Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing transaction risk. A consumer tenders a transaction card to a merchant to purchase a good or service. A payment device of the merchant, such as a payment terminal or mobile communication device of the merchant, is used to process the payment utilizing a risk assessment system. Card data received by the payment device is sent to the risk assessment system, which processes card data and generates an indicator representing the risk associated with accepting payment using the card. The indicator is sent to the payment device to provide the merchant input regarding risk associated with using the card (e.g., likelihood of fraud or chargeback) in a seamless manner. If the risk level is too high, the merchant may reject the card. The risk indicator may be based on different types of data from different sources, e.g., data from a first source related to the credit history of the consumer and data from a second source related to the identity of the consumer.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for reducing the use of insecure passwords. During operation, the system receives a login request at a computer system, wherein the login request includes a username and a password. Next, the system saves the password to an attempted password list, wherein the attempted password list includes passwords that have been attempted during login. The system then receives a password change request, wherein the password change request includes a username and a new password. Next, the system determines whether the new password is a member of the attempted password list. If so, the system rejects the password change request. However, if not, the system processes the password change request.

Abstract: A method for completing a financial form by a user, including: generating a plurality of panels associated with a plurality of financial events reported by the financial form; obtaining a visual data item associated with the user and a financial event of the plurality of financial events; applying the visual data item to a panel of the plurality of panels, where the panel is associated with the financial event; capturing a financial value associated with the financial event using the panel; populating at least a portion of the financial form based on the financial value; extracting a key from a previously populated financial form associated with the user; and searching a visual data source based on the key, where the visual data item is located in the visual data source.

Abstract: A method for generating a dynamic help document involves obtaining question-answer pairs associated with a client-server application, determining rankings of the question-answer pairs based on user feedback about the question-answer pairs, and determining a first preferred question-answer pair based on rankings of question-answer pairs. The method further involves generating the dynamic help document using the first preferred question-answer pair, updating rankings of the question-answer pairs based on additional user feedback about the question-answer pairs, determining a second preferred question-answer pair based on updated rankings of the question-answer pairs, and updating the dynamic help document by replacing the first preferred question-answer pair with the second preferred question-answer pair.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for an automated, client-specific notification service for reporting return preparers. A notification mechanism may be implemented as a part or component of a return preparation program or as a separate application. The notification mechanism may generate customized notifications for clients based at least in part on the clients' previous return information, for example information from previously filed tax returns. The notification mechanism may customize both the content of the notifications and the timing of the notifications based on each client's particular return information. The notifications generated by the notification mechanism may include or indicate any information related to the return preparation and filing process. The information in a particular notification may be tailored to the specific client's reporting situation. The notifications may be provided to the client(s) via one or more other communications channels or mechanisms.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying quantities of inventory items in multiple units of measure includes displaying an inventory item listing, including a desired quantity of the inventory item, on a user interface and/or display screen. The inventory item listing is then activated by a user through a user interface device within the context of the present transaction. Once the inventory item listing is activated, the quantity of the inventory item desired is displayed in a multiple units of measure display in multiple units of measure associated with the inventory item and within the context of the present transaction.

Abstract: A mobile authorization service may be implemented as a web-based service, hosted on an authorization service server, and may exchange messages with various computing devices of subscribers to the service, including mobile communication devices. The service may be implemented as a software application executing on the server, and may include a client portion executing on subscriber computer systems and/or mobile communication devices, or subscribers may interact with the service using a text messaging application or a web browsing application. The service may receive an authorization request from a subscriber and may send a request message to an approver. The approver may send a reply message to the service indicating an answer. After authenticating the reply, the service may provide a response to the requester. The service may store information regarding authorization requests and responses. An authorization service subscriber account may be configurable for an individual or corporate subscriber.

Abstract: A method for providing a product use agreement. The method includes sending, to a user in response to a request for a product, a message that includes an address for accessing the product use agreement. The method further includes receiving, from the user, a call at the address and audibly playing, to the user, a pre-recorded product use agreement recording. The pre-recorded product use agreement recording includes a legal agreement for using the product between the user and a business entity providing the product. The method further includes receiving, from the user, acceptance of the product use agreement based on the pre-recorded product use agreement recording, and providing access to the product based on acceptance of the product use agreement.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates access to a website from an application. During operation, the system obtains community data associated with interactions between a set of users and the website and examines the community data to identify an interactivity request made by the website to users of the website. Next, the system obtains user-specific data from a new user of the application, which includes a response to the interactivity request from the new user. Finally, the system uses the user-specific data to automate access to the website for the new user.

