Abstract: A commerce router is disclosed. Such a commerce router includes a plurality of commercial transaction databases and an application server module. Each of the databases can contain commercial transaction information related to one of a number of offering types (e.g., categories of products, services and/or the like). Application server module is communicatively coupled to the each one of the databases. The application server module can be configured to receive a request by virtue of being configured to communicate information regarding the request to the database for inclusion in the commercial transaction information. The application server module can also be configured to allow review of the request by virtue of being configured to communicate information regarding the request from the database by accessing the commercial transaction information.

Abstract: Configuration spaces facilitate the useful presentation of data, particularly configuration data used for representing configured products. Products include features and common features can be grouped by families. For example, an automobile can include a transmission family. The transmission family could include features such as automatic transmission and 4-speed manual transmission. Configuration spaces can be achieved by consolidating selected data without loosing useful information. The degree of consolidation achieved can be significant enough to permit display of data using conventional display technology. Configuration spaces break down the “universe” of possible configurations into constituent spaces defined by groups of rules for a selected feature. Common dependencies between the selected feature and related features can be consolidated to produce a more minimal form of the data used for representing the selected features and related features.

Abstract: A configuration model dividing and configuration sub-model inference processing system and procedure addresses the issue of configuration model and query complexity by breaking a configuration problem down into a set of smaller problems, solving them individually and recombining the results into a single result that is equivalent to a conventional inference procedure. In one embodiment, a configuration model is divided into configuration sub-models that can respectively be processed using existing data processing resources. A sub-model inference procedure provides a way to scale queries to larger and more complicated configuration models. Thus, the configuration model dividing and configuration sub-model processing system and inference procedure allows processing by a data processing system of configuration models and queries whose collective complexity exceeds the complexity of otherwise unprocessable conventional, consolidated configuration models and queries.

Abstract: A log file processing system sorts records from large log files and groups them by session without making a complete copy of the log files by capturing a subset of the log files in a sliding memory window and identifying all records in the window that form a complete user session. Records belonging to a complete session are output for analyzing, and the remaining records are output as raw log data for additional processing. Using a ring buffer to implement the sliding memory window, data structures are used to group records by session, to identify completed sessions, and to index into the ring buffer to retrieve records for completed sessions that are to be directly analyzed. Any records remaining in the ring buffer at the end of slide window processing may be output as raw log file data and are processed as incomplete or malformed session records. An embodiment of the log file processing system provides a significant improvement on the speed of data extraction from log files into analyzable session data.

Abstract: A method includes generating a delta price and generating a final price using the delta price. A process and system provide an ability to determine a product's final price with a selected set of features in which multiple configurations are to be generated. The ability to determine such final prices can be based on the ability to determine the change in price between one configuration of a product and that of another product configuration (e.g. the product configured with the desired feature(s)). A customer is able to select one or more features, and so view the effect on the product's final price, as well as compare the prices (and incremental price differences) between various configurations of a given product. This increases the likelihood of the purchase being made, because it provides the potential purchaser with the final price earlier in the sales cycle.

Abstract: A method, a computer system and a computer program product to facilitate comparison-price shopping over a data network, such as the Internet, is provided that includes a price availability feature guaranteeing a price of a product associated with product-related information stored on a server. To that end, information that concerns a product is rendered on a display in a browser window. The information rendered typically includes offered price data. A server is provided that includes a plurality of addresses in an address space, and a subportion of the plurality of addresses is associated with an identification code. Acceptance to the offered price data is achieved by storing the information in the subportion, defining agreed price data. The agreed price data is maintained in the absence of a predetermined system event.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an interface that allows navigation and display of a directed graph are provided. The interface provides visualization of an underlying graph structure comprising a plurality of hierarchies with shared common nodes, wherein the hierarchies do not necessarily share the exhaustive child-tree of the common node. The method provides for the interface to display a focus node, parent nodes (if any) of the focus node, and in-context children (if any) of the focus node. In a preferred embodiment, the displays of focus, parent, and in-context child nodes are textual displays rather than graphical node-link displays.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for selecting desired attributes for system configuration. The invention uses one or more rule sets to define rules that are met when a configuration is valid. A rule set may specify the interrelation of attribute values within a product or between two or more products. If the combination of attribute values that specify a product conform to at least one rule in each of the rule sets that apply to that product, that combination of attribute values is considered to specify a valid product. If the combination of attribute values that specify all of the products of an assembly conform to at least one rule in each of the rule sets that apply to that assembly, that combination of attribute values is considered to specify a valid assembly.

Abstract: Inconsistencies between configuration rules represent a significant concern when modeling a product using configuration rules. The consistency checking system approaches a configuration model from the perspective of a sets of features and families. The configuration space of a model represents the entire set of all combinations of selections within a configuration model. The consistency checking system operates on subsets of the configuration space by consolidating data within the configuration space into minimized subsets that represent a portion of the configuration space where a particular consistency error can occur. Thus, the contents of each subset vary depending upon which consistency error is being checked, and consistency checking is performed on reduced subsets determined on an error by error basis rather than on the configuration space as a whole.

Abstract: In a particular embodiment, configuration patterns are used to provide solutions to configuration problems that repetitively occur. Use of configuration patterns in connection with a configuration model has many benefits. A configuration patterns is a parameterized or otherwise easily extensible solution to that problem, such that the solution is reusable by modifying the parameters of the pattern or extending the pattern in pre-defined ways. Configuration patterns are inherently data-driven and provide improved maintenance for data and logic as well as reduced programming effort. Configuration patterns can be reused within and across different product families and can be specialized from other patterns. Thus, the use of configuration patterns facilitates reduced maintenance cost and reduced programming effort for product configuration data and logic systems.

