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Patents & press

Receipts from the Rakuten years.

Three Japanese patents granted while I was at Rakuten — showrooming defense and location-based coupons — plus the related U.S. patent. Each number opens Google Patents. Below, a short list of press that names me from those years (not an exhaustive archive).

Granted patents (Rakuten)

Assigned to Rakuten, Inc. I joined FreeCause in May 2008; Rakuten acquired it in September 2009. I stayed through the years these grants issued.

  1. JP 5235043 B2Granted July 10, 2013

    Purchase support server, purchase support method, purchase support program, and computer-readable recording medium for recording the program

    購入支援サーバ、購入支援方法、購入支援プログラム、及びそのプログラムを記録するコンピュータ読取可能な記録媒体

    If you photograph an item in a physical store and then try to buy it cheaper online, the store gets a chance to counter-offer — a discount, points — on your phone. Showrooming defense for real shops.

    Udana Bandara, James Chen (ジェームス チェン)Rakuten, Inc.

    US 9,898,757 B2 · granted February 20, 2018. Retail time location based bargaining system for physical stores to compete against online retailers

  2. JP 5959744 B2Granted August 2, 2016

    Advertisement system, advertisement processing device

    広告システム、広告処理装置

    Location-based electronic coupons. You drop a coupon onto real-world map tiles around where you actually are — including neighboring tiles, so you do not have to cross the intersection. Others pick it up when they are in that tile. Stops indiscriminate map-spam while keeping it convenient.

    Udana Bandara, Alex Chia, James ChenRakuten, Inc.

  3. JP 5959745 B2Granted August 2, 2016

    Advertisement system, advertisement processing device

    広告システム、広告処理装置

    Sibling of JP 5959744 B2. Coupons can only be dropped on map tiles you actually walked through — a past GPS trail — so you have to have been there. Stops pinning ads on random streets you never visited.

    Udana Bandara, Alex Chia, James ChenRakuten, Inc.

Press (Rakuten era)

Articles that name me directly. Links open the publisher's site.

  1. Jun 2013Nikkei xTECH

    Develop cool technology and change the lives of a billion people

  2. Feb 2013Nikkei xTECH

    Conditions of a new-era ace