| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080200253 | System and Method to Levy and Collect Taxes in a Virtual Environment - A virtual environment in which players are charged and able to charge taxes for various taxable activities. The tax may be levied by a governmental authority or other entity or by one or more characters in the metaverse. The tax may be imposed at the time of a taxable activity, at periodic intervals, or upon the occurrence of an event. The tax may be imposed for a specific purpose, e.g. to create a fund to use as insurance against possible harms, threats, or misdeeds, to protect the tax payers from impending or realized threats, or for any or no reason. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080201316 | Providing Certified Patent Searches Conducted by Third Party Researchers - Improved methods for drafting, preparing, and submitting a patent application are described. The system incorporates a web-based tool in which applications are drafted. The web-based tool allows for real time analysis of the application as it is being drafted. Automated suggestions, prior art searching, researcher and attorney recommendations are also disclosed. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080207327 | Virtual Environment with Alerts - A virtual environment in which players are able to receive alerts intended to indicate the occurrence of a given event within the virtual environment. The alerts may be delivered to the player while he is playing the game via an in-game messaging service or other similar device. Alternatively the alerts may be delivered to the player via a real world communication device such as a cell phone, pager, text messaging device, or the like. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080303811 | Virtual Professional - A virtual environment including a plurality of virtual professionals capable or providing goods and services to players in the virtual environment is described. The goods and services may be relevant to the real world, the virtual world, or both. Single-use avatars whose availability is limited and which are configured to protect the anonymity of the player controlling the single-use avatar may be used when anonymity is desired. Queues may be used to schedule appointments with virtual professionals. | 12-11-2008 |
| 20090144066 | Method and System for Differential Billing - A system and method of distinguishing between transactions involving a widget and charging the same or different parties for the use, placement and content of the widget and clones of a widget based on those transactions. Such a system and method allows for differential billing for clones of widgets used on the same or different websites. Charges may be incurred based on the type of transaction and charges for the same or different transactions or the same or different uses of the same widget may be incurred by one or more customers. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090144749 | Alert and Repair System for Data Scraping Routines - A system and method of detecting and reporting the failure of a data scrape or redirect routine. In the event of a failure, the system may reattempt a data scrape based on different parameters. Such a system and method may further provide for the repair or replacement of failed routines with new or pre-existing routines. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090146378 | Real Time Trivia Match with Audience Votes and Rewards - The present disclosure provides a trivia game in which a first contestant is able to create a trivia question and them posit a putative answer to the question. Audience members can then vote as to whether or not the putative answer is correct or incorrect. A reward may be distributed to some members of the audience based on the results of the vote. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090149234 | Managing Participation in a series of Matches in a Real Time Trivia Match - The present disclosure provides a trivia game in which a contestant selected from a group of participants is able to create a trivia question and then posit a putative answer to the question. The participants can then vote as to whether or not the putative answer is correct or incorrect. Participants may be rated in order to determine eligibility and access to various aspects of the game. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090149235 | Paying Royalties Based on Content Usage in a Trivia Game - The present disclosure provides a trivia game associated with a database of trivia content items. Contestants are able to create a trivia question related to the trivia content items. The trivia game further includes a mechanism for tracking use of the trivia content items and distributing revenue to revenue recipients, such as copyright holders, based on various types of usage. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090149236 | Creating a Virtual Item Skin from Content in a Real Time Trivia Match - The present disclosure provides a mechanism by which end users can create virtual item skins from content displayed in a database of digital content. In the case of digital video content, an end user is able to create a virtual item skin from objects or people shown in the digital videos. A revenue distribution mechanism distributes revenue to revenue recipients such as copyright holders. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090149259 | Real Time Trivia Match with Questions with Proof - The present disclosure provides a trivia game in which a first contestant is able to create a trivia question related to a database of video clips and a compilation proof comprised of clips from the database. The contestant may then posit a putative answer to the question, based on the compilation proof. Audience members can then vote as to whether or not the putative answer is correct or incorrect. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090150345 | Web Domain Data Replication System - A system and method of increasing the visibility of a website by automatically generating one or more additional linked webpages relating to the website. Information used in the webpages may be gathered from the original website or the websites of one or more third party website. Such a system may increase the ranking of a website in the results of one or more search engines. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090170604 | Mediation of Disputes in a Virtual Environment - A mechanism for dispute mediation and resolution in a virtual environment is provided. The mechanism may involve the breach of a virtual contract and the determination of suitable penalties against the breaching parties. In some embodiments, the mechanism may include a judge or jury comprising members of the virtual community. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20100094751 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ENFORCING PURCHASE AGREEMENTS - Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture and methods are provided for establishing (e.g., online) a buyer price for a first plurality of products. In one embodiment, the buyer price is lower than a retail price of the first plurality of products. A second plurality of products that the buyer has actually received during the subsequent transaction is determined. A penalty may be assessed if the first plurality of products does not correspond to the second plurality of products. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20110099082 | PURCHASING, REDEMPTION AND SETTLEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS WHEREIN A BUYER TAKES POSSESSION AT A RETAILER OF A PRODUCT PURCHASED USING A COMMUNICATION NETWORK - Purchasing, redemption and settlement systems and methods are provided wherein a buyer takes possession of a product at a retailer. A purchasing system may communicate with a buyer through a communication network to establish a first price for a product between the buyer and a seller. The purchasing system may also arrange for the buyer to take possession of the product at a retailer, different from the seller, that offers the product for sale at a second price. Verification information, which enables the retailer to authorize the buyer to take possession of the product, is transmitted to the retailer. The buyer provides a payment, based on the first price, to the purchasing system in exchange for the right to take possession of the product at the retailer. In one embodiment, the purchasing system receives a buyer offer, including an offer price, related to the product. In another embodiment, the purchasing system transmits redemption information, including a redemption code, to the buyer. The redemption information may also include information that enables the creation of a voucher to be used when taking possession of the product. The purchasing system may also receive information related to an attempt by the buyer to take possession of the product, including the redemption code, from the retailer. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110145121 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AND PROCESSING INSTALLMENT PLANS AT A TERMINAL - According to some embodiments, a central controller receives a selection signal. If the selection signal indicates acceptance of any installment plan, use of the accepted installment plan for the financial account is authorized. Thereafter, bills may be generated that reflect installment charges to be paid. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110153407 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AND ESTABLISHING A PROGRESSIVE DISCOUNT BASED UPON CUSTOMER VISITS TO A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT - Methods, computer readable media and apparatus are disclosed for determining and applying a discount for a customer. In some embodiments, the process includes receiving transaction data that represents a current transaction, receiving a customer identifier of a customer, determining a current transaction time and a last transaction time, determining that a duration between the last transaction time and the current transaction time equals or exceeds a predetermined time period, and determining that the current transaction is a first instance of the customer equaling or exceeding the predetermined time period. Since it was the first time the customer equaled or exceeded the predetermined time period, a discount is applied to the current transaction. | 06-23-2011 |
