Abstract: Methods and systems for usage based billing are described. In one aspect, a method for operating a computer to facilitate the transmission, receipt and validation of meter data is described. An exemplary embodiment of the method includes the steps of transmitting meter data related to equipment usage, receiving the meter data and applying validation rules to the meter data, and generating an error report identifying meter data that violates at least one of the validation rules. The error report is exchanged with the dealer, for example via the Internet, to ensure accurate and correct data is used in generated invoices. The data correction is an iterative electronic process to facilitate timely and accurate invoicing. In another aspect, a method for operating a computer to facilitate the issuance of invoices and reconciling open payables records is described.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for generating customer leads for use by dealers attempting to sell a product, for example a loan product. The method is implemented on a system and includes providing a database of customer information, predicting a propensity for one or more customers within the database to respond to an offer, predicting when the customers will respond to the offer, generating a potential customer list, and providing the potential customer list to one or more dealers.

Abstract: A system and method for use by a business entity for loan origination and underwriting in connection with real estate investment using a computer implemented application having a plurality of data input and dialog screens requiring one-time entry of data. The method includes steps to be followed in any sequence by one or more users of the business entity for using the system. The method includes inputting and storing loan origination information via data input screens, the information including financial and physical information relating to a specific real estate investment. The input loan origination information is dynamically compared with pre-determined rules and a dialog screen is displayed on a near real-time basis if any of said rules are violated. The input data is dynamically compared with other rules for determining the ongoing sequence of data input and dialog screens.

Abstract: The present invention, in one aspect, relates to tools for forecasting cash flow and income from a loan portfolio that are particularly useful in volatile markets. In one specific embodiment, consumer payment behavior is modeled, and account movement is simulated. For each month, actual payment amounts can be compared to delinquency, and frequency of payment can be compared to delinquency. Actual performance is then applied to current contractual payments for forecasting. In addition, the models facilitate determination of where payments are coming from, i.e., who is paying.

Abstract: A dispatching system that uses a common interface to interface with all sub-applications, regardless of their logic models. The common interface provides a service method or routine that the dispatching system invokes to effect processing by the sub-application. Each sub-application implements the common interface and shares a common context with the other sub-applications. In one embodiment, the dispatching system receives requests (e.g., HTTP requests), identifies the sub-applications that should process the received requests, and invokes the service routines of the identified sub-applications to process the received requests. Each sub-application may have an associated match criteria that indicates when the sub-application should process the requests.

Abstract: A system for performing skip tracing provides a first user interface including an area for presenting at least one telephone number associated with account information of a customer retrieved from a mainframe computer system, a documentation area for inputting skip tracing results, a user interface control for indicating that a telephone number presented in the area is bad, wherein selection of the user interface control causes the documentation area to be populated with data indicating that the telephone number is bad, a second user interface control for indicating that a second telephone number presented in the area is good, wherein selection of the second user interface control causes the documentation area to be populated with data indicating that the second telephone number is good, and a third user interface control for causing data populating the documentation area to be recorded in a skip tracing data structure of the mainframe computer system and for causing display of a fourth user interface control

Abstract: Methods and systems configured to use models to generate customer lists for auctioning are disclosed. The method includes the steps of prompting a user to select at least one of a plurality of customer profiles, calculating a probability for each customer that the customer will respond to a product offer, grouping customers into distinct lists based upon at least one of the selected profiles and calculated probabilities, and prompting product dealers to bid on the customer lists. The auction is a probabilistic auction and participants have access to depersonalized information on prospective customers as well as probabilities that customers will respond.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is a software license management system (SLMS) utilizing a web-based interactive database to automate a software management process (SWMP) for managing software assets, measuring compliance requirements, and tracking/reporting status as necessary to assure proficiency and adherence to implementation requirements of the software management process. The SWMP is a process consisting of five different phases. The five steps of the SWMP involve identification of various solution alternatives, acquisition, deployment, maintenance and software retirement. The SWMP establishes high-level software management process to avoid litigation and penalties, maximize software asset utilization through tighter inventory control, and capitalize on the software procurement process.

Abstract: The present invention, in one aspect, relates to tools for forecasting cash flow and income from a collateral based loan portfolio that are particularly useful in volatile markets. In one specific embodiment, consumer payment behavior is modeled, and account movement is simulated. For each month, actual payment amounts can be compared to delinquency, and frequency of payment can be compared to delinquency. Actual performance is then applied to current contractual payments for forecasting. In addition, the models facilitate determination of where payments are coming from, i.e., who is paying.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for selecting an agent to handle a call are provided. According to some embodiments, multiple agents may take or handle calls. Each agent's off process time may be measured or determined. When an incoming call arrives, the available agent having the highest off process time may be selected to handle to the call. In other embodiments, each of the agents may be assigned a priority. When an incoming call arrives, the available agent having the highest priority may be selected to handle the call. In both of the previous embodiments, conditions or rules may be established that allow an agent to be skipped even though the agent normally would be selected to handle a call.

