Abstract: A roaming transport distribution management apparatus and method are provided. A controller selects transports within a defined service zone in response to customer transit requests from customer locations for customer pick-up and delivery inbound or outbound directions from the hub. A hub manager varies the position and/or the size of an exclusive coverage area of each transport within the overall service zone to insure a dense accumulation of transports over the entire service zone and alters the position of other transports in response to the movement of a transport inbound or outbound from the hub with a passenger. The hub manager can vary the size of the exclusive coverage area of each transport to account for population and request call densities and the number of available transports.

Abstract: A methodology through which a host site may automatically insert relevant links into a set of text. In this methodology, the contents of the text are compared against a database containing character strings, and the character strings from the database contained in the text are identified. Each of the character strings in the database has an associated link that connects to other webpages on the same website or other websites. For each character string of the database found in the contents of the text, the associated link is inserted into the text. In this way, only relevant links are inserted into the text.

Abstract: A method and system to automatically insert a hyperlink into a webpage containing text is described. The system comprises at least one processor and at least one software component. The at least one software component is executable by the at least one processor to receive, via, a network, the text. The at least one software component further compares a portion of the text to at least one character string that is stored in a database to identify the portion of the text as included in both the webpage and the database. The portion of the text is a name of a product and is associated with the hyperlink. The at least one software component is further executable to cause an insertion of the hyperlink into the webpage and to communicate the name of the product to a producer of the text. The name of the product is included in the webpage by the producer of the portion of the text.

Abstract: A roaming transport distribution management apparatus and method are provided. A controller selects transports within a defined service zone in response to customer transit requests from customer locations for customer pick-up and delivery inbound or outbound directions from the hub. A hub manager varies the position and/or the size of an exclusive coverage area of each transport within the overall service zone to insure a dense accumulation of transports over the entire service zone and alters the position of other transports in response to the movement of a transport inbound or outbound from the hub with a passenger. The hub manager can vary the size of the exclusive coverage area of each transport to account for population and request call densities and the number of available transports.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting and displaying information on a product at a website, and related method for storing a product's various identifiers, where the system comprises a database that stores a plurality of identifiers for each product and the relationships between the identifiers. The system recognizes the different identifiers that refer to the same product. The system accepts product information from a variety of sources, regardless of the product identifier used by the sources. The system then sends out the product information to users and to other servers.

Abstract: A method and system to automatically insert a hyperlink into a webpage containing text is described. The system comprises at least one processor and at least one software component. The at least one software component is executable by the at least one processor to receive, via, a network, the text. The at least one software component further compares a portion of the text to at least one character string that is stored in a database to identify the portion of the text as included in both the webpage and the database. The portion of the text is a name of a product and is associated with the hyperlink. The at least one software component is further executable to cause an insertion of the hyperlink into the webpage and to communicate the name of the product to a producer of the text. The name of the product is included in the webpage by the producer of the portion of the text.

Abstract: A method and system to communicate a plurality of hyperlinks that is associated with text that is contained in a webpage is described. The system comprises at least one processor and at least one software component. The at least one software component is executable by the at least one processor to receive the text, via a network, from a website. The at least one software component further compares a first portion of the text to at least one character string that is stored in a database to identify the first portion of the text as included in both the webpage and the database. The first portion of the text further is associated with a first hyperlink. The at least one software component is further executable by the at least one processor to compare a second portion of the text to at least one character string that is stored in the database to identify the second portion of the text as included in both the webpage and the database. The second portion of the text is further associated with a second hyperlink.

Abstract: A methodology through which a host site may automatically insert relevant links into a set of text. In this methodology, the contents of the text are compared against a database containing character strings, and the character strings from the database contained in the text are identified. Each of the character strings in the database has an associated link that connects to other webpages on the same website or other websites. For each character string of the database found in the contents of the text, the associated link is inserted into the text. In this way, only relevant links are inserted into the text.

Abstract: A method and system to facilitate a search of a database utilizing multiple search criteria is provided. The method includes receiving first and second search criteria from a user and, presenting the user with an option selectively to include and exclude each of the first and second search criteria from a search query run against the database. In one embodiment, the database forms part of a web-based auction facility and the first and the second search criteria are associated with listings up for auction on the auction facility. The method may include rendering to the user a web page including a first search criteria section for receiving the first search criteria from the user; and a second search criteria section for receiving the second search criteria from the user.

Abstract: A methodology through which a host site may automatically insert relevant links into a set of text. In this methodology, the contents of the text are compared against a database containing character strings, and the character strings from the database contained in the text are identified. Each of the character strings in the database has an associated link that connects to other webpages on the same website or other websites. For each character string of the database found in the contents of the text, the associated link is inserted into the text. In this way, only relevant links are inserted into the text.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting and displaying information on a product at a website, and related method for storing a product's various identifiers, where the system comprises a database that stores a plurality of identifiers for each product and the relationships between the identifiers. The system recognizes the different identifiers that refer to the same product. The system accepts product information from a variety of sources, regardless of the product identifier used by the sources. The system then sends out the product information to users and to other servers.

Abstract: A system is provided for allowing a user to customize an Internet web site having several features. This system includes an Internet server that controls the web site. The system further includes a web page-forming component that creates a personal web page for incorporating one or more of the web site features. The personal web page is created in response to an input provided by the user. The personal page has a private component that is accessible only by the user and a public component that is accessible to anyone. The user's input determines which web site features appears in the personal page. The user's input also determines which of the features appear in the private component and which of the features appears in the public component.