Abstract: A method and system for reserving future purchases of goods or services using plural electronic options with associated option fees based on one or more different pre-determined priority system. The plural electronic options include electronic option terms established by one or more suppliers who can supply the goods or services. An option fee is associated with a reservation price to purchase desired goods or services at a desired future time using a priority system.

Abstract: A method and system for reserving future purchases of goods or services or events including plural electronic options with associated option fees for the goods or services or events. The plural electronic options include electronic option terms established by one or more suppliers who can supply the goods or services or events. The purchase of the electronic option is accepted according to electronic option terms established by the desired supplier. The option terms may vary greatly among the individual suppliers and no two suppliers may use the same option terms. Final pricing and final features of the goods or services or final pricing of events is determined using electronic counters for accepted purchases of electronic options that have decremented down to a desired pre-determined value.

Abstract: Collateralized option index derivative investment instruments and methods for creating a collateralized option index are disclosed herein based on changes in a performance of collateralized option strategies. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method for calculating a collateralized option index is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for calculating a collateralized option index includes calculating a value of a portfolio invested in a collateralized short strategy according to the relation: Vt=Mt?NlastPt where Mt is a value of a LIBOR component of the portfolio at the close of date t, Nlast is a number of put options sold at a last roll date, and Pt is a price of the underlying option portfolio based on arithmetic averages of the last bid and ask prices of all options in the underlying option portfolio reported before a time on date t.

Abstract: A price improvement processor to effectuate more rapid matching of bids and offers of financial instruments by conducting a rapid automated auction in which certain market participants may provide price improvement in increments that are finer than the prevailing standard minimum price variation and are provided a certain allocation as an incentive for such price improvements.

Abstract: A vehicle speed control system includes an RFID equipped vehicle having a computer system for controlling operating functions of the vehicle, a transmitting and receiving station positioned adjacent a speed control zone, capability for sending a speed control command from the transmitting and receiving station to the vehicle, cooperative components associated with the vehicle for receiving the speed control command from the transmitting and receiving station, and various elements associated with the vehicle for adjusting speed of the vehicle in response to the speed control command received from the station. The transmitting and receiving station includes electronic circuitry and related components for determining the speed of the RFID equipped vehicle as the vehicle enters the speed control zone.

Abstract: A method of opening option trading in an automated exchange trading system. The system receives orders and quotes and matches the orders and quotes to generate trades. The method includes the step of accepting, during a first time period, quotes and orders associated with an option class. The first time period precedes the opening of trading. An opening value of an underlying security is received and opening prices for a number of option series in the option class are determined. Additional quotes and orders are received during a second time period and the opening prices are responsively updated. The second time period is terminated at a randomly selected time and opening rotations begin.

Abstract: A computer system is configured to monitor and analyze the use of a client device by a minor and compute a risk for that minor. Examples of client devices include personal computers, laptops, cellular phones, “smart phones”, and other personal electronic devices. The analysis includes receiving text blocks from the client, processing the text block to discover “hit strings”, compute risk scores for the hit strings, and then to compute an overall risk score for the minor. A hit string is a string of characters such as a word or phrase that is indicative of a risk to the minor such as depression, “cyber bullying”, or an “adult predator”.

Abstract: A method and system for reserving future purchases of goods or services. Plural electronic options include electronic option terms established by one or more suppliers who can supply the goods or services. The option terms vary greatly among the individual suppliers and no two suppliers may use the same option terms. Use of variable option terms provides significant flexibility for use of the electronic options by suppliers. The method and system may also allow a purchaser to risk a small amount of money to use an electronic option to reserve a price to purchase or not purchase desired goods or services that may or may not ever exist at a desired future time.

Abstract: A unitary knee patella stabilizer for a user's leg, the stabilizer including a patella stabilizer sleeve having an open-upper end and an open-lower end adapted to slidably receive the leg portion of the user and an upper fastener assembly having a first strap, connected at its proximal end to an upper end of the patella stabilizer sleeve, the first strap having a fastener at a distal end of the first strap. The apparatus further includes a lower fastener assembly having a second strap, connected at its proximal end to a lower end of the patella stabilizer sleeve, the second strap having a fastener at a distal end of the second strap and a buttress comprising a plurality of straps adapted to be adjustably positioned on an inside surface of the patella stabilizer sleeve around a location on a circumferential edge of a patella opening.

Abstract: An RFID equipped vehicle includes a computer system for controlling operating functions of the vehicle, an RFID fob for use by an operator of the vehicle, an RFID emitter for use by a passenger of the vehicle, and logic means associated with the computer system for determining when the RFID fob of the operator is out of range of the vehicle and the passenger RFID emitter is within range of the vehicle so that the computer system may notify the operator that the passenger has remained in the vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method of trading combined orders in an exchange configured for trading by a combination of electronic and open-outcry trading mechanisms is provided. One method includes receiving an incoming order having a first order component and a second order component at an electronic trade engine and routing the first and second order components to a first electronic database. The first and second order components are matched and executed against order components maintained in the first and second electronic databases, respectively. Any unexecuted first and second order components are placed in an electronic book according to a predetermined program if the first or second order component cannot be completely matched against any order components maintained in one of the first or second electronic databases. The system includes a trade engine configured for receiving combined orders from market makers.