Abstract: A high-density information presentation is provided on a space-constrained display device by associating individual display indications with user-definable states. For example, using a portion of a space-constrained display of a mobile phone, pager personal digital assistant, or other portable device, one or more external states may be presented as a simple graphical or character indication that corresponds, in a user-defined way, to the external state or states. In general, implementations allow monitoring and access of a large amount of data on a space-constrained display device. Usability problems associated with traditional systems that split data access and navigation over paged small screens are generally avoided.

Abstract: A method of comparing products is disclosed. The method includes selecting a first configuration representing a first product with a first attribute, selecting a second configuration representing a second product with a second attribute, and displaying the first attribute and the second attribute. As will be noted, the first attribute is defined in the first configuration, and the second attribute is defined in the second configuration.

Abstract: A method of aligning a new goal of an entity ensures that the new goal is a child goal of a parent goal. The method also ensures that a group is linked to the parent goal, and ensures that the entity is subordinate to the group. In one embodiment, selection lists constrain the available values for the group and/or the parent goal. In another aspect, a method of facilitating contextual alignment of a new goal recognizes an organizational role for an entity and customizes content of a user interface, based on the organizational role of the entity. The user interface with the customized content provides goal creation guidance according to the organizational role. In one embodiment, the customized content includes specialized instructions and sample content for characteristics of the new goal, such as a goal-objective characteristic, a goal-measure characteristic, and a goal-activity characteristic.

Abstract: Collected trial data is weighted to, for example, reflect the relevance of the data. A weighted confidence interval determination and application process described herein determines a confidence interval used to interpret the data. The confidence interval is derived by adjusting the sample size N to account for the impact of weighting when determining confidence intervals. The sample size N is adjusted in a downward trend to avoid overestimating the confidence interval. Lower and upper bounds of the confidence interval are determined using weight influenced variables. Thus, interpretation of weighted trial data, such as product demand data, can be achieved and acted upon with an accurate estimation of risk.

Abstract: A high-density information presentation is provided on a space-constrained display device by associating individual display indications with user-definable states. For example, using a portion of a space-constrained display of a mobile phone, pager personal digital assistant or other portable device, one or more external states may be presented as a simple graphical or character indication that corresponds, in a user-defined way, to the external state or states. In general, implementations allow monitoring and access of a large amount of data on a space-constrained display device. Usability problems associated with traditional systems that split data access and navigation over paged small screens are generally avoided.

Abstract: A dynamic content caching framework that encodes dynamically created documents with a filename that is derived from the state information describing the contents of the document, advantageously allows for the dynamically created documents to be cached and reused, thereby reducing server computation, and allowing more users to utilize a particular web site. A file cache management system manages files that can be provided by a web server computer system to a client computer system. Parameters selected by a user viewing a web page define a presentation state that describes, and is used to produce, a subsequent web page. The presentation state is processed using a one-way hashing function to form a hash value, or signature, for that presentation state which is then used to identify the file in which presentation information for the presentation state is stored. When another user chooses the same presentation state, the existing file having presentation information can be identified quickly and reused.

Abstract: The present invention employs a generative approach for configuring systems such that a system may be configured based on component or resource requests, or input in the form of need. The present invention provides a constraint-based configuration system using a structural model hierarchy. The structural aspects of the model provide the ability to define a model element as being contained in, or by, another model element. In addition, the structural model provides the ability to identify logical datatype and physical interconnections between elements and establish connections between elements. To configure a system, the present invention accepts input in the form of requests (e.g., component or resource) or needs, such as an expression of a need for a desktop computer system to be used in a CAD (i.e., computer-aided design) environment.

Abstract: A system and method for product configuration represents a product using a configuration model having numerical clauses. Features of the product are associated with literals in the numerical clauses. The numerical clauses may specify a number of literals to determine whether the numerical clause is satisfied, satisfiable, or unsatisfiable. Numerical clauses represent constraints that govern the configuration of the product. Resolving numerical clauses and user choices involves one or more inference procedures. In one embodiment, unit clauses represent user choices, and a configuration engine asserts the unit clause and performs numerical unit resolution between the unit clause and all numerical clauses containing the complement (generally a negation) of the unit clause. Complementary literals are eliminated from the current state of the configuration model.

Abstract: An arbitrary number of custom catalogs for an arbitrary number of customers can be published from a centrally maintained database of seller catalog data. The custom catalogs are subsets of the catalog database, and are generated in accordance with a set of rules that defines the scope of the content of the custom catalog. The rule sets define a series of sequential searches by which a subset of the item SKUs contained in the database are returned. For extranet buyers, the subsets for each rule set are maintained in a subset table. Whenever a user authorized by a particular buyer wishes to browse the unique catalog subset assigned to that buyer, any queries regarding the catalog will result first in a search of the full catalog database, and the results from the full search are pared down to only those items the SKUs for which have entries in the subset table associated with the buyer's assigned subset.

Abstract: Nested commit/reveal sequences using randomized inputs from each participant in a gaming transaction (e.g., the house and each player) may be employed to provide a selection of outcome or outcomes that can be verified by each participant as free from cheating. In general, techniques may be employed in a variety of distributed gaming transaction environments and as a verification facility for any of a wide variety of games in which the risk of player collusion can be eliminated. Nonetheless, several variations on a distributed card dealing method are illustrative and will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art as applicable in other gaming environments, including games employing outcomes denominated in die (or dice) rolls, coin toss, wheel spins, blind selection or other ostensibly random selection of an outcome from a predefined set thereof.