Abstract: Various embodiments of a planning and execution process used to forecast contact volumes that will occur over the course of a season and determine resources necessary to handle the contact volumes are disclosed. The planning and execution process may be used to determine staffing resources necessary to service contact volumes across a plurality of support channels. The contact volume forecast may be continually updated over the course of the season, and different models may be used to generate the contact volume forecast at different times during the season.

Abstract: A technique for controlling release of data associated with an account is described. During this data-privacy management technique, a computer system provides at least a subset of data associated with an account to a third party based on a first consent (which may be received from a user of the account). This subset may have a first classification based on a predefined taxonomy. Subsequently, the third party may notify the computer system that additional data has been derived from the data. In response, the computer system may determine a second classification of the additional data based on a predefined taxonomy. If this second classification is other than a subset of the first classification, the computer system may request a second consent (for example, from the user).

Abstract: Embodiments of a computer system, a method and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments allow a user to provide an image of a document for use with software, such as an image of a financial document for use with financial software. In particular, the user can provide the image of the document, for example, by taking a picture of the document using a cellular telephone. This image may be converted into an electronic format that is suitable for text and numerical processing using a character-recognition technique, such as optical character recognition or intelligent character recognition. Errors in the electronic version of the document, if present, may be identified and corrected by comparing the electronic version to information maintained by a third party. This information may be accessed based at least on one or more items in the electronic version of the document.

Abstract: A method and system for providing consumer defined coupons includes a process for providing consumer defined coupons whereby a consumer proposes/defines the parameters or “terms” of a proposed coupon and/or marketing offer that the consumer feels would compel the consumer to purchase a product and/or service, shop at a defined store, or perform some other defined action. The consumer defined coupon terms are then provided to a potential coupon provider. The potential coupon provider is then provided the opportunity to review the consumer defined coupon terms. The potential coupon provider is then provided the opportunity to accept the consumer defined coupon terms, reject the consumer defined coupon terms, and/or propose alternative coupon terms. If the potential coupon provider accepts the consumer defined coupon terms, a coupon is then created and provided to the consumer.

Abstract: A method for publishing a website, including receiving, from a business, a request for a modification recommendation relating to a content of the website, generating, in response to receiving the request, a post including a name of the business, a business owner name, and a link to a recommendation page, publishing, using a social network application, the post to a newsfeed in a social network, where a plurality of users in the social network subscribe to the newsfeed, receiving, in response to publishing the post and from the plurality of users, a plurality of recommendations for the content of the website from the recommendation page, presenting, to the business, the plurality of recommendations, receiving, from the business, a selection of one or more website recommendations from the plurality of recommendations, and publishing the website including the one or more website recommendations.

Abstract: A method for transmitting information with a financial institution.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that recognizes a personal object in an image and facilitates providing a related financial service. During operation, the system receives an image of an object associated with a user, where the image includes environmental features associated with the user. Next, the system extracts content from the image by processing the image (and the included environmental features) using an image-processing technique. The system then associates the extracted content with information in a pre-existing data structure, where the pre-existing data structure includes financial information associated with the object. Next, the system facilitates a financial service associated with the object based on the information. For example, the system may generate an insurance appraisal for the object based on the information.

Abstract: A method and system for providing user preference based route calculation whereby criteria based digital map data associated with one or more user criteria is generated and/or obtained. When a user makes a request for a map and/or directions from a first point to a second point that includes one or more user route criteria, the criteria based digital map data is searched based, at least in part, on the one or more user route criteria and one or more potential routes are determined that most closely match the one or more user route criteria. One or more user criteria based maps and/or sets of directions are then generated associated with the one or more potential routes that most closely match the one or more user route criteria. Data representing the one or more user criteria based maps and/or sets of directions is then provided to the user.

Abstract: Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for evaluating a password policy are disclosed. The password evaluation system receives password policy data regarding a password policy, including a password constraint. The system analyzes the password policy data to determine a usability index and a password strength index for the password policy, and also determines a usability index and password strength index for a plurality of modified password policies having password constraints different from the password policy. The system then provides a graphical representation of the usability index and the password strength for the password policy and the modified password policies, thereby allowing a password designer to optimize the tradeoffs between usability and security of a password policy.

Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for capturing information from a web site. The method includes accessing the web site using a browser with a browser module, where the web site comprises a number of web pages having information in a first format, and obtaining a profile corresponding to the web site, where the profile defines a manner to capture information in a first format from the web site. The method further includes capturing information, by the browser module, from at least one of the number of web pages based on the profile and sending the information captured by the browser module to a destination application, where the destination application is external to the browser and where the destination application is configured to use the information in a second format.

