Abstract: Methods and systems are described for processing transactions. The methods and systems enable a consumer to present a customer identifier, such as a merchant loyalty or membership card or other identifier as a payment device at a point of sale. In one implementation, a personal account number is generated by appending a proprietary routing code to a customer registration account number so that the personal account number is formatted for transmission as a payment device number over an electronic funds transfer network. In another implementation, the customer registration account number comprises the proprietary routing code. A preferred payment account identifier is accessed, based on the personal account number, from a database, and a transaction approval message is constructed comprising the preferred payment account identifier. The account from which payment is made may be a credit account, a demand deposit account, a stored value account, or another kind of account.

Abstract: A vehicle information system operating method performs operations comprising determining an operational period, determining a movement period, determining a modification factor, determining a fuel economy value and determining an adjusted fuel economy value. The determining of the operational period determines the operational period during which a vehicle is running. The determining of the movement period determines the movement period during which the vehicle is in motion. The determining of the modification factor determines the modification factor based on respective durations of the operational period and the movement period. The determining of the fuel economy value determines the fuel economy value associated with the operational period. The determining of the adjusted fuel economy value determines the adjusted fuel economy value based on the fuel economy value and the modification factor.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method for estimating a parameter that represents data describing a physical system. An exemplary method comprises randomizing data representative of a population of items for which the parameter is known. The method may additionally comprise generating data representative of a pseudo population of items using a known perturbation, the data representative of the pseudo population of items being included with the data representative of the population of items for which the parameter is known to form a revised population and selecting a bootstrap sample of a minimum sample size of the revised population. A sensitivity study is performed on the parameters of the items comprising the bootstrap sample to determine a level of change of a predicted parameter value relative to a parameter value of the sample.

Abstract: A vehicle seat component selection system includes a showroom having a vehicle seat component display and a touch screen terminal for input of customer data such as vehicle identification, vehicle assembly location and vehicle assembly volume. The terminal has access to a vehicle seat component database which defines characteristics of each component, such as sourcing location, cost, and compatibility with other components. A customer seat selection report is created by selecting components from the database, with a signal provided in the event incompatible components are selected. The terminal graphically displays the components as they are selected, and indicates a price range for the seat assembly as it is being proposed.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for automatically making payments for recyclable items deposited at reverse vending machines.

Abstract: A clearinghouse system for inter-gallery trading of artworks is described. A central database stores digital images and metadata about artworks owned by all member galleries. The data is duplicated and stored in local databases at each member gallery. Customers at a first gallery can view images and information about artworks owned by other galleries using display devices installed at the first gallery. If the customer is interested in an artwork owned by a second gallery, a price request is transmitted from the display device to a remote clearinghouse management server. The clearinghouse management server transmits the price to the first gallery via an information receiver other than the display device. The first gallery may then quote a price to the customer by adding a markup to the price received from the clearinghouse management server. A purchase request can also be generated from the display device.

Abstract: A photomask inspection method that identifies a foreign particle such as dirt on a photomask with high sensitivity by suppressing erroneous identification due to an influence of noise is provided. The photomask inspection method includes acquiring image data of a photomask having regions with different layer structures on a surface thereof, creating inverted image data by subtracting the image data from pixel value data of the regions, creating offset inverted image data by raising pixel values of the inverted image data by a fixed amount, creating normalized correlation image data by computing a normalized correlation of the offset inverted image data and an offset Gaussian distribution-type kernel, and identifying foreign particles by comparing the normalized correlation image data and a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Visually presenting spending behavior, spending patterns, and spending activity to a consumer across of their all receipt based purchase transactions. Receipt data is received at a first or host computer from respective transaction processing devices or host systems of respective merchants, or received from self-service action of the consumer, and identifies respective goods or services purchased by the consumer. A user interface is displayed to the consumer and comprises a thumbnail arrangement of discrete objects, each of which represents respective receipts generated by respective transaction or transaction processing devices. A discrete object may comprise data of one or multiple goods or services and includes category indicators that visually inform the consumer about the type of good or service. Embodiments may also involve requesting receipt data utilizing a mobile communication device, searching receipt data collected by the computer and responding to the request with requested receipt data.