devices. A multicast-based infrastructure may be used for increased scalability. The encoded rate of the media delivered over the persistent HTTP proxy connections may be dynamically adapted. The client-side proxy may be integrated within a mobile device for maximum network security and reliability. | 10-18-2012 |
20130097309 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CARRIER CONTROLLED DYNAMIC RATE ADAPTATION AND CLIENT PLAYOUT RATE REDUCTION - A method and system is provided for controlling bandwidth rate limiting and client rendering rate limiting in a video delivery network. The method provides network service providers with a means for overriding video delivery data rates selected through dynamic client bitrate adaptation, as well as video data rendering rates of the clients, to limit the impact of network congestion. A system is also specified for implementing a client and a proxy computer in accordance with the method. The system works transparently with standard HTTP-based video delivery systems and includes an HTTP proxy cache infrastructure to support bandwidth rate limiting and client rending rate limiting. The system further provides for administrative overrides of client bitrate selection and client bandwidth usage. | 04-18-2013 |
20130152180 | DEVICE USING SECURE PROCESSING ZONE TO ESTABLISH TRUST FOR DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT - A DRM client on a device establishes trust with a DRM server for playback of digital content. The client executes in a secure execution environment, and the process includes (1) securely loading loader code from secure programmable memory and verifying it using a digital signature scheme and first key securely stored in the device; (2) by the verified loader code, loading DRM client code from the memory and verifying it using a digital signature scheme and second key included in the loader code; (3) by the verified DRM client code (a) obtaining a domain key from the memory; (b) encrypting the domain key with a device identifier using a DRM system key included in the DRM client code; and (c) sending the encrypted domain key and device identifier to the DRM server, whereby the device becomes registered to receive content licenses via secure communications encrypted using the domain key. | 06-13-2013 |
20130282890 | IN-STREAM COLLECTION OF ANALYTICS INFORMATION IN A CONTENT DELIVERY SYSTEM - Analytics information is collected in a content delivery network when content requests are received by a content router. Analytics information may be gleaned from uniform resource identifiers, and additional augmented analytics information may be specified by either the client that issued the request or an intermediate network node that proxied the request. The augmented analytics information may be specified in proprietary HTTP header fields. Information collection includes intercepting content requests; correlating URIs with known content assets; associating content requests with session state; extracting downstream node augmented information from the content requests; updating session information in persistent storage; selecting target locations from which to retrieve the content assets; and redirecting the content requests to the target locations. | 10-24-2013 |
20130311775 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR UNIFIED MOBILE CONTENT PROTECTION - Media content is delivered to a variety of mobile devices in a protected manner based on client-server architecture with a symmetric (private-key) encryption scheme. A media preparation server (MPS) encrypts media content and publishes and stores it on a content delivery server (CDS), such as a server in a content distribution network (CDN). Client devices can freely obtain the media content from the CDS and can also freely distribute the media content further. They cannot, however, play the content without first obtaining a decryption key and license. Access to decryption keys is via a centralized rights manager, providing a desired level of DRM control. | 11-21-2013 |
20140047069 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FEDERATED OVER-THE-TOP CONTENT DELIVERY - A method is provided for managing over-the-top delivery of content through a plurality of content delivery networks (CDN). The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP servers supporting an initial request for content from a client to a first preferred CDN. If the first CDN does not have the content, the method includes provisions for the first CDN to acquire the content from a second CDN, or for the client to request the content from a second CDN directly. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server infrastructure in accordance with the provisions of the method. | 02-13-2014 |
20140149210 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AD INSERTION IN OVER-THE-TOP LIVE MEDIA DELIVERY - A method is provided for performing targeted ad insertion in over-the-top delivery of content by detecting ad replacement opportunities in a live content stream and preparing the content for seamless replacement with segmented HTTP adaptive streaming delivery. The method includes provisions for multi-stage proxy-based segment replacement for targeted ad delivery. The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP adaptive streaming clients. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server content delivery infrastructure in accordance with the provisions of the method. | 05-29-2014 |
