Abstract: A method is described for tracking position of a mail piece within a facility. It includes steps of scanning a series of mail pieces to obtain identifying indicia therefrom, sorting the series of mail pieces according to a destination-based postal sorting strategy; and placing the sorted mail pieces into a container together with a marker comprising an RFID tag. In a computerized control system, identifiers for the RFID marker are identified with a sequence of mail pieces in the container. The RFID tag is scanned to associate a position of the container at the time of scanning with the mail in the container. The container is then transported, e.g. by loading a tray as the container onto a cart and then moving the cart.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for the management of inventory and/or promotional campaigns associated with electronic distribution of secure money saving or discount incentives, including coupons and other marketing incentives and, in particular, to modifying a promotional campaign and/or modifying inventory levels and product ordering based on transaction data relating to coupons distributed as part of an online computer system for interactively distributing such incentives to remotely connected consumer computers.

Abstract: Electronic supervision may be provided. First, a stock number may be sent to a database server. The stock number may correspond to an electrical cable. In response to sending the database server the stock number, specification information corresponding to the product may be received from a database stored on the database server. The specification information may be, for an electrical cable, a number of wires, a weight per thousand feet, and a diameter. Next, product production may be monitored to determine faults occurring during production. Monitoring the production may include displaying a data monitoring screen to production personnel. The data monitoring screen may provide data regarding the product and product comparison against a standard maintained within the database for the product. Fault data corresponding to the determined faults occurring during the production may be saved to the database.

Abstract: An issuing system and an electronic advertisement management method which allow both users and issuers to exploit ticket information, privilege information, and additional information for coupons and numbered tickets. A user can receive a coupon issued by a coupon issuing device and exercise it at a coupon exercising terminal in a store to enjoy a privilege such as a discount. When a coupon is exercised at the coupon exercising terminal, the fact is communicated to a coupon issuance control server, which can alter subsequent coupons substantially in real time. Coupon discounts can be changed according to the coupon exercise status or exercise history for each user.

Abstract: A system and methods to mutually satisfy a consumer with a discount and a vendor with a minimum number of sales by establishing a tipping point associated with an offer for a good or service. If the tipping point is met, the sale of the good or service is executed and the consumer is charged and receives an indication of the discounted sale, such as a certificate. If the tipping point is not met, the discount offer is abandoned and the consumer is not charged. Once the tipping point is established, the vendor receives a payment, even before the consumer uses the certificate.

Abstract: A promotion management system identifies store-selected identifiers as necessary to implement a particular promotion across multiple store chains. An audit system compares number of promotion offers distributed to number of linking items sold.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and system for collaborative affinity marketing including a processor, an aggregator, a participant, and a merchant. The method and system include enrolling with the collaborative affinity marketing by the aggregator, participant, and merchant; assigning a participant identification code to the participant; storing enrollment information of the aggregator, participant, and merchant; providing the participant identification code to the merchant, when the participant initiates a purchase transaction with the merchant; storing the participant identification code and amount of purchase transaction by the merchant; sending the stored participant identification code, the amount of purchase transaction, and funds corresponding to a portion of the amount of purchase transaction to the processor; and sending a portion of the funds received by the processor from the merchant to the aggregator.

Abstract: The ELECTRONIC COUPON ISSUANCE AND REDEMPTION APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“ECIR”) transforms user coupon purchase and redemption request inputs via ECIR components into coupon issuance, transaction, and analytics outputs. In some embodiments, the ECIR may receive an inventory request from a coupon program manager, including at least a virtual coupon issue criteria. The ECIR may generate one or more account identifiers, and transmit the account identifiers to the coupon program manager. The ECIR may receive, from the coupon program manager, an issue request along with the purchase information, which may include one or more purchase identifiers corresponding to one or more buyers. The ECIR may determine when the received purchase information satisfies the virtual coupon issue criteria, when it satisfies the criteria, the ECIR may issue one or more virtual coupons having the one or more account identifiers, and transmit the issued virtual cards to the coupon program manager.

Abstract: In a state in which a list generated by arranging a large number of records including at least identification information, which are stored by radio IC tags, for individually identifying objects and information derived from the identification information is acquired and displayed, the information stored by the radio IC tags is read. Then, the list is updated to and displayed in a state in which the records of the list including the read information stored by the radio IC tags are moved to the top of the list in order of the reading. Therefore, even when inventory of a large quantity of commodities is performed, it is possible to provide a customer with information concerning inventory check in an accurate and comprehensible form. As a result, it is possible to improve work efficiency of the user.

