Abstract: A method and structure for reducing customer dissatisfaction for waiting includes a queue monitoring subsystem which detects an entry of a customer into a waiting queue. A reward computing subsystem calculates a reward for the customer for being in the waiting queue, and a communication subsystem communicates the reward to the customer. At least one of subsystems is automated.

Abstract: A method and structure for pricing a good or service to a customer includes a calculator that executes a pricing model that includes a dimension of a utility of the good or service to the customer.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for allocating network resources. In one embodiment, a service provider allocates an amount of the network resources to a group of clients, and the service provider receives a request from a client for a quantity of the network resources. The service provider negotiates with the group of clients and offers the group of clients an incentive to reduce the amount of the network resources allocated to this group of clients. The service provider reallocates some of the resources from the group of clients, based on this negotiating, to accommodate the request. In this embodiment, each of the group of clients provides a business value representing a value that would be lost due to reductions in the resources allocated to the each client, and the resources are reallocated based on this business values provided by the group of clients.

Abstract: A system and method configured that may allow performing a human-computer verification including crediting a verified task from a first user to a second user. In additional embodiments, may allow the user to perform a computer operation that require human-computer verification based upon an amount of credits that the user has been provided.

Abstract: A method and structure for reducing customer dissatisfaction for waiting includes a queue monitoring subsystem which detects an entry of a customer into a waiting queue. A reward computing subsystem calculates a reward for the customer for being in the waiting queue, and a communication subsystem communicates the reward to the customer. At least one of subsystems is automated.

Abstract: A decision support for real time command center, in one aspect, classifies, using a decision tree, an observed network state of a network into at least one category. A meta-model associated with the classified at least one category may be selected from a plurality of meta-models, the plurality of meta-models having been calibrated using results of simulations of a plurality of scenarios occurring in the network. One or more action plans may be evaluated by running the selected meta-model with data of the observed network state. One or more recommended action plans may be generated for the real time command center, based on the evaluation. Actual network state data resulting from having applied the one or more recommended action plans may be evaluated and used to recalibrate the meta-model and/or the decision tree.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing information to a client or customer about anticipated service center delays comprising maintaining data about the client's call preferences, modeling a best indicator of delays specific to an individual client when answering a call from the client by the service center in order to capture the greatest market share of the clients, and communicating to the client a best indicator of delays suited to the client's call preferences in answering the call from the client to the service center.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for obtaining a traffic route for a vehicle. The system receives information of a current location of the vehicle. The system determines a destination location or destination region of the vehicle. The system computes a plurality of available traffic routes from the current location to the destination location or to the destination region. The system estimates a potential demand for at least one potential passenger from the current location to the destination location or to the destination region per each available traffic route. The system recommends, to a driver of the vehicle, an available traffic route that has a highest estimated potential demand among a plurality of the available traffic routes.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for forecasting a vehicle traffic condition in a near future. The system comprises a traffic prediction tool, a turning percentage prediction module and a simulation tool. The traffic prediction tool estimates a traffic speed and volume in a traffic link. A traffic link refers to a portion of a traffic road where the traffic prediction tool is installed. The turning percentage prediction module estimates a turning percentage in the traffic link based on the estimated traffic speed and traffic volume. The simulation tool computes, based on the estimated turning percentage, the estimated traffic speed and the estimated traffic volume, an expected traffic volume in the traffic link.

Abstract: A method (and structure) for providing services for wireless hotspots. The services are offered to selectively include bundled hotspots as well as single hotspots.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for estimating a vehicle arrival time. The system receives information representing prior travel times of vehicles between pre-determined vehicle stops along a vehicle route. The system receives real-time data representing a current journey. The current journey refers to a movement of a vehicle currently traveling along the route. The system calculates a regular trend representing the current journey based on the received prior travel times information and the received real-time data. The system computes a deviation from the regular trend in the current journey. The system determines a future traffic status in subsequent vehicle stops in the current journey. The system estimates, for the vehicle, each arrival time of each subsequent vehicle stop based on the calculated regular trend, the computed deviation and the determined future traffic status.

Abstract: A method of choosing jobs to run in a stream based distributed computer system includes determining jobs to be run in a distributed stream-oriented system by deciding a priority threshold above which jobs will be accepted, below which jobs will be rejected. Overall importance is maximized relative to the priority threshold based on importance values assigned to all jobs. System constraints are applied to ensure jobs meet set criteria.

Abstract: A method of choosing jobs to run in a stream based distributed computer system includes determining jobs to be run in a distributed stream-oriented system by deciding a priority threshold above which jobs will be accepted, below which jobs will be rejected. Overall importance is maximized relative to the priority threshold based on importance values assigned to all jobs. System constraints are applied to ensure jobs meet set criteria.

Abstract: A method and structure for predicting traffic on a network, includes a receiver which receives data related to traffic on at least a portion of a network. A calculator calculates a traffic prediction for at least a part of the network, the traffic prediction being calculated by using a deviation from a historical traffic on the network.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for autonomic system management in a computing system containing system resources including network resources and multiple resource demands, or processes. The computing system may be a stream-processing system or other real-time computer management system, such as workload management, or a virtualization engine. The system and method enables achieving a better level of performance than would occur in the computing system using only existing mechanism. It permits, with very low computational overhead, achieving or driving the system closer to a user-defined system performance objective. To do so, a system performance equation is defined to determine a level of performance of the system as a function of the allocation of two or more system resources among a plurality of system resource demands or processes. From this system performance equation, a plurality of resource-specific change equations is derived.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and an apparatus for predicting future travel times over a transportation network. In one embodiment, a method for predicting future travel times over a transportation network includes receiving a data point indicating a real-time volume of traffic on the link at a given time and updating a template representative of an observed traffic pattern on the link in accordance with the received data point. A future travel time over the link can then be estimated in accordance with the updated template. Thus, the template is able to adapt to dynamically changing traffic patterns, taking these changing traffic patterns into account when making predictions of future traffic patterns.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and an apparatus for estimating real-time travel times or traffic loads (e.g., traffic flows or densities) over a transportation network based on limited real-time data. In one embodiment, a method for estimating a travel time over a transportation network comprising at least a first link and a second link includes receiving a data feed associated with a real-time traffic flow over the first link, estimating a first travel time over the first link based at least in part on the data feed, and estimating a second travel time over the second link, also based at least in part on the data feed. The method assumes that a real-time data feed is not available for the second link, and thus estimates the traffic flow over the second link based on the known traffic flow over the first link and other known data, such as historical traffic patterns and physical parameters of the transportation network.

Abstract: A method of choosing jobs to run in a stream based distributed computer system includes determining jobs to be run in a distributed stream-oriented system by deciding a priority threshold above which jobs will be accepted, below which jobs will be rejected. Overall importance is maximized relative to the priority threshold based on importance values assigned to all jobs. System constraints are applied to ensure jobs meet set criteria.

Abstract: A method (and system) for contact center management contract evaluation including determining a potential profitability/risk for contact center management based upon a proposed contract term between one of a client and a service provider, and a service provider and a vendor.

Abstract: An exemplary method of resource allocation is provided. A relationship is estimated between at least one controlled resource and at least one dependent parameter. A resource allocation of the at least one controlled resource is adjusted to effect a desired system goal expressed in terms of the at least one dependent parameter.