Patrick J Ledbetter

US Patent:

20100023341, Jan 28, 2010

Filed:

May 29, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/475122

Inventors:

Patrick LEDBETTER - Arlington VA, US
Adam LUDWIG - New York NY, US

Assignee:

REEL DRINKS LLC - Arlington VA

International Classification:

G06Q 99/00

US Classification:

705 1

Abstract:

A method for rule-based gift giving method collects information about life events of one or more friends from one or more social network systems and/or from one or more online profiles. The gathered information may be organized in a news stream format or a calendar items format. The user creates rules including parameters such as monetary value of the gift, identity of the recipient and the life event on which to send the gift. The user may generate a default list of friends who will automatically receive user-selected gifts on user-selected life events. According to another embodiment, the user may generate an on-demand list of friends who will receive gifts on selected life events upon user's approval.

US Patent:

20090234771, Sep 17, 2009

Filed:

Mar 13, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/075655

Inventors:

Patrick Ledbetter - Arlington VA, US
Adam Ludwig - New York NY, US

International Classification:

G06Q 40/00

US Classification:

705 41

Abstract:

A method to transfer money to a payee's payment card account, without requiring an additional payment card or without acquiring the payee's payment card information is disclosed. A payee registers a payment card with a service provider. The payment card is associated with a payment card account. A payor transfers an initial amount of money to the service provider to be given to the payee, when payee uses the registered payment card for a specified spending category. The service provider stores the money until the payee uses the registered payment card to make a qualified purchase.

US Patent:

20210319486, Oct 14, 2021

Filed:

Jun 25, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/358687

Inventors:

- Pittsburgh PA, US
Ryan C. DURHAM - Dunkirk MD, US
Jason WOLFE - Sewickley PA, US
Patrick LEDBETTER - Arlington VA, US
Adam LUDWIG - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06Q 30/06

Abstract:

A system transfers money to a recipient's payment card account, without requiring an additional payment card or a recipient's payment card or account information. A recipient registers a payment account with a service provider. A system receives an identification, generated from an entity such as a business or a person, of the recipient and information associated with an electronic notice to be transmitted to a device associated with the recipient. The system transmits the notice to the device, the notice being associated with the recipient payment account and being transmitted prior to the recipient buying product or service associated with the notice using the recipient payment account. The system receives an indication of a purchase associated with the notice and completed using the recipient payment account and applies the gift credit.

US Patent:

20200082381, Mar 12, 2020

Filed:

Nov 12, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/681166

Inventors:

- Pittsburgh PA, US
Ryan C. DURHAM - Dunkirk MD, US
Jason WOLFE - Sewickley PA, US
Patrick LEDBETTER - Arlington VA, US
Adam LUDWIG - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06Q 20/34
G06Q 20/12
G06Q 20/24
G06Q 20/10
G06Q 40/02
G06Q 20/38

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing accounts such as a credit/debit card. A system practicing the method sends to a set of givers a set of respective invitations to contribute to a group gift, wherein the group gift is associated with a policy, a person, and a payment account associated with the person that existed prior to sending the set of respective invitations. The system identifies a contribution to the group gift from one of the set of givers, wherein when the person makes a qualifying transaction using the payment account according to the policy, a gift amount associated with the group gift is applied from various giver accounts. Then the system updates at least one of the set of respective invitations sent to the set of givers based on the contribution.

US Patent:

20200082382, Mar 12, 2020

Filed:

Nov 12, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/681231

Inventors:

- Pittsburgh PA, US
Ryan C. DURHAM - Dunkirk MD, US
Jason WOLFE - Sewickley PA, US
Patrick LEDBETTER - Arlington VA, US
Adam LUDWIG - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06Q 20/34
G06Q 20/12
G06Q 20/24
G06Q 20/10
G06Q 40/02
G06Q 20/38

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing gift transactions, related to retaining a social and gratitude-based experience surrounding giving and receiving gifts, monitoring gift recipients on-premises at merchants and providing gift-related notifications, and managing funds in a gift that the recipient does not redeem. A system configured to practice a first method receives an object associated with a gift, receives a tag associated with the object, and transmits the object to the giver. A system configured to practice a second example method uses face identification at the merchant to identify a recipient of a gift. The system can transmit a reminder to the recipient regarding the gift. In a third example method, the system creates a gift and notifies the recipient of the gift. If the recipient never redeems the gift, then the giver is not charged for the gift and no transaction occurs.

US Patent:

20200074444, Mar 5, 2020

Filed:

Nov 7, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/677156

Inventors:

- Pittsburgh PA, US
Ryan C. DURHAM - Dunkirk MD, US
Jason WOLFE - Sewickley PA, US
Patrick LEDBETTER - Arlington VA, US
Adam LUDWIG - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06Q 20/34
G06Q 20/12
G06Q 20/24
G06Q 20/10
G06Q 40/02
G06Q 20/38

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for splitting a transaction among multiple participants. A system configured to practice the method first identifies a group of individuals associated with a shared transaction. Then the system identifies a primary individual from the group of individuals and a non-primary group of individuals from the group of individuals, wherein the primary individual is associated with a primary account that existed prior to the shared transaction, and wherein each individual of the non-primary group of individuals is associated with a respective non-primary account that existed prior to the shared transaction. The system establishes a policy for monitoring the primary account for completion of the shared transaction. Then, upon detection of the completion of the shared transaction, the system determines a transaction amount and applies a respective portion of the transaction amount from each non-primary account to the primary account.

US Patent:

20200074445, Mar 5, 2020

Filed:

Nov 8, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/677753

Inventors:

- Pittsburgh PA, US
Ryan C. DURHAM - Dunkirk MD, US
Jason WOLFE - Sewickley PA, US
Patrick LEDBETTER - Arlington VA, US
Adam LUDWIG - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06Q 20/34
G06Q 20/12
G06Q 20/24
G06Q 20/10
G06Q 40/02
G06Q 20/38

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing a gift involving separate transactions. A system configured to practice the method first associates a policy with a giver having a giver account and a recipient having a recipient account, wherein the giver account is independent of the recipient account, and wherein the policy requires at least two transactions prior to applying a gift amount. Then the system monitors transactions using the recipient account to identify at least two separate qualifying transactions according to the policy. Upon identifying the at least two separate qualifying transactions, the system applies the gift amount to the recipient account according to the policy.

US Patent:

20200074446, Mar 5, 2020

Filed:

Nov 8, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/677789

Inventors:

- Pittsburgh PA, US
Ryan C. DURHAM - Dunkirk MD, US
Jason WOLFE - Sewickley PA, US
Patrick LEDBETTER - Arlington VA, US
Adam LUDWIG - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06Q 20/34
G06Q 20/12
G06Q 20/24
G06Q 20/10
G06Q 40/02
G06Q 20/38

Abstract:

Disclosed herein is a method for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing payment accounts. A system identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. When a purchase is made using an existing credit/debit card according to the policy, the system intercepts the purchase and causes the gift card amount to be applied from an account other than the recipient account. No special codes, separate physical gift cards, or printable coupons are necessary for redemption. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically. The recipient credit/debit card becomes a combination of an open-looped card and a closed-loop card. Thus, no money is wasted or lost.