376 results about "Point system" patented technology

Systems are arranged to provide a user information which relates to objects of interest. A user may point a hand held device toward an object to address it. The device determines which objects are being addressed by making position and attitude measurements and further a reference and search of a database containing preprogrammed information relating to objects. Information relating to objects determined as objects presently being addressed is thereafter presented at a user interface. Devices of these systems include a point reference, a direction reference, a position determining support, attitude determining support, a computer processor and database, and a user interface. Methods of systems include the steps of addressing an object, determining position and attitude, searching a database, and presenting information to a user.

A loyalty reward point system that utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of network such as a credit card network. A user makes a purchase at a merchant using a token such as a credit card. As part of the purchase transaction, the user is awarded reward points from the merchant based on the purchase, which are stored in an account associated with the merchant and the user by the acquiring bank. The reward account is maintained on the acquiring bank server on behalf of the merchant and the user, and the number of reward points in the user's account for that merchant is increased accordingly. The user may redeem the reward points earned from the transaction with the merchant at a later time, or may redeem the points with another merchant in the same marketing cluster, or may aggregate those reward points with those of other merchants into a reward point exchange account, and then redeem the aggregated reward points for goods or services from any approved merchant on the network, depending on the configuration of the system.

A loyalty reward point system that utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of network such as a credit card network. A user makes a purchase at a merchant using a token such as a credit card. As part of the purchase transaction, the user is awarded reward points from the merchant based on the purchase, which are stored in an account associated with the merchant and the user by the issuing bank. The reward account is maintained on the issuing bank server on behalf of the merchant and the user, and the number of reward points in the user's account for that merchant is increased accordingly. The user may redeem the reward points earned from the transaction with the merchant at a later time, or may redeem the points with another merchant in the same marketing cluster, or may aggregate those reward points with those of other merchants into a reward point exchange account, and then redeem the aggregated reward points for goods or services from any approved merchant on the network, depending on the configuration of the system.

A loyalty or reward point system that utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of a typical credit card network. In one embodiment, a user makes a purchase at a merchant of a product using a credit card. The merchant contacts the acquiring bank (which may be any type of financial institution but is referred to generically herein as a bank) with which it has contracted for credit card network services, and as known in the art, will get an approval or decline message after the acquiring bank contacts the issuing bank of the credit card used by the purchaser. Assuming that the purchase transaction is approved, the user is awarded loyalty points from the merchant based on the amount of the purchase (e.g. 100 points for a $100 purchase). A central server resides on the credit card network and tracks the transaction between the merchant, the acquiring bank, and the issuing bank. A reward account is maintained on the central server on behalf of the merchant and the user, and the number of reward points in the user's account for that merchant is increased accordingly. In an alternative embodiment, the user's reward points are logged in an account maintained by the acquiring bank on behalf of the merchant (with which it has a contractual relationship) and the user. The user may redeem the reward points earned from the transaction with the merchant at a later time, or may redeem the points with another merchant on the credit card network, or may aggregate those reward points with those of other merchants into a central exchange account, and then redeem the aggregated points for goods or services from any approved merchant on the network, depending on the configuration of the system.

System and method for touch sensitive surface provide detection and tracking of multiple touch points on the surface by using two independent arrays of orthogonal linear capacitive sensors.

A method for promoting recycling from a fund established with revenue generated from the sale of environmental and/or power generation attributes by an entity producing renewable energy. The method comprises providing a point system by which a recycling consumer is credited for recycled materials collected. Further, the method provides for a reward system for redemption of points accumulated by the recycling consumer, the reward system including redeemable fund certificates drawn against the fund. The method further includes collecting recyclable materials from the recycling consumer and crediting an account in the name of the recycling consumer based on the quantity and/or quality of the recyclable material collected. Then the method provides for awarding fund certificates to the recycling consumer upon the accumulation of a sufficient point level.

The present invention includes an automatic bill payment enrollment system for recurring donations, which allows donors to automatically charge charitable donations on a recurring basis to a financial account. In one embodiment, the invention uses a donation portal having various webpages to allow a donor to donate to all U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations. In an alternative embodiment, a donor may donate to any other desired organizations. The system may also incorporate a filter for restricting monies being sent to terrorist organizations. The invention also includes a loyalty point system, wherein loyalty points may be donated to a charity. In another exemplary embodiment, the invention also facilitates employee gift matching.

A structure and method for polishing a device include oscillating a carrier over an abrasive surface (the carrier bringing a polished surface of the device into contact with the abrasive surface, the oscillating allowing a portion of the polished surface to periodically oscillate off the abrasive surface), optically determining a reflective measure of a plurality of locations of the polished surface as the portion of the device oscillates off the abrasive surface and calculating depths of the locations of the polished surface based of the reflective measure.

A loyalty reward point system that utilizes the pre-existing infrastructure of network such as a credit card network. A user makes a purchase at a merchant using a token such as a credit card. The user is awarded loyalty points from the merchant based on the amount of the purchase (e.g. 100 points for a $100 purchase). The reward points, which are specific to the merchant and the user, are stored in a database at the issuing bank, the acquiring bank, or a central reward server. The user may redeem the reward points earned from the transaction with the merchant at a later time, or may redeem the points with another merchant in the same marketing cluster, or may aggregate those reward points with those of other merchants into a reward point exchange account, and then redeem the aggregated reward points for goods or services from any approved merchant on the network, depending on the configuration of the system.