20140150019 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AD INSERTION IN OVER-THE-TOP LIVE MEDIA DELIVERY - A method is provided for performing targeted ad insertion in over-the-top delivery of content by detecting ad replacement opportunities in a live content stream and preparing the content for seamless replacement with segmented HTTP adaptive streaming delivery. The method includes provisions for multi-stage proxy-based segment replacement for targeted ad delivery. The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP adaptive streaming clients. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server content delivery infrastructure in accordance with the provisions of the method. | 05-29-2014 |
20150074831 | Method and System for Federated Over-the-Top Content Delivery - A method is provided for managing over-the-top delivery of content through a plurality of content delivery networks (CDN). The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP servers supporting an initial request for content from a client to a first preferred CDN. If the first CDN does not have the content, the method includes provisions for the first CDN to acquire the content from a second CDN, or for the client to request the content from a second CDN directly. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server infrastructure in accordance with the provisions of the method. | 03-12-2015 |
20150095646 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR UNIFIED MOBILE CONTENT PROTECTION - Media content is delivered to a variety of mobile devices in a protected manner based on client-server architecture with a symmetric (private-key) encryption scheme. A media preparation server (MPS) encrypts media content and publishes and stores it on a content delivery server (CDS), such as a server in a content distribution network (CDN). Client devices can freely obtain the media content from the CDS and can also freely distribute the media content further. They cannot, however, play the content without first obtaining a decryption key and license. Access to decryption keys is via a centralized rights manager, providing a desired level of DRM control. | 04-02-2015 |
20150106481 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CARRIER CONTROLLED DYNAMIC RATE ADAPTATION AND CLIENT PLAYOUT RATE REDUCTION - A method and system is provided for controlling bandwidth rate limiting and client rendering rate limiting in a video delivery network. The method provides network service providers with a means for overriding video delivery data rates selected through dynamic client bitrate adaptation, as well as video data rendering rates of the clients, to limit the impact of network congestion. A system is also specified for implementing a client and a proxy computer in accordance with the method. The system works transparently with standard HTTP-based video delivery systems and includes an HTTP proxy cache infrastructure to support bandwidth rate limiting and client rending rate limiting. The system further provides for administrative overrides of client bitrate selection and client bandwidth usage. | 04-16-2015 |
20150106618 | Device Using Secure Processing Zone to Establish Trust for Digital Rights Management - A DRM client on a device establishes trust with a DRM server for playback of digital content. The client executes in a secure execution environment, and the process includes (1) securely loading loader code from secure programmable memory and verifying it using a digital signature scheme and first key securely stored in the device; (2) by the verified loader code, loading DRM client code from the memory and verifying it using a digital signature scheme and second key included in the loader code; (3) by the verified DRM client code (a) obtaining a domain key from the memory; (b) encrypting the domain key with a device identifier using a DRM system key included in the DRM client code; and (c) sending the encrypted domain key and device identifier to the DRM server, whereby the device becomes registered to receive content licenses via secure communications encrypted using the domain key. | 04-16-2015 |
20150113104 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LIVE STREAMING VIDEO WITH DYNAMIC RATE ADAPTATION - A live streaming system/method provides cross platform live streaming capabilities to mobile devices. A file format compatible with legacy HTTP infrastructure is used to deliver media over a persistent connection. Legacy client media players can dynamically change the encoded rate of the media delivered over a persistent connection. Standard HTTP servers may be used without modification, leveraging standard media players embedded in mobile devices for seamless media delivery over wireless networks with high bandwidth fluctuations. | 04-23-2015 |
20150229471 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURING CONTENT KEYS DELIVERED IN MANIFEST FILES - A method and a user device are disclosed for securing streaming content decryption. The method includes receiving at the user device a manifest for requested content, the manifest providing a Content Encryption Key (CEK) that is encrypted using a first public Key Encryption Key (KEK), a corresponding first private KEK being stored in secure storage on the user device; decrypting, inside a secure processing zone on the user device, the CEK using the first private KEK to create a decrypted content key; decrypting, inside the secure processing zone, requested content using the decrypted content key to form decrypted content; and providing the decrypted content to a decoder on the mobile user device. | 08-13-2015 |
