Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including systems and computer program products, for a service architecture design that provides enterprise services having payment functionality at the level of an enterprise application. The design includes a set of service operations, process components, and optionally deployment units. Suitable business objects are also described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing separable billing services. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a memory for storing a data address associated with a first type of communication and a processor for receiving a data packet, the data packet comprising a destination data address. The processor compares the destination data address to the data address associated with the first type of communication, and routes the data packet to the destination data address if the destination data address matches the data address associated with the first type of communication and bills an account associated with the first type of communication.

Abstract: A content distribution system is provided to facilitate e-commerce transactions for products and services associated with distributed content. A content stream comprising content blocks, reference content blocks and floating reference content blocks uses metadata to identify products and services associated with content blocks. The metadata and floating reference content blocks are used to substitute dynamically selected content for content blocks based on profiles of user(s), the broadcast station, the advertisement spot defined in the stream and content available for substitution. A market server determines optimal matches to support content substitution, and performs brokerage and bidding functions among suppliers of products or services associated with content selected by users.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing replenishing of an inventory for serviceable equipment that requires fewer orders of replacement parts and resulting shipments from the provider of the parts to the inventory location by tracking parts in accordance with a predefined parameter to estimate current and future needs of the serviceable equipment.

Abstract: Environment modification using system and usage data is described, including receiving environmental data from one or more sources, the environmental data being associated with an environment, determining a change in the environmental data by comparing a current value for the environmental data to a mean value for the environmental data, the change being expressed as a delta value, and applying the delta value to the environmental data to evolve the environment.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for generating a comprehensive undeliverable-as-addressed database and receiving mailing lists which may be analyzed to determine confirmed undeliverable-as-addressed records within a mailing list. Items of mail found to be undeliverable subsequent to mailing may be received at one or more processing locations, and consolidated into a single clearinghouse. The names and address of the intended recipient may be retrieved through scanning of the address via an optical character recognition software system or manually entered and may be stored in a consolidated database of confirmed undeliverable as addressed mail. Prior to mailing marketing materials, a mailing list may be compared with the consolidated database of confirmed undeliverable-as-addressed mail to determine confirmed undeliverable-as-addressed records. The undeliverable-as-addressed records may be flagged or alternatively removed from the mailing list.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a method and system to provide a mobile device a travel schedule in response to the mobile device remotely logging into a separate system, provide the mobile device Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data for way points of the scheduled travel; and receive a time and location data from the mobile device in response to the mobile device entering a way point of the scheduled travel. In one embodiment, the time and location data received is to be used to determine at least one of an average, minimum, or maximum time of travel between separate way points.

Abstract: A method, processing device, and machine-readable medium are provided. Costs of states of a state space are calculated. Each state represent one or more available product attributes having zero or more decided attribute values. The calculating is based, at least in part, on training data associated with previously requested and offered products. Determining a next state such that one or more products are available and a sum of values, including a cost of a next state and a cost of a perturbation of one of the one or more requested product attribute values to reach the next state is a minimum value. A value for a product attribute is mapped according to the minimum sum of values and product attribute values of available products.

Abstract: A self-diagnosing electronic price label. The label communicates with a central processor in order to receive price information for display and to report the status of the label to the central processor. The label periodically runs a self-test program to verify proper operation of its components. If a component fails the self-test, the failure is reported to a central processor, and the central processor reports the failure for investigation. During normal operation, the label issues a signal to the central processor indicating normal operation. In the event of a failure, the label ceases to send the signal indicating normal operation. When the signal is not received as expected, the central processor reports the failure to receive the signal for investigation. This allows the central processor to be alerted to failures which disable communication between the label and the central processor.

Abstract: An electronic talking menu system for the visually impaired includes a battery powered portable electronic, audio output device having large back-lighted buttons corresponding to menu items. Each button corresponds to contents of the restaurant's menu, such as appetizers, drinks, seafood, desserts, etc. Pressing a particular button activates a pre-recorded description of the menu item, or menu items within the selected category. An electronic menus system thus provides a system for enabling a visually impaired person to review and select desired menu items using audio feedback. Delivery of pre-recorded content is accomplished via either a logically-managed service wherein formatted sound files are uploaded to a memory card from a personal computer via the Internet, and/or a courier-based service wherein formatted memory cards are delivered to restaurants via a third party parcel delivery service with a round-robin mailer to exchange memory cards.

Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating use of invocable services by applications in a configurable manner. In at least some situations, the invocable services are Web services or other network-accessible services that are made available by providers of the services for use by others in exchange for fees defined by the service providers. The described techniques facilitate use of such invocable services by applications in a manner configured by the application providers and the service providers, including to track use of third-party invocable services by applications on behalf of end users and to allocate fees that are charged end users between the applications and the services as configured by the providers of the applications and services. In some situations, the configured pricing terms for a service specify fees for end users that differ in one or more ways from the defined fees charged by the provider of that service.