Abstract: A method of gathering research associated with a product that includes distributing the product in a market resulting in a distributed product, wherein the distributed product that includes a first test group identified based on a selection key, enabling a first test feature in the first test group, gathering usage data associated with the first test feature from the first test group, and evaluating the first test feature based on the usage data to obtain a test result.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for using a multimedia service associated with a venue. The method includes steps of obtaining a pre-approved activation code associated with the venue, activating the multimedia service associated with the venue using the pre-approved activation code and an identification of a multimedia device, requesting the multimedia service using the multimedia device, and receiving the multimedia service using the multimedia device within a pre-determined range from a pre-determined locality of the venue, wherein the request is authenticated based on a locality of the multimedia device being within the pre-determined range from the pre-determined locality of the venue.

Abstract: A process for providing healthcare consumers advance notice of changes in network status of their healthcare service providers and/or medications whereby data indicating one or more healthcare service providers and/or medications used by a given healthcare consumer is obtained along with data indicating the given healthcare consumer's healthcare insurance plan. Data indicating all “in-network” healthcare service providers and/or medications for the given healthcare consumer's healthcare insurance plan is then obtained. The data indicating one or more healthcare service providers and/or medications used by a given healthcare consumer is then compared with the data indicating all in-network healthcare service providers and/or medications for the given healthcare consumer's healthcare insurance plan.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a method for matching parties to a transaction of an agricultural commodity. The method involves receiving buyer criteria (e.g., purchase quantity, buyer price, transaction location at which to buy the agricultural commodity) sent from a mobile device used by a primary and secondary buyer. The method further involves receiving seller criteria sent from a seller mobile device. The method further involves matching, within a predetermined period of time after receiving the buyer criteria and the seller criteria, the primary and secondary buyer with the seller based on determining that a yield is sufficient to meet the purchase quantity and a transaction location at which to buy the agricultural commodity falls within a number of locations common the primary/secondary buyers and the seller. The method further involves sending the buyer criteria to the seller mobile device using short message service (SMS) format.

Abstract: A system for compensation query management includes one or more processors and memory coupled to the processors. The memory stores program instructions executable by the processors to implement an analysis tool. The analysis tool is configured to access representations of a plurality of tax returns and extract compensation-related data from the tax returns. The analysis tool is further configured to compile a version of the compensation-related data into a data store, and access the data store to prepare a response to a compensation query.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates defining relationships between tags. During operation, the system receives a user-specified tag that describes a data item. Next, the system displays this tag to a user via a user interface that gives the user the option to suggest additional relationships for the tag. Based on user input, the system may define a relationships between the two tags, thereby facilitating the definition of a set of related tags for an organization.

Abstract: Embodiments of a computer system, a method, a graphical user interface and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments may be used to present income-tax information to a user. In particular, the user can provide aggregate values for one or more parameters in an income-tax return for the user by adjusting user-adjustable icons in the graphical user interface. In response to these user inputs, the computer system updates the displayed user-adjustable icons and determines summary information for the income-tax return which is associated with the user inputs. This summary information is displayed using a qualitative-tax-estimator icon in the graphical user interface and/or by displaying a numerical value for the summary information in a quantitative-tax-estimator window in the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A technique for identifying a recommended type of advertising message is described. In this technique, information about advertising messages directed from businesses to consumers and associated acceptance rates of the advertising messages by the consumers is received or accessed. Note that the advertising messages include different types of advertising messages for different types of businesses. Then, the recommended type of advertising message for a given business is identified based on an associated type of business and the received information. By leveraging the results obtained by other similar businesses, this technique may allow the given business to improve the effectiveness of a subsequent advertising campaign.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for generating a display configured to graphically indicate a state of a series of events are described. The system and method may include a display generator configured to generate display data that defines a display configured to indicate the state of a series of events. The display generator may create display data that defines a display configured to graphically indicate such events in a chronological manner such that the user may easily view the current state of the particular process. The display data may define a display that graphically indicates multiple events from multiple entities, such as events associated with a same episode. The displays defined by the display data may include one or more visual elements that graphically indicate an event that includes the transfer of an asset between a source entity and a destination entity.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a method and apparatus for a portable medical alert mechanism stores health information on a portable electronic device and provides the health information to a health professional. In some embodiments, the health information may include information about a health condition, a health history, current medications, current medication dosages, allergies, or instructions. The health information may be on the portable electronic device and/or downloaded from a web-based application. In some embodiments, the health information may be selected and transferred to the portable electronic device by the system user from an external computer system. The health information stored on the portable electronic device may be periodically updated. The system user (or the portable electronic device) may have an indication of the presence of the health information on the portable electronic device (e.g., on a bracelet).

Abstract: A method for mapping a business transaction involves obtaining a transaction record of the business transaction, where the transaction record includes business information associated with performing the business transaction, analyzing the transaction record to determine available business information, submitting available business information to a mapping service to obtain a map of a business location, and displaying the map.