20150304197 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NETWORK AWARE ADAPTIVE STREAMING FOR NOMADIC ENDPOINTS - In a system for streaming data over a network, the type and rate of streaming are automatically varied based on available network bandwidth. Video media is transcoded into different bit rate encodings that are divided into segment files. Segments are sent from a network-aware adaptive streaming (NAAS) server and reassembled and presented to a media player at a client device. The system may download additional segment files ahead of time from multiple NAAS servers to increase throughput. A playback status (“bookmark”) may be maintained to keep track of what the user has viewed and to allow the user to continue playing from where the user left off. The user may continue watching from the bookmark point on the same device or on a different device. | 10-22-2015 |
20160080456 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT STREAMING VIDEO DYNAMIC RATE ADAPTATION - A streaming media system employs dynamic rate adaptation. The method includes a file format compatible with legacy HTTP infrastructure to deliver media over a persistent connection. The method further includes the ability for legacy client media players to dynamically change the encoded delivery rate of the media over a persistent connection. The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP servers, requiring no modification and leverages standard media players embedded in mobile devices for seamless media delivery over wireless networks with high bandwidth fluctuations. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server in accordance with the method. | 03-17-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100145324 | GASTRIC RESTRICTION DEVICES WITH FILLABLE CHAMBERS AND ABLATION MEANS FOR TREATING OBESITY - The invention relates to a gastric restraining device for treating excessive weight or obesity in mammals. The gastric restraining device includes an elastomeric sheet configured to be placed around a stomach of a mammal, an ablation device attached to the elastomeric sheet, the ablation device configured to emit energy toward an outer surface of the stomach when the elastomeric sheet is placed around the stomach, and an energy device coupled to the ablation device to generate the energy and to transfer the energy to the ablation device. | 06-10-2010 |
20100145370 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GASTRIC RESTRICTION OF THE STOMACH TO TREAT OBESITY - The invention generally relates to a method and apparatus to treat obesity. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention relates to tucking a portion of the greater curvature of the stomach inwards, and covering the stomach around the greater curvature and lesser curvature with a silicone skirt to induce satiety and reduce the volume of the stomach body. | 06-10-2010 |
20100249822 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBESITY AND CONTROLLING WEIGHT GAIN USING ADJUSTABLE INTRAGASTRIC DEVICES - The invention generally relates to an intragastric space-occupying device configured to be positioned within a stomach of a mammal for treating excessive weight or obesity. The intragastric space-occupying device may include an inner rod and an outer rod surrounding the inner rod, the outer rod moveable along the inner rod, the outer rod being movable between an outer first position and an inner second position. The intragastric space-occupying device may also include a plurality of support structures, each support structure having a first end connected to the inner rod and a second end connected to the outer rod, the plurality of support structures being in a collapsed position when the outer rod is in the outer first position and being in an extended position when the outer rod is in the inner second position and a covering positioned on the plurality of support structures. | 09-30-2010 |
20100249825 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBESITY AND CONTROLLING WEIGHT GAIN USING SELF-EXPANDING INTRAGASTRIC DEVICES - The invention generally relates to a method and apparatus to treat obesity and controlling weight gain. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention relates to a covered cage device that is implanted within a human's stomach to occupy volume and cause a reduced desire for eating. The covered cage device is made from a wire-mesh, such a Nitinol, and can be adjustable and collapsible. In another embodiment, the covered cage device has edges that provide stimulation to the stomach to induce a feeling of fullness. | 09-30-2010 |
20110118650 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBESITY AND CONTROLLING WEIGHT GAIN AND ABSORPTION OF GLUCOSE IN MAMMALS - The present invention includes an endoluminal sleeve having a stomach sleeve portion, an antral sleeve portion, and an intestine sleeve portion. The endoluminal sleeve includes a flexible core layer which is formed from a self-expanding material. The flexible core layer in the stomach sleeve portion can self expand to grip the stomach. The antral sleeve is located in the pyloric antrum and is connected to the stomach sleeve portion and the intestine sleeve portion. The intestine sleeve portion is connected to the antral sleeve through a junction. The junction contains non-self-expanding material allowing the pyloric sphincter to properly function. The intestine sleeve portion is located in the small intestines. The intestine sleeve portion can have fenestrations, roots, a nutrient delivery layer, a nutrient delivery cover, an outer shell with a plurality of holes, and/or a semi-porous skin for nutrient delivery to the small intestines. | 05-19-2011 |
