38th week of 2008 patent applcation highlights part 58 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20080228477 | Method and Device For Processing a Voice Signal For Robust Speech Recognition - A speech signal is processed for subsequent speech recognition. The speech signal is tainted by noise and represents at least one speech command. The following steps are executed: a) recording of the noise-tainted speech signal; b) use of noise reduction on the speech signal to generate a noise-reduced speech signal; c) normalization of the noise-reduced speech signal to a target signal value with the aid of a normalization factor, to generate a noise-reduced, normalized speech signal). | 2008-09-18 |
20080228478 | Targeted speech - A system detects a speech segment that may include unvoiced, fully voiced, or mixed voice content. The system includes a digital converter that converts a time-varying input signal into a digital-domain signal. A window function passes signals within a programmed aural frequency range while substantially blocking signals above and below the programmed aural frequency range when multiplied by an output of the digital converter. A frequency converter converts the signals passing within the programmed aural frequency range into a plurality of frequency bins. A background voice detector estimates the strength of a background speech segment relative to the noise of selected portions of the aural spectrum. A noise estimator estimates a maximum distribution of noise to an average of an acoustic noise power of some of the plurality of frequency bins. A voice detector compares the strength of a desired speech segment to a criterion based on an output of the background voice detector and an output of the noise estimator. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228479 | Data transcription and management system and method - What is disclosed is a data gathering, storage and management system, which includes a database in which data files are stored. The database includes a series of selected keywords each associated with one or more content files, the content files comprising advertisements, information, on-screen control buttons for performing a series of functions, and links for access to websites and other sources of information. The system accepts audio data files and identifies keywords that may be heard in the audio file. In one embodiment, the audio data file is transcribed and keywords are searched for in the transcribed text. The identified keywords from the audio data file are compared with the selected keywords, and at least one content file is selected for display for each retrieved keyword in the list which matches a selected keyword. The content file is displayed to the user so that the displayed content is relevant to the produced audio, which may be a recording of a conversation, a speech, or issued voice commands. What is disclosed is a method and system for providing relevant content to a user based upon speech. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228480 | SPEECH RECOGNITION METHOD, SPEECH RECOGNITION SYSTEM, AND SERVER THEREOF - A speech recognition method comprises model selection step which selects a recognition model based on characteristic information of input speech and speech recognition step which translates input speech into text data based on the selected recognition model. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228481 | Content selelction systems and methods using speech recognition - Embodiments of the present invention improve content selection systems and methods using speech recognition. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a speech recognition method comprising storing content on an electronic device, wherein the content is associated with a plurality of content attribute values, adding the content attribute values to a first recognition set of a speech recognizer, receiving a speech input signal in said speech recognizer, generating a plurality of likelihood values in response to the speech input signal, wherein each likelihood value is associated with one content attribute value in the recognition set; and accessing the stored content based on the likelihood values. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228482 | SPEECH RECOGNITION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPEECH RECOGNITION - A recognition result extraction unit and an agreement determination unit are provided. The recognition result extraction unit extracts, from a recognition result storage unit, N best solutions A and B obtained by an utterance B. The utterance B follows an utterance A corresponding to the N best solutions A and made by a speaker b who is different from a speaker of the utterance A. In a case where a repeat utterance determination unit determines that the N best solutions B are N best solutions obtained by a repeat utterance B according to the utterance A corresponding to the N best solutions A, when the best solution A and B are different each other, the agreement determination unit determines that some or all of the N best solutions A can be replaced with some or all of the N best solutions B. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228483 | Method, Device And System for Implementing Speech Recognition Function - The present disclosure discloses a method, a device and a system for implementing a speech recognition function, in which a media resource control device controls a media resource processing device to recognize a speech input by a user via H.248 protocol. The method includes receiving, by the media resource processing device, an H.248 message carrying a speech recognition instruction and a related parameter sent by the media resource control device; performing speech recognition according to the speech recognition instruction and the parameter; and reporting a recognition result to the media resource control device. A corresponding device and system for implementing the speech recognition function is further provided. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228484 | Techniques for Aiding Speech-to-Speech Translation - Techniques for assisting in translation are provided. A speech recognition hypothesis is obtained, corresponding to a source language utterance. Information retrieval is performed on a supplemental database, based on a situational context, to obtain at least one word string that is related to the source language utterance. The speech recognition hypothesis and the word string are then formatted for display to a user, to facilitate an appropriate selection by the user for translation. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228485 | AURAL SIMILARITY MEASURING SYSTEM FOR TEXT - The aural similarity measuring system and method provides a measure of the aural similarity between a target text ( | 2008-09-18 |
20080228486 | METHOD AND SYSTEM HAVING HYPOTHESIS TYPE VARIABLE THRESHOLDS - A method (and system) for spoken dialog confirmation classifies a plurality of spoken dialog hypotheses, and assigns a threshold to each class of spoken dialog hypotheses. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228487 | SPEECH SYNTHESIS APPARATUS AND METHOD - A language processing unit identifies a word by performing language analysis on a text supplied from a text holding unit. A synthesis selection unit selects speech synthesis processing performed by a rule-based synthesis unit or speech synthesis processing performed by a pre-recorded-speech-based synthesis unit for a word of interest extracted from the language analysis result. The selected rule-based synthesis unit or pre-recorded-speech-based synthesis unit executes speech synthesis processing for the word of interest. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228488 | Computer-Implemented Voice Application Indexing WEB Site - A computer-implemented voice application indexing method and system for supplying voice applications that provide telephony services to users. The method and system include receiving voice application data over the network regarding the voice applications. The voice application data contains location data to indicate where the voice applications are located on the network. The voice application data are stored in a database in accordance with a predetermined voice application taxonomy. A request is received for a voice application based upon a user requesting a telephony service. The request includes search criteria for selecting a voice application from the database. The location data of at least one voice application (whose stored voice application information substantially satisfies the search criteria) is retrieved from the database. The voice application located at the retrieved location data is used to perform the user-requested telephony service. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228489 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION PERFORMANCE DATA - In a disclosed method for interpreting automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance data, a data processing system may receive user input that selects a log file to be processed. The log file may contain log records produced by an ASR system as a result of verbal interaction between an individual and the ASR system. In response to receiving the user input, the data processing system may automatically interpret data in the log records and generate interpretation results. The interpretation results may include a duration for a system prompt communicated to the individual by the ASR system, a user response to the system prompt, and a duration for the user response. The user response may include a textual representation of a verbal response from the individual, obtained through ASR. The interpretation results may also include an overall duration for the telephone call. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228490 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LINKING REPRESENTATION AND REALIZATION DATA - A method and apparatus for creating links between a representation, (e.g. text data,) and a realization, (e.g. corresponding audio data,) is provided. According to the invention the realization is structured by combining a time-stamped version of the representation generated from the realization with structural information from the representation. Thereby so called hyper links between representation and realization are created. These hyper links are used for performing search operations in realization data equivalent to those which are possible in representation data, enabling an improved access to the realization (e.g. via audio databases). | 2008-09-18 |