Abstract: The execution of an image processing job is limited using a printing amount by an image processing job that has already been executed and a printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by an image processing job that has already been transmitted but not yet executed. To accomplish this, a multi-function peripheral manages a first printing amount that has already been printed by a executed print job and a second printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by a print job that has been transmitted from the multi-function peripheral to a printer and that has not yet been executed in association with a user ID, and determines, before transmitting the print job, whether or not the total of a third printing amount that is scheduled to be printed by the print job, the first printing amount and the second printing amount exceeds an upper limit amount.

Abstract: A system and methods to mutually satisfy a consumer with a discount and a vendor with a minimum number of sales by establishing a tipping point associated with an offer for a good or service. If the tipping point is met, the sale of the good or service is executed and the consumer is charged and receives an indication of the discounted sale, such as a certificate. If the tipping point is not met, the discount offer is abandoned and the consumer is not charged. Once the tipping point is established, the vendor receives a payment, even before the consumer uses the certificate.

Abstract: Multiple service servers can store identification tags, which identify each user, after associating the identification tags with the identification tags of other users; and can also store identification data, which uniquely identifies users across multiple service servers, after associating the identification data with an encryption key for each identification datum. A management server device stores as identification data the user address data encrypted by means of an encryption key that has been generated for each identification datum. A gateway server device receives the identification tags from a first service server, receives the other identification tags associated with the first identification tags, receives the encryption keys associated with the other identification tags, and obtains the encrypted data from the management server. The gateway server device then decodes the encrypted information, and commands delivery that uses the obtained address data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, systems, apparatus and computer program products for collecting location data, wherein the location data comprises information related to a physical location of a user, retrieving, based at least in part on the collected location data, aggregate data related to the product, the aggregate data comprising at least one of aggregate demand data or aggregate supply data, identifying at least one offer related to the product based at least in part on the collected location data and the retrieved aggregate data; and communicating the offer to the user.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for online marketing, scheduling and booking of service appointments as well as financing of promotional services. In one example, the system enables a service promoter and a service provider to execute a secured financing transaction pursuant to which a service promoter provides an agreed upon amount of monetary funds to a service provider in exchange for the right to promote to users a plurality of service offers from the service provider. The system then promotes service offers from the service provider and facilitates booking of service appointments for users with a service provider based on promoted service offers.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for online marketing, scheduling and booking of service appointments. In one example, the system for scheduling and booking of service appointments includes an inventory database containing schedules of booked and available service appointments associated with a plurality of service providers. The system further includes a calendar-based service provider interface for creating a schedule of services provided by the service provider and storing the schedule in the inventory database. The system further includes a calendar-based service user interface for displaying schedules of available service appointments and booking one or more service appointments.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product provides discounted aggregated purchasing. A method for promotional discounted aggregated purchasing may include determining a volume discount matrix for a product to be available during a promotional period, accepting bids from a plurality of consumers indicating a price each consumer is willing to pay for the product, placing a hold on payment cards of the consumers who have entered bids, each hold being for the amount of each bid, at a conclusion of the promotional period, determining a price for the product based on a final discount level that is determined based on the received bids and on the determined volume discount matrix, and performing transactions for the product for all consumers who bid an amount greater than or equal to the determined price.

Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating online to offline commerce are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system configured to receive a request to check-in a customer at a merchant facility is disclosed. The system receives a request to access real-time pre-sale transaction data associated with a first customer and transmits the real-time pre-sale transaction data associated with the first customer to a mobile client device. The request to check-in and the request to access the real-time pre-sale transaction data are transmitted by the first mobile client device. The system is configured to authenticate the request to check-in at the merchant facility, process the request to access the real-time pre-sale transaction data, and responsively access the real-time pre-sale transaction data associated with the first customer from a point of sale device located at the merchant facility.

Abstract: A simplified inventory management method. The method employs a plurality of stock-keeping unit labels, with each of the plurality of stock-keeping unit labels having a same stock-keeping unit number. Individual ones of the plurality of stock-keeping unit labels are utilized to track individual items of a plurality of items. A sale price of individual ones a first set of the plurality of items is different from a sale price of individual ones of a second set of the plurality of items.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for distributing consumer demand upstream in a supply chain includes receiving, at a current time, an indication of consumer demand for a product that a consumer may be willing to receive at a future date rather than the current date in exchange for an incentive. The method also includes determining a particular incentive based on an order lead time for the product and conveying the particular incentive to allow the consumer to choose whether to receive the product at the particular future date rather than the current date in exchange for the particular incentive.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving an indication that a user selected social network data that is displayed, on a client device, concurrently with offer data that indicates a coupon offer; wherein prior to receiving the indication, the user of the client device is incapable of accessing the coupon offer; in response to receiving the indication that the user selected the social network data, allowing the user to access the coupon offer, and causing a message to be sent to each user of a plurality of users that are identified, in a social network, as connected to the user, wherein the message includes data about the coupon offer or a coupon provider that initiated the coupon offer; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

