Abstract: Passive audiences are enabled to become active participants in plot choices made by characters in audio/visual broadcast events are provided. A method can comprise downloading, to a user device, an initial section of broadcast audiovisual content and an index representing subsequent subsections of the broadcast audiovisual content, and facilitating display of a prompt as a function of the index. Further, based on a reply, received from the user device in response to the prompt, the method can comprise downloading a subsequent subsection of the subsequent subsections for display by the user device.

Abstract: The invention comprises a rating engine, system, and method for processing rating requests in a computerized rating system. One aspect of the invention is an object-oriented rating engine operable to receive a rating request associated with a carrier contract. The rating engine comprises a base rating engine object operable for use on a computer and further operable to calculate a linehaul rate in response to the rating request. The base rating engine object further comprises a rating method operable to calculate a linehaul rate and a rate data structure comprising at least one rate value. The rate data structure is accessible by the rating method for use in calculating a linehaul rate.

Abstract: The invention comprises a method, engine, and system for qualifying a rating request in a computerized rating system. The qualification engine is operable to receive a qualification request associated with a carrier contract and comprises at least one qualification parameter. The qualification engine comprises a qualifying method operable for use on a computer that compares the qualification parameter to a set of qualification requirements to determine whether the carrier contract is qualified. A positive response to the qualification request is returned if the carrier contract is qualified while a negative response to the qualification request is returned if the carrier contract is not qualified.

Abstract: The invention comprises an object oriented rating system and method for processing rating requests in a computerized rating system. One aspect of the invention is an object oriented rating system comprising at least one carrier contract object. This object comprises an instance of a carrier contract class. The carrier contract object is operable for use on a computer and receives rating requests. A qualification engine associated with the carrier contract object is operable to receive qualification data associated with the rating request and determine whether the carrier contract object is applicable to the request. A service engine is operable to calculate a service rate in response to the rating request.