09th week of 2009 patent applcation highlights part 57 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20090055187 | Conversion of text email or SMS message to speech spoken by animated avatar for hands-free reception of email and SMS messages while driving a vehicle - Subscribers can access and listen to their email while they drive, access to the email messages being hands-free so a person can listen to email while they drive. In further accord with the present invention, a selectable avatar speaks the email message. And, the invention provides unified messaging such that SMS and email are unified and present and spoken by the avatar, so the subscriber need not access two devices (an instant message device, and an email device). Additionally, the invention can convert natural language to an acronym to be spoken by the avatar, and can convert acronyms in a message to natural language spoken by the avatar; subscriber selects the desired one of these two. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055188 | PITCH PATTERN GENERATION METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREOF - The prosody control unit pattern generation module generates pitch patterns in respective prosody control units based on language attribute information, the phoneme duration and emphasis degree information, the modification method decision module decides a modification method by smoothing processing with respect to the pitch pattern in a connection portion between the prosody control unit and at least one of previous and next prosody control units based on at least emphasis degree information to generate modification method information, and the pattern connection module modifies pitch patterns generated in respective prosody control units by smoothing processing according to the modification method information and connects them to generate a sentence pitch pattern corresponding to a text to be a target for speech synthesis. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055189 | Automatic Replacement of Objectionable Audio Content From Audio Signals - A method, apparatus and system are provided for the automatic replacement of potentially objectionable audio content from an audio signal in real time. In one embodiment of the present invention, the selective filtering of objectionable audio content from an audio signal is accomplished by first marking objectionable audio content in the audio signal with filtering information that identifies the type of objectionable audio content (e.g., crude language, ethnic and racial slurs, cursing, strong profanity) and storing the filtering information and the corresponding location of the objectionable audio content for that particular audio signal. Objectionable audio content having filtering information corresponding to a stored replacement content code determined from a predetermined replacement setting is then automatically replaced with an audio clip corresponding to the replacement setting. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055190 | EMOTIVE ENGINE AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A SIMULATED EMOTION FOR AN INFORMATION SYSTEM - Information about a device may be emotively conveyed to a user of the device. Input indicative of an operating state of the device may be received. The input may be transformed into data representing a simulated emotional state. Data representing an avatar that expresses the simulated emotional state may be generated and displayed. A query from the user regarding the simulated emotional state expressed by the avatar may be received. The query may be responded to. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055191 | ESTABLISHING CALL-BASED AUDIO SOCKETS WITHIN A COMPONENTIZED VOICE SERVER - A method of interfacing a telephone application server and a speech engine can include the step of establishing one or more audio sockets in a media converting component of the telephone application server. The audio socket can remain available for approximately a duration of a call. A work unit that requires processing by a speech engine can be detected for the call. An identifier for the audio socket and a data for the work unit can be conveyed to a selected speech engine. Work unit results from the selected speech engine can be received by the media converting component via the previously established audio socket. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055192 | DEVICES FOR USE BY DEAF AND/OR BLIND PEOPLE - A device for use by a deafblind person is disclosed. The device comprises a first key for manually inputting a series of words in the form of a code, a second key for manually inputting an action to be performed by the device, a third key for manually inputting a user preference, and a fourth key for manually inputting communication instructions. The device further has an internal processor programmed to carry out communication functions and search and guide functions. The device has various safety and security functions for pedestrians or persons in transit. In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises an electronic cane known as an eCane. Also disclosed is a system for allowing a deafblind person to enjoy television programs. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055193 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER CODE FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING ACCESS TO A SERVICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPOKEN CONTENT RECEIVED FROM A USER - Apparatus, methods and computer-readable medium for authenticating a user and selectively providing access to a computer service are described herein. In some embodiments, a) a user input is solicited; b) a voice response to the input soliciting; is received on or from a client device, c) if a determination is made, in accordance with one or more speech delivery features of the voice response, that the voice response is a live human voice response, the client device is permitted to access a computer service; and d) otherwise, client device access to the computer service is denied. Optionally, the access may be permitted only to a pre-determined gender or a pre-determined age group. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055194 | ENCODING AND DECODING OF MULTI-CHANNEL AUDIO SIGNALS - An encoding device ( | 2009-02-26 |
20090055195 | INTERNET RADIO PLAYER - The present invention provides an apparatus for listening to music on the internet. The apparatus includes a memory unit configured to store a plurality of internet protocol addresses of internet radio stations, a communication unit configured to communicate with one of the internet radio stations using a corresponding IP address stored in the memory, a first logic configured to request a data from one of the internet radio stations, a second logic configured to receive a digital data stream from the internet station and store the received digital data stream in a buffer, a third logic configured to decode the received digital data stream, a fourth logic configured to convert the decoded digital data stream into an analog data stream, and a service module configured to extract information regarding a song from the digital data stream and forward the extracted information to an external device. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055196 | Method of Encoding and Decoding an Audio Signal - An apparatus for encoding and decoding an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which compatibility with a player of a general mono or stereo audio signal can be provided in coding an audio signal and by which spatial information for a multi-channel audio signal can be stored or transmitted without a presence of an auxiliary data area. The present invention includes extracting side information embedded in non-recognizable component of audio signal components and decoding the audio signal using the extracted side information. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055197 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENCODING CONTINUATION SINUSOID SIGNAL INFORMATION OF AUDIO SIGNAL AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DECODING SAME - Provided are a method and apparatus for encoding an audio signal and a method and apparatus for decoding an audio signal. The method includes performing sinusoidal analysis on an audio signal in order to extract a sinusoidal signal of a current frame, determining continuation sinusoidal signal information indicating a number of continuation sinusoidal signals of next frames, which continue from the sinusoidal signal of the current frame, by performing sinusoidal tracking on the extracted sinusoidal signal of the current frame, and encoding the determined continuation sinusoidal signal information by using different Huffman tables according to index information of the current frame, thereby allowing efficient encoding with a low bitrate. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055198 | Apparatus and method of processing an audio signal - In one embodiment, the method includes storing a plurality of entropy parameter tables, selecting one of the stored tables for entropy decoding based on a received audio signal, and entropy decoding at least one prediction coefficient value in the received audio signal based on the selected table. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055199 | Customer Recommendation System - A system for generating for a client at least one indication of a food product to be purchased, the system comprising: data entry means for entering at least one product reference associated with a purchased product; first storage means for storing said at least one product reference in association with an identifier; second storage means for storing a plurality of product references in association with respective food values; third storage means for holding a recommended total food value; terminal means coupled to the first storage means for receiving the identifier; a recommendation unit for comparing the food value of the purchased product with said recommended total food value, said recommendation unit being arranged to select from said plurality of product references at least one product based on the result of said comparison, whereby said indication is generated for the client. