35th week of 2008 patent applcation highlights part 69 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20080208633 | LOGICAL INTERFACE FOR MEDICAL RECORD DATA MINING - In accordance with an embodiment, a logical interface for mining medical data records comprises a data processor for receiving input of a selection of criteria for a medical records query, a database of medical records, responsive to a query, for outputting patient medical record data responsive to the query, and a plurality of operations including a means of combining a first and second query and a means of providing medical data not meeting the first and second query. The query may utilize a plurality of filters among the following: demographics, vitals, laboratories, ICD codes, CPT codes, prescriptions, alerts, medical history, immunizations and encounters/visits among other filters. In one embodiment, the result of a series of queries may be output to a central database for various purposes including the identification of an outbreak of an epidemic in a geographic region. In reverse, an embodiment may comprise a patient portal for posting personalized patient alerts regarding, for example, medical risks associated with taking a given medication or having received a bad vaccination lot. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208634 | Electronic method and system that improves efficiencies for rendering diagnosis of radiology procedures - An electronic method and system for improving radiologists' efficiencies when viewing radiology procedures and rendering diagnosis in a manner that emulates current methods and apparatus. The method of the present invention includes reviewing electronic radiology images and reports contained in a patient's digital master folder (an information object invented to manage the patient's radiology information), comparing images from the current procedure to specific images from prior procedures in a specified order, and dictating the procedure's diagnosis into the digital master folder. The apparatus of the present invention includes a flat panel monitor for the viewing and manipulation of digital master folders, a dictation trackball device for manual and voice enabled operation and navigation of the system, and multiple high-resolution computer monitors functioning as a “light-box” for the viewing of radiology images. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208635 | Data maintenance via patient monitoring technique - 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. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208636 | Keychain information tag - An information tag is provided that enables important vehicle insurance information and identification to be kept on a keychain or analogous object, for example. In one illustrative embodiment, an information tag includes a card, an aperture in the card, and a set of content disposed on the card, wherein the content is associated with an insurance policy. Additional embodiments also include a method for providing information tags, and a sheet that includes a plurality of detachable information tags. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208637 | Method And System For Assessing Environmental Risk Associated With Parcel Of Real Property - Disclosed is a system and method for assessing environmental risk associated with a parcel of real property through the form of reports which can be generated without the significant expense and time delay of a physical site inspection. Also disclosed is a method to facilitate contaminated land transactions by reports that provide consultancy, legal, and/or financial advice based on factors determined in the absence of a property site visit. In one aspect, the disclosed method comprises several steps based on certain determinations made using commercially-available and publicly-available databases. In another aspect, the disclosed method is a way of providing financial assurance via an insurance policy with the steps of supplying an environmental risk report and automatically supplying an environmental insurance quote based upon the environmental risk report. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208638 | Methods and systems for administration of funds - A method of administering access to funds in at least one account for which disbursement of funds from the account requires meeting qualifications includes the acts of providing a computer interface via which at least one member can log onto a system; determining if the member is eligible for disbursement of funds; if the member is determined to be eligible, providing a computer interface via which the member can enter information associated with a claim for funds; and applying rules saved in memory of the system to the information associated with the claim to determine if the claim meets the qualifications. A system for administering access to funds in at least one account for which disbursement of funds from the account requires meeting qualifications includes: at least one administrator computer system; at least one memory system in operative connection with the administrator computer system; at least one communication portal in communicative connection with the administrator computer system to provide communication to and from the administrator computer system; at least one list of members eligible members stored in the memory system, at least one interface via which at least one of the members can log onto the administrator computer system upon providing the security information; at least one interface via which the logged member can enter a claim for funds from the logged member's account and information associated with the claim; and at least one set of rules stored in the memory system, the set of rules being applicable to the information associated with a claim submitted by the logged member to determine if the claim is qualified. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208639 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING WARRANTY CLAIMS - A software and/or hardware facility for enabling warranty claims processing between warrantors and warrantees. The facility allows a warrantee to identify if a particular product or service is covered by a warranty, and to make a warranty claim for such covered product or service. Upon submission of a warranty claim, the facility may perform steps to verify and authorize the warranty claim. The facility may also provide the warrantee with instructions on how to tender the product or service to the warrantor. The facility notifies the warrantor of the submission of the warranty claim. The facility enables the creation of detailed reports on warranty claims for warrantees and warrantors. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208640 | Collateral damage limits - A method for marketing and insuring damages that are associated with insured loss events but that are not covered by traditional insurance policies. This method permits the marketing of loss expense coverage, underwriting, and claim adjustment processes of insurance to be performed by reference to the loss payments that are made by a specified insurance policy. By referencing insured loss payments, which both a buyer and a seller understand, this method provides an easy way to communicate and transact something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to define or measure. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208641 | Remote customisation module and system comprising said module - A remote customisation module for a logic engine, running upon a server remote from said logic engine, comprises a communication interface arranged to communicate with the logic engine and with an application running upon said server. The module also comprises a logic element arranged to receive an incoming request for data from the logic engine via the communication interface. The logic element is arranged to interrogate the application in order to extract data required to fulfil said request. The logic element is also arranged to process said extracted data to generate response data and to pass said response data to the logic engine. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208642 | INTERACTIVE OPTICAL CARDS AND OTHER HAND-HELD DEVICES WITH INCREASED CONNECTIVITY - A system for deriving benefits from the reception and processing of composite video signals by a hand-held device, such as a smart card. Video signals are modulated with auxiliary data creating composite video signals. The composite video signals are then transmitted to and received by a hand-held device. The auxiliary data is then detected in the modulated video signal by circuitry of the hand-held device. The user receives benefits resulting from the reception of the auxiliary data. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208643 | Follow your stars - A system and methods for providing comprehensive travel package to attend an event out of a series of scheduled events are disclosed. The system comprises a server engine having means for gathering all sorts of online travel related information from a plurality of specialized websites. It includes means for storing the gathered travel information. A travel time durations and costs calculator operates from the gathered travel information in order to dynamically build the comprehensive travel packages. Sets of comprehensive travel packages are then delivered to a plurality of client websites in response to the submission by their end-users of queries to attend events out of series of scheduled events. End-user queries include home locations along with further preferences that are used to dynamically build the corresponding set of comprehensive travel packages. The most appropriate event date and location is thus selected allowing to deliver the best travel package for the specified end-user home location. Preferences include minimizing overall trip elapsed times, minimizing overall trip costs and excluding some transportation means. The invention also applies to the organization of professional meetings and for socializing websites to restrict selection of people to meet only to those fitting in a cost or time metric. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208644 | Apparatus and Method for Measuring Service Performance - A method for measuring satisfaction within a service environment including the steps of modeling contractual customer service relationships using a hierarchical composition model with discrete abstract elements, creating and distributing customer perception surveys having questions, wherein the questions are dynamically generated from a computer database based on events within the service environment and element weightings within a hierarchical composition model, collecting and analyzing the customer perception surveys, calculating aggregate measures of customer perception that have statistical reliability, correlating the measures of customer perception to create at least one statistical causality between customer perception and business performance and adjusting the element weights using calculated customer perception measures and statistical correlation measures to refine reliability of future analysis and calculation results. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208645 | Method for Logic Tree Traversal - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for traversing a business object tree and an associated policy object tree. The traversal determines determine all ancestral business objects to any one business object of interest. The traversal also determines all policy objects associated with the ancestral objects or the business object of interest. The traversal algorithm may traverse the policy object tree to determine all policy controls linked to the associated policy objects. By traversing the business object tree and the policy object tree, the traversal algorithm provides a group of one or more policy controls associated with any one business item of interest. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208646 | METHOD FOR INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY AND SAFETY IN THE MINING AND HEAVY CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES - A method for increasing productivity and safety in the mining and heavy construction industries comprising: evaluating equipment operator skills; correlating the evaluated operator skills to skill levels; calculating an average site skill level; correlating the average site skill level to an incident rate; establishing equipment costs based on the incident rate; projecting equipment costs for different average site skill levels; comparing actual to projected equipment costs; using the average site skill level to generate a productivity factor for each class of equipment; calculating production costs for a class of equipment based on the productivity factors; calculating production costs for different productivity factors; comparing actual to projected production costs to generate cost-benefit information for a manager deciding whether to implement a training program; and generating a report with recommended training based on the skill evaluations and desired equipment cost and/or productivity factor goals. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208647 | Information Technologies Operations Performance Benchmarking - A proactive IT infrastructure support system is set forth which provides operations performance benchmarking. The operations performance benchmarking makes use of data that is available from a direct supply model. The operations performance benchmarking collects, analyzes, and formats the data into a single, easy-to-use interface that provides customers an ability quickly evaluate absolute performance of key IT performance metrics and to evaluate relative performance by comparing the results to the customer's choice of a variety of external benchmarks (such as industry peers) and internal benchmarks (site vs. site, and performance to Service Level Agreement). | 2008-08-28 |
20080208648 | Constraints-based analysis and strategy planning methods and tools - Disclosed herein are methods and related tools for assisting users in analyzing and identifying various constraints that limit the impact of business growth strategies, and for helping those users identify, research, and/or implement strategies in light of identified constraints. More particularly, disclosed are information management methods and electronic computing tools for enabling managers to utilize accumulated information to identify and address constraints that otherwise limit innovation and growth of their business ventures. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208649 | Secure information sharing architecture, processes and tools for post merger integration - Disclosed herein are architectures and related processes and tools for enabling secure information sharing during the regulatory review period of mergers and acquisitions. A secure information sharing architecture and related processes and tools is provided that facilitates data gathering and information organizing to accelerate the post merger integration process for companies involved in a merger transaction while ensuring that information integrity is maintained in compliance with regulatory restrictions. Embodiments of the invention permit a mirrored approach to integration research and planning. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208650 | Tracking Telecommunication Expenses - The present disclosure is directed to tracking telecommunication expenses. In some implementations, a method includes aggregating data associated with telecommunication services used by an employee. One or more policies of an enterprise are automatically identified for evaluating the used services. The enterprise policies are associated with the employee. A violation of one or more enterprise policies is determined based, at least in part, on comparing the aggregated data to the enterprise policies. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208651 | LEAD DISBURSEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method includes associating a lead with a subset of participants from a plurality of participants. The associating is performed based on a criteria list. A priority is determined for each participant from the subset of participants. A capacity coefficient is determined for each participant from the subset of participants. The lead is exclusively assigned to a participant from the subset of participants based on the priority for the participant and the capacity coefficient for the participant. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208652 | METHOD AND SYSTEM UTILIZING ONLINE ANALYTICAL PROCESSING (OLAP) FOR MAKING PREDICTIONS ABOUT BUSINESS LOCATIONS - A method and system that utilizes OLAP and supporting data structures for making predictions about business locations. The method includes providing a spatial map and analyzing heterogeneous data having a spatial component to find utilizable data. Relationships are automatically extracted from the utilizable data by employing machine learning. The step of automatically extracting relationships includes generating a composite indicator, which correlates spatial data with unstructured data. The extracted relationships are presented on a spatial map to make a prediction about at least one business location. Preferably, the predictions are presented as a rank-ordered list on the spatial map and a heat map overlays the spatial map to indicate predictions about particular regions. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208653 | COMPUTER NETWORKS - According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of analysing a computer infrastructure providing a service, an intended quality level of the service being defined by at least one service level objective defining a service level quality objective and a related compliance level, the computer infrastructure comprising a plurality of components, the method comprising: obtaining first service level objective compliance data for a selected service level objective, the compliance data being calculated using data collected from the computer infrastructure; calculating second service level objective compliance data for the selected service level objective using in part the collected data and for a selected service level quality objective a value that meets that objective; calculating a difference between the first and second data; and identifying, based on the calculated difference, one or more components suitable for modification. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208654 | Method And Apparatus For Site And Building Selection - A site/building decision facilitating apparatus including a database that correlates building characteristics with business driver factors, a processor linked to the database and running a program to perform the following acts: receiving business driver factor information for a first building project via an input device and identifying a subset of default building characteristics for the first building project using the database and the received business driver factor information | 2008-08-28 |
20080208655 | Method and system for generating documentation and approvals for entities and transactions and generating current and historical reporting related thereto - The enterprise database system provides methods, data, and user interfaces for generating approvals and documentation related to forming or acquiring an entity or to initiating a transaction involving an entity. The system also provides the ability to store entity or transaction information in a historical database for retrieval. The system further provides analysis and report generating features, including generating current and historical reports related an entity or transaction, such as general corporate, regulatory and financial reporting documentation. The system also provides methods for modifying entity or transaction information in the historical database. The system further includes various interactive displays and notification tools to implement or facilitate the foregoing methods and systems. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208656 | Vehicle managing method, vehicle managing apparatus and vehicle managing program - A method is disclosed for performing comprehensive management for vehicles owned by clients, including an appropriate number of vehicles to be operated and appropriate operation methods, instead of simple maintenance and management of the vehicles, and according to this method, a vehicle managing apparatus, a client terminal, a workshop terminal and a store terminal are connected via a communication network, and the vehicle managing apparatus includes information acceptance means, maintenance period calculation means, business efficiency analyzation means and information providing means. First, the information acceptance means receives maintenance history information for a vehicle, automotive accessories purchase history information, vehicle operating record information and business performance information for a client, all of which are entered by the workshop terminal or the store terminal. Sequentially, the maintenance period calculation means calculates a maintenance period for the vehicle based on the maintenance history information, the purchase history information and the operating record information, and the business efficiency analyzation means analyzes business efficiency based on the maintenance history information, the purchase history information, the operating record information and the business performance information. Then, the information providing means transmits, to the client terminal, the maintenance period calculation results and the business efficiency analysis results. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208657 | METHOD, APPARATUS AND SOFTWARE FOR MANAGING THE GENERATION OF PROCESS EVENTS BY A SOFTWARE PROCESS - A method, apparatus and software is disclosed for managing the generation of process events generated by a software process for supply to a process monitoring system, in which the generation of process events can be enabled or disabled on a group basis. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208658 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ESTIMATING SUPPLY IMPACT ON A FIRM UNDER A GLOBAL CRISIS - The availability of relevant business resources, or supply, during a global crisis or disruption are estimated by using a forecast of a baseline supply of human resources and various forms of infrastructure and raw materials for a firm as input. That forecast is corrected to account for the impact of a crisis or other disruption, and a corrected forecast as output is provided. The corrected forecast reflects changes in the availability of business resources due to the crisis or disruption, dependencies between resources, as well as any mitigating effects resulting from the implementation of mitigation policies. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208659 | Method and Apparatus Combining control Theory and Business Performance Management - A control methodology and component in Business Performance Management (BPM) Systems. This enables firms to exploit control theoretic techniques for Business Performance Management. Information from BPM systems is used to calibrate models of the business process. This model is then used to assess and optimize control actions to manage business performance, on the basis of which a control action is selected for business process execution. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208660 | System and Method for Analyzing and Managing Business Performance - A system and method for analyzing and managing business performance by designing and evaluating the performance of a business process model comprising a flow of business tasks and artifact sources that generate business artifacts. Business processes may be parsed to identify transformation opportunities meeting transformation conditions specified in a transformation knowledge. One or more identified transformation opportunities may be adopted, and parts of the process may be transformed according to transformation rules specified in a transformation knowledge. Analytics and computer simulation may be employed to evaluate business performance metrics of each of said transformed business processes. Iterative changes may be made to said business processes to manage business performance, reiterating transformation and evaluation steps until a satisfactory business process model is obtained. The resulting output is finally produced as a business process model in machine-readable format and can be deployed to a business environment. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208661 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF USING ANRTIFACTS TO IDENTIFY ELEMENTS OF A COMPONENT BUSINESS MODEL - A method and system are described for using business artifacts to identify elements of a component business model. Artifacts operated upon by the business are first identified, and then used to analyze the business into business operations. This is done by identifying every business activity that acts on an artifact, creating directed graphs for the business activities, and decomposing the directed graphs into sub-graphs, each sub-graph representing a business operation and being annotated by a verb expression, the annotated sub-graph representing a business service. The business services are then clustered into non-overlapping components, using common affinities reflected in the verb expressions, and organized by partitioning into internal and external operations, exposing a business service for each external operation. The components are then clustered into non-overlapping business competencies, and arranged by accountability level. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208662 | Goods information display system, method, and computer readable storage medium storing program thereof - Setting input unit | 2008-08-28 |
20080208663 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A BENEFIT DURING A TRANSACTION FOR USE DURING A LATER TRANSACTION - A method and apparatus for allowing a customer to purchase or otherwise receive a benefit during a first transaction that will be redeemed by the customer or provided to the customer at a later time or during a future transaction for the purchase, rental, lease, etc. of one or more products and/or services. The price to the customer for the benefit may be a monetary amount, a non-monetary amount, a commitment by the customer to complete or perform some obligation or qualifying action. The value of the benefit to the customer may be based on one or more aspects or characteristics of the first transaction. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208664 | OPTIMIZATION OF CLASS SCHEDULING UNDER DEMAND UNCERTAINTY - A stochastic integer programming based constrained optimization technique enables optimal allocation of classrooms and instructors to requested classes associated with cancellation probabilities. An analytical tool allows optimization of overall operational revenue/profit under different planning scenarios involving chaining of various classes, prerequisite relationships, and inter-class spacing requirements. This system allows the description and input of a list of classes, their cancellation probabilities and the input of available classrooms and instructors for determining the most revenue-generating/profitable class schedule. The revenue/profit optimization model corresponds to a two-stage mixed integer program. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208665 | Organizational project management maturity development methods and systems - Methods and computer program products for developing an organization's project management skills through assessment of its project management maturity based on a set of organizations project management best practices is disclosed. To assess an organization's project management maturity, an assessment scope is defined within a set of organizational project management best practices where each best practice includes two or more incremental capabilities that aggregate to that best practice. Questions are selected that correspond to capabilities within the defined assessment scope and answers to the selected questions are received from one or more organizational roles. The organization's project management maturity is then assessed for the defined assessment scope responsive to the received answers in order to develop the organization's project management maturity. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208666 | Business process modeling to facilitate collaborative data submission - Technologies are described herein for modeling business processes that facilitate the collaborative submission of data in a WFM system by modeling business processes in terms of cycles and assignments. A cycle defines a scenario for the business process along with a window of time in which the business process should be executed. Assignments are work activities that are defined within each cycle. A cycle definition is created for each business cycle within a business process. Each cycle definition includes data defining a recurrence pattern for the business cycle and data defining a time period in which one or more contributors to the business cycle may contribute data. Each cycle definition also includes one or more assignment definitions that define the scope, contributors, approvers, validation rules, deadlines, and data forms that should be used for the assignment. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208667 | Method for multi-sourcing technology based services - A computer implemented method of assigning responsibility for multi-sourced technology based services, the method including the steps of: defining a plurality of service delivery functions, defining collections of services that are to be provided by several service providers, providing metrics associating the service delivery functions with the collections of services, and inserting the metrics into a model to indicate which service providers are assigned responsibility for the service delivery functions. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208668 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY ALLOCATING MONETIZATION RIGHTS AND ACCESS AND OPTIMIZING THE VALUE OF DIGITAL CONTENT - A method and apparatus dynamically allocates monetization access and optimizes the value of digital content by managing the access rights and monetization rights, delivery, measurement and by accounting for advertising, promotion and digital messaging within, over, and around digital content across a distributed network of business entities and a distributed network of delivery platforms. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208669 | HOTEL SYSTEM AND METHOD - A hotel system and method is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a hotel is located on one or more floors of a building that is primarily used for purposes other than lodging services, and the size of the hotel and/or its facilities and/or services are scaled to primarily meet the needs and demands of the tenants and visitors of the building. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208670 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM FOR PERFORMING BUSINESS PROCESS MODELING - Exemplary embodiments include a method for performing business process modeling. The method includes identifying capabilities, activities, and requirements associated with a business problem or an opportunity. The activities are operable for implementing the capabilities and the capabilities are operable for resolving the business problem or exploiting the opportunity. For each of the activities, the method includes selecting at least one corresponding process module that includes listings of attributes applicable to the activities, selecting at least one of the attributes from the listings, and defining transition artifacts for integrating selected process modules. The method also includes compiling the transition artifacts, selected attributes, and selected activities with corresponding process modules, and generating a business process model as a result of the compilation. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208671 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MATCHING PEOPLE AND JOBS USING SOCIAL NETWORK METRICS - A computer-implement method and the associated system of computing resources provides an automated work force management capability that optimizes work assignments for individual workers using work force management techniques in combination with social networking analysis (SNA). The work force management attributes are enhanced using SNA. Bipartite graphing processes are used to match the socially enhance worker attributes with the work requirements. By combining the social networking information with the work force management attributes, work assignments are optimized. This optimization exploits historical social interactions between workers and combines their influence with the skills and other work force attributes of each worker required for job performance. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208672 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR WEB-BASED SUPPORT SUBSCRIPTIONS - Embodiments pertain generally to a method for providing subscription services based on virtual machines. The method includes providing for a service portal for users to subscribe to subscription services for at least one of technical support and software based on the virtual machines and providing the subscription services based on client information and business requirements entered by the customer in the service portal. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208673 | System and Method for Providing a Sample of a Product to Shoppers - A system and method for providing a sample of a product to shoppers is disclosed. A card reader ( | 2008-08-28 |
20080208674 | TARGETING ADVERTISING CONTENT IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE (VU) - In general, the present invention allows advertising content to be targeted in a VU. Specifically, users' VU inventories that include visible assets are made available to an advertiser or other third party. This asset information is analyzed by the other party to determine the user's potential real world interests. Based on this analysis, the advertising content providers can target advertising content for real world goods and services. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208675 | Directory assistance with SMS and data support - The current invention is a system for providing directory assistance service in which a user sends a request to the system and the system will, based on the request, return one or more advertisements. The user may select one of the advertisements, which may be in a visible or audible form. The request, and the advertisement, may be transmitted by Short Message Service (SMS). Additionally, the request may be in one form, such as speech, with the advertisement provided by another, such as text. The advertisements are selected from a databank, which may include any number advertisements categorized within the category associated with the service, according to selection criteria. After the advertising announcement is completed, the directory assistance call is processed as usual. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208676 | Integration of Multiple Consumer Communications - A system, computer program product and method including delivering an initial promotion to a customer, determining a status of the initial promotion delivered, selecting a related promotion based on the status of the initial promotion determined, and delivering the related promotion to the customer. The related promotion is selected based on the status of the initial promotion determined by selecting a predetermined related promotion associated with the status of the initial promotion determined. Moreover, the initial and related promotions may be delivered through an electronic or hard delivery medium, and the status of the initial promotion delivered may be determined by determining a status of the initial promotion based on electronic feedback from the customer or based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the initial promotion. Promotions may be delivered primarily through an effective delivery medium for a particular customer which is determined by applying a predetermined effectiveness criteria which includes one of determining the number of occurrences of a predetermined status within a delivery medium and determining the frequency of the customer's use of the delivery medium. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208677 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EVALUATING CUSTOMERS OF A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION USING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP VALUE TAGS - A computerized method and system for evaluating customers of a financial institution using customer relationship value tags associated customer treatment actions includes automatically analyzing information about a customer from a database of the financial institution by a customer assessment engine using a predefined statistical model to assess the value of the customer to the financial institution. At least one customer treatment action associated with the assessed value is identified by the assessment engine, and the assessment engine marks a file associated with the customer with a mark representing the assessed value and the associated customer treatment action. The marked file is then accessed by other financial systems of the financial institution, or by customer representatives of the financial institution, and the associated customer treatment action is implemented by such systems or representatives in dealing with the customer. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208678 | Generating an Optimized Price Schedule for a Product - Generating a price schedule involves generating a graph having paths that include states with values. The graph is generated by determining the values of a successor state from the values of a predecessor state. An optimal path is selected, and a price schedule is determined from the optimal path. Computing an elasticity curve involves having a demand model, values for demand model, and filter sets that restrict the values. Elasticity curves are determined by filtering the values using filter sets, and calculating the elasticity curve using the demand model. A best-fitting elasticity curve is selected. Adjusting a demand forecast value includes estimating an inventory and a demand at a number of locations. An expected number of unrealized sales at each location is calculated. An sales forecast value is determined according to the expected number. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208679 | SYSTEM AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SELECTING A SUPPLIER - Under the present invention, componentized costs for providing/producing an item are collected from a plurality of suppliers. The componentized costs include the fixed and variable costs associated with raw materials and production for providing the item according to various specifications and order quantities. When a buyer wishes to obtain the item, a particular order specification and a demand forecast for the item will be provided. Based on the particular specification, the demand forecast and the componentized costs, an optimal order quantity for the item will be calculated. Then, a total (lifetime) cost for providing the item will be calculated for each supplier. The supplier having the lowest total cost for the projected lifetime of the item will be identified to the buyer. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208680 | DriveOn Pay(TM) as WiMAX-compatible Menu-Driven Dashtop Mobile Payment Platform - DriveOn Pay™ is a location-based Privacy-friendly dashtop mobile payment platform (DMPP), based on mobile WiMAX IEEE 802-16e-2005. It is an all-in-one solution geared to integrate all other dashtop gadgets in view of the growing necessity of the real-time bridge syncing cyberworld and real world, which is central to mobile broadband technology. The VIN-based Menu-Driven Fail-safe 5-mile-range DMPP envisions a BS and a Touchscreen On-Vehicle CPE named VIMO™, powered by the vehicle battery. It works as an Unmanned Booth-free Toll-Collection Maximizer at any vehicle speed; Transportation Hub Security Enforcer for non-linear surveillance of passengers plus non-passengers, both indoors and outdoors; ‘JIT e-Commerce on the Go’ (JITeCGO) Creator; Ticket-free Biometrics-free Remote Check-In & Admission Optimizer for ballparks, expos, parking garages, and transportation hubs. After all, it is to provide an optimal solution to metropolitan traffic surges, wherever they may happen, utilizing the Disposable Ephemeral Digital ID (DEDID) and the vehicle-to-vehicle mobile P2P. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208681 | PAYMENT USING A MOBILE DEVICE - A mobile device is provided with payment data to enable the mobile device to complete a purchase transaction at a collection terminal. The mobile device requests and receives a payment data value over a wireless network to configure the mobile device as an electronic wallet such that a subsequent purchase transaction may be completed using the payment data value stored on the mobile device. A transit fare may be paid using the mobile device in communication with a back end server that collects transit information and calculates the transit fare. The mobile device may also access payment data, transit fare products and account information from the back end server via a wireless network. