Abstract: A consumer uses a web client to transmit purchase information associated with a transaction to a merchant server. The purchase information is transmitted via a web acceleration server. The web acceleration server identifies enhanced authorization data associated with the transaction. The web acceleration server creates a pseudo authorization message. The web acceleration server transmits the pseudo authorization message to a transaction account issuer. The merchant server transmits an authorization request to the transaction account issuer. The transaction account issuer determines that the authorization request and the pseudo authorization message are associated with the same transaction. The transaction account issuer merges the authorization request and the pseudo authorization message and performs a fraud analysis. The transaction account issuer transmits an authorization response to the merchant.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for competitive pricing implemented in software for commerce in an electronic marketplace. A vendor may identify rivals: competitors against which the vendor most directly competes by dint of having similar reputation and market positioning. Using specified pricing models applied to filtered price data periodically gathered by spider-crawling competitors on the Internet, a vendor may adjust product prices to match rivals while accounting for overall marketplace price trends.

Abstract: A system and method for providing private demand-driven pricing for fixed cost digital goods are described. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on a table that includes public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in a database by a seller system, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized. The price of one digital good is decrypted with a private key for pricing by a purchaser system. A purchasing decision based upon the decrypted price is sent to the seller system without revealing the particular digital good being purchased. A conditionally disclosed symmetric key for goods is received under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on the database and the digital good purchased with the symmetric key is decrypted. The encrypted prices of the digital goods are privately updated based upon the desired marginal pricing level.

Abstract: A system for providing real-time risk mitigation for an authorization system. The system receives authorization requests from multiple merchants (or their respective acquirers) and processes such requests. Each processed request is then forwarded to its corresponding issuer for further authorization. Each processed request includes an authorization message. The authorization message can include a risk score, a number of reason codes, and a number of condition codes. The use of the risk score, reason codes and condition codes allows issuers to make better informed decisions with respect to providing authorizations.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed generally to a system used to generate and display useful support and resistance levels, as derived from a given price of a security or commodity. The system incorporates a methodology to derive and display key price values, in actual currency units such as dollars and cents, to serve as support and resistance levels for the benefit of a user who in turn can better make buy and sell decisions for targeted securities and/or commodities.

Abstract: An illustrative method provides security of software resident on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) that permit wagering on games. A determination is made if all software files stored on a partition of a nonvolatile storage device resident in an EGM are authenticated image type files prior to any attempt to execute any of the software files. Further processing by the EGM of all of the software files is terminated upon the determination that one of the software files is not an authenticated image type file.

Abstract: Providing computer-based systems and methods for analyzing historical performance of financial securities and identifying trades in those securities based on the securities' current position as compared to this historical performance. These computer-based systems and computer-implemented methods include identifying stock pairs to include in a trading portfolio, based on a measure of the pair's relative performance, such as a modified Sharpe Ratio. The value of the stocks in each stock pair in the portfolio is assessed and deviations determined. This assessment can occur daily or at a longer or shorter time step. Stocks are bought or sold based on the current price of the stock as compared to historical performance. The present invention preferably employs a large number of stock pairs in the trading portfolio. This use of a large number of pairs results in a plurality of stocks being in more than one stock pair.

Abstract: Disclosed is a content recording apparatus having recording devices A and B and first and second encrypting units that are provided for the respective recording devices. When receiving stream data representing content from an input unit, a rate changing unit operates so as to input streams of data in parallel to the respective encrypting units. The first encrypting unit encrypts the stream data with an encryption key generated from the IDs of the recording device A and of a recording medium a. The second encrypting unit encrypts the stream data with an encryption key generated from the IDs of the recording device B and of a recording medium b. Each of the recording devices A and B records the content encrypted by a corresponding one of the first and second encrypting units.

Abstract: System, method, and program products offer flexibility to the rather rigid way of trading in an electronic trading system. Orders for a tradeable object may typically get matched according to set terms and/or conditions at an electronic exchange. A trader may log onto the electronic exchange to trade the tradeable object, and may choose to display and trade the tradeable object according to a different set of terms and/or conditions. As such, the market data sent to the trader from the exchange is converted to a format according to the trader's selection, so that it may be presented to the trader in this format. Transaction messages sent to the exchange from the trader are converted to the format readable by the matching process, so that it can process the messages. Other features and advantages are described herein.

