Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090037271 | RECOMMENDING THE ADDITIONAL PURCHASE OF A LESSER INCLUDED PART OF AN ITEM, WHEN THE ITEM IS SELECTED FOR PURCHASE AND IS NOT TO BE DELIVERED VIA THE INTERNET - Based on an online customer's selection of format and postal delivery option for an item (i.e. book, CD, or movie DVD) to be purchased, a computer implemented service recommends the additional purchase of a lesser included part (i.e. chapter, song, or movie scene) of the same item, in a digital format for download or access. The online customer who follows the recommendation will be able to download any selected lesser included part(s), or access any selected lesser included part(s) at a website controlled by the online merchant. In this way the online customer will have a “get it now option”, so that the customer may begin enjoying a lesser included part of the item immediately while waiting for the item to be delivered by postal carrier. | 02-05-2009 |
20090089205 | AUTOMATED QUALIFYING OF A CUSTOMER TO RECEIVE A CASH LOAN AT AN AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE - An automated system and method for qualifying a customer to receive a cash loan at an ATM, when the customer attempts to withdraw more than the available cash from an account that receives regular deposits, and selecting a fee to charge for overdraft protection on a transactional basis. The fee amount is selected from a range of fees, and is dependent on the amount of overdraft protection provided, as a percentage of the transaction amount. | 04-02-2009 |
20090150211 | System and Method for Making a Promotional Offer of a Coupon to a Checking Account Customer via an ATM - Disclosed are methods and systems for offering a coupon to a checking account customer via an ATM. Selecting a coupon to be offered to a checking account customer is based at least in part on information gathered from the customer's cleared checks, so that a coupon offered, is based on a proven sale. A customer may select to have a coupon delivered in paper or digital form by selecting a delivery preference at the ATM. | 06-11-2009 |
20090216637 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAKING A SYNTHETIC CASH ADVANCE USING A PURCHASE PAYMENT EXCHANGE - System and method provide for making a synthetic cash advance to a credit cardholder via a purchase-payment exchange. A beneficiary selects an item to be purchased by a cardholder for the beneficiary, and in exchange for the cardholder's purchase, the beneficiary transfers funds to the cardholder in an amount that is less than the purchase price of the item. Using this invention, the beneficiary receives the selected item, has a payment made at a discount, and the cardholder receives cash at the card's purchase interest rate. Two or more cardholders may be allowed to bid to make the beneficiary's purchase or payment. The winning bid may be selected based on the cardholder bid having the largest discount from the purchase price. | 08-27-2009 |
20100005023 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TRANSACTIONAL CREDIT - System and method for a second credit card issuer to provide transactional credit to a credit cardholder of a first credit card issuer, when the cardholder's account with the first issuer is in good standing and has an available credit balance equal to, or greater than, a proposed financial transaction with a merchant who does not accept the credit card of the first issuer, but does accept the credit card of the second issuer. The second issuer may charge a convenience fee to the customer, merchant, first credit card issuer, or any combination of them, for providing the transactional credit. Additionally, the second issuer may provide transactional credit to a customer to complete a financial transaction, via a reactivated credit card account of the second issuer, when the customer has a closed credit card account of the second credit card issuer that was closed in good standing. | 01-07-2010 |
20100076826 | ONBOARD AUCTION OF A FIRST CLASS SEAT TICKET - A system and method for making a sale of a ticket for an available first class seat, to a passenger seated in second class, when a carrier is underway to a final destination (i.e. is not scheduled to pick up additional passengers). The system may offer to sell the first class seat ticket only to members of the carrier's customer loyalty program (e.g. frequent flyer), or to any passenger seated in second class. When two or more passengers are seated in second class, the price of the ticket may be established by auction. | 03-25-2010 |
20100111274 | CONTROLLED THREE WAY CALLING - An inmate calls a call processing system and provides two phone numbers to it. The first phone number is for a 2 | 05-06-2010 |
20110110506 | SELECTIVELY ADDING A THIRD PARTY TO A COLLECT CALL - Prior to establishing a collect call, the called party agrees to pay an additional fee for any three-way call that may be established during the proposed collect call. If during the collect call, the called party attempts to add a third party to the collect call, a call processing system determines whether the third party's phone number is blocked from accepting a collect call. If the third party's phone number is blocked from accepting a collect call, the number will be dialed in an attempt to establish a three-way call. If the third person's phone number is not blocked from accepting a collect call, the called party to the original collect call will be advised that the phone number entered is not eligible for three-ways calling during the collect call, and the parties to the original collect call will be reconnected. If the original collect call originates from a custodial facility, the call processing system may additionally verify that that the original calling party is not disallowed from dialing any entered number, including the original called party's phone number and any subsequent third party's phone number that may be entered by the original called party, prior to the call processing system dialing said number(s). Service providers, by selectively allowing a three-way call during a collect call, to add a third party whose phone line is blocked from accepting a collect call, will earn revenues from communications that may never otherwise take place. | 05-12-2011 |
20110172065 | CHOKE DUMMY AND METHOD FOR STRENGTHENING THE MUSCLES USED IN PERFORMING A GUILLOTINE CHOKE - Disclosed is a strength training dummy for use in strengthening those muscles used in performing a guillotine choke. The dummy may have the form and dimensions of a man's head, neck, shoulders and upper torso. The dummy provides resistance to a user who pulls or lifts the dummy in a guillotine choke, beyond the weight of the dummy, when the dummy is attached to a weight. For example, the dummy may have a spine attached to a cable of a weight machine having an adjustable weight load. As the user becomes stronger in performing the guillotine choke, the dummy's resistance can be increased up to the weight machine's maximum load, to challenge the user. Instead of being attached to a cable, the dummy may attach to an extender bar that attaches to a free weight. The extender bar has a bend proximate to its attachment point with the dummy's spine. The extender bar's bend and length create a fulcrum to increase the difficulty of lifting a weight attached to the opposite end of the extender bar. | 07-14-2011 |
20120173416 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAKING A SYNTHETIC CASH ADVANCE USING A PURCHASE PAYMENT EXCHANGE - System and method provide for making a synthetic cash advance to a credit cardholder via a purchase-payment exchange. A second person selects an item to be purchased by a cardholder for the second person, and in exchange for the cardholder's credit card purchase, the second person pays the cardholder an amount of money that is less than the amount charged to the cardholder's credit card. Using this invention, the second person receives the selected item (or has a payment made) at a discount, and the cardholder is able to transform a credit card purchase into a synthetic cash advance at the credit card's purchase interest rate. Two or more cardholders may bid in an online auction to complete the second person's financial transaction in exchange for the second person's money. A cardholder who submits a conforming bid, that is willing to accept the least amount of money, may be selected as the auction winner. | 07-05-2012 |
20120204466 | DISARM PREVENTION CIRCUIT FOR A FIREARM AND A SYSTEM TO PREVENT A USER OF A FIREAM FROM BEING DISARMMED - A device and system for a firearm that enables a user to maintain possession of a firearm by holding at least one handle of the firearm, by delivering a high-voltage electrical shock to an assailant that attempts to disarm the user by grabbing the firearm out of the user's hands. | 08-16-2012 |