Abstract: Nested commit/reveal sequences using randomized inputs from each participant in a gaming transaction (e.g., the house and each player) may be employed to provide a selection of outcome or outcomes that can be verified by each participant as free from cheating. In general, techniques may be employed in a variety of distributed gaming transaction environments and as a verification facility for any of a wide variety of games in which the risk of player collusion can be eliminated. Nonetheless, several variations on a distributed card dealing method are illustrative and will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art as applicable in other gaming environments, including games employing outcomes denominated in die (or dice) rolls, coin toss, wheel spins, blind selection or other ostensibly random selection of an outcome from a predefined set thereof.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that includes identifying an inventory item corresponding to a product configuration. The product configuration is defined using a feature map. The inventory item is also defined using the feature map. Each entry of the feature map corresponds to one of a number of features of a product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically evaluating financing plans are presented. In one embodiment, a method for automatically evaluating financing plans comprises receiving an input message comprising base data; selecting one of a plurality of financing plans in accordance with the base data and data defining the plurality of financing plans; determining values of one or more terms associated with the selected financing plan; and generating an output message including the determined values of the one or more terms.

Abstract: A data processing system processes transaction database information to predict future demand using data regression techniques to extract trend line information from historical pattern frequency values. By extrapolating the trend line, a predicted pattern frequency value may be calculated. By applying regression techniques (such as least-squares approximation), the trend line information may be extracted and projected to predict the future pattern frequency which may be applied to calculate the expected value of a recommendation rule.

Abstract: A recommendation appliance, system and method are provided for generating and deploying additional web page content or functionality (e.g., retail recommendations) to an existing web page server system. For example, the present invention may be embodied as a reverse proxy server that is inserted as an intermediate network node between a web server and the end users accessing the web server. In this position, the recommendation appliance can introduce recommendation messages to web pages generated by the web server without requiring any modification to the code or architecture of the web server. In addition, the appliance may separately track the transaction activities of end users who receive recommendation messages and the transaction activities of end users who do not receive recommendation messages, so that a comparison of the effectiveness of the recommendations may efficiently be demonstrated without requiring any modification to the code or architecture of the web server.

Abstract: Embodiments of the components and processes for recording selected Web site data described herein adhere to long-term stability guidelines so as to improve maintainability and viability over time. Additionally, the data recording components can be placed within a software architecture to minimize the number of redundant data recording components. Furthermore, the data recording components can be tailored to specific data recording purposes. Additionally, the data recording components can be designed to take into account system performance issues and minimally impact system performance. Furthermore, the data recording components can be tailored to gather specific data useful for various analytical processes. Additionally, embodiments of the data recording components are relatively easy to implement and able to handle idiosyncrasies and changes of various Web sites in which they are placed.

Abstract: A log file processing system sorts records from large log files and groups them by session without making a complete copy of the log files by capturing a subset of the log files in a sliding memory window and identifying all records in the window that form a complete user session. Records belonging to a complete session are output for analyzing, and the remaining records are output as raw log data for additional processing. Using a ring buffer to implement the sliding memory window, data structures are used to group records by session, to identify completed sessions, and to index into the ring buffer to retrieve records for completed sessions that are to be directly analyzed. Any records remaining in the ring buffer at the end of slide window processing may be output as raw log file data and are processed as incomplete or malformed session records. An embodiment of the log file processing system provides a significant improvement on the speed of data extraction from log files into analyzable session data.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently responding to electronic requests for quote (“RFQ”). Through use, a user, such as a merchant, can automatically create and deliver an electronic RFQ response, without need for any interaction by the merchant. The merchant may establish certain criteria in order to allow the system and method to automatically respond to electronic RFQ's received by the merchant.

Abstract: A goal management system stores at least first and second goals. The goal management system also stores a relationship between the first goal and the second goal. In one aspect, the goal management system detects modification of the first goal and, in response, causes the second goal to be automatically highlighted for alignment verification. The second goal is a parent goal to the first goal, and the relationship is stored as a parent link associating the first goal with the parent goal. The goal management system also stores an owner for the first goal. In response to detecting modification of the parent goal, the goal management system causes the first goal to be automatically highlighted for alignment verification in a display associated with the owner of the first goal, based on the parent link. Additional aspects relate to additional technological solutions which facilitate goal management through, for example, goal alignment.

Abstract: A log file processing system sorts records from large log files and groups them by session without making a complete copy of the log files by capturing a subset of the log files in a sliding memory window and identifying all records in the window that form a complete user session. Records belonging to a complete session are output for analyzing, and the remaining records are output as raw log data for additional processing. Using a ring buffer to implement the sliding memory window, data structures are used to group records by session, to identify completed sessions, and to index into the ring buffer to retrieve records for completed sessions that are to be directly analyzed. Any records remaining in the ring buffer at the end of slide window processing may be output as raw log file data and are processed as incomplete or malformed session records. An embodiment of the log file processing system provides a significant improvement on the speed of data extraction from log files into analyzable session data.

