Abstract: Methods and apparatus which deal with the management of risk relating to specified, yet unknown, future events are disclosed.`Sponsor` stakeholders specify a particular product relating to an event or phenomenon for which there is a range of possible future outcomes.`Ordering` stakeholders then offer contracts relating to the predetermined phenomenon and corresponding range of outcomes. The offered contracts specify an entitlement or (pay-off) at the future time of maturity for each outcome, and a consideration (or premium) payable, in exchange, to a `counter-party` stakeholder.Independently of the offered contracts, the `counter-party` stakeholders input data as to their view of the likelihood of occurrence of each outcome in the predetermined range into the future, or specifically at the predetermined date of maturity.Each offered contract is priced by calculating counter-party premiums from the registered data, and a match attempted by a comparison of the offered premium with the calculated premiums.

Abstract: A method of automatically generating document extracts. The method makes use of feature value probabilities generated from a statistical analysis of manually generated summaries to extract the same set of sentences an expert might. The method is based upon an iterative approach. First, the computer system designates a sentence of the document as a selected sentence. Second, the computer system determine values for the selected sentence of each feature of a feature set. Third, the computer system increases a score for the selected sentence based upon the value of the feature for the selected sentence and upon the probability associated with that value. Fourth, after scoring all of the sentences of the document the computer system, the computer system selects a subset of the highest scoring sentences to be extracted.

Abstract: A point of sale tax reporting and automatic collection system including a smart tax register located at a retailer location. The retailer smart register processes consumer transactions and calculates the amount of sales tax due the retailer by the consumer for each transaction. Following the transaction, the consumer requests and is give a tax paid receipt. After the sales tax is paid to the retailer by the consumer, the register either immediately or periodically forwards the amount of the transaction and the amount of sales tax collected by the retailer to a computer and memory located at a remote location (e.g. state government taxing authority). The computer and memory receive and store the retailer's transaction and sales tax information, and report same to the Internal Revenue Service at least once a year.

Abstract: An automated accounting system for an entity, such as an individual or business, is provided in which at least one file is established for the entity and a plurality of data inputs are provided to the file. The data inputs include electronically recorded transactions made between the entity and other entities. Access is provided to the file for agents of the entity so that one of the agents can perform one or more activities related to the data inputs such as entering, deleting, reviewing, adjusting and processing.

Abstract: A method for restructuring an excessive underlying mortgage in excess of its current market value so that the value of the restructured underlying mortgage and the property to which it attaches exceeds the values prior to the restructuring. The method determines an existing underlying mortgage utilizing parameters which include a principal amount, a maturity date, an interest rate and payment periods. Thereafter, a first market value mortgage portion, which is substantially equal to the current mortgage value of the existing mortgage, and a second excess portion, which is the difference between the remaining principal balance of the existing underlying mortgage and the first market value portion, is determined.

Abstract: A method and system for tokenless authorization of commercial transactions between a buyer and a seller using a computer system. A transaction is proposed by a seller, and the buyer signals his acceptance by entering his personal authentication information comprising a PIN and at least one biometric sample, forming a commercial transaction message. The commercial transaction message is forwarded to the computer system, where the computer system compares the personal authentication information in the commercial transaction message with previously registered buyer biometric samples. If the computer system successfully identifies the buyer, a financial account of the buyer is debited and a financial account of the seller is credited, and the results of the transaction are presented to both buyer and seller. As a result of the invention, a buyer can conduct commercial transactions without having to use any tokens such as portable man-made memory devices such as smartcards or swipe cards.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a maintenance analysis and instruction system particularly useful for a retail center such as a grocery store. In preferred aspects, the invention provides systems and methods that comprise a portable-device that can instruct a retail center or other worker to attend to various incidents that may occur at a retail center or other location such as product spills, and systems and methods for maintaining an accurate and reliable record of sweeping, mopping and other tasks completed at the retail center. In another preferred aspect, the invention provides systems and methods for accurately tracking work completed at the retail center or other location such as sweeping, spill clean-up or inspection of various areas of the retail center or other location.

Abstract: The conference manager and address service of a general purpose personal conference application are enhanced with a plurality of functions for setting up, exchanging, saving, retrieving and re-sending "business cards" electronically. The external manifestation of an electronic "business card" is a visual presentation of information commonly found on physical business cards in a format that resembles a physical business card. Preferably, the visual presentation also includes a picture of the person named. Internally, the information including the data necessary to render the picture are maintained in data structures.

Abstract: Source language text from an input interface is broken down into source language morphemes by a morphological analyzer. A syntactic analyzer converts the morphemes into source language signs labelled with identifiers and data identifying other signs which are grammatically related. A bilingual equivalence transformer transforms the source language signs to target language signs which are combined by a combiner to provide a first attempt at a target language structure. The structure is repeatedly evaluated by an evaluator and transformed by a transformer. The signs of well formed substructures identified by the evaluator are not dissociated from each other by the transformer. This process ends when either the whole target language structure is evaluated as being well formed or all transformations have been unsuccessfully evaluated.

Abstract: A portable interactive visual ordering system and method utilizing full-color images. The system may be used by a restaurant to facilitate ordering menu items by a customer. The customer can request the system to display full-color images of a menu item as a help to decide what to order. The customer can also obtain a list of ingredients, method of preparation and nutritional information for a selected menu item. When the customer decides to order a particular menu item, the system captures the ordered item and tabulates a running bill. In another embodiment of the system, multiple visual ordering devices are networked together at the restaurant. An option in the networked system is to allow the customer to pay the bill by a credit card or debit means at his/her table. The system enables businesses to reduce labor costs in running the business and provides the customer with more information at the point of sale to make a more informed decision.