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055200 | IDENTIFYING AND VALIDATING FACTORS THAT HAVE PARTICULAR EFFECTS ON USER BEHAVIOR - Techniques are described herein for an automatic discovery and validation analyzer that identifies factors that have a particular effect on members of a population in engaging in certain activities. A baseline set and a divergent set of members of the population are identified based on whether a member has experienced a significant change in magnitude of the particular effect during a particular period of time. Differences in behaviors of members of the baseline and divergent sets are then analyzed to identify a candidate factor that corresponds to exposure to an item. Such a candidate factor is then validated as to whether it is a cause of said significant change in magnitude of the particular effect experienced by the divergent set of members. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055201 | Virtual Reality Location Information System - A virtual reality location information system for touring various attractions through the Internet. The virtual reality location information system includes providing a host site, providing a first virtual business to represent a first actual business upon the host site, wherein the first virtual business mimics an appearance of the first actual business, providing a virtual city to represent an actual city upon the host site, wherein the virtual city mimics an appearance of the actual city, wherein the first virtual business is within the virtual city and providing at least one user. The user accesses the host site and creates a virtual member to mimic an appearance of the user. The user may then selectively navigate the virtual member through the first virtual business and tour the first virtual business. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055202 | FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATION ADAPTERS THAT SURFACE NON-STATIC, TYPE-SAFE SERVICE CONTRACTS TO LOB SYSTEMS - The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates integrating two or more applications for secure sharing of data. A line of business (LOB) system can include a portion of metadata associated with a business application. An adapter can employ a dynamic service contract to the LOB system, wherein the service contract is a fluid contract constructed in real time from a portion of metadata selected within the LOB system. Moreover, the adapter can enable a client to access the portion of metadata selected via the service contract. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055203 | METHOD, PROGRAM CODE, AND SYSTEM FOR BUSINESS PROCESS ANALYSIS - Program code ( | 2009-02-26 |
20090055204 | REAL-TIME PLAYER TRACKING - Some implementations of the invention provide methods, devices and systems for acquiring patron data in real time. A plurality of networked cameras may be used to acquire information regarding casino patrons. The cameras may include “smart cameras” having an integrated machine vision system. The real-time information may be used to populate one or more databases of a player loyalty program. Patron information may also be used to determine trends associated with patron demographics, with levels of a player loyalty program, etc. Some implementations of the invention involve monitoring patron event data and determining when predetermined events of interest occur. When a defined event occurs, patron data relating to the associated patron may be monitored, analyzed and used to populate one or more player loyalty databases. In some implementations, patron data acquired prior to the time of the defined event may also be analyzed and used. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055205 | MULTIMEDIA PLAYER TRACKING INFRASTRUCTURE - Some implementations of the invention provide methods, devices and systems for acquiring patron data in real time. A plurality of networked cameras may be used to acquire information regarding casino patrons. The cameras may include “smart cameras” having an integrated machine vision system. The real-time information may be used to populate one or more databases of a player loyalty program. Patron information may also be used to determine trends associated with patron demographics, with levels of a player loyalty program, etc. Some implementations of the invention involve monitoring patron event data and determining when predetermined events of interest occur. When a defined event occurs, patron data relating to the associated patron may be monitored, analyzed and used to populate one or more player loyalty databases. In some implementations, patron data acquired prior to the time of the defined event may also be analyzed and used. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055206 | Method and system for performing address resolution processing - A process for resolving addresses to obtain mailing discounts from a postal authority by using an address resolver, including at least one database that is not approved by the postal authority, to resolve a first type of failure, and using a point resolver to resolve a second type of failure. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055207 | Interactive bridal planner - An interactive wedding planner incorporates a number of interactive tabs to keep track of schedules, guest lists, budgets, vendor information, publications and personal notes. It also has the ability to allow communication between users and provides e-mail support. The planner provides a modular general plan complete with deadlines and estimates costs. The user personalizes the general plan to create a personal plan which guides the user through the process. Ongoing actual data is provided to the system to provide reminders and reports of how the user is doing compared to their personal plan. The planner also keeps track of responses of people attending and extrapolates the total number of people attending. It then performs calculations based upon the extrapolated total number attending. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055208 | System and method for web-based customer check-in - A web-based system and method allows customers to remotely check-in to a wait list for a service from a business. A website associated with the business is provided through which an address submitted by the customer can be received. Multiple locations of the business in the vicinity of the address and wait times for the service at each location can then be geographically displayed. A selection by the customer of a location at which to receive the service can be received and the customer can then be placed on a waiting list for the selected location. The multiple locations can be displayed on a map showing the relative proximity of the address and the locations and driving directions from the address to the selected location can be provided. The wait times can be calculated using historical data related to the performance of the service at each location, such as the amount of time that employees at the location have taken to perform the service in the past. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055209 | Second site control of article transport processing - In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a system and methodology for sorting and/or distributing items and articles being shipped to a receiving party through private and/or commercial delivery systems. Various characteristics of an article being shipped are obtained and assembled in a database. In an exemplary embodiment, the descriptive characteristics of the article are acquired at a first site and the processing and desired disposition of the article is determined at a second site which is physically separate from the first site. The descriptive characteristics of the article being shipped are displayed at the second site and are sufficient to identify the article to a processing individual located at the second site. The processing individual is then enabled to indicate a desired disposal of the article from the second site without being exposed to the physical article located at the first site. In an exemplary embodiment, the descriptive characteristics of the article may include one or more images of the article along with various other descriptive physical characteristics of the article such as the size and weight of the article. In one example, the processing individual is enabled to authorize the opening of an article in which case, descriptive characteristics of the contents of the article are acquired at the first site and displayed to the processing individual at the second site for use in determining an appropriate disposition of the article. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055210 | ADVICE APPARATUS, ADVICE METHOD, ADVICE PROGRAM AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORING THE ADVICE PROGRAM - The present invention provides advice suitable to the personality of a user. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055211 | Genetic variation in pro-melanin-concentrating hormone gene affects carcass traits in cattle - An A-to-T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identified at position −134 relative to the ATG start codon, in the Pro-Melanin-Concentrating Hormone (PMCH) gene of | 2009-02-26 |