Abstract: The variable domain data access control system and method described herein use the same variable domain to describe a data security model and a variable domain data model, such as a product configuration model. A variable domain is a set of resource data that can be described using a logical relationship data structure. The variable domain utilizes logical relationship expressions, such as a Boolean logic language, to define resource data in terms of parts, rules and/or attributes, and any other property that can be accessed for viewing, manipulation, or other purposes. The data security model represents an access control list (ACL) that includes security attributes as resource data and uses the same data structure and logical relationship expressions as an associated variable domain data model. An application, such as a configuration engine, can be used to create controlled access to the variable domain data model using the data security model.

Abstract: A commerce router is disclosed. The commerce router includes a plurality of commercial transaction databases and an application server module. Each of the databases can contain commercial transaction information related to one of a number of offering types (e.g., categories of products, services and/or the like). An application server module is communicatively coupled to the each one of the databases. The application server module can be configured to receive a request by virtue of being configured to communicate information regarding the request to the database for inclusion in the commercial transaction information and allow review of the request by virtue of being configured to communicate information regarding the request from the database by accessing the commercial transaction information. application server module can be configured to receive a response and allow review of the response.

Abstract: Embodiments of the components and processes for recording selected Web site data described herein adhere to long-term stability guidelines so as to improve maintainability and viability over time. Additionally, the data recording components can be placed within a software architecture to minimize the number of redundant data recording components. Furthermore, the data recording components can be tailored to specific data recording purposes. Additionally, the data recording components can be designed to take into account system performance issues and minimally impact system performance. Furthermore, the data recording components can be tailored to gather specific data useful for various analytical processes. Additionally, embodiments of the data recording components are relatively easy to implement and able to handle idiosyncrasies and changes of various Web sites in which they are placed.

Abstract: A data processing system processes data sets (such as low-resolution transaction data) into high-resolution data sets by mapping generic information into attribute-based specific information that may be processed to identify frequent sets therein. When association rules are generated from such frequent sets, the complexity and/or quantity of such rules may be managed by removing redundancies from the rules, such as by removing rules providing only trivial associations, removing rules having only a part group as the consequent, modifying rules to remove redundant antecedent items and/or filtering subsumed rules from the generated rule set that do not provide sufficient lift to meet an adjustable specialization lift threshold requirement.

Abstract: Configuration spaces facilitate the useful presentation of data, particularly configuration data used for representing configured products. Products include features, and common features can be grouped by families. Configuration spaces can be achieved by consolidating selected data without losing useful information. Configuration spaces break down the “universe” of possible configurations into constituent spaces defined by groups of rules for a selected feature. Common dependencies between the selected feature and related features can be consolidated to produce a more minimal form of the data used for representing the selected features and related features. Configuration spaces can provide a useful graphical view of the breakdown of all rules written for a single feature or multiple features. The data present in this view can be analyzed to, for example, study the dependency paths of an existing configuration and better understand the impact of revising configuration relationships.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically evaluating financing plans are presented. In one embodiment, a method for automatically evaluating financing plans comprises receiving an input message comprising base data; selecting one of a plurality of financing plans in accordance with the base data and data defining the plurality of financing plans; determining values of one or more terms associated with the selected financing plan; and generating an output message including the determined values of the one or more terms.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention utilize context subsystems to logically group resources according to context. Such context subsystems can be nested (i.e. hierarchical), and thus further simplify the complex configuration relationships encountered with complex systems. Higher level (i.e. parent) context subsystems contain at least one resource that is utilized by a lower level (i.e. child) component, subsystem, or context subsystem. Context subsystems can be hierarchically arranged in single- and multi-parent arrangements and single- and multi-child arrangements. The number of context subsystem hierarchical levels is virtually unlimited and is generally dictated by the complexity of the system and the corresponding simplification needs of the configuration technology being utilized to configure the system. Context subsystems are applicable and useful in a configuration environment for virtually any configurable system amenable to contextual groupings of resources.

Abstract: Techniques have been developed whereby an actuary-manipulable rating model may be defined and transformed into executable form using automated techniques. By allowing business users to define, review and revise rating models using familiar methodologies and constructs (such as factor tables) and by providing an automated facility for transformation of the rating model into an efficient executable form, systems and techniques in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention facilitate rapid deployment and update of insurance product offerings.

Abstract: A data processing system processes data sets (such as low-resolution transaction data) into high-resolution data sets by mapping generic information into attribute-based specific information that may be processed to identify frequent sets therein. When association rules are generated from such frequent sets, the complexity and/or quantity of such rules may be managed by removing redundancies from the rules, such as by removing rules providing only trivial associations, removing rules having only a part group as the consequent, modifying rules to remove redundant antecedent items and/or filtering subsumed rules from the generated rule set that do not provide sufficient lift to meet an adjustable specialization lift threshold requirement.

Abstract: A system and method for applying a people network representation to aid contact between a member of an organization and a target individual selects a contact path between the member and the target supported by analysis of the level of interaction between members of the organization based on network communications of the organization. Level of interaction is analyzed using network communications that take into account the recentness and frequency of interactions, such as email, ICQ, or phone interaction. To contact a targeted individual, for instance such as to obtain expertise in a desired area, the model of the people network allows determination of a contact path between the member and target which improves the likelihood of obtaining the target's expertise. A contact path from a member may include a suggestion to contact the target through one or more intervening organization members.