Abstract: Systems, methods and articles for automating the process of registering a product purchased by a consumer from a merchant in a purchase transaction. Product data including product identification data is obtained from a merchant electronic point of sale system as the consumer checks out. The product data is then automatically transmitted to a product registration system, such as via a consumer's mobile communication device having a product registration app. An auto-registration database is accessed to see if auto-registration is available for the product. If auto-registration is available for the product, then a request is made to the consumer to authorize auto-registration for the product. If the consumer accepts the auto-registration, then consumer data, such as the consumer name and contact information, is sent to the product registration system. The product registration system then creates a product registration record using the product data and the consumer data.

Abstract: A method for managing credit card spending, including receiving a managed spending limit for a credit card account set by a user, where the managed spending limit does not exceed a credit limit for the credit card account, and where the managed spending limit is applied to a purchase category to obtain a managed spending plan, receiving an authorization query for a purchase associated with the credit card account, allocating the authorization query based on the purchase category to obtain an allocated purchase, responding to the authorization query based on the allocated purchase and the managed spending plan, and generating a spending report for the credit card account based on the allocated purchase and the managed spending plan.

Abstract: A token generator such as a keyfob is used to access the computer of an authentication entity different from the authentication entity that issued the token generator. The token generator stores authentication entity identification information identifying the authentication entity that issued the token generator. The token generator causes a user computer to transmit an authentication request including such authentication entity identification information together with a token generated in synchronization with the authentication entity issuing the token generator, so that the authentication request can be routed to the appropriate authentication entity that issued the keyfob for validation. The authentication request can be sent directly to the authentication entity that issued the token generator. The authentication request can also be sent to the authentication entity that issued the token generator via another authentication entity to which the user computer attempts to access.

Abstract: A method for personal identification number (PIN) fraud prevention, comprising: receiving, a request for a card-based financial transaction; prompting a customer for a PIN; receiving, from a scroll wheel corresponding to a plurality of digits, a first digit of the PIN, wherein the customer selects the first digit of the PIN by touching a touch sensitive region associated with the scroll wheel; receiving from the scroll wheel, a second digit of the PIN, wherein the customer selects the second digit of the PIN by touching the touch sensitive region, wherein the second digit is different than the first digit, and wherein touching the touch sensitive region to select the first digit and the second digit prevents fraud based on tracking PIN entry; and completing the card-based financial transaction.

Abstract: A method for providing remote financial assistance involves obtaining a request from a customer for financial assistance, and scheduling an appointment slot selected from multiple appointment slots, based on the request, where the scheduled appointment slot is associated with a financial professional selected from multiple financial professionals, where the multiple financial professionals are geographically dispersed, and where the financial professional provides remote financial assistance to the customer, in the scheduled appointment slot, by inputting financial information associated with the customer into a financial professional online interface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for integrated computerized financial management are presented. Financial information from disparate systems is made available to an operator through a user interface that presents a unified view of financial information from such disparate systems and enables the operator to make and execute upon financial decisions. The operator utilizes an operator computing platform to access the financial information, and may be directly or indirectly connected with one or more databases containing financial information through various networking modalities configured to operate together in the unified presentation schema. Portable computing devices and reduced content variations of user interfaces may be utilized to enhance accessibility.

Abstract: A method and system for providing sellers access to desirable consumers includes a process for providing sellers access to desirable consumers whereby financial transaction data for various consumers is obtained from one or more sources using a computing system implemented financial management system. The consumers' financial transaction data is then used by a provider of marketing and advertising tools to categorize consumers. Sellers are then charged for access to the consumers based on the consumer's category and/or historical financial transaction data and/or based on the consumer's eventual business with the seller as indicated by monitoring the consumers' financial transaction data.

Abstract: A method to purchase a product by a user in a retail store. The method steps include obtaining a reference of the retail store using a mobile device of the user, accessing a product database for the retail store based on the reference of the retail store, obtaining, in the retail store, a product identifier of the product using the mobile device, retrieving product information from the product database based on the product identifier, and displaying the product information on the mobile device.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for identifying recurring purchases of the same good or service based upon item-level electronic transaction data. Item-level electronic transaction data is analyzed to determine a purchase interval of a good or service. A consumer is reminded to purchase the good or service based on the determined purchase interval by receiving an electronic message at a consumer computer or mobile communication device, e.g., in the form of an electronic shopping list. Purchase intervals of different items may be determined such that a list generated at one time may include certain goods and services but a list generated at another time may include other goods and services due to the variable time between purchasing different goods and services.

Abstract: A method for managing a shift schedule, involving obtaining employee data for employees, a payroll constraint for a time period, and an employer requirement for the shift schedule, and collecting an employee availability schedule from each employee. The method further involves generating shift schedules based on the payroll constraint, employee data, employer requirement, and employee availability schedules, determining a payroll budget associated with each shift schedule, ranking the shift schedules based on the payroll budget to obtain a ranked list of shift schedules, and presenting the ranked list of shift schedules to an employer.