Abstract: In some examples, a payment processing system may receive, from a plurality of merchant POS terminals, transaction information of transactions performed between a plurality of merchants and a plurality of buyers. Further, the system may receive, from a first buyer, a request to finance a purchase of an item at a first merchant. The system may determine, based at least in part on the transaction information, financing terms for the first buyer for purchasing the item from the first merchant, the financing terms may include an approved financed amount for making the purchase from the first merchant. The system may receive an acceptance of the terms from the buyer and may generate a payment code associated with the financing terms and the first merchant that enables the customer to finance the purchase with the first merchant, such as at a POS terminal of the first merchant.

Abstract: Inventory systems may include storage locations or other elements that can be visually indicated by selective glowing triggered by received wavelengths. In one example, a selected storage location can be determined from among multiple storage locations. A set of one or more wavelengths may be determined that is operable, when received at multiple markers associated with the multiple locations, to cause one or more of the markers to emit a presentation that visibly indicates the selected storage location or provides a visible acknowledgement of an action associated with the selected storage location. Instructions can be provided to cause a wavelength source to emit the set of one or more wavelengths so as to reach the multiple markers and cause the presentation.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring goods placed in compartments of an inventory apparatus and communicating monitored data to user-computing device via a communication network. The method includes storing information pertaining to goods into a database. The method further includes integrating weighing scales at the bottom of each of the one or more compartment. Further, the method includes determining the weight of the one or more goods in each of the one or more compartment through the weighing scales and transmitting the weighed information to the database via the communication network. The method further includes the monitoring the quantitative value and inventory level of one or more goods placed in the one or more compartments through one or more sensors. Furthermore, the method includes the displaying the weighed information and monitored information over the user-computing device communicated through the communication network.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method and apparatus involve: providing a plurality of products that are each associated with a respective radio frequency identification tag; using radio frequency identification technology to automatically identify specific products in a group of products collected by a shopper; and evaluating whether or not to obtain payment from the shopper based on the radio frequency identification of products in the group. Based on the result of the evaluation, either payment is obtained from the shopper on the basis of the radio frequency identification of products in the group, or else the products in the group are audited, and then payment is obtained on the basis of the products identified by the audit.

Abstract: An improved point of sale terminal and method of operation thereof providing new personal financial management support features thereto including receiving payment for a transaction amount from a user includes means for receiving from the user a primary account number associated with a primary account having a plurality of subaccounts each having a subaccount indicator and means for receiving from the user a user selected subaccount indicator from among the plurality of subaccount indicators for processing of the transaction amount. The system also includes means for transmitting the primary account number and the subaccount indicator as received from the user to a financial institution for payment authorization of the transaction amount and means for receiving authorization from the financial institution responsive to the transmitting.

Abstract: A system for tracking the quantity of an item is disclosed. The system includes a portable terminal, a client, and a cabinet. The portable terminal is configured to receive information indicating a change in the quantity of the item in a container. The portable terminal includes a unique identifier, an input device configured to be actuated to indicate the change in the quantity of the item in the container, and a transceiver configured to transmit the information indicating. The client is configured to associate the portable terminal with the item based on the unique identifier, and includes a transceiver configured to receive and transmit the information. The cabinet includes the container and a controller configured to change a value indicating a quantity of the item based on the information transmitted from the client. A method for tracking the quantity of an item is also provided.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of updating perpetual inventory at a retail sales facility are described. After products are delivered to a retail sales facility, an electronic inventory management device receives electronic data indicating that a product has been delivered and calculates, based on at least one factor associated with the product, a delay period from a time of delivery of the product to the retail sales facility to a time for updating the perpetual inventory of products at the retail sales facility. After the calculated delay period elapses, the electronic inventory management device updates the perpetual inventory of the products at the retail sales facility in a product inventory database associated with the retail sales facility with information associated with the product delivered to the retail sales facility.

Abstract: A receipt printer comprises a discharge port configured to discharge a receipt; a conveyance section configured to convey a paper; a clamping section configured to clamp the paper in the front of the discharge port; and a controller configured to control the conveyance section to discharge the paper from the discharge port. The clamping section includes a fixed section and a movable section forming a paper insertion section, and the paper is clamped by the fixed section and the movable section if the paper is inserted into the paper insertion section. A paper conveyance direction in which the paper is directed to the paper insertion section is different from a paper discharge direction in which the paper is discharged from the discharge port.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for creating and provisioning instances having an expiration time. One exemplary embodiment comprises receiving a request to launch at least one instance, the request associated with an expiration time. In response to the request, an an instance can be instantiated using one or more server computers. Further, the embodiment includes determining, based at least in part on the expiration time, to terminate the provisioned instance and subsequently terminating the provisioned instance.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer readable medium to process transaction records obtained from electronic commerce applications (ECAs) as staged transactions before posting to an accounting ledger in a financial management application (FMA). In this manner, the user (e.g., small business owner, book keeper, or accountant), the ECA developer, and the FMA provider are allowed to focus on their respective domain knowledge while allowing the financial management application, augmented by user-defined rules that are appropriate to the business in question, to automate the accounting ledger posting.