20090055212 | RECORDING MEDIUM IN WHICH DELEGATION MEDIATING PROGRAM IS RECORDED, DELEGATION MEDIATING APPARATUS AND DELEGATION MEDIATING METHOD - A delegation mediating apparatus which presents a voter who wants to collect delegations to another voter who is looking for a delegatee, in a decision to be made by voting by multiple voters, the apparatus including, voting history storage unit for storing each voter's past voting history in a voting history storage unit, similarity degree calculation unit for calculating a degree of voting action similarity between the voter who wants to collect delegations and the other voter who is looking for a delegatee, with the use of the past voting history stored in the voting history storage unit, and delegatee presentation unit for presenting the voter who wants to collect delegations if the degree of similarity to the other voter who is looking for a delegatee is high, to the other voter who is looking for a delegatee. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055213 | Contents billing system, contents acquiring apparatus, contents acquiring method and program therefor and contents providing apparatus, contents providing method and program therefor - A contents billing system is disclosed. In the system, billing rate information for contents requested by a first user of a first terminal by calling is transmitted to the first terminal through a connection management server based on an instruction by a second user of a second terminal; the first terminal receives billing rate information and transmits agreement information according to an agreement operation on the billing rate by the first user to the second terminal through the connection management server; the connection management server notifies a billing server of the billing rate according to the agreement information and transmits the agreement information to the second terminal; the second terminal receives the agreement information, transmits recording permission information for the contents to the first terminal through the connection management server and transmits the contents to the first terminal; and the first terminal receives the recording permission information and acquires the selected contents from the second terminal. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055214 | Personalized Audio/Video/Text Wellness Program - A system generates one or more of a plurality of wellness programs for a user. Personal data items are entered into a computing system corresponding to a personal profile of the user. A selected one or more of the plurality of wellness programs desired by the user is identified. Selected ones of the plurality of personal data items are then extracted in response to the selected one of the plurality of wellness programs. Then a corresponding plurality of wellness program data elements in response to the selected ones of the plurality of personal data items is determined. The selected plurality of wellness program data elements are then assembled to form a customized wellness program responsive to the step of identifying a selected one of the plurality of wellness programs and the selected ones of the plurality of personal data items. The customized wellness program is recorded on media for the user. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055215 | Endoscope management system - A web-based endoscope management system and method for managing, scheduling and tracking in real-time the processing of endoscopy equipment in a single site or across multiple sites. The system allows various useful information relating to the managed endoscopy equipment and its processing history (such as equipment status, equipment movement, equipment repair history, cost and procedural efficiencies, what individuals have processed or come into contact with the equipment) to be tracked and analyzed. The system incorporates a user display and prompt to assist users in following the proper processing and cleaning protocols (preparation, pre-cleaning, automated reprocessing, repair, etc.) for the equipment. The system uses a colour-coded display so that pertinent information can be seen at a glance. This system is used in conjunction with a suitable colour-coded labeling scheme to reduce the possibility that users will process the wrong equipment or improperly store it. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055216 | Home Care Equipment Monitoring System - In a bed (home care equipment) | 2009-02-26 |
20090055217 | Method and system for identifying and communicating a health risk - A method is provided for identifying and communicating a health risk to an individual. The method may include obtaining health information for an individual and predicting, based on the health information, a risk of the individual contracting a disease. The method may also include calculating a rate of change of the risk and calculating a forecasted risk based on the rate of change. Further, the method may include initiating a present action when the forecasted risk is above a first predetermined threshold at a future time. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055218 | Prospective health care quality improvement - Disclosed herein is a computer implemented method and system for improving the quality of health care in a health plan. The members of the health plan eligible for undergoing predetermined measures of health care are identified. The primary care physicians (PCPs) for the identified members are notified to ensure implementation of the predetermined measures. The health plan staff is notified to ensure coordination between the identified members and PCPs. The status of the identified members is updated based on the implemented predetermined measures. Quality indexes for the PCPs are calculated for the implemented predetermined measures. A performance score of the health plan is calculated to indicate the quality of health care. Identifying and notifying the members, the PCPs and the health plan staff reduces the level of clinical chart review by the health plan staff and improves the quality of health care in a health plan. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055219 | APPARATUS TO MEASURE MEDICAL DATA AND TO REGISTER THE IDENTITY OF A PATIENT - An apparatus for measurement of medical data of a patient is used to automatically update the patient file, has a device to measure such medical data at an examined patient, a device to register data that enable determinations of the identity of the examined patient, and a device to link a patient identity with measured medical data. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055220 | Adaptive communication methods and systems for facilitating the gathering, distribution and delivery of information related to medical care - Automated methods and systems are disclosed for persistently facilitating the timely gathering, monitoring, distribution and delivery of information related to medical care where such may include: (1) finding a communications channel for effectively attempting a message delivery to a specific target person at a specified time; (2) deliverable message content to limitations of a chosen communications channel; adaptively finding a targeted recipient even if the latter is highly mobile and/or has travel patterns or communications-channel preferences that change over time; (3) verifying that a targeted recipient has actually received an attempted delivery within an applicable time limit; (4) automatically recognizing that an urgent message delivery-attempt was not timely completed and adaptively alerting responsible entities of the in completion; and (5) automatically recognizing that an urgent change or non change of condition has occurred by virtue of information gathered during an automated or manually-conducted Interview where physician expected positive progress prior to Interview and adaptively alerting responsible entities of the changed or unchanged condition based on the urgency of the change or non-change. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055221 | Health Profile Database Management System - Embodiments of the invention include a method of collecting and reporting quality of life data from a patient. A patient may participate in a collection of surveys during the course of disease treatment that are automatically tailored to the patient's disease state using multidimensional tools to generate quality of life metrics. Reports are generated from the aggregate data to aid in treatment of the patient by enhancing patient/healthcare provider communications, patient education and by giving the healthcare provider reports on quality of life metrics correlated to the prescribed treatments, comorbid diseases, disease specific and medication specific review of systems and patient compliance with the prescribed treatments. Further, data from multiple patients are aggregated for reports that can provide evaluations of the effect of prescribed treatments, reasons for patient non-compliance with prescribed treatments and the prevalence and effect of off-label use of medications. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055222 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ONLINE MEDICAL RECORDS WITH EMERGENCY PASSWORD FEATURE - A method for maintaining personal health records of a user in manner that allows the personal health records to be accessed in an emergency while still allowing the user to control privacy is provided. The method includes providing a web site allowing the user to store a plurality of personal health records associated with the user and accessible through use of a password associated with the user, receiving instructions from the user to allow them to select a subset of the plurality of personal health records, the subset of the plurality of personal health records accessible through use of an emergency password, and making available the subset of the plurality of personal health records on the web site through use of the emergency password. An image of the user and the subset of health records may be displayed upon emergency login. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055223 | Compliance data for health-related procedures - Exemplary embodiments provide a verification technique that facilitates administration of a health-related procedure to an intended recipient patient or group of patients. An interface template or signal protocol may be configured to establish suitable matching between the patient and various types of objects used to administer the health-related procedure. In some embodiments real-time monitoring data regarding administration of a health-related procedure to a recipient patient is posted to a patient data record that has restricted read/write access. In some instances the monitoring data is processed to determine compliance or non-compliance based on comparison of the health-related procedure with a predetermined benchmark standard. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055224 | Health Expense Account, Health Insurance And Financial Product, And System And Method For Providing Employee Health Insurance Benefits - Financial and health and medical care product and service. Health expense account, financial product, health care product that include or interact with the health expense account. System and method for providing products and services to employers and employees using these accounts and financial products and health care products, and to business methods and business models that derive revenues from the products and services and from interactions between and among the providers of components thereof. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055225 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF PROCESSING HEALTH CARE CLAIMS OVER A NETWORK - Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for automatically substantiating claims for health care reimbursement account plans, such as a self-funded flexible spending account (FSA), an employer-funded health care savings account (HSA), or a health care reimbursement account (HRA) over a non banking network. In particular, in various embodiments, a claims processing system is configured for receiving a claim for a health care related expense over a non-banking communications network from a health care provider and processing the claim to determine if the health care reimbursement plan account is eligible, if the balance of the account is greater than or equal to the amount of payment requested, and if the claim is sufficiently substantiated. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055226 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING RATES OF INSURANCE - The invention provides a method and system for determining rates of insurance for travelers based on certain risk parameters. Insurance rates are computed using factor relativities derived from insured data and parameters for several different insurance coverages. Factor relativities are computed through an iterative process using a minimum bias procedure according to each coverage. Parameters are evaluated simultaneously for each coverage to eliminate cross bias from one parameter to another. Once factor relativities are calculated, the system and method allows for a consumer to request a rate on an insurance coverage. The system and method provides the rate using the factor relativities for the requested coverage. The method and system also provides insurance rates to additional or upgraded insurance coverages based on consumer preferences. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055227 | Risk Assessment Company - A Risk Assessment Company (RAC) maintains an up to date Risk Profile Data Base (RPDB) on its members based on their normal periodic health checkups. The Risk Assessment Company, therefore, can offer life or health insurance policies from a plurality of carriers to any given member at any given time based on the underwriting class determined by the data in the Risk Profile Data Base. The Risk Assessment Company can also provide a member with a life or health expectancy report containing suggestions on how said person can improve his or her life or health expectancy. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055228 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DUSPLAYING INHERENT PROJECT UNCERTAINTY - A software and/or hardware facility for graphically displaying schedule uncertainty inherent in projects. In some embodiments, the facility generates uncertainty bars for display to users that express the uncertainty inherent in work items, such as projects and/or tasks. An uncertainty bar can visually indicate the work item's earliest start date, earliest expected finish date, expected finish date, latest expected finish date and latest finish date, as calculated by the facility. For a project that has multiple component tasks, the facility can generate an uncertainty bar for each component task. The facility can also generate an uncertainty bar for the entire project. In some embodiments, the facility generates graphs that display the history of uncertainty for work items. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055229 | Emergency Warning Service - An emergency warning service is described for providing emergency related information to users of communication terminals in a mobile communication system. The service comprises a procedure of establishing a service agreement in relation with a user. The service agreement comprises at least an identification of a user and a time period during which period the user is allowed access to emergency warnings. After receiving an emergency warning message from an emergency warning message provider, the message comprising information at least regarding a type of emergency and an emergency location, it is decided whether or not the user is to receive the warning message. The decision is based at least on said service agreement. Then, depending on the decision, at least said warning message is transmitted to the user. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055230 | Process for validating and proving technical marketing and competitive analysis from hands-on lab testing and publicly available research information - A process for validating and proving competitive analysis from hands-on lab testing and publicly available research information with the steps of: Gathering publicly available information, Compiling information gathered from Research, Preparing Lab Layout in a network diagram, Developing test methodology and test plans, Building physical test network, Placing device under test, or device to be tested into the test network, Performing the test, Examing the results of testing, Determining if results of testing are compatible with gathered Research, Revising test methodology and test plan, and re-testing the device, Compiling information gathered from hands-on validation lab testing, Combining data from Research phase and Validation testing phase, Performing technical marketing and competitive analysis on Research and Validation testing data, Presenting findings of technical marketing and competitive analysis in output. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055231 | System and a Method of Individualization of Animals and Herd Management - The present invention is particularly applicable to cattle and buffalo livestock, and allows the individualization of animals by observation of codes and characteristics that are visually perceptible and available in various manners in the animal in order to allow the correlation of the information collected in non-electronic means and relative to the management practices performed on the animals at any phase of breeding thereof, providing an unambiguous individualization of the animal for subsequent inclusion in a database. The said identification is provided by a combination of at least, a portion of an Integral Code with a portion or a complete sequence of another Integral Code, according to standards previously defined by the managers/administrators of the system. One of the Integral Codes may be compatible with the ISO 11784 or equivalent standards, and the other, not related to the said standards, may be assigned to the animal by a specific entity, by the owner or the manager of the herd. The selected characters, which make up the portions of the identification codes and may occupy contiguous or non-contiguous positions within the said codes, are visually perceptible and available in different manners in the animal. the order of the sequence of elements used to achieve the individualization of the animal is not fixed and shall be previously defined by the managers/administrators of each system. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055232 | METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING PHYSICAL OBJECTS, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND TRANSPORTATION MEANS - A system and method for transporting objects is disclosed. In an exemplary system and method, at least one object is transported from a sending station to a receiving station. The transport occurs through at least one physical router that executes a decision about parameters of transport to another physical router or to the receiving station. An exemplary method comprises generating information for handling and moving the at least one object with reference to environmental data and transporting the at least one object based on the information. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055233 | Method and Device for Transporting an Item - A method and a device for transporting an item to a destination location. The item is provided with a label bearing the destination location to which the item is to be transported. The item is additionally provided with a label bearing a transportation service provider. The item is transported to a sorting plant and passes through the sorting plant. Information about the destination location with which the item is labeled is input into a data acquisition system of the sorting plant. It is automatically decided whether a preset error signal for a transportation error was or was not input during passage of the item. Depending on the destination location data which has been input, the sorting plant triggers onward transportation of the item to the destination location. In the event of the error signal for a transportation error having been input, a report is generated. This report describes the transportation error, comprises the input destination-location data, and is transmitted to the transportation service provider which triggered the transportation to the sorting plant. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055234 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SCHEDULING MEETINGS BY MATCHING A MEETING PROFILE WITH VIRTUAL RESOURCES - A system for scheduling meetings by matching a scheduler-defined meeting profile against a pool of virtual resources is provided. The system includes an electronic data storage comprising data defining a set of virtual resources, at least one property being associated with each resource. The system also includes a meeting profiler module that is configured to define a meeting profile which specifies one or more resources required for a meeting based upon received user input. The system further includes a profile-resource matching module that searches the data of the electronic data storage and matches elements of the set of virtual resources to the one or more resources required for the meeting defined by the meeting profiler module, and, based thereon, automatically generates at least one meeting schedule candidate. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055235 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSISTED HANDLING OF CASCADING MEETING CHANGES - A method for assisting a user in handling cascading event conflicts arising in a schedule provided by an electronic scheduling application includes receiving an indication of a first proposed event update to the schedule; determining whether the first proposed event update conflicts with any previously scheduled event; entering the first proposed event update into the schedule if the first proposed event update does not conflict; determining whether to select the first proposed event update or a first previously scheduled event for attempting to reschedule if the first proposed event update conflicts with the first previously scheduled event; determining whether to accept a second proposed event update for rescheduling of the selected one of the first proposed event update and the first previously stored event; and determining whether the second proposed event update conflicts with any previously scheduled event if the second proposed event update is accepted. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055236 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EVALUATING LIKELIHOOD OF MEETING ATTENDANCE - A method and computer program product for evaluating the likelihood of meeting attendance including receiving an acceptance to an invitation to a first meeting for a meeting invitee. A first weighting factor is defined for the meeting invitee based upon, at least in part, an anticipated probability of attendance at the first meeting by the meeting invitee. The first weighting factor is associated with the meeting invitee and the first meeting. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055237 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING INHERENT PROJECT UNCERTAINTY - A software and/or hardware facility for managing project schedules having inherent uncertainty. The facility allows users to create hierarchical data structures to model projects and other collective efforts. The hierarchical data structures contain work items that can represent tasks, collections of tasks and collections of collections and tasks. Each work item can have associated with it an estimate provided by a user, such as a ranged estimate of the amount of work remaining before the work item is completed. Based at least in part on the provided estimate, the facility can calculate expected start and finish dates for each work item. By calculating expected start and finish dates for all or most of the work items in a project, the facility is able to calculate an expected end date for the entire project. By basing the calculation on ranged estimates, the facility can account for the uncertainty inherent in projects. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055238 | Meeting optimizer - A meeting location that is “fair” to all the participants may be selected based on at least the travel circumstances and at least two initial criteria by which an optimal meeting location will be selected, at least one of which has values that are determined for each respective one of the meeting participants using at least information derived from the travel circumstances. Note that by “fair” it is generally intended that no participant can reduce his burden without significantly increasing the burden of some other participant. The meeting location may be determined using a multi-criterial approach. A criterion in this context is a particular property of the travel pertaining to a particular user. In the multi-criterial approach, one selects a preference relation based on each of the individual criteria, and the set of non-dominated alternatives is the outcome of the optimization process. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055239 | Systems and Methods for Material Management - A system and method are provided for scheduling the emptying or replacement of a waste container based on the fullness of the container or the usage of the container. These factors may be considered to determine when the waste container will become completely full. Additionally, the system and method may consider the customer preferences or the limitations of the waste hauler. All of these factors may be considered to determine an optimal time for the waste container to be emptied or replaced. These factors are also considered to determine when to accomplish the scheduling (i.e. when to notify the waste hauler that the waste container should be emptied or replaced at a given time). | 2009-02-26 |
20090055240 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING CONFERENCE PRESENTERS - A method includes defining a plurality of attendee groups. Each attendee group includes a plurality of attendee slots and a presenter slot. A first presenter is assigned to a presenter slot of a first attendee group during a first conference portion. A second presenter is assigned to the presenter slot of the first attendee group during a second conference portion. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055241 | System and Method for Estimating a Qualiifed Impression Count for Advertising Data in a Communication System - A method and system for estimating a qualified impression count in a communication network, the method comprising receiving at a server, impression quality factors data comprising subscriber device state data indicative of a degree of active advertising data viewing, subscriber device type data indicative of a type of subscriber device receiving the advertising data and subscriber type data indicative of a type of subscriber viewing the advertising data; sorting the impression quality factors data into impression quality factors categories data; applying weights to the sorted impression quality factors categories data; accumulating the weighted impression quality factors categories data into the impression quality factors categories; applying unique curves to at least two of the accumulated impression quality factors categories data to generate curve adjusted impression quality factors categories data; correlating the curve adjusted impression quality factors categories data with advertising quality criteria data; and estimating the qualified impression count from the correlation. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055242 | CONTENT IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - Embodiments herein relate market entities, market topics, and market relationships in a market relationship module (MRM). The MRM is used to index individually relevant information content and to formulate queries for later retrieval and presentation of the relevant content. Other embodiments are described and claimed. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055243 | Systems and methods for predicting a livestock marketing method - The present invention is directed to methods and systems for improving the efficiency of livestock production using genetic information obtained from the animal. The methods of the invention comprise obtaining a genetic sample from an animal or embryo, determining the genotype of the animal or embryo with respect to specific quality traits, grouping animals with like genotypes, and optionally, further sub-grouping animals based on like phenotypes. The invention is further directed to a method of predicting the carcass quality of an animal by correlating the rate of change in carcass traits with the genotype of the animal. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055244 | METHOD FOR CUSTOMER-CHOICE-BASED BUNDLING OF PRODUCT OPTIONS - A method and system for customer-choice-based bundling of product options collects data from previous orders about customer component choices, computes a pairwise distance between any pair of components that capture how much the probability of a choice pair P(a.b) deviates from the expected probability under the null hypothesis of independence P(a)*P(b), and clusters the components. The methodology can be implemented as instructions implemented in a computer readable medium. In this way, the need for a method to permit bundles of product options to be configured through the use of business processes reflecting choices based on the preferences of customers rather than the preferences of product designers is fulfilled. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055245 | SURVEY FRAUD DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method of filtering fraudulent responses from survey data including responses to survey questions received from survey takers and a response time for each response. For each question, any responses to the question having a response time less than a minimum time required to provide a thoughtful response are filtered from the survey data. Optionally, for each survey taker, a number of responses filtered from the survey data is determined. If this number exceeds a threshold, all responses provided by the survey taker are filtered from the survey data. The method may determine whether responses provided by each survey taker to attributes of a matrix question include a pattern. If a survey taker's responses include the pattern and were provided in less than the minimum time required to provide a thoughtful response to the matrix question, all responses provided by the survey taker are filtered from the survey data. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055246 | Real-world profile data for making virtual world contacts - A method and system provides arrangements creating a relationship between a real-world entity and a virtual world environment. A virtual world patron can participate in various virtual world activities and transactions. Feedback may be provided and records kept regarding the virtual world activities and transactions. The virtual world patron may be a possible recipient of a real-world consequence or benefit based on a virtual world occurrence. In some instances confirmation of an awarded real-world benefit may be provided via a communication interconnection. Real-world profile data may be used in connection with promotional activities in a virtual world environment. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055247 | System and method for classification of beverages - A system and method are provided to present a rating system for each perceived characteristic within a beverage. The system and method accurately records the input of multiple consumers to produce a prediction model representative of the perceived characteristics of a beverage. Using the prediction model, beverage characteristics may be compared and contrasted by the user. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055248 | METHOD OF ADMINISTERING A SEARCH ENGINE WITH A MARKETING COMPONENT - A computer system capable of administering a search engine program with a marketing component, which includes at least one client device operatively connected to a host server through a communication network to communicate data between the client device and the host server. The marketing component includes free or discounted access to an application program that provides various services in exchange for the user's agreement to use the search engine program as a primary search engine. The search engine is free of advertisements, except for paid placement listings. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055249 | Method and system for providing a structured virtual world for advertising and data mining as a part of a marketing and sales program for universal life stage decision support - A method for virtual world advertising and data mining as a part of a marketing and sales program for universal life stage decision support. User profiles created based on virtual world attributes are matched-up to service providers. Service provider-defined images or advertisements are then presented to the matched-up user using heuristics to select and modify the images or advertisements. Pricing for placement of the advertisement is determined in part by online auction and payments can be made to a user for specific user actions taken. Actual user actions taken after presentation of an image or advertisement are recorded and correlated over time, and are then used in measurements, reports and also in the heuristics for determining what advertisements have desired effects on the user. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055250 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING TRADE MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE - A process for managing financial transactions involves defining the process as a series of steps that involve the transfer of information needed by each party to settle the transaction. A system for measuring the performance of participants in the management process tracks the information transferred between the parties and records the date and time that the information is transferred. Periodically, information including the date and time information is processed and used to determine measures of performance over the period. These measures of performance can include the amount of time between the completion of any of the steps in the management process, for example, from the time when transaction was initiated (e.g. a trade is executed) to the time the information to be transmitted to or received by any of the participants to the management process or the management system in any of the steps of the management process. The performance information can be compiled into predefined reports which allow a party to compare and rank the performance of counterparties with which the party had completed transactions. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055251 | DIRECTED ONLINE ADVERTISING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system is provided for managing a sales person. An automating server is configured to automate management of sales activities of the sales person selling an electronic advertisement product. A categorizing module is coupled to the automating server. The categorizing module is configured to define a category for businesses located within a targeted geographical area. A territory creation module is coupled to the automating server. The territory creator is configured to define a sales territory within the targeted geographical area for the sales person. The automating server is further configured to create the electronic advertisement product for the business based on the category and the sales territory. The automating server is further configured to generate leads for the sales person to sell the electronic advertisement product to the business within the sales territory. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055252 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND MACHINE-READABLE MEDIUM FOR PERIODIC SOFTWARE LICENSING - A system and method for periodically licensing a software having a server configured to receive a first request code for a term extension of a software license, the request code being initiated by a user of an application unit, the term extension allows the software to operate within a predetermined period of time, provide advertising information to the application unit, and provide the term extension for the software license. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055253 | TRANSACTION PRODUCT WITH GELATINOUS SUBSTANCE - A transaction product includes a housing, a gelatinous substance and an account identifier. The housing defines a storage cavity and is configured to be selectively opened and closed to provide selective access to the storage cavity. The gelatinous substance is selectively enclosed within the storage cavity, and, upon removal of the gelatinous substance from the storage cavity, the gelatinous substance is configured to selectively flow in a plurality of different directions. The account identifier links the transaction product to at least one of an account and a record and is machine readable by a point-of-sale terminal such that value can be added to or deducted from the at least one of the account and the record using the account identifier. Other product, cards, assemblies and associated methods are also disclosed. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055254 | DYNAMIC AND INTERACTIVE ADVERTISEMENTS - A system and method are disclosed for dynamic advertisement (ad) presentation. Dynamic ads may be presented on a page in a variety of different forms with different features based on dynamic ad factors. The dynamic ad may include a number of different ad components depending on the dynamic ad factors. The dynamic ad factors may include any considerations relevant to the presentation of an ad. The presentation of the ad may include an interactive component that receives user input. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055255 | INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC COUPON METHOD AND SYSTEM - A system, method, and medium, the method including establishing a relationship between a marketer and a trusted third party; establishing a relationship between a customer and the trusted third party; receiving, by the trusted third party from the customer via an electronic communication, an indication of an expressed interest in an offer by the customer, the expressed interest being an action other than a purchase associated with the offer; and outputting, by the trusted third party, information associated with the indication of the expressed interest in the offer to the marketer. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055256 | Funding Information Delivery Using Advertising Revenue - Embodiments are provided to deliver information to a user such that data information delivery costs are less than an amount of generated advertising revenue. In an embodiment, a system can be configured to deliver information, including content and advertisements, to a user which operates to remove the burden of payment for the information delivery by the user. In one embodiment, bandwidth, compression, minimization, protocols, timing, and other optimization parameters can be used to minimize the cost to communicate information, including content and advertisements, to a user. Embodiments can be configured to optimally package advertisements and content, such that advertising revenue can be used to compensate for or override costs associated with the transmission of the content and advertisements. Other embodiments and functionality are available. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055257 | Engagement-Oriented Recommendation Principle - A method selects a predictor item that has a relevance to a user. The method receives a set of affinity items having affinity scores that relate the predictor item to the affinity items. The method filters the list of affinity items based on the affinity scores, and selects a first set of affinity items from the filtered items. For each selected affinity item, the method calculates a difference score from the predictor item, and selects a first affinity item based on the difference score for the first affinity item. Preferably, content is presented to the user based on the selected first affinity item. Additional embodiments include a system and/or computer readable medium having instructions for execution of the foregoing. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055258 | Distribution system of program combined with advertisement according to distribution date and time - In a program distribution system which downloads advertisement-inserted programs to a client system to distribute the program, distribution of programs combined with advertisement according to distribution date/time has not been performed. Also, there has been no mechanism in which there is a plurality of advertisers for one program by distributing the program combined with an advertisement which is randomly selected for one program from a plurality of specified advertisements or combined with an advertisement selected according to a specified rate. Therefore, the problems are solved by a method of generating an error by intentionally causing a download-requested program not to be present with respect to a download request from a client, detecting the error so as to start a program, and generating an advertisement-inserted program in real time so as to distribute it to the client, and by randomly selecting or selecting at a predetermined rate a program from advertisement-combined program files created in advance. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055259 | Lost key rewards system and method - A lost key rewards system and method which allows key owners to register their keys with a central database accessible by a world wide website portal where the key owner's contact information is kept private and confidential. In particular, the lost key rewards system and method utilize an encoded key tag, each with a unique key tag number that a key tag owner may attach to their keychain or key ring. The key tag also has instructions for accessing a specified website and forwarding the found key tags for a reward. A key tag owner may participate in the program by registering their key tag with its unique key tag number along with their contact information. Thus, if the key tag owner's keys and key tag are lost and found, the key tag finder has a system and method of returning the keys to the key tag owner and may choose to receive a reward. This lost key rewards system and method also provides the opportunity for large or small corporations to incorporate the key retrieval system as an employee and/or customer reward program. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055260 | Online system for renting application software - A method for renting application software to a customer including the steps of: offering to the customer access to one or more application software products; receiving a signal indicating the customer's selection of a software product from the one or more software products; providing the customer with access to the selected software product for a period of time; and receiving payment from the customer in return for providing the customer with access to the selected software product, wherein the step of offering one or more application software products comprises selecting appropriate software products to offer based on the customer's requirements. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055261 | Syndicated marketplace architecture for facilitating in-situ purchases - A model for implementing a syndicated marketplace service is provided by an architecture that applies a payment instrumentation process to syndicated items, including advertising, classified listings, marketplace catalogs and the like, to expose such items as transaction-able in a virtual marketplace. The syndicated items are presented, as transactional advertisements or listings, through binding to transaction functionalities provided by user interface (“UI”) gadgets. The UI gadgets provide targeted and contextual handling of the instrumented transactional advertisements or listings when implemented at a particular site. The model enables web site publishers to readily syndicate the necessary services to offer products and services that are targeted, for example by location, time, or audience demographic, and which may be closely related to themes, content, and information presented on the publisher's sites. The sales are transacted without requiring end-users to be redirected off the sites to purchase products and services from a centralized marketplace. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055262 | System and method for advertising testimonial services - A system and method of providing cost effective litigation support through the use of trained and licensed medical professionals, other than medical doctors, includes building at least one database of information that includes credentials of the medical professionals including schooling and work experiences. The database includes contact information. Work experiences include any former expert testimony provided in litigation. Information from the database is marketed to litigants. A system for implementing the method may further include a processor and a second database of licensed attorneys who litigate certain legal issues. Data stored in the first database is marketed and sold to litigants in the second database. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055263 | PROMOTING SHOPPING INFORMATION ON A NETWORK BASED SOCIAL PLATFORM - A system for promoting shopping information on a social networking platform. At the social networking platform, the system receives a request from a first user of the network-based social platform to request a second user of the network-based social platform to accept an agreement to facilitate promotion of an advertisement in association with the second user on the network-based social platform. The advertisement facilitates a sale of at least one item offered for sale by the first user on a network-based marketplace. Next, the system receives of an acceptance of the agreement from the second user to facilitate promotion of the advertisement in association with the second user on the network-based social platform. Finally, the system promotes the advertisement in association with the second user on the network-based social platform. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055264 | PURCHASING INCENTIVE INITIATIVE - A method of buying a vehicle. A subscriber defines a selected tier chosen from one or more available tiers within an incentive program. The subscriber may browse a vehicle database that lists one or more vehicles available for sale from a seller and may select a vehicle from the vehicles listed within the vehicle database. An incentive program certificate is issued to the subscriber for the selected vehicle, which defines a sale price for the selected vehicle based, at least in part, upon the selected tier and enables the subscriber to purchase the specific vehicle from the seller. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055265 | Lost key rewards system and method - A lost key rewards system and method which allows key owners to register their traditional keys as well as “advanced”, programmable key information with a central database accessible by a world wide website portal where the key owner's contact information is kept private and confidential. In particular, the lost key rewards system and method utilize an encoded key tag, each with a unique key tag number that a key tag owner may attach to their keychain or key ring. The key tag also has instructions for accessing a specified website and forwarding the found key tags for a reward. A key tag finder may participate in the program by registering the found keys and its specific key tag with its unique key tag number along with their contact information. Thus, if the key tag owner's keys and key tag are lost and found, the key tag finder has a system and method of returning the keys and/or key tag to the key tag owner and may choose to receive a reward. This lost key rewards system and method also provides the opportunity for large or small corporations to incorporate the key retrieval system as an employee and/or customer reward program and additional advertisement for the company through their logo being placed on a key tag. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055266 | SUBSCRIPTION PROMOTION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method of, and system for, facilitating electronic commerce transaction comprises: steps for, or server component, receiving an indication of purchase of a first product from a first seller, sending an offer for a second product of a second seller to the first seller, allowing the first seller to accept and complete purchase of the second product without providing billing information of the customer to the second seller. The method and system may further provide a subscription management of multiple subscriptions from different subscription sellers. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055267 | INTERNET ADVERTISING BROKERAGE APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - Apparatus, systems, and methods herein acquire and develop ad targeting relevancy information, route the relevancy information through a network, and use the relevancy information to prioritize ad flows and to select targeted, high-value ads to deliver to subscribers. Some example embodiments may intercept a subscriber internet access stream and/or interact with one or more subscriber information sources to acquire and develop the relevancy information. The relevancy information may then be introduced into the ad delivery ecosystem. Other example embodiments are described and claimed. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055268 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUCTIONING TARGETED ADVERTISEMENT PLACEMENT FOR VIDEO AUDIENCES - A method of auctioning targeted advertisement placement for video audiences, contains the steps of: receiving one or more advertising campaign, where each advertising campaign is defined by one or more advertisement effect criteria, and where each advertising campaign is for providing one or more advertisement to one or more viewer profile; receiving at least one bid for at least one of the one or more advertisement campaign; determining an optimal placement of a requested advertisement based upon the advertisement effect criteria and bid prices provided, so as to optimize revenue; and billing an advertiser according to a level at which a request of the advertiser, as defined by an associated advertising campaign, was supplied and actual viewership of the one or more advertisement associated with the advertising campaign. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055269 | Methods and Systems for Preauthorizing Venue-Based Credit Accounts - A method and system for third party preauthorization of spending at a venue. The third party activates, on behalf of a user, a venue-based credit account for a spending transaction. The transaction is enabled only after at a user and/or a user-designee authorize the venue to open the venue-based credit account. The third party activates the venue-based credit account by providing a credit status of the user to the venue on behalf of the user and deactivates the venue-based credit account, by financially settling the transaction on behalf of the user, only after a triggering event. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055270 | Method and System for Delivering Targeted Advertising To Online Users During The Download of Electronic Objects. - A good time to present an online advertisement to an online User is when he or she is not distracted and can or would like to pay attention to an advertisement. An instance of such time, the “period of inactivity”, may occur, for example, after a User initiates a download of content and before that User begins to view the content being downloaded. The present method and system provides online advertisements to Users during periods of inactivity as well as incentivising website owners with downloadable content to participate in presenting such advertisements to their audiences. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055271 | TRAVEL REWARD ACCRUAL - The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving an indication that a passenger is boarding a carrier for a first segment of a travel itinerary, determining an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment, and outputting, at a time substantially concurrent with the boarding of the carrier for the first segment, the amount of the travel reward points to a travel reward system so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger on a second segment of the travel itinerary. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055272 | Advertisement space auction method, apparatus and storage medium - An advertisement space auction apparatus enabling for a more strategic and open auction transaction to be realized is provided. The advertisement space auction apparatus using a network, comprising a memory storing advertisement space information and being accessible by a plurality of entities connected to the network, a bid data communication unit receiving a bid data submitted via the network from at least one of the plurality of entities, the bid data corresponding to the advertisement space information stored in the memory; and a winning bidder determination unit determining a winning bidder of an advertisement space designated by the advertisement space information, on the basis of the bid data received by the bid data communication unit. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055273 | METHOD OF PROVIDING ADVERTISING INFORMATION, SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ADVERTISING INFORMATION, AND PROGRAM FOR PROVIDING ADVERTISING INFORMATION - A method of providing advertising information to a communication terminal includes acquiring location information from the communication terminal and extracting advertising information of advertisers which locate within a predetermined range from a base point corresponding to the location information. The extracted advertising information is provided to the communication terminal. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055274 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTED APPLICATION EXECUTION - This invention provides methods and apparatus for executing applications in a distributed manner employing one or more proxy servers and one origin server. The invention allows the applications to be executed primarily at the proxy servers rather than at the origin servers, thereby gaining in scalability and improved user response time. A redirection mechanism is used to direct requests to one of the proxy servers. The proxy server uses caching techniques to bring information records needed for application execution to the proxy servers. The code required for application execution is also obtained from the origin server. The invention discusses applying this technique to three Web-based applications, namely Web-based auctions, generating personalized content for Web-users, and creating advertisements for users accessing a Web page. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055275 | ADVERTISEMENT SYSTEM AND COMMODITY SALES SYSTEM - A commodity sales system ( | 2009-02-26 |
20090055276 | Pay at the Table System - Patrons at a restaurant or bar can pay at their table using credit cards, without involving the restaurant or bar cashier and/or wait staff. Patrons are assisted using this system in dividing the bill by displaying the amount due (including tax) and allowing each patron to enter the amount they wish to pay. When the initial bill is presented, a balance due will be displayed and the indication will be provided that the bill has yet to be paid in full. As each transaction is entered, a running total will be displayed indicating the remaining balance due. When the running total reaches zero, the bill is paid in full, and an indication will be provided, such as by illuminating a green indicator light or by displaying a balance due of $0.00. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055277 | WIRELESS PAYMENT METHOD AND SYSTEMS - A method for conducting a transaction is disclosed. The method includes using a first portable electronic device, and directly transmitting a request for payment to a second portable electronic device through a wireless link. Then, the second portable electronic device transmits an approval of the request for payment to the first portable electronic device. One of the first and the second portable electronic devices then sends the request for payment to a payment hub service. The payment hub service then facilitates the transfer of funds from a payer institution to a payee institution to complete the transaction. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055278 | Complete Secure Retail Transaction Via A Mobile Device - The present invention incorporates scanning technology and secure payment technology into the operating system (OS) of a mobile device such as a smartphone. In a preferred embodiment, the scanning technology comprises RFID interrogation capability. This enables smartphone users to validate transactions during a shopping session at a retail location (i.e., scan items as they are added to their shopping cart) and streamline the payment process by electronically transmitting their credit/debit card information directly to their financial institution to authorize payment to finish the transaction, all while within the retail location. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055279 | PAYMENT SYSTEM - A payment system transfers funds from a purchaser to a supplier of goods and services. A single use transient credit code provided to the purchaser effects the transfer. The transient credit code is redeemable to a value limited to said transfer of funds thereby preventing subsequent fraudulent use of the code. The payment system apparatus transfers a payment from a purchaser to a supplier of goods and services. The apparatus incorporates a code issue device which keeps track of and generates a list of limited-value, single-use credit codes. The device issues the codes on request, receives notification of use of the codes and marks respective, ones as used. The transfer is done by single-use transient credit codes provided to the purchaser. The codes are redeemable to the value limited to a payment. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055280 | Pay at the Table System - Patrons at a restaurant or bar can pay at their table using credit cards, without involving the restaurant or bar cashier and/or wait staff. Patrons are assisted using this system in dividing the bill by displaying the amount due (including tax) and allowing each patron to enter the amount they wish to pay. When the initial bill is presented, a balance due will be displayed and the indication will be provided that the bill has yet to be paid in full. As each transaction is entered, a running total will be displayed indicating the remaining balance due. When the running total reaches zero, the bill is paid in full, and an indication will be provided, such as by illuminating a green indicator light or by displaying a balance due of $0.00. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055281 | Processing systems and methods for vending transactions - Methods for reconciling vending machine transactions occurring between consecutive settlement events and for paying suppliers of vending machine goods are disclosed. Reconciling is accomplished through obtaining a local settlement value at a processing facility representing the total value of all vending transactions that occurred at the vending machine between the consecutive settlement events, receiving an electronic settlement value at the processing facility that represents the vending transactions that occurred at the vending machine between the consecutive settlement events, and reconciling the local settlement value with the electronic settlement value. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055282 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PAYMENT ON CALL IN A NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT - A computer-implemented method and system is disclosed in which a network-based e-commerce environment includes a merchant site to receive a voice call associated with a purchase transaction from a consumer, generate a payment request corresponding to the consumer purchase transaction in response to receiving the voice call, send the payment request to a payment site, and receive confirmation from the payment site that payment for the consumer purchase transaction has been received. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055283 | Dynamic tracking, analysis and acquisition of e-commerce advertising channels for toll-free and/or telephonic markets - The present invention assists the critical real-time decision making required to make important decision on bidding on various customer procurement commodities in a telephonic sales market. The invention provides dynamic pricing as a function of Internet or other types of advertisement costs for the telephonic market. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a virtual or physical e-commerce application with an interface connected to the telephonic routing system. A tracking identifier is used with an advertisement, usually a web-based ad, and routed via the vendor to the analysis and procurement system to measure advertising channel effectiveness. A pool of bidders can analyze the tracking data for effective and bid and procure an automated or manual 1800 sales or telephonic call from a consumer based on a number of factors. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055284 | TERMINAL DEVICE AND SECURITY DEVICE WHICH AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE ELECTRONIC GIFT, INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD FOR PROVIDING ELECTRONIC GIFT TOGETHER WITH REQUESTED ELECTRONIC INFORMATION, AND INFORMATION SERVER - It is possible to provide a privilege for data communication without requiring a troublesome user operation and to realize an information provision system for ensuring anonymousness of the user for a site. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055285 | VIEWING SHOPPING INFORMATION ON A NETWORK-BASED SOCIAL PLATFORM - A system for viewing shopping information on a social networking platform. At the social networking platform, the system receives a request from a first user of the social networking platform to view a list associated with a second user on the social networking platform. The list may include items offered for sale on a network-based marketplace. Next, the system determines the first user is authorized to view the list associated with the second user. Finally, the system communicates the list of items to the first user. | 2009-02-26 |
20090055286 | INVERSE MULTIPLE AUCTION - A method and system for encouraging competition in an on-line auction includes receiving at least one bid to buy an item and communicating the bids or a summary thereof to a plurality of sellers. A seller may respond to the bids by accepting a bid or making an offer. Information on the status of the bidding and offers may be made available to one or more participants to encourage an open market and informed decision making by all participants. | 2009-02-26 |