Abstract: A method is described for transferring a tax-deductible donation from a donor's account with an asset holder to at least one qualified charitable organization for subsequent transfer to at least one charity. The donor electronically advises the asset holder of the asset to be donated and the charity that is to receive the donation. The asset holder then transfers the designated asset to at least one charitable organization. The charitable organization then transfers the asset to the identified charity, and transmitting information relating to the donation to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, and to the donor.

Abstract: In a system and method for enabling electronic bill presentment and payment and account and billing distribution, one or more intermediaries are provided to coordinate and control account and billing information transfer among multiple supplying entities and multiple recipient entities including billing portals and consolidators. The distributor provides software to the suppliers and recipients including billing portals that includes a user interface to a billable entity associated with a billing portal. The user interface presents account and billing information to the billable entity and enables payment of bills in response to receiving instructions from the billable entity. Billing information can include the combination of summary billing information and detailed billing contact information. The distributor also provides software to billing entities to expedite the gathering of billing information from the billing entities.

Abstract: A method of providing a user with education financing information, includes the acts of: maintaining an electronic site on a computer network to which the user may connect; sending data to the user over the network for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains financial award information concerning a potential student of an educational institution, the financial award information including a monetary award which may be used for the student to attend the educational institution; and sending data to the user over the network when requested for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains cost projection information, the cost projection information being a function of the award and including an amount of money required for the student to attend the educational institution.

Abstract: A method of providing a user with education financing information, includes the acts of: maintaining an electronic site on a computer network to which the user may connect; sending data to the user over the network for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains financial award information concerning a potential student of an educational institution, the financial award information including a monetary award which may be used for the student to attend the educational institution; and sending data to the user over the network when requested for presenting at least one electronic screen which contains cost projection information, the cost projection information being a function of the award and including an amount of money required for the student to attend the educational institution.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing the time it takes for a trader to place a trade when electronically trading on an exchange, thus increasing the likelihood that the trader will have orders filled at desirable prices and quantities. The “Mercury” display and trading method of the present invention ensure fast and accurate execution of trades by displaying market depth on a vertical or horizontal plane, which fluctuates logically up or down, left or right across the plane as the market prices fluctuates. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently.

Abstract: In a multi-unit combinatorial auction, reverse auction, or exchange, a number of bids can be received, with each bid including one or more items and for each item a desired quantity thereof. Each bid also includes a price. A number of unique combinations of bids can be formed from the received bids, and the one combination of bids which represents the best value in terms of an auction setting, a reverse auction setting and/or an exchange setting can be determined. Thereafter, the bids forming this combination can be declared the winning bids of the auction, reverse auction or exchange.

Abstract: Different minimum prices are assigned to different ad serving constraints (such as keywords, geolocations, serving times, etc.). A single auction minimum price may be determined for an auction using the minimum prices assigned to satisfied serving constraints of ads participating in the auction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for notifying a guarantor associated with a guaranteed loan of events likely to affect their interest in the guaranteed loan. The disclosed method and apparatus provides loan data with information on at least one guaranteed loan wherein the loan data includes information on the terms of the loan. The method and apparatus then monitors changes in the loan data and determines when changes in the loan data corresponding to the at least one guaranteed loan indicates a likelihood that the terms of the loan may not be met. Based on the determination the method and apparatus provides a notification to the guarantor based on the determination that the loan terms may not be met.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing the time it takes for a trader to place a trade when electronically trading on an exchange, thus increasing the likelihood that the trader will have orders filled at desirable prices and quantities. The “Mercury” display and trading method of the present invention ensure fast and accurate execution of trades by displaying market depth on a vertical or horizontal plane, which fluctuates logically up or down, left or right across the plane as the market prices fluctuate. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently. The price consolidation feature of the present invention, as described herein, enables a trader to consolidate a number of prices in order to condense the display. Such action allows a trader to view a greater range of prices and a greater number of orders in the market at any given time.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of sharing state information. In the method, data presented to a user from a template file of a referring site of a distributed computer network is presented to the user in a style dictated by the referring site. During interaction between the user and the referring site, user entered data is captured at the referring site where it is used to modify data of the template file as part of a transaction. At a point in the transaction at which it is desired or required to transfer transaction data to a nominated site to further process the transaction, state information comprising both data from the template file and style data concerning the style of the referring site are transferred by the referring site to the nominated site. Thereafter, the nominated site when continuing processing of the transaction utilises the style data of the referring site.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing the time it takes for a trader to place a trade when electronically trading on an exchange, thus increasing the likelihood that the trader will have orders filled at desirable prices and quantities. The “Mercury” display and trading method of the present invention ensure fast and accurate execution of trades by displaying market depth on a vertical or horizontal plane, which fluctuates logically up or down, left or right across the plane as the market prices fluctuates. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently.

