Abstract: A method and system of distorting an image, particularly but not solely designed for magnifying parts of an image more than the remainder of the image. The method comprises the steps of maintaining in computer memory a set of base data values representing an image to be subjected to a transformation function; calculating a non identity approximation of the transformation function; retrieving from computer memory one or more of the base data values; calculating an intended magnification value (Mc) for one or more of the retrieved base data values; calculating an estimated magnification value (Ms) for one or more of the retrieved base data values; storing in computer memory the estimated magnification values as a set of transformed data values representing the transformed image; calculating the difference (ME) between the intended magnification value(s) and the estimated magnification value(s); and repeating steps (c) to (g) until ME is less than a predefined threshold.

Abstract: The invention provides a data visualisation system comprising a data value memory in which is maintained a finite set of data values obtained from monitoring apparatus and a display configured to display a representation of each data value centered on respective data points. The invention also provides a contour generator which in one form is configured to generate and display a contoured representation around each data point such that each data point is displayed as a local maximum and in another form is configured to generate and display one or more contour lines around each data point, each contour line representing data values which are less than the data value of the data point around which the contour line is displayed. The invention also provides related methods and computer programs.

Abstract: The invention provides a data visualization system comprising a data value memory in which is maintained a finite set of data values; a retrieval component configured to retrieve a set of data values from the data value memory; a display component configured to display a representation of each of the set of the retrieved data values centered on respective data points; and a contour generator configured to generate and display a contoured representation around each data point, such that each data point is displayed as a local maximum. The invention further provides a data visualization system in which a display component is configured to display a graphical representation of a set of retrieved data values based at least partly on display parameters included in a database query expression. The invention also provides related methods and computer programs.

Abstract: The invention provides an interaction prediction system comprising a memory in which is maintained a neural network trained on data retrieved from an interaction database of interaction data representing interactions between customers and merchants, retrieval means arranged to activate the neural network and to retrieve prediction data representing future interactions between customers and merchants, and display means arranged to display a representation of the prediction data. The invention also provides a neural network training system in which a neural network is arranged to receive input data representing the data retrieved from the interaction database and to output prediction data representing interaction data predicted by the neural network. The invention also provides computer programs and methods of interaction prediction and neural network training respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of planning a travel route including maintaining in a memory a reference database comprising one or more travel data sets, each travel data set representing a travel option from a travel origin to a travel destination and including an origin identifier and a destination identifier, obtaining one or more travel preferences for a travel route from a user, retrieving one or more travel data sets from the reference database to construct one or more candidate travel plans, calculating a plurality of penalty values based on the user travel preferences, each penalty value associated with a corresponding travel data set, and selecting one or more candidate travel plans so as to minimize the sum of penalty values associated with the travel data sets of a candidate travel plan. The present invention encompasses hardware, software and firmware suitable to accomplish the method.