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208682 | Revenue Generation and Sharing for Content Sharing Services - Generating advertising revenue for a content sharing service is provided herein. Content received from content contributors at a content sharing service is parsed to identify items for which affiliate advertising links may be provided. Affiliate advertising links are then added to the content based on the identified items. The affiliate advertising links include an affiliate ID associated with the content sharing service such that advertising revenue generated via the affiliate advertising links is attributed to the content sharing service. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208683 | PROVIDING PREFERRED TREATMENT BASED ON PREFERRED CONDUCT - A method, system and computer program product for encouraging a virtual world user to perform a conduct are disclosed. According an embodiment, a method for encouraging a virtual world user to perform a conduct comprises: monitoring the virtual world user with respect to the conduct; and providing an infrastructural treatment to the virtual world user based on an amount of the conduct performed by the virtual world user. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208684 | INVOCATION OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE (VU) - The present invention provides an approach to invoke advertisement(s) in a VU. Specifically, an advertisement is virtually associated with a user of the virtual space. The advertisement will then be visually referenced in the VU, and optionally distinguished/highlighted (e.g., using visual effects such as colors, icons, flashing icons, etc.). The advertisement will be invoked in response to a trigger occurring in the VU user in the). Once invoked, an action associated with the advertisement will be executed. The present invention can also allow for advertising user to be compensated for allowing their asset(s) to be associated with advertisement(s). Such compensation can be in the form of credits associated with the VU being provided to the advertising user and/or compensation to be provided to the user outside of the VU (e.g., in the real world in the form of money, gift certificates, goods and/or services, etc.). | 2008-08-28 |
20080208685 | ADVERTISEMENT PLANNING AND PAYMENT IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE (VU) - the present invention provides an approach for planning and paying for advertisements in a VU. Specifically, under the present invention, it is first determined which sections of a region of the VU (referred to herein as “portions” or the VU), and which avatars are most viewed. This data is the analyzed to plan and place advertisements. Once advertisements are placed, users coupled be compensated based on the frequency, time, etc. that associated advertisements are viewed. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208686 | Method and system for computer-implemented marketing by a small number of advertisers doing business in a single market - In a class of embodiments, a method of computer-implemented marketing including the steps of providing a web page that includes distinct advertising space for each of N advertisers doing business in a single market but not for any other advertiser, where 1≦N≦8 and the advertising space for each of the N advertisers includes advertising content for said each of the N advertisers, and sending the web page over a computer network. In preferred embodiments, N is equal to six and the advertisers are realtors. Typically, the advertising space is provided in return for consideration from each of the advertisers. Other aspects are processors programmed to perform one or more individual steps of any embodiment of the method and systems including at least one such programmed processor. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208687 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CONSOLIDATED CARD DELIVERY FOR A PLURALITY OF ADVERTISERS - This invention relates generally to advertising, and more specifically, to systems and methods for providing consolidated card delivery for a plurality of advertisers. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a website, the website being a software application accessible over a wide-area-network; accepting a first request through the website from a first advertiser to create a first card; accepting a second request through the website from a second advertiser to create a second card, the first and second advertisers each providing payment and demographic information; the first and second requests comprising card details, positioning selections, target distribution dates, and target consumers for the first and second cards; creating the first and second cards using a card manufacturer and a graphic designer to conform to the first and second requests; preparing a publication comprising the created first and second cards when the first and second requests include a similar target distribution date and target consumer, the created first and second cards being removably attached, the created first and second cards being positioned according to the positioning selections from the first and second requests; and distributing the publication to the target consumer via mail on the target distribution date, wherein the target consumer can use any of the first and second card for value with the first and second advertiser, respectively. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208688 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR HANDLING OF MOBILE DISCOUNT CERTIFICATES USING MOBILE DEVICES - Embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for handling of mobile discount certificates, including integrating databases of consumer information, product information, discount certificate information, and other useful data with the ubiquitous personal communications networks accessible by the modern consumer. According to one embodiment, a method for handling mobile discount certificates can comprise enrolling a plurality of participants in a mobile discount certificate program. For example, the participants can comprise an issuer of the mobile discount certificates and a customer. A program participant profile can be built for each of the participants. One or more mobile discount certificates can be created based on the program participant profiles and can be communicated to the customer. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208689 | Prepaid Financial Account Up-Front Incentives Management System and Method - A system and method for providing an incentive to holders of financial accounts, e.g., prepaid account holders, to engage in certain activities with those accounts. Account holders may be provided an up-front incentive based on a commitment to engage in certain account activities in the future, such as to refrain from using a prepaid account for at least an agreed upon time period or to maintain a specified minimum balance for an agreed upon time period. If the account holder fails to satisfy his commitment, at least a portion of the value of the incentive may be charged to the prepaid customer account. Rewards provided to an account holder to encourage particular account activities may include merchandise rewards, discounts and rebates or entries into a lottery type drawing for prizes. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208690 | ADVERTISEMENT SYSTEM USING MASH-UP MAP AND METHOD THEREOF - A map advertisement system and method by using a mash-up map advertisement is provided, which can operate various advertisement cost billing policies. The map advertisement system includes an advertisement management unit for generating an advertisement layer and an identifier of the advertisement layer based on advertisement information including geographic location information received from an advertiser terminal; a base map providing unit for providing a base map layer capable of providing geographical information through on-line; and a mash-up map advertisement unit for generating mash-up map data by mixing the advertisement layer with the base map layer based on the geographic location information, wherein the advertisement layer identifier includes at least one information element related to an advertisement exposure on the advertisement layer. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208691 | SERVER, ADVERTISEMENT DISTRIBUTION METHOD, AND PROGRAM - According to the present invention, there is provided a server managing community service on network signed up by specific user. The server including a community management part managing at least one community and a category of the community generated in community service on network signed up by specific user, the community management part storing and managing content posted on the community, a user management part holding profile information of each user signed up with the community service, a mail creating part creating an e-mail distributed to the user registered in the user management part, an advertisement management part selecting an advertisement based on at least one of the category of the community, introduction introducing the community, and the user profile information, the advertisement management part inserting the selected advertisement into the e-mail created by the mail creating part, and a mail distribution part distributing the e-mail. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208692 | SPONSORED CONTENT CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION - Users create custom media presentations by combining licensed content and sponsored content as selected by the user. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208693 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF FACILITATING A PURCHASE BETWEEN A BUYER AND A SELLER - A computerized system and/or method of facilitating a purchase between a buyer and a seller, comprising: a computer storing personal information from a buyer; the computer utilizing the information to assign an account identifier to the buyer, the account identifier not including the personal information of the buyer; the computer allowing the buyer to use the account identifier to process payment for a purchase from a seller, such that the seller does not obtain the personal information of the buyer; and the computer crediting the at least one buyer with at least one reward for using the at least one account identifier if the at least one buyer utilizes the at least one account identifier to make the at least one purchase. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208694 | CONCESSION TRAY - A concession tray that selectively supports a plurality of concessions or light-weight items in a substantially horizontal position relative to a stadium seat. Generally, the concession tray comprises a supporting tray portion, a transitional mechanism, and/or a coupling mechanism. The tray portion comprises a substantially planar surface configured to support light-weight items when in the horizontal position. The transitional mechanism allows the concession tray to be pivotally moved between a substantially vertical stowed position and the substantially horizontal use position. The coupling mechanism is configured to mount or selectively couple the concession tray to a supporting object, such as a one or more stadium seats. The concession tray may incorporate advertising thereon as a means to generate revenue for a stadium, theater, or arena in which it resides. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208695 | System and method for improved retail sales - A system for facilitating retail sales includes a kiosk located in a retail establishment, and maintained and operated by a third party, apart from the retail establishment. The kiosk couples with at least one vendor having one or more items for sale and displays the one or more items for sale on a interactive screen. The kiosk receives input from the third party and the retail establishment regarding the price one or more items for sale. The kiosk receives input, through the interactive screen, from a user desiring to purchase at least one item for sale from the vendor, where the transaction is handled by the third party operating the kiosk with delivery of a portion of the profits from the sale are delivered to the retail establishment by the third party. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208696 | Point of sale system with web-based back-office - This invention provides a system and a method for managing a range of businesses. The business operations range from a single branch to a large chain of stores or branches. This invention relates to the managing of the points of sale (POS) with Web-based back-office systems. POS transaction engine terminals are implemented on personal computer, PC hardware using PC software with a relational database. The transaction engine architecture provides cost-effective application customization. Web-based back-office software is implemented on servers. POS and BO systems are monitored and supported via the web using protocol and open software components. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208697 | SECURE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PAYMENT CARD AND DATA STORAGE AND PROCESSING VIA INFORMATION SPLITTING - A method is provided for securely storing and retrieving data. A data unit is split by an entity, into a first component and at least a further second component such that the data unit cannot be reconstructed without having the first and second component. The second component is stored on a secure server in a non-volatile memory, the secure server being separate from any entity that may store the first component. The first and second component of the data unit are then subsequently accessed by a secure data retriever who is not an originator of the data, where the second component is accessed from the secure server. The secure data retriever combines these components into the original data unit. The method is particularly applied in commerce for credit card information in which significant restrictions are placed on the permanent storage of such data. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208698 | Point of sale video server processing system - This invention provides a system and a method for low cost video surveillance and archiving which is synchronized with point of sale (POS) transactions. There is no local storage of video at the POS. There is high speed transmission of the video out of the stores to central servers. All back office applications are browser based. The system provides for inherent video compression due to hardware and software involved with the video capture. Management can watch present or past store activity anywhere anytime via web browsers. Video records are indexed and retrieved from server memory along with corresponding transaction information. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208699 | SALES-ASSISTANCE PROCESSING METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM - A method, system, and computer-readable medium of sales assistance include transmitting between a first sales site and a server a first message indicating that a product is unavailable at the first sales site. The method, system, and computer-readable medium also include determining and transmitting, between the server and the first sales site, a second message indicating a location of a second sales site at which the product is available, and displaying the location at the first sales site. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208700 | METHOD FOR FACILITATING THE SALE, TRANSFER AND/OR ASSIGNMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - A new and improved method for facilitating the sale, transfer, and/or assignment of intellectual property is herein disclosed. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208701 | System and Method for Processing Vehicle Transactions - A method and system for processing a transaction request prior to a vehicle arriving at a service station is provided. Upon entering a wireless service area of a back office system associated with a service station, a driver and/or truck may request certain transactions. The back office system may communicate with a carrier information system associated with the driver and/or truck to validate and authorize the transaction. If the transaction is authorized, the back office system may send authorization to the service station. Once the driver and/or truck arrives at the point of sale, they may proceed directly to performing the requested transaction. A receipt may be automatically generated at the point of sale and transmitted to the carrier information system through the back office. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208702 | System and Method for Configuring a Configurable Product - Product configuration selections automatically cross-over between plural product types based upon end user component selections. If end user component selections initiate a cross-over trigger, the end user is presented with an option to cross over from an initially-selected product type to a product type associated with the cross-over trigger. Upon selection of the cross-over product type, the product configuration is automatically reconfigured to update components selected by the end user for the initially-selected product type to components associated with the cross-over product type. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208703 | ONLINE COLLEGE BOOKSTORE - A system and method for distributing college textbooks on a college campus comprising the steps of locating unique indicia that is correlated with a unique college course. The unique college course is associated with at least one textbook having an ISB Number. Providing the located unique indicia to a first data location and extracting from the first data location the ISB Number associated with the unique indicia and utilizing the ISB Number to identify a college textbook, whereby the method and system allows a user to identify required college textbooks using only the unique indicia that is correlated with a unique college course. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208704 | Methods to conduct sales of products or services over a communication network - Methods are provided for conducting sales of a product or service over a communication network. A gateway system is provided that has a database with one or more catalogs of content for products or services. Buyers select products or services through the gateway system. The gateway system hosts the purchase of products or services by the buyer in a manner such that the purchase appears as a purchase through a merchant interface and not through the gateway system. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208705 | PERSONALIZED SHOPPING ASSISTANT - Methods and systems of providing purchasing suggestions to a shopper are disclosed. Data are maintained representing one or more profiles of individuals. Each such profile includes a plurality of fields descriptive of qualities of one of the individuals. A request is received over a public network from the shopper to provide a purchasing suggestion for a recipient. A level of correlation is evaluated between aspects of each of a plurality of products with the qualities of the recipient according to the profile of the recipient. A list of products having the level of correlation exceed a defined threshold value is generated. The list is provided to the shopper. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208706 | Optical disc apparatus - When device information is transmitted from a DVD recorder to a server, the server transmits selectable function information that is selectable in the DVD recorder side to the DVD recorder. If a reproducing function for MP3, for example, is selected from the selectable function information, the DVD recorder transmits information of reproducing function for MP3 to the server. The server transmits amount billed for the reproducing function for MP3 and the like to the DVD recorder. A user makes the DVD recorder transmit a password when the user approves the amount billed. If the server judges that the password is correct, the server transmits a firmware related to the reproducing function for MP3 to the DVD recorder, then the DVD recorder rewrites an existing firmware that is stored in a flash memory to a firmware on which the firmware related to reproducing function for MP3 is added. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208707 | Expense tracking, electronic ordering, invoice presentment, and payment system and method - Systems and methods for tracking and billing expenses throughout a transaction, such as the sale or management of a real estate property. In one embodiment, a budget is created that details expected incomes on the property and costs associated with the sale or management of the property. The budget may be developed in accordance with specifications, such as line item maxima or total budget maxima, developed by the owner of the property. After a vendor has delivered goods or services described in the budget, the vendor creates an electronic invoice. Payment is delivered to the vendor through an Automated Clearing House system. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208708 | PAYMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD, SERVER APPARATUS, PAYMENT PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A payment system having a server apparatus ( | 2008-08-28 |