Abstract: A method for managing information on a web site for a business entity using a server system is provided. The server system is coupled to a centralized database and at least one client system. The method includes storing information in the centralized database, and changing the centralized database such that duplicative information displayed on more than one web page within the business entity web site is changed on each respective web page configured to display the information.

Abstract: A system to load data in a data warehouse includes reception of a plurality of records, determination, for each of the plurality of records, of values representing differences between a record and each other of the plurality of records, identification of at least two of the plurality records as duplicates based on a determined value representing a difference between the two records, and storage of the two records in the data warehouse in association with a same identifier.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and computer program code for obtaining data regarding one or more parking locations. According to embodiments of the present invention, an interface can be used to receive data regarding one or more parking locations. Users or devices at one or more parking locations may access the interface to enter, upload, or otherwise provide the information. In some embodiments, a parking location may be or include a parking garage, a parking lot, or one or more parking spots. A parking location may be manned or unmanned and different parking locations may have different configurations or devices (e.g., entry gates, exit gates, ticket dispensers, card readers). In some embodiments, different users entering or providing data for different parking locations may be able to access and use different features of the interface and the interface may be configured differently for different locations.

Abstract: An on-line real estate information aggregation system for supporting real estate transactions by aggregating real estate-related information into a central research center. The research center tool enables users to conduct research on specific properties, markets, submarkets or property types within a market, to research and verify the credit worthiness of potential tenants, and to search commercial real estate news articles from an aggregated database. The on-line real estate information aggregation system comprises a distributed computer network, a plurality of client computers coupled to the distributed computer network, and a property services server platform connected to a data source.

Abstract: In a full duplex PCM modem system having an analog and digital modem, a method and apparatus is provided for on-the-fly reconfiguring of analog or digital modem transmitter parameters without switching back to a retrain or startup mode. In one embodiment, the transmitter parameters for the analog modem are modified to take into account channel impairments, in which modified precompensation parameters are sent from the digital modem to the analog modem without switching out of the data mode. In another embodiment, transmit power levels sensed at the analog modem which are non-optimal are adjusted by new parameters sent from the digital modem without having to switch back to the startup mode. In a further embodiment, transmitter parameters in the digital modem are reconfigured to provide more an increased downstream data rate from the digital modem upon sensing improvement in the quality of the downstream channel without switching to the startup mode.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for identifying text in a word set. The method may include retrieving a target term set including a plurality of target terms; retrieving the word set including a plurality of text words; normalizing target terms in the target term set to generate normalized terms; normalizing text words in the word set to generate normalized words; comparing the normalized terms with the normalized words to determine (1) a first match between a first normalized term and a first normalized word; and (2) a second match between a second normalized term and a second normalized word.

Abstract: A method and system for verifying resolution of attributes of a computer program. The verification system analyzes a command-based computer program prior to runtime to determine whether the input attributes associated with a command would be properly resolved prior to execution of that command at runtime. During verification, the verification system processes the commands of the program in sequence. For each input attribute of a command, the verification system identifies a source (e.g., output attribute of a command) of the value for the input attributes. The verification system then determines whether that source would be properly resolved during execution of the computer program.

Abstract: A method and system for managing complex construction projects by monitoring subcontractors in real time. Whenever a subcontractor realizes a need for a change in specification or anticipates any other reason that might delay completion of construction as scheduled, the subcontractor selects from a computerized menu the appropriate new status for the subcontractor's task and provides other information relevant to the changed situation. The status change is displayed on a display device, an electronic dashboard, so as to be easily noticed, the dashboard also providing one-click links to a display showing how widespread are the problems and a display for on-line review and approval of the status change by a manager or engineer in charge of the project, who notes the status change on the display and with whatever input may be provided by the other persons notified of the status change, decides the best course of action to keep the construction on schedule.

Abstract: Method and systems using models for evaluating marketing campaign data in the form of database scores, stored procedures, and OLAP multidimensional structures. Models are used to target segments for marketing. The models are mathematical algorithms that map customer and/or account attributes such as, a customer's propensity to attrite, default on payments, and expected profitability. The method includes the steps of evaluating models using OLAP structures based on campaign drivers, that can segment gains charts to discover where a model is under performing and evaluating models performance over time to discover user defined trends.

Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate integration of one corporate entity into another corporate entity are described herein. In one embodiment, a method in a computer for generating an acquisition integration project plan includes displaying a plurality of pre-defined integration events based upon at least one user selected integration area, each pre-defined integration event being associated with a phase in an acquisition process, displaying at least one user selected, pre-defined integration event for each user selected integration area, displaying at least one of a name of a person responsible, a due date, a completion percentage, and a commentary for each user selected, pre-defined integration event, and storing the user selected, pre-defined integration events and corresponding integration areas as an acquisition integration project plan.