Abstract: A method for automatically positioning information related to a commodity on a graphical user interface. Market information is displayed on the graphical user interface. The market information may be presented as a number of indicators, corresponding to particular items of interest, that are associated with a static scale. The scale may, for example, represent price. Upon detecting a predetermined condition, the location of the market information is automatically repositioned.

Abstract: A system for automatically processing claims is disclosed. The system includes an application that runs on a computer. Technicians use the application to complete claims information. Claims information includes information related to damage to a company asset. The system can determine the nature and possible location of a malfunction and redirect technician resources appropriately. In another aspect, the system can receive information from multiple technicians and can determine if a single incident caused multiple technicians to be deployed and can produce a single bill that includes the costs associated with dispatching multiple technicians.

Abstract: A transaction control system generates presentation objects which reside on front-end terminals. The control system also comprises a business rules layer, a transaction layer, and an external interface layer. A transaction processing module is created by a control system generating a presentation object and transferring it to a relevant front-end terminal and also instantiating a business object, a transaction object, and an external interface object. Development of transaction processing modules is therefore very simple and the module is versatile and may be easily modified.

Abstract: An investment allocation system, analysis module and method thereof for allocation of a total investment are disclosed. The investment allocation system comprises an input module, an analysis module and a allotment amount computation mode. The input module is used to input the historical data of a benchmark asset and multiple financial assets, and a threshold. The analysis module is used to calculate an adaptivity of each financial asset according to the threshold, and historical data of the benchmark asset and those financial assets. The allocation amount computation module is used to calculate an allocation ratio for each financial asset according to those adaptivities, related data, and a ratio computation procedure and the allocation ratio each of those financial assets being multiplied by the total investment to produce the amount of allocation for each financial asset.

Abstract: A first portion of data is selected. The first portion of data is capable of being converted from a human-readable format to an electronically readable format. The first portion of data is capable of being stored in an optical bar code. A printed financial prospectus includes the first portion of data in the human-readable format. The first portion of data is stored on the optical bar code. The optical bar code is incorporated into the printed financial prospectus. The first portion of data is read from the optical bar code using a bar code scanner without removing the optical bar code from the printed financial prospectus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cashless transaction processing system and method for locally authorizing cashless payment transactions at a payment module. Locally authorizing transactions can include utilizing locally stored databases and other authorization criteria or rules to validate or approve a plurality of payment identification data presented by a user, wherein the plurality of payment identification data presented by the user is intended to be utilized to effectuate payment for vended goods and services. In addition, the cashless transaction payment module system is scalable and configurable to include interfaces for vending equipment monitoring and control capabilities, interfaces for a card reader device and other payment interfaces, an interactive interface and protocol for interconnecting the system to a computing platform, and support for a plurality of communication options that include wired, point-to-point wireless, and wireless networking including LAN/WAN/WCDMA/CDMA/CDPD/2G/2.

Abstract: The method and system of the invention provide a variety of techniques for processing a microtransaction, wherein the microtransaction is a low monetary amount. In accordance with the invention, the method starts with a customer initiating a purchase through interaction with a merchant. The purchase is associated with purchase information, which includes the particulars of the purchase, such as the purchase price. In the purchase, the customer uses a transaction account, obtained from a payment enabler. The merchant submits the purchase information for processing of the purchase information. Thereafter, the purchase is classified as a microtransaction, if the purchase price is below a predetermined monetary amount. Thereafter, the purchase information is forwarded for processing based on the classifying, i.e., as a result of the purchase being classified as a microtransaction.

Abstract: A system and method for money management in an electronic trading environment are presented. According to one embodiment, a money management application intercepts an order before the order is sent to an exchange, and determines a plurality of P/L levels, based on which the money management application then selects a set of money management parameters to be used to control or modify order parameters before the order is sent to the exchange. The plurality of profit levels may include a net profit level determined based on a trader's net position and a current market level, a realized profit level determined based on trader's sells and buys associated with the tradeable object, or an open profit level determined based on the realized and net profit levels.

Abstract: The invention provides a data output control apparatus which allows detailed information on a network to be readily obtained, which is advantageous with respect to cost, and which is suitable for specifically notifying the user of the service charge. A data output control terminal is communicatively connected via the Internet to a portable terminal carried by a user, printing apparatuses provided at various locations, and WWW servers. The data output control terminal obtains from a WWW server data associated with a data print request from the portable terminal, selects one of the plurality of printing apparatuses, and outputs the obtained data to the selected printing apparatus. Billing is executed in accordance with the result of use by the portable terminal of the print service provided by the data output control terminal. The billing is executed by summing the service charge and the call charge of the portable terminal.