20080208709 | Ready-to-assemble bed foundation - A ready-to-assemble bed foundation including a pair of exterior beams connectable to a pair of transverse end members having openings, and an interior beam between the exterior beams having opposing end portions configured to engage the openings in the transverse end members. A method of selling a bed, and a method of assembling a bed are also disclosed. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208710 | Commodity Trade Assisting System and Computer Program - A commodity trade assisting system, for assisting a shop in exhibiting a commodity traded at the shop in a virtual shop and managing it, includes: a communication unit for communicating with a shop terminal which records and manages information on the commodity over a network; a database for storing commodity information sent from the shop terminal as information on the commodity to be sold over the network and received by the communication unit; and an application server (AS) having a function of preparing and posting explanation and other reports about the commodity shown on a commodity guide page of the virtual shop with reference to the commodity information sent from the shop terminal and received by the communication unit and a function of transmitting a signal representing a request to send back information on the commodity to be sold over the network at predetermined time intervals to the shop terminal, updating the information in the database according to the information sent back from the shop terminal in response to the request, receiving information on an order of the commodity shown on the commodity guide page and ordered, and updating the information in the database according to the order information. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208711 | PRINT PRICING - The invention relates to systems and methods for creating a pricing model to be used when ordering printed materials online. In particular, the invention automatically creates a pricing spreadsheet when orderable printed product type information is configured. Thereafter, a user can edit the spreadsheet to create a modified pricing spreadsheet to meet more specific and/or complex needs. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208712 | Computer based systems to conduct sales of products or services over a communication network - A computer based system is provided for sales of a product or service. A gateway system is provided that has a database with one or more catalogs of content for products or services: A merchant interface, for a merchant, is coupled to the gateway system. A buyer interface, for a buyer, is coupled to the merchant interface and the gateway system. The gateway system hosts the purchase of products or services by a buyer in a manner such that purchase of products or services, by the buyer, appears as a purchase through the merchant interface and not through the gateway system. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208713 | Virtual catalog - Records, including data for a virtual catalog, may be received from a number of sources. Each of the received records may be validated and a determination may be made as to whether one or more previously-received records matches the received record. When two or more records are determined to be matching records, a composite object may be created and information from the two or more records may be included in the composite object. If the matching records include conflicting information, then previously-defined rules may be applied to determine which items of the conflicting information have precedence over other items of the conflicting information. A virtual catalog may be created from the received records and the created composite object based on customized attributes. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208714 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SOCIAL SHOPPING ON A NETWORK-BASED MARKETPLACE - Methods and systems are provided for social shopping on a network-based marketplace. Specifically, the method receives a request, over a network, from a user in a community of users. The request is for an activity associated with a listing for sale in a network-based marketplace. The network-based marketplace is used by the community of users to transact listings of a single domain that is of interest to the community of users. The method updates a listing reputation score for the listing based on a user reputation score for the user. Finally, the method updates the user reputation score based on the listing reputation score. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208715 | METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A PERSONALIZED ELECTRONIC SHOPPING CENTER - According to embodiments of the present invention, a user's local storage system may be used to create a virtual personal mall comprising one or more virtual personal stores and configured for purchasing products by one or several providers. The virtual personal store and/or virtual personal mall may be organized in virtual shelves. Each virtual shelf may contain a group of products with one or more common properties, for example, books by a certain author and/or published by a certain publisher, and/or supplied by the same virtual personal store provider, etc. The groups may be defined by the virtual personal store provider and/or by the user and/or by a group of users. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208716 | Product information system - Product information may be structured using a product hierarchy so that products may be uniquely identified. A first level of the product hierarchy may be associated with product make and model information. A second level of the product hierarchy may be associated with product year information. A third level of the product hierarchy may be associated with product generation information. The product hierarchy may also include additional levels to accommodate other product detail information. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208717 | Internet auction system and method - The inventive system includes a software that allows a buyer to monitor and control competing interaction between various sellers by simultaneously accessing the desired item's description, image, if available or if requested, and other information, and coordinating communication between these sellers to make a final choice. A computer based auction system, wherein any potential seller, placing an item on auction, may monitor a negotiating process between potential bidders during a negotiation phase and based on development of the negotiation between the bidders and the seller's need to sell the item due to various circumstances, the seller may decrease the price of the negotiated item and/or move the item to the auction phase before the designated time, thereby selling the item. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208718 | ALLOWING CONSUMERS TO PURCHASE MERCHANDISE OVER THE INTERNET ON A POINT-OF-ORIGIN BASIS - A method for allowing consumers to purchase merchandise over the Internet on a point of origin basis. The method includes the steps of: | 2008-08-28 |
20080208719 | Expert system for optimization of retail shelf space - A business rules engine works with an optimization engine through various user interfaces to facilitate increased efficiency in retail space planning. Rules and models are built from templates that are stored in a repository. Business analysts and retail space planners both have access to the repository to develop models and rules. A project consists of a selection of rules and models from the repository along with selected data from various data sources. A scenario is created for the project by specifying constraints, parameters, and optimization objectives. The optimization engine processes the scenario and attempts to find an optimum solution. when a perfect solution (100%) cannot be found, the optimization engine evaluates the various criteria in the scenario and relaxes requirements until an acceptable solution is found. The output of the optimization engine can automatically be provided as graphical visualizations such as plan-o-grams, graphs, charts, and other forms. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208720 | Type-driven rules for financial intellegence - Financial intelligence architecture that employs financial types that are combined with rules to build financial behavior into the product. Types have behaviors such that types can be assigned that lead to the physical creation of underlying code which embodies the behaviors. Extensibility is provided at least by type parameterization and new type creation. Because types are a design time experience, types are two-way and can be modified, even after instantiation. This allows for mixing and matching of types and underlying behavior giving the system more flexibility at design time while providing a huge simplification of all the details that actually go into such financial applications. The type library is a set of rules that produce metadata, which metadata is later processed by a separate engine to produce the physical schema. The type library defines the basic interactions, data types, and behaviors for predefined dimensions in the system. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208721 | Computer System and Method for Determining an Earthquake Damage Index - In a computer system and a computer-implemented method for determining a damage index indicative of damage caused by an earthquake to a portfolio of objects associated with a geographical area, local portfolio replacement value indices are stored assigned to object or grid coordinates of the geographical area. For each coordinate having a local portfolio replacement value index assigned to it, a local damage index is calculated from location, depth, and magnitude data related to the earthquake and from the local portfolio replacement value index, using local vulnerability and attenuation parameters. The damage index is calculated by aggregating the local damage indices for the grid coordinates. For any size of the geographical area and for any resolution of the grid, a damage index reflecting the geographical distribution of the portfolio objects can be determined, without need for a network of seismological measurement stations distributed in the geographical area. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208722 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING OPTION MARKET INFORMATION - The present invention provides a method of displaying option market information including establishing a communication link between a member computer and a central computer, accessing option trading data from the central computer through the member computer, and inputting at least one signal to the member computer. The signal represents either an underlying asset symbol or an option class symbol of an underlying asset. The method further includes generating a display page listing option trading information for a plurality of option series relating to at least one of the entered underlying asset symbol and the entered option class symbol, and displaying the plurality of option series on the display page such that the option series having a strike price approximately equal to the current trading price of the underlying asset is centrally positioned on the display page. Additionally, a strike price and a first date indicator can be input and the display page can list trading information for the entered option and plurality of option series having at least a second expiration date, the plurality of option series extending over a range of strike prices, the range centrally positioned at the current trading price of the underlying stock, the plurality of option series relating to the at least one of the entered underlying asset symbol and the entered option symbol. A further method of the invention includes generating a display page listing option trading information for a month entered for an underlying asset. A still further method of the invention includes generating a display page listing option trading information for a strike price entered for an underlying asset. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208723 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SETTLING TRADES IN A DIGITAL MERCHANT EXCHANGE - A system and method for settling trades in a digital merchant exchange includes a buyer, a seller, a transaction agent, a network and a capital pool. The buyer and seller communicate through the network to agree on a contract. When the goods are received or the services are performed, the buyer issues a negotiable instrument that is received by the transaction agent. The transaction agent communicates with the buyer, seller, and capital pool through the network and facilitates the settlement of the trade. The system may call upon the capital pool to provide liquidity so that the system can issue payment to the seller at a time prior to the maturity date of the negotiable instrument. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208724 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SETTLING TRADES IN A DIGITAL MERCHANT EXCHANGE - A system and method for settling trades in a digital merchant exchange includes a buyer, a seller, a transaction agent, a network and a capital pool. The buyer and seller communicate through the network to agree on a contract. When the goods are received or the services are performed, the buyer issues a negotiable instrument that is received by the transaction agent. The transaction agent communicates with the buyer, seller, and capital pool through the network and facilitates the settlement of the trade. The system may call upon the capital pool to provide liquidity so that the system can issue payment to the seller at a time prior to the maturity date of the negotiable instrument. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208725 | System and method facilitating private currency - Computer-based systems and methods for facilitating private currency. Merchants who desire to use private currency participate in a merchant network wherein network members agree to accept private currency. Consumers are provided with a consumer account that may include both a private currency account and a commodities account. Consumers are provided with the ability to pre-set options allowing them to automatically refill a private currency account or commodities account while continuing to use goods and/or services purchased using currency or units stored in the consumer account. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208726 | Method and system for securing credit accounts - An enterprising identity thief may open new credit accounts in a consumer's name and then place a credit freeze on a consumer's credit file, thus making it more difficult to detect or remedy the identity theft. This problem may be solved by automatically requesting a security freeze at each of the three main credit bureaus upon the enrollment of a consumer with the service provider. The requesting of the security freeze may result in the credit bureau generating an identification code for the consumer at each of the credit bureaus. The service provider then may immediately request that the security freeze be removed. Accordingly, the consumer may gain control of the security freeze credentials from each credit bureau before the identity thief. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208727 | Endorsement image processing system, method and program product - A processing method, system and program product for processing checks, the system comprising: one or more computers; an electronic portal for receiving electronic data regarding an identity of a depositor for one or more checks; an association-determining electronic device for determining for each of the checks at least one business or one or more accounts associated with the identity of the depositor; wherein the one or more of computers comprise among them if more than one computer, the following components: a component for determining if the business or one or more accounts associated with the identity of the depositor is associated with a request to embed a payee endorsement in a check image file; a component for selecting based on one or more rules one from a plurality of accounts associated with the business or one of the accounts associated with the identity of the depositor if there are more than one account associated with the identity of the depositor; a component for embedding endorsement data into a image file of a face of a check; a component configured for creating a file that includes the image file of the face of the check with the embedded endorsement data therein in a file format for clearing; and a component configured for sending electronically the file to an electronic portal. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208728 | Fractional Forward Contracts - A financial instrument, called a fractional forward contract, and a way of using it to apportion risk between parties ( | 2008-08-28 |
20080208729 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING COMPARATIVE DATA - Methods and corresponding system are provided herewith that, in at least one embodiment, include the act or acts of determining a first instance in which a first request is received by an exchange; determining a second instance in which a second request is received by the exchange, in which the second request defines a request to cancel the first request; determining a third instance in which a third request is received by the exchange, in which the third request corresponds to the first request; calculating a first difference between the second instance and the third instances; storing the first difference to a data storage, in which the data storage comprises a plurality of differences; and analyzing the plurality of differences to generate comparative information. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208730 | Wave volatility measuring method - A method for detecting wave volatility involves an objective definition for trend development. A new labeling scheme for monitoring price movements in the market categorizes development and degree of trend automatically. A means for detecting degree of trend involves a novel use of a mathematical equation for detecting trend development by detecting distance retraces a portion of its peak to trough movement. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208731 | Methods and computer program products for auctioning on-line advertisements based on Internet search term query origination location - In some methods for auctioning on-line advertisement placement services, an on-line advertisement placement service is offered based on at least one search term and based on at least one geographic area where the at least one search term will originate. Monetary bids are received from entities responsive to the offer of on-line advertisement placement service. In response to the monetary bids, the on-line advertisement placement service for the at least one search term originating from the at least one geographic area is awarded to a selected one or more of the entities. | 2008-08-28 |
20080208732 | Fixed-Income System For Managing Pre-Trade Activity - Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for managing pre-trade activity. In general, a distribution of information about what traders and customers want to do may be known. Users may be made aware of trade ideas that can be proposed to a trading desk's buy-side clients. Relevant information on the trading desk may be brought together, and the information may be processed through a set of rules that extract trading opportunities. On the buy side, trade ideas may be extracted without having to have the intervention of a sell-side salesforce. | 2008-08-28 |