Abstract: A computer system buys and sells virtual shares on behalf of investors, usually investing small sums, in order to reduce the dealing costs for small transactions. The system thus maintains a notional level of shares held on behalf of all the investors who participate in the system. A monitoring process runs continually checking exposure on individual shares, and the system buys and sells blocks of real shares in the market to keep the exposure to individual companies at an acceptable level. By buying and selling larger blocks of real shares on a more infrequent basis than the virtual share transactions, the smaller transactions are effectively consolidated together, with associated cost savings.

Abstract: A vehicle security system uses a portable device such as a pocket PC or PDA. When the device is inserted in a cradle in the vehicle, it communicates with the on-board computer to obtain the vehicle identity. The device then sends a request message, containing the vehicle identity and device identity, to a remote authentication server. The authentication server performs a number of checks, including checking that the device is authorized for use with this vehicle, and returns a response to the device. If the authentication is successful, the device allows the vehicle to be started. If the response from the authentication server is delayed, the vehicle may be started, but if the authentication check then fails, an on-line check will be compulsory the next time an attempt is made to start the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of providing self service banking to a customer, e.g. over the Internet or through interactive television). The customer is presented with a display containing icons representing a number of accounts, and icons representing money in a selected account. When the customer transfers money from the currently selected account to another account, this transfer is displayed graphically by one or more of the money icons moving from the selected account to the destination account. The transfer may be made by dragging and dropping the money icons on to the icon representing the destination account, or by selecting the amount to transfer and the destination account and then confirming the transfer.