Abstract: A system and process for improving product recommendations for a first user includes receiving a request for one or more product recommendations for a first user, each product recommendation being associated with any one of a plurality of retailers, receiving a plurality of recommendation sets from one or more automated product recommendation systems, wherein the plurality of recommendation sets are generated using different selection models and using ensemble learning to select one or more most relevant product recommendation sets from the plurality of product recommendation sets.

Abstract: The method and apparatus for administering a reward program includes a central controller that stores a series of registrations, each of which corresponds to a purchaser of a product. The central controller calculates a measurement of product success, such as the number of products sold or the market share of the product, and determines if the measurement is within a predetermined range. The central controller may determine if the number of products sold exceeds a predetermined threshold, and a set of registrations are selected as “early-adopter” registrations that thereby define a set of early-adopter purchasers. The central controller may select a set of registrations having ordinal positions within a predetermined range of positions, so that early-adopter purchasers are defined. If the measurement of product success is within the predetermined range, a reward, such as a refund or a free product, may be provided to each early-adopter purchaser.

Abstract: Consumer, merchant, and transactional data from a closed loop network and external sources may be leveraged to increase demand of a merchant's inventory during normally low-demand periods. Extensive data mining is used to determine the excess merchant inventory and demand patterns at different times and different locations for merchants and groups of merchants. Similar data mining is used to analyze cardmember demand patterns to identify the cardmember preferences regarding when and where they which to purchase goods and/or services. Cardmembers may also be grouped based on their demand patterns. Using pricing as a lever, cardholders with specific preferences are targeted to shift the demand from peak periods and locations to non-peak periods and locations, and to increase the non-peak demand by location as well as time period. Higher precision may be obtained using product level transaction data from point-of-sale terminals used by merchants wherever applicable.

Abstract: A billing statement according to one aspect of the invention includes a description of a transaction and an offer pointer associated with the transaction, wherein the offer pointer includes information that may be used to review an offer. In one example of this aspect, a telephone number or a hyperlink is provided adjacent to a total amount owed listed on a statement (e.g., an electronically-displayed billing statement). The offers reviewed may be customized, for example, based on details of the transaction such as the product purchased or the amount of the purchase, the identity of the consumer, and/or on other data.

Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: generating a notification of an initial offer; identifying a consumer's vacillation to the initial offer; and generating a second notification of the supplemental incentive offer based on the consumer's vacillation for displaying on a device.

Abstract: An inventory marketing system operates to identify and market inventory items that are likely to spoil. Initially, inventory items that have a particular likelihood of spoilage may be identified. Customers to target with offers for the inventory items may be identified based on the customers' current location or expected location near a spoilage time for the inventory items. Offers for the inventory items may be provided to the targeted customers, and purchases of the inventory items by customers may be facilitated.

Abstract: A billing statement according to one aspect of the invention includes a description of a transaction and an offer pointer associated with the transaction, wherein the offer pointer includes information that may be used to review an offer. In one example of this aspect, a telephone number or a hyperlink is provided adjacent to a total amount owed listed on a statement (e.g., an electronically-displayed billing statement). The offers reviewed may be customized, for example, based on details of the transaction such as the product purchased or the amount of the purchase, the identity of the consumer, and/or on other data.

Abstract: A dynamic pricing system for pricing items for sale by a seller which items are available in a limited quantity comprises a pricing server and various types of data stored in memory. The pricing server includes memory, a processor and a clock. Types of data stored in memory are indicative of the initial quantity of an item available and an expiration time. The processor is configured to control a rate of sale in order to sell out the items available in a limited quantity by the expiration time and to price the items available in a limited quantity so as to deplete an inventory of the items available in a limited quantity by the expiration time.

Abstract: Managing risks of crop production can be performed by understanding the relative performance of different agricultural inputs under the same or similar environmental conditions. In addition, managing of crop production risks can be performed by understanding variations in the performance of the same agricultural inputs over a range of environmental conditions. By being able to describe and understand these variations in performance, decisions can be made which are consistent with overall business and/or production objectives and limit risk associated with variations in environmental conditions. In addition to producers there are other stakeholders in the crop production process, such as financial institutions, insurance providers, users of crops produced, and input suppliers. These and other stakeholders can provide financial incentives to producers for managing crop production risks through use of environmental classification and/or genotype-by-environment information.