Abstract: Transaction processing is facilitated using an approach for automatically grouping transaction-based documents as a function of matching data in the documents. In one example embodiment of the present invention, data from selected attribute fields in transaction-based documents is parsed as the documents are received at a transaction processor. When data in selected attribute fields from two or more documents match, the transaction processor automatically groups the documents having matching data under a particular anchor identification code defined as a function of the match. Upon receipt of one or more other transaction-based documents, the transaction processor advances progress towards completion of the common transaction to which the documents apply. With this approach, predefined data (e.g., a purchase order number) need not necessarily be included with a particular transaction document in order to group the document with another document belonging to the same common transaction.

Abstract: A method and system to offer a service to a user based on a profile of the user, in response to an identification of an event. In one embodiment, the service includes offering a travel itinerary. In one embodiment, the profile of the user is based on previously obtained data. In one embodiment, the offering is performed automatically in response to the identification of the event and user. In one embodiment, the offering of the itinerary to the user based on the profile of the user comprises accessing data from at least one of a preference database and a contextual content database. The offering of the itinerary may comprise offering at least one of travel times for the user traveling to a selected area, ground transportation for the user arriving at a selected area, and costs for multiple modes of transportation. In one embodiment, the offering of the service is based in part on one of a type of service, a location, and a partner.

Abstract: A system and method for error reduction may reduce errors of tax returns filed with a taxing authority. The system and method for error reduction may include an error reduction component that may compare user-supplied tax information to corresponding tax entity information accessed from a taxing authority. The error reduction component may present the corresponding tax information to the user. If a discrepancy is detected by the error reduction component, the error reduction component may notify the user so that the discrepancy may be corrected before a tax return containing the discrepant information is filed with a taxing authority. The error reduction component may enable a user to correct discrepancies in user-supplied tax information and/or corresponding tax entity information possessed by a taxing authority. In various embodiments, the error reduction component may be implemented with a tax preparation application.

Abstract: A food identification and tracking system includes a plurality of containers adapted to hold food items. An electronically-readable tag is affixed to each of the containers. The data stored on the tags may include information, such as an identification of a food item being held by the container, the ingredients of the food item, and/or the price of the food item, for example. The containers may be distributed by way of a conveyor system offering the food items in the containers for consumption. One or more sensors positioned relative to the conveyor may electronically read the data stored on a tag and cause the identification of the food item in a container to be shown on a display. When the data in each tag includes an indicator of the price of the food item, the cost of all the food item(s) consumed by a consumer may be calculated for payment.

Abstract: A web based menu system that allows the users such as buyers and sellers to locate, purchase, and sell goods, items and services easily without any search queries. The knowledge base of the system increases with user interaction at variable levels. The database contains an orderly classification of goods and services throughout. Point-and-click technology can be used to navigate through a series of menus. The system can also respond to voice activation and recognition commands. At the web site, the user first selects a category followed by a selection of makes, items, or services called a Sub-Category that relate to the category. The system responds by displaying a uniform series of menus referred to as a “Fluidity of Taxonomy”. This process repeats until the user reaches the finite end of the menu series. Next, the system completes the interaction based upon if the user is a buyer or a seller. For buyers, the database is accessed resulting in a list of ads based upon the user's accumulated menu selections.

Abstract: Information handling systems are built to order with provisioned wireless wide area network (WWAN) service coordinated through a WWAN network provider as part of the manufacture of the information handling system. A WWAN component is built into the information handling system and then queried to retrieve a WWAN identifier, such as ESM or SIM information. The identifier is associated with end user information of the information handling system and formatted as a request for WWAN provisioning sent to a network service provider. The network service provider applies the WWAN identifier and end user information to contact the end user for setting up a WWAN account or, alternatively, to automatically set up a WWAN account for the end user.

Abstract: A transaction card system includes a transaction cared with a display tag for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the display tag and an array of electrical contacts for electrically addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, a contact window through which the contacts are accessible, machine readable data on the card, and long term information printed on the transaction card; a transaction card writer having a reader for reading the machine readable data and having means for updating the short term information displayed on the transaction card; and a central computer connected to the transaction card writer having a data base and a central processor for receiving the information read by the magnetic card reader and generating display commands for the transaction card writer.

Abstract: Directory service results responsive to a request for a desired good or service provider may be provided based on one or more user-selected locations. The user may seek a desired good or service provider that is proximate to a location from which the user may begin traveling to the point of interest, referred to as a source location, and satisfies a beneficial objective held by the user. The beneficial objective may relate to, for example, a directional travel preference, avoiding rush hour traffic or proximity to a specific location or another type of good or service provider that differs from the user's desired good or service provider that is the subject of the user's request. A sequence of geometrical representations, such as, for example, Delauney Triangles, may be generated to provide directory service results that satisfy the user's request.

Abstract: A business method for products and services. The business model provides for retail purchase of a product or service. The product or service is then transported from the retail point of purchase to a professional. The professional then activates the product or service for the consumer.