Abstract: A system for an unattended automated service station for selling and dispensing products, primarily motor fuel, cards, from a service island, whereby a purchaser may purchase any selected quantity of motor fuel and pay for such quantity of fuel by a credit or debit card and may receive change in the form of currency and coins from his payment or as a result of a cash advance on the credit or ATM card. The station includes a security building housing a work station to control the dispensation of specific quantities of motor fuel from one or more fuel dispensers on associated service islands. The system includes fuel dispensing means, card reader means, coin and currency acceptor means, card verification means, coin and currency dispensing means, receipt printing means, processor control means, fuel dispensing activating and selection means, display means, audio means, receipt generating means, data transmission means, and a processor control means.

Abstract: A computer system user interface provides a document summary which allows the user to more easily identify the contents and subject matter of the document.

Abstract: A reservation program provides for greater speed and ease of use than has been possible with existing systems. In a typical implementation, the reservation software is run on a personal computer connected to a server node through a dial up line. The server node is in turn connected to a computer reservation system such as SystemOne, Apollo, Sabre, etc. Using embedded rules, the program and its transparent server node combine user inputs and preferences to extract options in real time for near-immediate presentation to the user of multiple priced itineraries. In one embodiment, the user is offered three priced itineraries from which to make a choice. Offering multiple priced itineraries minimizes user frustration and obviates the need for multiple tries to get the desired booking. Overlapping of operations enables the reservation software to present priced itineraries to the user within a short time of the user completing his or her travel request.

Abstract: A user operates a user interface to select a rule for executing the process of a work flow, which is stored in a personal data base or a shared data base, and sends the conditional part of the selected rule as the goal to a query portion. Then, the query portion successively executes the process of the work flow through the computation by the SLD contradiction. When the goal fails in the execution by the computation, the failure goal is transferred as a tapple to the tapple space. The tapple is solved by another query portion, and the result of executing the tapple is returned to the tapple space. If a rule for executing the tapple is not found, the task is processed by man or a user and the result of the processing is entered into the system. In answer to this, the system interprets that the task has been proved to be true, and continues the execution of the work flow process.

Abstract: A system for monitoring information about debt securities and reporting trades in the debt securities market. The system includes user stations and a host processor. Users input data requests and trade information to the user stations which transmit the requests and trade information to the host processor. The host processor processes information about the trades and requests for information using databases which contain various types of information about the debt securities and users. The host processor transmits processed trade information and requested information to the user stations which present the information to the users.

Abstract: The present invention involves a computer software and hardware system which smoothly integrates the following functions into an integrated computer-based system for designing and administering a BOLI plan for national banks under current federal and state guidelines and financial market constraints. The systems includes determining the highest BOLI premium permitted under OCC Banking Circular 9651, determining insurable interest requirements by accessing a database with the appropriate state's insurable interest guidelines, generating performance estimates for the BOLI plan and allocating premium amount by business unit and employee. The system also ensures that the BOLI plan is in compliance with the regulatory requirements for the business unit. In addition, the system reinsures the BOLI plan through a captive insurance company of the financial organization, obtaining policy values for the captive insurance company.

Abstract: A point of sale tax reporting and automatic collection system including a smart tax register located at a retailer location. The retailer smart register processes consumer transactions and calculates the amount of sales tax due the retailer by the consumer for each transaction. Following the transaction, the consumer requests and is give a tax paid receipt. After the sales tax is paid to the retailer by the consumer, the register either immediately or periodically forwards the amount of the transaction and the amount of sales tax collected by the retailer to a computer and memory located at a remote location (e.g. state government taxing authority). The computer and memory receive and store the retailer's transaction and sales tax information, and report same to the Internal Revenue Service at least once a year.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and program for determining a price of an option to purchase an airline ticket, and for facilitating the sale and exercise of those options. By purchasing an option, a customer can lock in a specified airfare without tying up his money and without risking the loss of the ticket price if his travel plans change. Pricing of the options may be based on departure location criteria, destination location criteria, and travel criteria.

Abstract: A system and method for discovering consumer purchasing tendencies includes a computer-implemented program which identifies consumer transaction itemsets that are stored in a database and which appear in the database a user-defined minimum number of times, referred to as minimum support. Then, the system discovers association rules in the itemsets by comparing the ratio of the number of times each of the large itemsets appears in the database to the number of times particular subsets of the itemset appear in the database. When the ratio exceeds a predetermined minimum confidence value, the system outputs an association rule which is representative of purchasing tendencies of consumers.

Abstract: A method and system for performing financial transaction involving foreign currencies deals in virtually all trading currencies, automatically incorporates the current market process and operates in a secure environment. Customers can access the system on-line and in real time through various terminals such as, for example, a personal computer (PC). By inputting information in response to prompts on the screen, the system quickly identifies the nature of the transaction the customer desires and the customer inputs the characteristics of the transaction the user desires. The system then automatically generates an offer in response to the customer's request based upon a number of parameters including the market price, the size and nature of the transaction and the size and nature of the client. The system then promptly displays the bank's offer to the customer in a clear and concise manner. The customer is then given an opportunity to accept the offer, ask that the offer be updated or reject the offer.