20080228491 | Positive affirmation bear - The technical disclosure of my invention is the pre-recorded sayings inside a sound module housed in a collectable plush bear, and also the fact that both pre-recorded and recordable sound modules will be used with specific wording that will be used in the pre-recorded left hand of the plush bear. The pre-recorded sayings are as follows:
| 2008-09-18 |
20080228492 | Device Control Device, Speech Recognition Device, Agent Device, Data Structure, and Device Control - A language analyzer performs speech recognition on a speech input by a speech input unit, specifies a possible word which is represented by the speech, and the score thereof, and supplies word data representing them to an agent processing unit. The agent processing unit stores process item data which defines a data acquisition process to acquire word data or the like, a discrimination process, and an input/output process, and wires or data defining transition from one process to another and giving a transition constant to the transition, and executes a flow represented generally by the process item data and the wires to thereby control devices belonging to an input/output target device group. To which process in the flow the transition takes place is determined by the weighting factor of each wire, which is determined by the connection relationship between a point where the process has proceeded and the wire, and the score of word data. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228493 | Determining voice commands with cooperative voice recognition - A method of recognizing voice commands cooperatively includes generating a voice command from a user specifying a target machine and a desired action to be performed by the target machine, and a plurality of machines receiving the voice command, the plurality of machines comprising the target machine and at least one member machine. The method also includes each of the plurality of machines performing a recognition process on the voice command to produce a corresponding recognition result, each member machine sending its corresponding recognition result to the target machine, and the target machine evaluating its own recognition result together with the recognition result from each member machine to determine a most likely final recognition result for the voice command. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228494 | Speech-Enabled Web Content Searching Using A Multimodal Browser - Speech-enabled web content searching using a multimodal browser implemented with one or more grammars in an automatic speech recognition (‘ASR’) engine, with the multimodal browser operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal browser operatively coupled to the ASR engine, includes: rendering, by the multimodal browser, web content; searching, by the multimodal browser, the web content for a search phrase, including yielding a matched search result, the search phrase specified by a first voice utterance received from a user and a search grammar; and performing, by the multimodal browser, an action in dependence upon the matched search result, the action specified by a second voice utterance received from the user and an action grammar. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228495 | Enabling Dynamic VoiceXML In An X+ V Page Of A Multimodal Application - Enabling dynamic VoiceXML in an X+V page of a multimodal application implemented with the multimodal application operating in a multimodal browser on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal application operatively coupled to a VoiceXML interpreter, including representing by the multimodal browser an XML element of a VoiceXML dialog of the X+V page as an ECMAScript object, the XML element comprising XML content; storing by the multimodal browser the XML content of the XML element in an attribute of the ECMAScript object; and accessing the XML content of the XML element in the attribute of the ECMAScript object from an ECMAScript script in the X+V page. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228496 | SPEECH-CENTRIC MULTIMODAL USER INTERFACE DESIGN IN MOBILE TECHNOLOGY - A multi-modal human computer interface (HCI) receives a plurality of available information inputs concurrently, or serially, and employs a subset of the inputs to determine or infer user intent with respect to a communication or information goal. Received inputs are respectively parsed, and the parsed inputs are analyzed and optionally synthesized with respect to one or more of each other. In the event sufficient information is not available to determine user intent or goal, feedback can be provided to the user in order to facilitate clarifying, confirming, or augmenting the information inputs. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228497 | Method For Communication and Communication Device - The invention describes a method for communication by means of a communication device (DS), in which synthesized speech (ss) is output from the communication device (DS), and in which light signals (ls) are output simultaneously with the synthesized speech (ss) in accordance with the semantic content of the synthesized speech (ss). Furthermore, an appropriate communication device (DS) is described. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228498 | Enhanced coordinated signal generation apparatus - A portable information system that, when activated, presents certain data to a user, wherein the information is prepositioned within the portable system or provided to it. The information may be resident within fixed memory, added by means of a smart card, or wirelessly transmitted to the information system. The information conveyed to the user may be visual, such as a text screen or a video display as well as audible such as a play by play broadcast. The information may include local areas of interest or locations within the venue in which the apparatus is used. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228499 | Method For Generating Encoded Audio Signal and Method For Processing Audio Signal - A method for generating an encoded audio signal, and a method for processing the same during the multi-channel C audio coding are disclosed. The present invention provides the method for generating an encoded audio signal comprising: including fixed channel configuration information acting as configuration information of a predetermined output channel; and including arbitrary channel configuration information. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228500 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENCODING/DECODING AUDIO SIGNAL CONTAINING NOISE AT LOW BIT RATE - A method and apparatus for encoding/decoding audio signals at a low bit rate are provided. The encoding apparatus selectively encodes one or more reference samples having the highest amplitudes among frequency samples of an audio signal, determines amplitudes of the remaining samples other than the reference sample according to a predetermined pattern, using a predetermined random function, and then encodes the remaining samples using random function input information for causing the same pattern to be generated using the same random function, thus maximizing an encoding rate for an audio signal having a large amount of noise. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228501 | Method and Apparatus For Decoding an Audio Signal - An apparatus for decoding an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving the audio signal and spatial information, identifying a type of modified spatial information, generating the modified spatial information using the spatial information, and decoding the audio signal using the modified spatial information, wherein the type of the modified spatial information includes at least one of partial spatial information, combined spatial information and expanded spatial information. Accordingly, an audio signal can be decoded into a configuration different from a configuration decided by an encoding apparatus. Even if the number of speakers is smaller or greater than that of multi-channels before execution of downmixing, it is able to generate output channels having the number equal to that of the speakers from a downmix audio signal. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228502 | Method and Apparatus for Signal Processing and Encoding and Decoding Method, and Apparatus Therefor - An apparatus for processing a signal and method thereof are disclosed. Data coding and entropy coding are performed with interconnection, and grouping is used to enhance coding efficiency. The present invention includes the steps of obtaining a group reference value corresponding to a plurality of data included in one group through first grouping and external grouping for the first grouping and a difference value corresponding to the group reference value and obtaining the data using the group reference value and the difference value. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228503 | AUTOMATED COMPATIBILITY CHECKING FOR HARDWARE/SOFTWARE PURCHASES AT TIME OF PURCHASE - The present invention can include a pre-purchase method for determining computing item compatibility. In the method, configuration information associated with a computing system can be stored. A for-sale item to be used with the computing system can be detected. A compatibility between the for-sale item and the configuration information can be determined. A potential purchaser can be notified of results of the determining step before completing a purchase of the for-sale item. The method can be automatically performed by an online storefront system (e.g., a e-retailing Web site) or by in-store computing equipment, such as a cashier's register and/or an in-store kiosk. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228504 | Technique to Deflect Incident Ticket Submission in Real-Time - A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for reducing the amount of human interaction involved in the resolution of incident tickets. A user interacts with a self-service portal to generate an incident ticket to resolve an issue. The generated incident ticket is routed by the self-service portal to an incident ticket management system for processing. The incident ticket management system accepts the incident ticket and in turn routes it to an incident ticket deflection system (ITDS). The ITDS analyzes the resolution state of the issue and generates relevant search queries that are submitted to an issue resolution knowledgebase. The results of the search queries are then returned to the ITDS, which compares them to captured interactions of the user with the self-service portal. Irrelevant query results or those that match the captured user interactions are disregarded. The remaining query results are used by the ITDS to generate remedial actions for the user to perform. If the remedial actions do not resolve the user's issue, then the incident ticket is escalated to a helpdesk operator. When received by the helpdesk operator, the incident ticket is populated with the captured user interactions with the self-service portal, the recommended remedial actions for the user to perform, and the current resolution status of the user's issue. The helpdesk operator then uses the information contained in the escalated incident ticket to facilitate the resolution of the user's issue. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228505 | Client Deployment Optimization Model - A deployment optimization model that identifiers and categorizes issues (such as key cost and quality drivers) in information handling system deployment and provisioning. The deployment optimization model is used within a deployment and evaluation tool which provides based on this model, a set of processes and tools for evaluating information handling system deployment issues of customers. Based on information derived from the deployment and evaluation tool, it is possible to determine a customer's current cost to deploy information handling systems as well as a future cost if various recommendations are adopted. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228506 | Optimized Deployment Solution - An optimized deployment solution which uses a front-end to automatically drive deployment of an information handling system. The optimized deployment solution queries multiple data locations and creates a manifest that is used to automate the deployment. The optimized deployment solution decreases an amount of interaction that is needed from a technician thus decreasing the potential for technician failures. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228507 | RETAIL PUBLISHING SYSTEM, METHOD, PROGRAM, AND APPARATUS - A retail publishing system, method, program, and apparatus for enabling desktop publishing in a retail setting. The system comprises: a media content provider network that provides media content from a plurality of sources; a media content management module that selectably restricts access to the media content provider network; a media manufacturing apparatus that produces a media token with media disposed thereon; a media publishing module that delivers selected media to the media manufacturing apparatus; a media licensing module manages access to the media content provider network; and a media purchasing module that enables a user to purchase media. The method comprises the steps of: providing a publishing module having access to a media provider network through a media licensing module; providing a media manufacturing apparatus configured to manufacture a media token according to publishing instructions from the publishing module; and restricting media visibility from the media provider network to the publishing module. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228508 | Monitoring connect time and time of operation of a solid state lighting device - Techniques are disclosed to monitor the time of operation of a solid state lighting system, e.g. for warranty purposes. Examples are disclosed that measure time of system connection to power and/or time of light output from the solid state emitter(s) of the system. A service under the warranty is provided if operation time does not exceed the warranty eligibility criteria, e.g. maximum limit(s). The service provided under the warranty may be pro-rated based on the time of operation. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228509 | Systems and/or methods for incentivizing agent-based decision-making - Systems and/or methods that encourage an agent to become a true agent of a principal by rewarding or penalizing an agent for exceeding or falling below a benchmark for a specific transaction set by, or on behalf of, the principal are provided. In certain exemplary embodiments, a benchmark for each purchasable good and/or service in a plurality of purchasable goods and/or services may be calculated. Information about a good and/or service to be purchased may be compared to a relevant benchmark. The agent may be rewarded based on the result of the comparing step. The benchmark may be weighted based on parameters input by the principal, including, for example price, durability, quality, performance, and/or other preferences. A database of benchmarks may be maintained and/or updated periodically automatically, by the principal, and/or by an independent third-party. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228510 | METHOD FOR RESERVING EQUIPMENT AND COMPUTER ACCESSIBLE STORAGE MEDIA TO STORE PROGRAM THEREOF - A method for reserving equipment is provided. In the present invention, an arrival time in each site of a special lot is forecasted according to a history record, and the equipment is reserved according to the arrival time and a status of each of the equipments at the site. As a result, suitable equipments in the production line are reserved for the special lot, thus the time of waiting for idle equipment can be eliminated, and the cycle time of processing special lot can be reduced. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228511 | REVENUE OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A revenue optimization system and method are provided herein. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228512 | CROSS-JURISDICTIONAL TOWING ADMINISTRATION AND DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - Systems, computer programs, and methods for managing information corresponding to a plurality of vehicles are disclosed. The systems include a database for storing information corresponding to a plurality of vehicles, wherein at least one of the plurality of vehicles are non-consent tows and a plurality of user interfaces. Each user interface is configured to manage one or more pieces of information regarding one or more of the plurality of vehicles. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228513 | Software license management - A single easy to use system enables both developers and users to manage their applications, licenses and billing transactions. A developer portal allows a developer to manage her applications, features, code protection, packages, billing, licenses and users. A customer portal module enables a user to manage his applications, subscriptions, orders, billing information and licenses. A license activation module provides a mechanism to enforce the license of an application and offers an easy way for a user to perform license activations and license procurements. The licensing system provides a single integrated, end-to-end solution for application licensing that is application framework agnostic. The solution enables a developer to create a single protected application that they can then distribute to their users. Users are then able to use the licensing system to easily activate a license for that application, or quickly acquire a new one in a matter of minutes. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228514 | Identification and Association of Refrigerated Containers With Dispatch Orders - A database dispatches data to a wireless device on the particular source that powers a container during any segment of its journey. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228515 | FISHING CERTIFICATION PROCESSING METHOD, PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDING PROCESSING PROGRAM - A fishing certification processing method certifying a fishing period and a fishing position of aquatic animals and plants. The fishing certification processing method includes acquiring position history information in which positions of a fishing boat under way are recorded and operation history information in which operation states of fishery facilities of the fishing boat are recorded, determining, after referring to a fishing pattern information storage unit for storing fish species fishing pattern information in which operation patterns of the fishery facilities can be set, whether there is a period in which an operation state satisfying an operation pattern in the fish species fishing pattern information is recorded, and extracting, based on a determination result of the fishing pattern-, positions at a time in the period of the operation state matching the fish species fishing pattern information from the position history information as the fishing positions. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228516 | BUNDLING METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREDITS OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES EXCHANGE - Some embodiments of the invention provide a method of automatically bundling environmental conservation items with computed environmental conservation values into “credit blocks” so that the aggregate sum of the environmental conservation values of the items in a particular block is sufficient to issue a tradable environmental commodity, also referred to as a credit. In some such embodiments the various different items represent items with different forms of environmental conservation such as emissions reductions, energy savings, hazardous waste reductions, or generated renewable energy. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228517 | COMPUTER JUKEBOX AND JUKEBOX NETWORK - A method and apparatus is shown for managing a plurality of computer jukeboxes at different locations from a central station. Each jukebox includes processor means for controlling the computer jukebox, storage and retrieval means for data, display means for selection menus, audio production means for playing musical records, and a user interface enabling patrons to communicate with the processor means. The central station can be used to download musical recording data to each computer jukebox, and each computer jukebox can upload usage data to the central station. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228518 | System and method for computing energy market models and tradable indices including energy market visualization and trade order entry to facilitate energy risk management - A system and method are disclosed for providing energy market participants with visual market order information, the ability to execute trades and the ability to hedge against risks associated with the energy industry. The system and method entail automatically retrieving, compiling and displaying energy market information to potential market participants. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228519 | System and Method for Optimizing Prescription Delivery Related Applications - The present invention concerns a health service system that is configured to enable a patient to obtain prescriptions in a secure, accurate, automated, convenient, manner that is optimized for the particular patient. The health service system includes an IT (information technology) system that is coupled to a network that is in communication with a patient system, a healthcare provider system, and a number of pharmacies. When a healthcare provider generates a prescription for a patient, the prescription is transferred to the health service system. The health service system processes the prescription and thereby defines offer information for each of a plurality of pharmacies. The offer information is then delivered and/or presented to enable the patient to select an offer. Upon selecting an offer, order information is then transferred to one of the plurality of pharmacies. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228520 | Body Management System and Business Method - A system and business method for maintaining the health and body fitness of a client patient. The system and method are conducted by a Registered Dietitian (RD), and a technician (nurse). The RD conducts an ongoing assessment of the client to evaluate the client's progress in attaining his or her goals, as well as providing nutritional education and lifestyle modification training to ensure long-term success of the treatment. The technician conducts any tests required during the RD assessments and supervises client performance of the treatment. Various technologies are utilized to help the client achieve his or her body shaping and fitness goals. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228521 | SUPPORT MODEL INTEGRATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A real time health management analytical system and method that enables a plurality of plug-in tools and extension tools to be interfaced with a central database, and for enabling information to be published to the database from each of the client tools, as well as data to be read from the database by each of the client tools. The system makes use of an engineering model views module that provides a syntactic and semantic interface between the client tools and the central database so that health management data communicated to the client tools is presented in accordance with a specific view required by each specific client tool. An integrated support information model (ISIM) module is interposed between the data base and the engineering model views module, and forms a specification (e.g., an ontology) for all health domain information available for use by the client tools. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228522 | ENTERPRISE MEDICAL IMAGING AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH CLINICAL DATA MINING CAPABILITIES AND METHOD OF USE - Certain embodiments of the present invention provide improved clinical workflow using a healthcare imaging and information management system and method with data mining capabilities. Certain embodiments provide a healthcare imaging and information management system with data mining capabilities. The system includes a user interface accepting user input and displaying information related to a patient. The system also includes a data access layer gathering data related to the patient from a plurality of data sources. The system further includes a data mining service processing the data for provision via the user interface. Certain embodiments provide a method for clinical data mining including requesting data for a patient; accessing a plurality of data sources to retrieve data related to the patient; gathering data from the plurality of data sources; processing the data; formatting the data for a user; and providing the data to the user. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228523 | Permanent weight management - The present invention is directed to a method for providing a permanent weight management program, and a kit for providing the permanent weight management program. The method includes obtaining health related information of an individual, obtaining at least one goal of the individual related to the health related information, identifying health related habit information that is contrary to the at least one goal of the individual, providing the individual with a permanent weight management plan that includes at least one corrective action with respect to the identified health related habit information and a focus object, and associating the at least one corrective action with the focus object so that the focus object provides a constant reminder to the individual to stay focused on making good lifestyle choices most of the time related to the at least one corrective action. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228524 | Method of manipulating health related documents - A method is disclosed for submitting, collecting, storing and retrieving (1) advanced directives such as living wills, medical proxies, (2) medical and pharmaceutical records, and (3) wills and estate documents, all within a secure environment. Once individual consumers have registered and provided appropriate identifying information for use in retrieving stored documents later, they enter a secure area of the website and may use the forms of advanced directives and testamentary documents provided there, may choose to follow displayed hypertext links that lead to forms mandated by the jurisdiction where they are resident (if available), or may choose to submit their own forms prepared in coordination with their personal legal, healthcare and tax advisors. The documents are stored in electronic format in a remote location and may only be retrieved online at a later date by an individual or a healthcare provider possessing the credentials required to access the online vault. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228525 | System for and method for providing patient education and collecting, processing, and reporting patient consumer data - The present invention is a system for and method of providing patient education, and collecting, processing, and reporting patient consumer data. The invention generates reports from information collected from patients, a medical educator, a prescribing physician, and a pharmaceutical manufacturer. A method of collecting, processing, and providing medical data and education includes developing patient survey, collecting patient data, processing patient data, and generating reports to physicians, and pharmaceutical manufacturers that validate the effectiveness of a medical treatment prescribed by the physician. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228526 | System and method for managing history of patient and wound therapy treatment - A tissue treatment system including a processing unit executing software, an electronic display in communication with the processing unit, and a storage unit in communication with the processing unit. The software may be configured to cause the processing unit to manage a patient history database, treatment history database, and image history database. The processing unit may further be configured to enable a clinician to access and display information stored in any of the databases. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228527 | Bio-information control system - A bio-information control system includes initial bio-information acquiring means that acquires initial bio-information of a target living body; initial pace line generating means that generates an initial pace line on the basis of the initial bio-information entered by the initial bio-information acquiring means; follow-up bio-information acquiring means that acquires follow-up bio-information of the target living body after having generated the pace line; and corrected pace line generating means that generates a corrected pace line obtained by correcting the initial pace line on the basis of the follow-up bio-information acquired by the follow-up bio-information acquiring means, so that pace lines according to the follow-up bio-information of the target living body is provided. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228528 | Universal Application Integrator - A universal application integrator system enables the automated integration of data from patient care devices into electronic health records (EHRs). In addition, the system acts as a context manager between these patient care devices, EHR applications, and ancillary specific patient care applications. The system is the central controller for direct integration with patient care devices. This allows for click-once implementation and automated driver uploads for patient care devices. Third party application integration allows for device and patient context information to be shared among applications in a standardized patient care fashion. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228529 | Context Adaptive Patient Medical Data Access and Viewing System - A system provides unlimited, user-defined “mini views” of predetermined or user selected clinical data sets. A system provides a user with an adaptive view of patient specific medical data during operation of an executable clinical information application. A context processor identifies context data associated with an executable clinical information application being employed by a user. The context data includes a patient identifier and a user identifier. A configuration processor enables a user to indicate preferred predetermined types of medical information to be accessible and displayed via a reference display image window. At least one repository stores information provided by the configuration processor, associating, for multiple different users, a user identifier with preferred predetermined types of medical information to be displayed in a reference display image window for a particular user. A user interface processor employs at least one repository for initiating generation of data representing a composite display image including and concurrently presenting a first image provided by the clinical information application and a reference display image window as an overlay of the first image. The reference display image window includes displayed user interface elements enabling user initiation of display of predetermined types of medical information of a particular patient selected in response to a patient identifier and user identifier provided by the context processor. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228530 | METHOD AND DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM TO ASSIST A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS - In order to assist medical personnel in the generation of a medical diagnosis, context-related criteria are automatically determined from available case-related primary information, and using these context-related criteria context-related secondary information is automatically filtered out from a secondary data source and is displayed in an information portal on a display element for further processing by medical personnel. Case-related secondary information that support the personnel in the generation of an applicable diagnosis of the current case thus are automatically provided to the medical personnel via this measure. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228531 | Insurance Optimization and Longevity Analysis - A method, software, database and system for predicting the longevity of an individual and for determining an optimal insurance plan for an individual are presented in which an attribute profile of the individual containing genetic and non-genetic attributes is compared against a database containing combinations genetic and non-genetic attributes that are statistically associated with known longevities and optimized insurance plans derived from other individuals. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228532 | GUEST RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A method for implementing a guest profiling program that utilizes guest profiles, which are developed and expanded by information gathered from various sources and managed in a central Guest Relationship Management System (GRMS). The GRMS is a web-architected internet application. The primary interface between the GRMS and hotel systems is a connection to each hotel's property management system (PMS). The GRMS extracts data from PMSs. PMS data is updated to the central GRMS for processing. The core application logic includes capabilities to identify reservations with attributes and to match guest reservations extracted from each hotel's PMS with profiled guests. Both automated and user-initiated data manipulation processes utilize the central GRMS profiles and PMS data to generate outputs designed to increase the quality and timeliness of services and to assist marketing efforts. The web-based architecture of GRMS enables consistent data sharing and processing capabilities with a plurality of hotels. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228533 | MULTI-TIERED FLEET MANAGEMENT CACHE - A method of providing reservation status relating to a group of objects includes providing a database for containing (i) availability data describing availability of at least one of the group of objects, and (ii) reservation data describing allocation of at least one of the group of objects. The availability data and the reservation data are stored in sparse form. The method further includes extracting, from the database, availability data and reservation data corresponding to a predetermined period of time, and combining the extracted availability data and reservation data to form windowed data in a dense format. The method also includes receiving the windowed data and providing the windowed data in a bit-vector view, and sampling the windowed data in the bit-vector view to produce sampled data. The sampled data provides the reservation status as a static view of the windowed data in the bit-vector view. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228534 | Reservation Record Based Ticketing - The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a process for processing travel transactions without tickets. The process includes generating an electronic reservation record for a traveler that includes a reservation for travel along a travel segment and modifying the electronic reservation record to include a virtual ticket value that is unassociated with an electronic or physical ticket. The process also includes digitally transmitting the electronic reservation record having the virtual ticket value to a remote computing system that uses the electronic reservation record as exclusive evidence that the reservation has been confirmed for the traveler by a travel provider. For the process, the use of the electronic reservation record is exclusive of the presence or absence of any electronic or physical tickets. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228535 | Information Handling System Deployment Assessment - A client deployment assessment tool which provides a structured approach to evaluating a customer's information handling system deployment processes and tools. The client deployment assessment tool accurately estimates costs and shows how an information handling system provider could reduce those costs. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228536 | System and method for deriving business processes - Embodiments of the present invention improve derivation of business processes. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of deriving business processes, the method comprising accessing a plurality of event logs, accessing predefined domain rules, associating the event logs with one or more business processes using a first plurality of the domain rules, and deriving a specification for one or more business processes based on a second plurality of the domain rules. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228537 | Systems and methods for targeting advertisements to users of social-networking and other web 2.0 websites and applications - The present inventions manage and deliver electronic advertisements to targeted users of an electronic communication network. The present inventions target advertisements based on the user's interactions with or behaviors exhibited on sites within the communication network. The present inventions also define audiences of target users based on the users' interaction with or behaviors on the sites and/or their responses to advertisements. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228538 | Using commercial share of wallet to analyze vendors in online marketplaces - Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Online marketplaces that allow small businesses to advertise their services can use this CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to provide a rating that gives an indication of the business prospects of the vendors listed on their sites. Further, such marketplaces can combine this information with their own internal analytics to provide a single holistic rating. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228539 | Using commercial share of wallet to manage vendors - Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Government agencies, procurement departments, and others that patronize small businesses can use CSoW/CSoSW to determine businesses that should be awarded contracts and businesses that should be denied. CSoW/CSoSW may also be used to manage approved vendor lists. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228540 | Using commercial share of wallet to compile marketing company lists - Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Marketing companies that sell lists compile those lists by searching one or more databases for names and/or businesses that match certain criteria. Those marketing companies can use the CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to show predicted spend and/or revenues for each company on a list. This makes the list more valuable to list buyers. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228541 | Using commercial share of wallet in private equity investments - Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Private equity firms and other investors of small businesses can use the CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to more accurately evaluate small and privately held companies, both during investment and for evaluating prospective investments. Over-the-counter securities trading systems can also use this modeling approach to provide more accurate information and/or rankings of listed companies to their customers. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228542 | Method and apparatus for cultured sea algae - A method and apparatus for utilizing, processing, distributing and an accompanying business model for sea algae, particularly forced cultured kombu, to prevent the expansion of global warming, by encouraging a re-purchase of the cultured sea algae, by paying the purchaser back, in a constant rate, a part of the profit from the sales of a CO2 omission right, which right depends upon the CO2 absorption and fixation ability. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228543 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO COMPUTE REACH AND FREQUENCY VALUES FOR FLIGHTED SCHEDULES - Methods and apparatus to compute reach and frequency values for flighted schedules are disclosed. An example method includes selecting two media components from a plurality of media components, and calculating a first flighted schedule campaign reach based on the two media components. The example method also includes repeating the selecting and calculating using the first flighted schedule campaign reach and a third media component from the plurality of media components to calculate a second flighted schedule campaign reach associated with the first, second, and third media components. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228544 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPING AN AUDIENCE OF BUYERS AND OBTAINING THEIR BEHAVIORAL PREFERENCES USING EVENT KEYWORDS - A method and system are disclosed that serve content relevant to a participant in an event in order to drive behaviors that lead to meetings between the participant and at least one of a plurality of business entities. The business entity can compile profiles of participants attending an event based on behaviors associated with each of the plurality of participants. The business entity can then define characteristics that enable such business entity to create links associated with a content message directed each participant of the event. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228545 | Live multimedia product catalog system that integrates with on-line stores - A live multimedia product catalog system that integrates with online stores includes at least one on-line provider of advertisements or online goods, a module to make and edit catalogs, a module to publish advertisements or online goods to each catalog, a network management module and desktop application programs to retrieve the multimedia catalogs automatically and display the contents. The live catalogs can be put on websites, or download to desktops, or put on portable storage medium. These catalogs only needs to be downloaded once, their contents are automatically updated. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228546 | BUSINESS PROCESS ESTIMATING PROGRAM, BUSINESS PROCESS ESTIMATING METHOD, AND BUSINESS PROCESS ESTIMATING APPARATUS - A business process estimating method, apparatus, and program for estimating a process of a business transaction utilizing an information system. The business process estimating method includes specifying a non-operation interval for extracting an information system non-operation interval in accordance with an access log of access to the information system, thereby to specify a business process corresponding to the extracted information system non-operation interval and to specify the information system non-operation interval. The method also includes distributing a non-operation interval time period for distributing a time period of the information system non-operation interval, which has been specified in the specifying the non-operation interval as process time periods of previous and subsequent business processes respectively correlated with previous and subsequent information system non-operation intervals with respect to the information system non-operation interval. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228547 | Intelligent Free-Time Search - Techniques are disclosed for performing free-time searches that exploit information of the type used with electronic calendars. By leveraging advanced calendaring system information and using location, other context information such as corporate policy, legal constraints, and technology constraints, and user-specific preferences to provide a complete picture of a person's availability, the functionality (and therefore the value) of scheduling systems in increased, resulting in an ability to schedule meetings with more accuracy and less rework. Various allowable participation types for meeting invitees may be specified, and each invitee's availability is determined accordingly. Location-sensitive travel times (including optional user-specific travel time adjustments) are used in preferred embodiments when in-person participation is required. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228548 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING CALENDAR EVENTS BY EXAMINING CONTENT OF USER'S RECENT E-MAIL ACTIVITY - A system and method for selecting calendar events based on examining the content of a user's recent e-mail activity. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a scheduling manager assembles a keyword list, wherein the keyword list includes a collection of keywords with associated weights for each keyword among the collection of keywords. If the scheduling manager detects at least two conflicting calendar events scheduled within a calendar program, the scheduling manager searches the at least two conflicting calendar events for at least one keyword on the keyword list. The scheduling manager computes a keyword weight score for each of the at least two conflicting calendar events. If one calendar event among the at least two conflicting calendar events has a highest keyword weight score, the scheduling manager schedules the one calendar event within the calendar program. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228549 | PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A performance evaluation system. The system includes a performance evaluation module configured to enable employee performance reviews based on completion of a plurality of tasks and a plurality of skills required to complete the tasks for each of a plurality of projects on which an employee is staffed, wherein the performance evaluation module returns an employee performance score for the employee in relation to other employees at comparable job levels as the employee. The system also includes a project staffing module configured to enable a user to staff a project by selecting at least one candidate employee based on a skill level proficiency rating in a desired skill and a length of time for which the candidate employee has utilized the desired skill. The system further includes a skills management module configured to enable a user to search a database for persons who have a specified skill and an external contacts module configured to enable a user to search for contact information in the database. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228550 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR UTILIZING A TASK GRID TO GENERATE A DATA MIGRATION TASK - A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to present a task grid to a set of users. A specification of target column information and source column information is accepted from the set of users to produce a data migration task grid. A data migration task is generated from the data migration task grid. The data migration task is processed. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228551 | PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT OPTIMIZATION PROGRAM, PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT OPTIMIZATION METHOD, AND PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT OPTIMIZATION DEVICE - An optimization control part controls as an optimum method that optimizes a personnel assignment with an optimum gradient method by simulating with a simulator. An increase and decrease personnel assignment calculation part calculates the increase and decrease personnel assignment by using an approximation model to find the next tentative optimum solution and to generate an initial value by using the approximation model. In addition, the personnel assignment information storage stores the necessary information to optimize the personnel assignment, and the simulator, the optimization control part and the increase and decrease personnel assignment calculation part refer to the information in the personnel assignment information storage part, update it and perform processing. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228552 | System and method for providing product recommendations to consumers within a merchant location - Discerned relationships between products are utilized to generate product recommendation cards that are to be positioned throughout a merchant location. The product recommendation card contains information about one or more products that are likely to be purchased with a related-to product. The information carried on the product recommendation card may include one or more of the following for a recommended product: an image of the product; a brand for the product; a logo associated with the product; a textual description of the product; a bar code associated with the product; usage information for the product; and a location of the product within the merchant location. The product recommendation card(s) for product(s) that are likely to purchased with a related-to product may then be positioned in the vicinity of the related-to product within the merchant location to draw the attention of the consumer to these product(s) for the purpose of causing the consumer to purchase these product(s) in addition to the related-to product. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228553 | Method And System For Determination Of An Appropriate Strategy For Supply Of Renewal Energy Onto A Power Grid - A system and methodology for determining optimal sales strategy for power from a wind farm to a power grid for a number of different conditions is disclosed. By defining distributions for the forecast for the output of the wind farm and combining that with a forecast for market conditions it is possible to evaluate optimum values for the volume of power that can be contributed by the wind farm for specific time periods. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228554 | System, Method and Apparatus for Determining a Target for Distributing Molding Material Equipment - A method, system and a computing apparatus for determining a target molding material user for distribution of molding material equipment to molding material users from a molding material producer is disclosed. The computing apparatus, for example, includes a processing module operable to receive (i) supply information representative of molding material equipment available for distribution from the molding material producer, and (ii) demand information representative of at least one molding material user in need of molding material equipment, and to determine the target molding material user to which to supply molding material equipment from the molding material producer in accordance with at least the supply information and the demand information. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228555 | Graphical user interface for presenting image evaluation information - A method is disclosed for operating a computer to transform and present data gathered from respondents to electronic surveys and to evaluate preferences related to digital two dimensional and three dimensional images. The method includes receiving computational results for an electronic survey in the form of data files, which include one or more cluster scores for clusters identified in an image presented in the electronic survey. The computational results are transformed for presentation on a graphical user interface. The method provides a summary of the computational results for all images viewed in the survey and detailed survey results for selected images from the survey. The method further provides formatting options for presentation of the computational results, with the formatting options including mode selection, cluster selection, and data display adjustment. The final formatted computational results are presented on the graphical user interface for review by an operator. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228556 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONSUMER INTERACTION BASED ON SPEND CAPACITY - Share of Wallet (“SoW”) is a modeling approach that utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a consumer's spending capability, tradeline history including balance transfers, and balance information. These outputs can be appended to data profiles of customers and prospects and can be utilized to support decisions involving prospecting, new applicant evaluation, and customer management across the lifecycle. In addition to credit card companies, SoW outputs may be useful to companies issuing, for example: private label cards, life insurance, on-line brokerages, mutual funds, car sales/leases, hospitals, and home equity lines of credit or loans. “Best customer” models can correlate SoW outputs with various customer groups. A SoW score focusing on a consumer's spending capacity can be used in the same manner as a credit bureau score. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228557 | Method And Apparatus For Measuring Distinctions Between Pre-paid vs. Post-paid Customer Base And Market Share For Wireless Communication Service Products - Methods and systems are provided for determining customer distinctions for one or more wireless communication service providers. Determinations are drawn from a sampling of telephone numbers that have been determined to be assigned by wireless service provider(s) (to its/their customers) and are employed to determine whether the assigned number is assigned to a pre-paid “customer” or a post-paid “subscriber” of the carrier(s). A message is sent to the telephone number and the response is interpreted to determine whether that assigned number is assigned (by the carrier) to a pre-paid customer or a post-paid subscriber. Alternatively, a sampling of telephone numbers from one or more service providers are sent messages to determine pre-paid customer/post-paid subscriber ratios of these carrier(s), based upon a preset numbering scheme that differentiates between the two categories (pre-paid “customers” vs. post-paid “subscribers”). Alternatively, once a number is determined to be assigned by a carrier, a determination as to whether that number is assigned to a pre-paid customer or a post-paid subscriber is performed through inquiries into the service provider's customer database/billing records. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228558 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VALUATING ITEMS AS TRADABLE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMODITIES - Some embodiments qualify an item and a protocol associated with the item by determining an amount of environmental conservation that is related to the actual use or implementation of the item by a registrant. Some embodiments quantify the environmental conservation of an item by determining an amount of emissions reduction, energy savings, hazardous wastes or materials that are properly disposed of, or generated renewable energy associated from the qualified environmental conservation of the item. Some embodiments then valuate the quantified environmental conservation to issue a tradable credit. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228559 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING FINANCIAL INVESTMENT INDICES - The present invention is a system that creates indices based on the “buy, sell and hold” research recommendations of research firms, tracks the performance of those indices, and allows clients to search for top performing indices according to a variety of search parameters and filters through a proprietary text navigation searching mechanism. Once the indices are created it can be offered to investors for a fee. The fee compensates the research firm and is defined by a fee structure that varies based on the method of compensation selected. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228560 | System and Method for Creating Compiled Marketing Research Data Over A Computer Network - A system for creating compiled marketing research data over a computer network is disclosed. The system comprises a researcher server system ( | 2008-09-18 |
20080228561 | Automated sales support method & device - A system and method for notifying salespersons of customer communications including a target item is provided. Individual customers are mapped to one or more salespersons. Target items of interest to a salesperson are defined and a salesperson is associated with a customer. For each salesperson, on-line communication channels are monitored for the occurrence of a communications involving a customer associated with the salesperson and including a target item defined by the salesperson. When such an occurrence happens, a notification is directed to the salesperson. Salesperson access to the system and customer access to the on-line communication channels requires authorization. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228562 | Fully Automated Vehicle Dispatching, Monitoring and Billing - A system for controlling vehicles ( | 2008-09-18 |
20080228563 | REDEMPTION OF REWARD UNITS FOR TRANSACTIONAL ACCOUNTS - Reward units accrued for use of a transactional account to pay for purchases are redeemed to cover any cost associated with activities initiated by an account holder where reward units are applicable to those activities. The redemption occurs as an automatic process in response to the account holder initiating the activity and without requiring the account holder to request that redemption occur. Accordingly, the account holder is not required to recall that reward units are applicable for the activity and is not required to request that the reward units be applied to cover any cost associated with the activity. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228564 | Weighted-Parameter Auction - Techniques are described to provide a weighted auction, an example of which is to auction an opportunity to cause output of an advertisement in time-shifted content by a client. Bids may be selected to win the opportunity based at least in part on a plurality of weighted-auction parameters included in the plurality of bids. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228565 | Centralized Discount Searching - According to the invention, a system for providing a coupon to a user is disclosed. The system may include a host computer system and a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may include instructions for receiving a characteristic information set from a plurality of businesses, where each characteristic information set includes at least one characteristic of a business; receiving a coupon set from each of the businesses, where each coupon set includes at least one coupon for a product or service; receiving a search request from a user interface, where the search request includes a characteristic or an identifier, and where the identifier represents a product or a service; selecting a first coupon from a first coupon set based on a comparison of at least some portion of the search request and at least some portion of the characteristic information sets or coupon sets; and transmitting the first coupon. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228566 | PROCESSING COUPONS WITH PAYMENTS - Systems and methods that combine coupon processing with payment processing (e.g., a credit/debit card transaction). Payment processing entities can function as the coupon clearinghouse between coupon issuers and merchants. Accordingly, processing costs can be mitigated as coupons are no longer processed separately from other tenders, (e.g., coupons can be processed same manner electronic transactions related to payments are processed, and by the same service provider. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228567 | ONLINE COUPON WALLET - Systems and methods that electronically redeem coupons via an online storage component, which stores coupon data for a consumer and regardless of which issuer has issued the coupon. Such online storage medium can store coupons online (e.g., in a single location) without being tied to a particular service, and can readily provide redemption (e.g., an automatic redemption). The consumer and other retail entities (e.g., coupon issuers, merchants, and the like) can populate the online storage medium periodically, or in response to predetermined events (e.g., physical location of consumer, associated demographics, and the like.) | 2008-09-18 |