Abstract: When a customer operates a terminal to send a request for a provision of a manual page to the center via the Internet, the center determines whether the customer who is accessing is a registered customer (user of a copier) based on the stored customer information. In a case where the customer who is accessing the center is a registered customer, the center automatically selects electronic manual file(s) for the copier being used by the customer concerned. And the center generates a manual page representing the content of the selected manual file so that the content of the manual file is noticeable rather than the other information. The center transmits the manual page to the terminal concerned.

Abstract: An adjustable discount system adjusts discounts based on system events. The discount system may provide greater or lesser discounts on such events as timing, inventory levels, the number of people committed to purchasing, velocity of sales and acceleration of sales.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that holds counter information obtained by integrating a consumption of a consumable that depends on usage of service provided by the image forming apparatus. A log corresponding to the usage of the service is set in job log information with a synchronization flag set off. The log in the job log information, for which the synchronization flag is set off, is set on. The counter information and the job log information are output after the synchronization flag for the log having the synchronization flag set off has been set on.

Abstract: A Product Storage facility calculates each product's consumption pattern by sensing the presence and absence of an RFID signal from each package or by other means. Sensing of an optical Bar-code content could also be used to determine the consumption patterns of the products. The Product Storage broadcasts consumption patterns to Display Devices (DDs). A Display Device (DD) application utilizes the product ID information to search for lot-based or non-lot-based promotion of products. The personalized presented promotions on the (DD) display are at least for lots of products that their remaining shelf life matches the family's typical consumption pattern.

Abstract: One embodiment of the instant invention is a computer-implemented method for processing transaction-related data that includes at least the following steps of: receiving seller data about a seller; receiving buyer data about a buyer; generating a seller profile; generating a buyer profile; receiving transaction data about a current transaction between the seller and the buyer for an offering; generating a transaction composite for the current transaction; determining a classification rule for each transaction composite class; and classifying the transaction composite into a particular transaction composite class based on comparing the classification rule to: i) the generated seller profile, ii) the generated buyer profile, or iii) the current transaction.

Abstract: A method of selectively and timely promoting sale of a specific food product using a food product scale is provided, where the food product scale includes a weighing station including an associated mechanism for producing weight indicative signals, and a customer facing display is associated with the scale.

Abstract: An apparatus for a virtual turntable system for computer generated broadcast video streams for a multiple product sales display. The virtual turntable system collects data, including images and status information, and generates a video stream for presenting product information sequentially on a video monitor. In one embodiment, the virtual turntable system reads the data, including the turntable list, formats and updates the data, and then outputs the data in a video stream. In one embodiment, the virtual turntable system includes a data storage device for storing the data for the virtual turntable system, a computer system for accessing the data and creating item containers for the items on the current item list that are to be displayed on a monitor, and a video imager for creating a video stream for displaying a plurality of current items in a rotating or other sequential manner.

Abstract: This specification describes technologies relating to content presentation. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of sending one or more redeemable content items to a user, each content item being configured for redemption at a physical retail location; receiving a request from the user to redeem a content item of the one or more content items at a particular physical retail location; validating, using one or more processor, the content item for redemption; if the content item is valid for redemption, notifying a corresponding retailer of the content item redemption to be applied to a pending retail transaction; and logging the redemption. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Abstract: This invention allows a customer to browse the inventory on a dealership's website and obtain an immediate personalized price or payment quote without further interaction from dealership personnel.

Abstract: Personalizing a gift instrument by customizing the presentation and redemption for a gift instrument recipient. A gift instrument purchaser or other data source associates customization information such as redemption recommendations, restrictions, or other content with the gift instrument based on the gift instrument recipient. The customization information is presented to the gift instrument recipient upon redemption of the gift instrument. In an embodiment, information about the redemption by the gift instrument recipient is provided to the gift instrument purchaser.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a vending machine comprises a plurality of receptacles for holding units of products, each receptacle operable to hold a respective plurality of units in a series. The vending machine further comprises a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense, from each receptacle, a first unit in the respective plurality of units, the dispensing mechanism thereby being operable to dispense only a first unit from the respective series at a time. The vending machine further comprises a means for determining, for a unit, information allowing a relationship among the unit and a location of the unit in the receptacle to be determined.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, method, and article of manufacture for augmented-reality marketing with a virtual coupon. A virtual representation of an object is provided. A real representation of the object is provided. An association of the virtual representation and the real representation is rendered with a user interface. A virtual coupon is made available to a user when the virtual representation and the real representation are rendered. A graphical metaphor may be integrated into the virtual representation according to an environmental characteristic of the object. The environmental characteristic may include a physical environmental characteristic, a data environmental characteristic, a computer environmental characteristic or a user environmental characteristic.