Abstract: A credit card system is provided which has the added feature of providing additional limited use credit card numbers and/or cards. These numbers and/or cards can be used for a single or limited use transaction, thereby reducing the potential for fraudulent reuse of these numbers and/or cards. The credit card system finds application to “card remote” transactions such as by phone or Internet. Additionally, when a single use or limited use credit card is used for “card present” transactions, so called “skimming” fraud is eliminated. Various other features enhance the credit card system, which will allow secure trade without the use of elaborate encryption techniques. Methods for limiting, distributing and using a limited use card number, controlling the validity of a limited use credit card number, conducting a limited use credit card number transaction and providing remote access devices for accessing a limited use credit card number are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and Systems for generating a Completely Automated Public Tests to tell Computer and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) provide a computational puzzle according to a received request. The computational puzzle, which may be for example, a jigsaw puzzle, maze puzzle, composite image of matching and non matching shapes or other type of puzzle, is configured to have a correct solution that is expected to be determinable by a human rather than a computer. For example, the computational puzzle is generated from a plurality of individually randomly generated puzzle features, such as puzzle surface image, image color gradient, puzzle component shape, or other puzzle features. A determination is made as to whether a human as opposed to a machine solved the computational puzzle.

Abstract: The present invention can reliably prevent the contents of a recording medium from being illegally copied but allow them to be copied only for the purpose of personal use. The invention takes out title identifying information and medium identifying information of a DVD loaded on a hard-disk-containing DVD player and transmits those pieces of information to management server along with the apparatus identifying information of the hard-disk-containing DVD player so as to enquire about copying prohibition flag for a copying operation and control copying of the recorded contents of the DVD according to the copying prohibition flag. Thus, the invention prohibits copying when the management server judges that copying of the contents of the DVD by means of the hard-disk-containing DVD player is illegal, whereas it allows copying when the management server judges that copying of the contents of the DVD by means of the hard-disk-containing DVD player is for the purpose of personal use.

Abstract: A quantitative system and method that employs data sources external to an insurance company to generate a statistical model that may be used to predict commercial insurance profitability. The system and method are able to predict individual commercial insurance policyholder profitability on a prospective basis regardless of the internal data and business practices of a particular insurance company.

Abstract: This document describes tools capable of authorizing or enabling authorization of multiple payment transactions without requiring that a buyer or seller authorize each transaction separately. The tools may do so by enabling a buyer or seller to select aggregate constraints, such as a total price or number of transactions. Based on these selected constraints, the tools may authorize every payment transaction that meets the aggregate constraints without requiring the buyer to authorize every transaction separately.

Abstract: A synthetic instrument known as a “Total Fair Value Swap” is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the Total Fair Value Swap may comprise an agreement between two counterparties, a “Fixed Rate Payer” and a “Floating Rate Payer”. According to the agreement, the Fixed Rate Payer makes a stream of payments to the Floating Rate Payer based on a fixed rate, and the Floating Rate Payer makes a second stream of payments to the Fixed Rate Payer based on a floating rate, wherein a first portion of the floating rate is based on a reference interest rate, and wherein a second portion of the floating rate is based on a credit spread associated with the Floating Rate Payer. The reference interest rate may be, for example, London Inter-Bank Offer Rate (LIBOR), prime interest rate, the US dollar swap rate, the U.S. Treasury Bond rate or any other widely traded interest rate that is reset periodically. The credit spread may be observed from the Credit Default Swap (CDS) market.

Abstract: Some demonstrative embodiments include methods, devices and systems of pricing financial instruments.

Abstract: A variable resolution grid provides a mechanism for focusing specific concentrations of risk exposure on a geographical grid to determine projected loss caused by a particular catastrophe. The geographic grid provides a stable base map by using latitudes and longitudes to define the grid points and cells. Each cell is assigned a geographic identifier or geocode that identifies the location of the cell and its associated resolution. The resolution of the grid may be varied depending in part, on the resolution of any available of hazard data.

Abstract: A graphical interface and method are provided for displaying market information corresponding to a tradeable object. According to one example embodiment, a market depth indicator is displayed in relation to a value axis in a market overview interface. Then, detailed market depth is displayed in a market depth interface, and a plurality of market depth prices displayed in the market depth interface are adjustable based on a position of the market depth indicator in relation to the value axis.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for processing, auctioning, and managing fractional ownerships in real estate assets. In one aspect, the disclosed technology accesses electronic information that specifies a real estate asset for sale. The electronic information specifies that ownership of the real estate asset includes a right to some or all income from the real estate asset. The disclosed technology also accesses electronic information that specifies one or more of bids for fractional ownership in the real estate asset. Each of the bids specifies a bid amount reflecting a purchase price to be paid for the fractional ownership and a corresponding bid yield associated with the bid amount. The disclosed technology selects one or more of the bids to form a sale transaction for the real estate asset and then stores an electronic record indicating that a fractional ownership in the real estate asset has been sold based on the selected bid(s).

Abstract: A computerized method and system for evaluating customers of a financial institution using customer relationship value tags associated customer treatment actions includes automatically analyzing information about a customer from a database of the financial institution by a customer assessment engine using a predefined statistical model to assess the value of the customer to the financial institution. At least one customer treatment action associated with the assessed value is identified by the assessment engine, and the assessment engine marks a file associated with the customer with a mark representing the assessed value and the associated customer treatment action. The marked file is then accessed by other financial systems of the financial institution, or by customer representatives of the financial institution, and the associated customer treatment action is implemented by such systems or representatives in dealing with the customer.