Systems and methods which implement cooperative techniques at wireless network access points to provide interference mitigation are shown. Embodiments utilize cooperative antenna beam adaptation techniques wherein antenna beam selection, selective antenna beam transmission power, and/or antenna beam null selection is implemented based upon the communication environment created by a plurality of access points. Additionally or alternatively, embodiments utilize cooperative antenna beam isolation techniques wherein narrow channel filters are implemented with respect to antenna beam signals and/or shielding is provided between various antenna beams based upon the communication environment created by a plurality of access points. Embodiments additionally or alternatively utilize cooperative antenna beam coordination techniques wherein transmission and/or reception of signals is coordinated, the use of antenna beams is coordinated, and/or interference cancellation is implemented based upon the communication environment created by a plurality of access points.

A wireless local area network (WLAN) access point (AP) system comprises a first plurality of distributed remote antenna units operative to transmit and receive RF signals and a central WLAN beam-forming unit connected to each distributed remote antenna unit and operative to provide communication between the antenna units and a second plurality of wireless clients. The WLAN AP system can be used for simultaneous communications with the wireless clients over the same radio frequency (RF) channel while avoiding mutual interferences.

A system and method allows a consumer to purchase goods and services from merchants and redeem offers made by a merchant with a digital transaction on a smart phone. The merchant receives and enters the consumer's telephone number into an application. The consumer's telephone number is sent to a server, which checks for electronic coupons and loyalty points. Accounting for the value of any coupon/accumulated loyalty points, the merchant enters the payment amount into the application. which. in turn sends it back to the server. The server then sends the payment amount, any coupon details and the merchant's name to the consumer's phone. The consumer can choose to accept or decline the sale with or without using the coupon/loyalty points. A PIN number confirms the sale, which transmits to the server and then to the merchant. A digital sales receipt is sent to the merchant and consumer.

A method and system for issuing fingerprint keys and anti-spam points to meet the needs of email marketers to get their legitimate emails delivered without spamming recipients. Minimum modification to the recipient's email server is introduced to enable it to communicate with servers for registration/authentication purposes. For every email sent from a sender to a recipient using the system built upon the present invention, the sender's allotment of anti-spam points would be deducted by a fixed or varied number, depending on the specific implementation of the particular embodiment of the present invention. The method allows advertisers to buy anti-spam points from the service provider and provides a method to redistribute the payment to recipients of the advertisements.

Systems and methods system for a user accessing an unsecure Wifi access point are provided. In an embodiment, the present invention requests that the customer perform authentication of the access point to which he is connected. On initial connection to the access point, the customer provides his username/password and chooses a memorable information element (e.g., image or phrase). A site specific cookie is delivered to the customer device after a successful authentication. On subsequent connections, the site specific cookie is validated and the MAC address of the customer device is used to retrieve the memorable information element. If the customer recognizes his memorable image, he confirms that he is on a bona fide access point. In a further embodiment, if the customer connects at a location and/or time of day which breaks a previously observed pattern, MAC authentication is not accepted and a full authentication (e.g., user/password) is required.

A platform residing viewing sensor and a pointing system/weapon. An operator system is remotely monitoring the scene on a display as viewed by the viewing sensor such that an operator system can gaze, acquire and track targets by scanning the scene with eyes and locking the eyesight onto a selected target and track the target with the eyes. The system further includes a dual camera sensor that follows and monitors the operator system's eyes motion so that the operator system can simultaneously monitor the external viewing sensor's scene, locking and tracking some selected target. The display coordinates of the selected target are utilized to point the pointing system/weapon on the external platform so that the operator system can fire at the target as desired. The problem is thus summarized as one of controlling the weapon pointing, movement and firing on a target that has been selected and is tracked by the eyes of an operator system viewing a display.

A method for rewarding a healthcare individual at a remote location is presented in one example embodiment. The method includes interacting with a participant at a remote location and delivering a music segment in exchange for a successful completion by the participant of a health related activity. The music segment serves as a reward for the participant to complete the activity. The delivery of the music segment can be done via e-mail, a USB port exchange, or through a website. The interacting can be performed through a website, a health station, or a kiosk, for example. In other embodiments, the music segment is delivered to a device to be worn by the end user. The device could be a music player, an accelerator, a phone, a PDA, or a laptop. The music segment can be earned through a point system that relates to the activity performed by the participant.

The present invention provides a Satellite-bone camera space image distortion correction method based on the stellar map matching, the stellar point on the image is used as referecen point, achieving the distortion correction, including following steps: (1)image segmentation, extracting the stellar facula in the image; (2) calculating areal coordinates of each facula by the centroid method, as a real coordinate; (3) processing pre-correction according to the deformation parameter obtained by the ground standardization of the camera; (4) processing stellar map matching by single frame or multiple frames Hausdorff distance stellar map matching method, calculating academic coordinate corresponding to the practical coordinate; (5) calculating deformation parameter of the image by the corresponding relation between the practical coordinate and the academic coordinate; (6) obtaining corrected image by the three steps fitting of a polynomial and interpolation method. In addition, the invention aiming at correctoon impact of the camera plain shaft point system error, provides a adaptive compensation method. The invention has small operation, evident image correcting effect, and effectively preventing the impact of the correction caused by the image noise and the input system error.