Abstract: A method of supplying a palletizing device with goods for order-related palletization in a warehouse, which method may include delivering pallets to the incoming goods area of the warehouse and temporarily storing the pallets. Pallets containing goods required for replenishing of a buffer storage area may be removed from temporary storage and depalletized from the pallets in a depalletizer. The goods can be singulated and buffered in a buffer storage area. The buffer storage area can be connected to the palletizing device, and the goods required for an order can be removed from the temporary storage and transported to the palletizing device individually and in a controlled manner according to a specified sequence. The buffer storage area may be supplied with new goods from the pallets in the temporary storage by removal therefrom, depalletizing and singulation by means of a dynamic adaptation of the quantity removed from storage and depalletized.

Abstract: Techniques and arrangements for personalizing gift cards based, in part, on exchanging personalized messages between a customer that buys a gift card and a customer that receives and uses the gift card. A point-of-sale (POS) device of a merchant may receive a personalized message from the customer buying the gift card at the time of the purchase. The POS device may then present the personalized message to the customer receiving the gift card when the customer uses the gift card to satisfy a cost of a transaction between the merchant and the customer. During or after the transaction, the POS device may further receive feedback from the recipient customer of the gift card. The POS device may then send the feedback to the customer that originally bought the gift card.

Abstract: Systems and methods of managing payments for services or products are disclosed. Billing system data is extracted or accessed to provide business intelligence and. Visit charges from multiple billing systems can be aggregated to guarantor accounts within or across multiple billing systems and provide a single statement of charges for a given time period. Accounts are accessible online. Accounts can be linked to delegate management authority of a first guarantor's account to a second (manager) guarantor. Visit charges for linked accounts are included in the manager guarantor's statement an online access. Open charges balances can be brokered or transferred to a new asset holder. Pre-determined payment options can be configured by a provider, asset holder, and/or potential asset holder. The pre-determined payment options can include an option for financing a balance. A configurable financing option may enable a guarantor to request terms and receive automatic approval, subject to authorized terms.

Abstract: In the system, the image forming apparatus includes a unit that sends the status information of the image forming apparatus to the management server, and a unit that requests the web service provided by the service server to register device information, and the service server includes a unit that register and manage user information of a user of the web service provided by the service server, a unit that, in response to a request from the image forming apparatus, registers the device information of the image forming apparatus and user information managed in association with each other, and a unit that issues, to the user of the image forming apparatus that is registered with the web service, a notification related to the image forming apparatus, using the status information provided by the management server.

Abstract: A supply chain management system that provides a single integration point to partners, retailers and distribution centers is described. The partners, retailers, and distribution centers register with a supply chain management system. Through the system, partners select those retailers with whom they desire to do business. Partners may further allocate inventory among selected retailers. The supply chain management system recommends distribution centers for maintaining product inventory.

Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: selecting a road segment from a road network; generating a start window and an end window for the road segment; calculating a start window traffic speed for the start window; calculating an end window traffic speed for the end window; and estimating a traffic flow of the road segment based on the start window traffic speed and the end window traffic speed for displaying on a device.

Abstract: Systems and methods which provide shipping management system shipping documentation generation operation which spawns intelligent generation subprocesses are described. The intelligent generation subprocesses of embodiments facilitate autonomous shipping documentation generation functionality of a concatenated shipping documentation generation process. A user may initiate a shipping documentation generation process, whereby an intelligent generation subprocess is spawned, and thereafter the user may be freed to perform one or more independent operation and/or interaction with the shipping management system. One or more verifications, checks, warnings, and/or the like are suspended and one or more parameter, input, selection, and/or the like are defaulted for operation of an intelligent generation subprocess of embodiments. Embodiments implement a documentation queue to provide historical information with respect to intelligent generation subprocess operation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for associating a merchant with an aggregate merchant uses a computing device having a processor and a memory. The method includes identifying an association rule for the aggregate merchant, including one or more antecedents. Each antecedent includes a model value for the antecedent associated with the aggregate merchant. The method also includes identifying one or more merchant data values associated with the merchant. Each of the one or more merchant data values correspond to one of the one or more antecedents. The method further includes applying the association rule to the one or more merchant data values by comparing the model value for each antecedent with a merchant data value associated with the corresponding antecedent, thereby generating a confidence score for the merchant. The confidence score represents a likelihood the merchant is associated with the aggregate merchant. The method also includes outputting the confidence score.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods include an electronic scanning device, an electronic database, and an electronic inventory management device for analyzing products at a retail store in order to detect products at the retail store that are associated with mis-shipments and to adjust perpetual inventory at the retail store in view of a detected mis-shipment.

Abstract: A rule handler may receive a first routing rule and a second routing rule, each routing rule characterizing at least one potential physical transportation route. A rule converter may convert the first routing rule and the second routing rule into a first finite automaton (FA) and a second finite automaton, respectively, and may combine the first finite automaton and the second finite automaton into a finite automaton network graph. A graph comparator may then compare the finite automaton network graph to existing physical transportation routes, and a route selector may select, based on the comparing, at least one feasible physical transportation route from the existing physical transportation routes, the at least one feasible physical transportation route being an instance of the at least one potential physical transportation route.