20120078307 | PEDICLE SCREWS AND DYNAMIC ADAPTORS - The present invention may include a pedicle screw with a multifunctional adaptor, a strain reliever, and a dual-surface cap. The multifunctional adaptor may include a convex pivot ring for improving multi-axial movement and locking stability, an integrated locking mechanism for improving maneuverability, and an integrated compression member for improving the assembly process. The strain reliever may be formed along a neck of the pedicle screw for relieving mechanical stress asserted thereto, and thereby preventing a breakage thereof. The dual-surface cap may provide a slightly sloped surface for reducing the tension of the stabilizing rod. The present invention may also provide for a dynamic adaptor for flexibly connecting two stabilizing rods, which may be versatilely adapted to various pedicle screw configurations. | 03-29-2012 |
20120095510 | CROSS CONNECTORS - The present invention may provide various improvements over conventional cross connectors. For example, the present invention may provide various types of Real-X cross connectors, which may have an arch shape X-bridge that curves above the spinal bone segments of the patient. As such, the Real-X cross connectors may be more adaptive to the patient's spinal provide and provide better protect for the patient's the spinal bone segments. For another example, the present invention may provide various types of Real-O cross connectors, which may have a protection ring for protecting the patient's spinous process. Because of its protection ring, the implantation of one of the Real-O cross connectors may eliminate the need of spinous process removal. Furthermore, a Real-O cross connector may be combined with a Real-X cross connector to form a Real-XO cross connector, which may inherit the functional benefits of both the Real-X and Real-O cross connectors. | 04-19-2012 |
20120095511 | CROSS CONNECTORS - The present invention may provide various improvements over conventional cross connectors. For example, the present invention may provide various types of Real-X cross connectors, which may have an arch shape X-bridge that curves above the spinal bone segments of the patient. As such, the Real-X cross connectors may be more adaptive to the patient's spinal provide and provide better protect for the patient's the spinal bone segments. For another example, the present invention may provide various types of Real-O cross connectors, which may have a protection ring for protecting the patient's spinous process. Because of its protection ring, the implantation of one of the Real-O cross connectors may eliminate the need of spinous process removal. Furthermore, a Real-O cross connector may be combined with a Real-X cross connector to form a Real-XO cross connector, which may inherit the functional benefits of both the Real-X and Real-O cross connectors. | 04-19-2012 |
20120095512 | CROSS CONNECTORS - The present invention may provide various improvements over conventional cross connectors. For example, the present invention may provide various types of Real-X cross connectors, which may have an arch shape X-bridge that curves above the spinal bone segments of the patient. As such, the Real-X cross connectors may be more adaptive to the patient's spinal provide and provide better protect for the patient's the spinal bone segments. Moreover, the Real-X cross connectors may incorporate a complementary pivot joint configuration for smoothening the stress distribution and reducing the stress concentration around the center of the arch shape X-bridge. Advantageously, the complementary pivot joint configuration may enhance the rigidity and stability of the Real-X cross connectors. | 04-19-2012 |
20120123465 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBESITY AND CONTROLLING WEIGHT GAIN USING SELF-EXPANDING INTRAGASTRIC DEVICES - The invention generally relates to a method and apparatus to treat obesity and controlling weight gain. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention relates to a covered cage device that is implanted within a human's stomach to occupy volume and cause a reduced desire for eating. The covered cage device is made from a wire-mesh, such a Nitinol, and can be adjustable and collapsible. In another embodiment, the covered cage device has edges that provide stimulation to the stomach to induce a feeling of fullness. | 05-17-2012 |
20120150300 | INTER-VERTEBRAL-BODY SPACER - An inter-vertebral-body (IVB) spacer may include a skeletal body and a pair of interchangeable contact pads. The skeletal body may be made of a rigid material for providing structure support, and the pair of contact pads may be made of a softer material for contacting the endplates of the vertebral bodies. Advantageously, the IVB spacer may be strong enough to withstand the pressure applied between the vertebral bodies yet soft enough to protect the vertebral bodies from being eroded. Moreover, the IVB spacer may have an inter-pad angle, which may be adjusted to adapt to patients with various vertebral bone structures. The inter-pad angle of the IVB spacer may be adjusted by simply selecting and replacing one of the contact pads. | 06-14-2012 |