20080228568 | DELIVERY OF COUPONS THROUGH ADVERTISEMENT - Systems and methods that supply associations between advertisements—and—relevance of coupons for customers. Accordingly, the customer is empowered to interact with an advertising system, and the coupons obtained are considered desirable by the customer (e.g., non-spam). The advertisement system includes a presentation component (which presents advertisement to customers); a contextualization component (which analyzes context of purchase related to the advertisement such as location, profile, and basket of the customer), and a dispenser component (which dispenses the coupons based on customer initiation—e.g., pressing a button). | 2008-09-18 |
20080228569 | Process for visually displaying information on products and services in waiting rooms - A process for visually displaying items of information of interest to individuals in attendance in offices offering personal services who are delayed in receiving such services. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228570 | Method of offering savings on pet-related products and services via club memberships while earning money toward a higher education - A method of offering and selling club memberships is provided, which includes generally the steps of providing a club that may offer its members discounts on pet-related products and/or services, registering/engaging individuals (e.g., pre-college age youth) to promote the club to prospective members, and crediting money to a financial savings/investment account in the name of respective pre-college age youth when individuals solicited by the respective pre-college age youth join and become members of the club. In one form, the club includes a web-based club having a club website accessible via the Internet which members can access to receive discounts on pet-related products and/or services. Additionally, club members receive a predetermined discount off of veterinary services as a benefit of becoming a member. The amount of the discount may depend on the level of membership purchased. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228571 | Automated recommendation of targeting criteria - A system and method to facilitate automated recommendation of targeting criteria are described. Targeting data associated with an advertiser entity and one or more competitor entities of the advertiser entity within a specified industry is retrieved. A set of criteria to target advertisements to a plurality of consumers of the advertiser entity based on the retrieved targeting data is further determined. Finally, presentation of the advertisements to the targeted consumers is facilitated based on the selected set of criteria. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228572 | METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION OF ADVERTISEMENT AND INFORMATIONAL IMAGES - The method for distributing advertisement information images includes steps of: loading an advertisement information image into a subscriber's cellular phone; demonstrating the advertisement information image at the cellular phone; viewing the advertisement information image; and compensating the user's expenses arisen from using the cellular phone. The subscriber fills up a questionnaire, on which basis the advertiser selects subscribers for distributing his/her advertisement information image, as which to the cellular phone subscriber is sent the advertisement information image for which the subscriber has subscribed when filling up the questionnaire. The step of loading said advertisement information image to the cellular phone subscriber being carried out with his/her consent and according to the media plan of the advertiser till receiving to the cellular phone an incoming/outgoing call, or incoming/outgoing SMS and/or MMS message. The step of demonstrating said advertisement information image being carried out at the time of the incoming/outgoing call or incoming/outgoing SMS and/or MMS message. The step of viewing said advertisement information image being carried out by the subscriber till the time of the call reply, and/or at the time of the call termination, and/or till the time of the SMS and MMS message view and reply. The advertisement information image is on the mobile phone screen during entire continuance of the conversation or until the call release and/or the SMS and MMS message reply. The step of compensating the user's expenses being carried out by means of receiving monetary reward to the user's account for every demonstration of the advertisement information image. When receiving a new SMS and/or MMS message at the time of viewing the advertisement information image, on the phone screen emerges a notification not impeding to view the advertisement information and meaning the fact of receiving the new SMS or MMS message for the subscriber or a new advertisement information image. The advertisement information image presented on the mobile phone screen is accompanied with corresponding voice or musical or sound accompaniment being a part of the advertisement information image. The advertisement information image coming to the subscriber's mobile phone screen is scaled in accordance with the size of the mobile phone screen. The monetary reward received to the subscriber's account could be used by him/her for paying the communication service and/or any other services, and/or cashed by the subscriber. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228573 | Fundraising Method and System - The present disclosure describes a fund raising method and system wherein a provider produces discount cards containing information such as the manufacturer ID, the family code, and the value code. The information may appear on the card in the form of a bar code, a magnetic strip or by any other commonly recognized means. Representatives of an organization sell the discount cards to interested parties. When those parties present the discount cards at an enrolled retailer at the time of check-out, the card is read by the reader which is in communication with the retailer's payment system. The holder is then credited a pre-specified percentage of the sale at the time of sale and a percentage of the sale is set aside by the retailer. On a periodic basis, the amount set aside by the retailer is paid to the provider whereupon the provider pays a pre-specified portion of that amount to the organization. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228574 | System And Method For Conveying Content Changes Over A Network - A system and method that includes receiving data representative of a change in volume of network content related to a ticker from a reference volume; and displaying in a user interface a visual element associated with the ticker, wherein the appearance of the visual element depends upon the change in volume. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228575 | Universal advertising model utilizing digital linkage technology "U AD" - A system and method of providing a linking module to link an identifier to media content in order to create embedded advertising content. A system enabler receives a registration of the identifier and further provides embedded advertising content to be transmitted to a client. The system enabler further provides an extraction module to extract the identifier from the embedded advertising content to allow a client interaction with an advertising experience. The client interactions with an advertising experience are tracked by the system enabler to result in tracked client interactions. After receiving the tracked client interactions, the system enabler compares the tracked client interactions to compensable action items to update an account. | 2008-09-18 |
20080228576 | AD PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION FOR RICH MEDIA CONTENT - In one embodiment, a method for optimizing advertisement performance is provided. In one embodiment, advertisements may be clustered together into different buckets of advertisements. Rich media content may also be clustered together. A performance model may then be generated that is based on previous performance of ads with content. The performance data may be used to predict which ads may provide the best performance when shown with a target piece of content that is going to be displayed. Particular embodiments use performance data for advertisements in an ad bucket to determine which ad bucket out of multiple ad buckets may provide the best performance for a content bucket that includes the target content. The ad bucket includes a plurality of ads and the method determines which ad should be displayed with the target content. In one embodiment, performance data is used to determine which ad to display. | 2008-09-18 |