Abstract: A system and method for providing incentives for products and services to consumers in real time. A retailer or service provider determines that they have unused capacity or unsold inventory and creates an incentive for consumers to optimize their use of resources. The retailer or service provider determines the level of the incentive, the time window during which it will be offered, and the quantity of consumers that can receive the incentive. The retailer or service provider updates a database with the incentive. A consumer uses an application from a portable electronic device or a web based application and chooses a set of filter parameters to locate an offer that will fill their needs. The database is queried based on the filter parameters and a set of incentives is generated which is sent to the consumer. The consumer chooses an incentive and is given a coupon or offer code to redeem for the incentive.

Abstract: Suppliers of goods and/or services subject to shifts in capacity utilization design and implement marketing campaigns around utilization forecasts, targeting marketing expenditures on periods of excess capacity rather than periods without excess capacity, and in some embodiments also to alter variables such as pricing, consumer targeting, or even the intensity of the campaign itself on a dynamic basis in response to changing market conditions.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for controlling an inventory of point-of-care diagnostic devices. The inventory includes a main inventory and at least one subinventory. Each device has an ambient temperature shelf life. Data associated with the devices is entered, including: the current quantity and predetermined minimum quantity of devices in the main inventory; and the current quantity and predetermined minimum quantity of devices in the subinventory. A first timestamp is associated with each device when the device is transferred from the main inventory to the ambient temperature subinventory. The first timestamp is compared to a second timestamp prior to use of the device to determine whether the device's ambient temperature shelf life is exceeded. The current quantity of devices in the subinventory is updated in response to an event that causes a change in the current quantity of devices in the subinventory.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel mobile web services discovery method that is capable of fulfilling the requirements from both the clients and providers. It allows the provider to balance the cost to performance ratios and utilize the network bandwidth more effectively, while also attaining the quality levels expected by the client.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for communicating price discounts. Embodiments include alerting customers (e.g., to an imminent or impending) price reduction on (e.g., perishable) items. More particularly, embodiments include compiling product and consumer data to determine which consumers are to receive notifications of impending price discounts. This compilation of data is transmitted to a communications system, which then transmits via instantaneous electronic means, such as SMS text message, picture message, e-mail, or micro-blogging, a price discount notification. Computer systems enabled to practice the present invention, comprising one or more databases and a communications system configured to transmit price discount notifications, are also described.

Abstract: This application teaches a disposal chain and a supply chain system for sealing and unsealing a vacuum draw path embodying a thrust handle capable of imparting assembly and disassembly thrust forces said system conferring the potential of reducing the amount solid waste mass contributed to the waste stream.

Abstract: A method for using promotional programs and merchant values is disclosed. In one example, the method includes receiving an authorization request message including a merchant verification value through a payment processing network, where the authorization request message is associated with a purchase by a consumer. A merchant-specific promotional program is then determined using the merchant verification value, and the merchant specific promotional program is performed. For example, the promotional program can be a sweepstakes and the task may be determining of the consumer is an instant winner.

Abstract: A system and methods to mutually satisfy a consumer with a discount and a vendor with a minimum number of sales by establishing a tipping point associated with an offer for a good or service. If the tipping point is met, the sale of the good or service is executed and the consumer is charged and receives an indication of the discounted sale, such as a certificate. If the tipping point is not met, the discount offer is abandoned and the consumer is not charged. Once the tipping point is established, the vendor receives a payment, even before the consumer uses the certificate.

Abstract: A computerized food and beverages ordering apparatus implements an ordering service for meeting requirements of purchasers. A database comprises records representative of a plurality of ingredients, and at least two attributes are associated with each ingredient. One of the attributes associated to each ingredient is a nutritional parameter for a specific amount of the ingredient, and another attribute is a personal parameter. The personal parameter can be a parameter capable of describing the suitability of the associated ingredient in respect of a medical condition of a purchaser, or it can be a parameter capable of describing the suitability of the associated ingredient in respect of a taste requirement of a purchaser. A user interface is operated by, or under the instruction of, a purchaser to input an order for a meal. The meal comprises one or more of said plurality of ingredients, and each ingredient has an associated quantity.