Abstract: A method of processing metal, metallic alloys, and metal matrix composites in a plastics injection molding machine is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a plastics injection molding machine having a screw. A step of removing the screw is included in the method. A step of replacing the screw with a modified screw configured and arranged for processing metals is also included. Alternatively, a step of removing the flights from the middle portion of the original screw shaft may be included.

Abstract: A welding machine that includes a machine frame having an opening permitting access to an interchangeable tooling module installed on the machine. The welding machine includes one or more light curtains covering the opening to disable operation of one or more welding stations on the tooling module if the light curtain is breached by an operator, robot, or other object. The welding machine includes a selector arm attached to the machine frame at a location between a first end and a second end of the opening. The selector arm can be moved into and out of position at the opening to selectively define either a single light curtain across the opening or a pair of adjacent light curtains that permit separate operation and access to separate welding stations behind each of the two light curtains.

Abstract: A system and method of allocating rights for quoting issues on a trading facility such as an exchange is described. The method may include providing market participants such as remote market makers with a listing of issues available for remote quote streaming where the available issues are ranked according to predetermined trading parameters. A market participant requests allocations of rights to certain issues and the request is filtered according to a value associated with the ranking of the selected issues. The system includes an issue selection database having a listing of issues available for trading where each issue is ranked based on a trading parameter. An issue selection communication module communicates with the issue selection database and is configured to list available issues and rankings. An issue allocation filter receives a market participant request and compares the selected issues in that request to one or more exchange-based rules.

Abstract: An orthopedic stabilization device for use on a shoulder of a wearer for shoulder stabilization includes a torso portion having a closed end side and an open end side, the torso portion adapted to be secured around an upper torso of the wearer, a sleeve disposed on the torso closed end side, the sleeve adapted to be secured around a shoulder and an upper arm of the wearer, and a first plurality of straps, connected at their proximal end to the sleeve, the first plurality of straps having a first plurality of fasteners disposed at their distal end. The orthopedic stabilization device further includes a second plurality of straps having a second plurality of fasteners disposed at each end, whereby customizable restriction of shoulder movement may be attained by securing the first and second plurality of straps to the torso portion at various positions.

Abstract: Method for connecting a host computer device to a wireless communication network, the host computer device being provided with an operating system with at least one pre-installed generic driver providing a generic communication protocol (7) for communication between the host computer device and a standard class of computer peripheral devices other than wireless modem devices, the method comprising the steps of: (a) connecting a wireless modem device to the host computer device; (b) setting up, by means of a pre-installed generic driver of the operating system on the computer device, a modem/host communication interface (6) for communication between the wireless modem device and the computer device; (c) connecting the host computer device to a wireless communication network via the wireless modem device; (d) routing data traffic (8-9) between the host computer device and the wireless communication network over the modem/host communication interface (6).

Abstract: A method of providing an automated auction for internalization for the purchase or sale of securities or derivatives in an exchange is disclosed. The method may include receiving an order at an electronic trade engine, disseminating a request for price message to at least one user in response to receiving the order, receiving a one-sided response message representative of a participant-type in response to the request for price message, selecting an allocation algorithm from a plurality of allocation algorithms, initiating the selected allocation algorithm and allocating the order according to the participant-type upon termination of the selected auction. The system may include an electronic trading engine configured to disseminate an auction message in response to an order, a database of allocation algorithms, and a trade processor for initiating an auction according the one of the allocation algorithms and terminating the auction upon defined early termination events.

Abstract: A method and system for creating a stock index for a group of investment management companies is disclosed. The method may include obtaining first trade information for each security representative of the group of investment management companies during a first time period, aggregating the first trade information for a predetermined time period, storing the aggregated first trade information, calculating from the aggregated first trade information an index for the group of investment management companies, determining a standardized measure of the index based on the aggregated first trade information obtained in the first time period, and periodically recalculating the index based on second trade information for each security representative of the group of investment management companies during a second time period.

Abstract: A thermally conductive polymer composition having enhanced mechanical properties is provided. The polymer composition consists of a base polymer matrix loaded with fillers that results in a thermal conductivity that is greater than 1.5 W/m° K and a tensile modulus within an acceptable range making the composition suitable for structural plastic applications, such as between 1,700 to 12,000 Mpa and more preferably between approximately 2,700 to 10,000 Mpa and even more preferably in the range of between approximately 4,000 to 9,000 Mpa. In addition to a tensile modulus within the identified range the composition also includes an elongation to break value that is at least above 1.0% and more preferably in the range of about 1.2% to 10%.

Abstract: A method of providing orders to a virtual trading crowd in an exchange prior to automatically linking the order to an away market is disclosed. The method may include receiving a marketable order for a security or derivative at the exchange, wherein the exchange has a price that differs from a national best bid or offer price, routing the marketable order to a trade engine, disseminating a request for price message to all market makers quoting a class in response to receiving the marketable order, the request for price message including a price equal to the national best bid or offer price, receiving a response message at the electronic trade engine in response to the request for price message from at least one market maker, initiating a quote trigger, wherein the quote trigger occurs for a period of N seconds, and allocating the order according to an allocation algorithm, wherein an order size of each market maker is capped to prevent inflation of an allocated portion of the order.