Abstract: An electronic system providing banking services, comprises a server having a first interface for communication with user mobile telephony devices over a mobile telephone network; and a second interface for communication with an intermediary acting as a gateway to banking records of multiple banking organizations. The first interface is adapted to allow at least balance enquiry requests to be submitted to one of the multiple banking organizations by means of the intermediary and to provide at least balance enquiry replies for display on the user mobile telephony device. The invention provides the functions of the high street ATM using the mobile phone environment.

Abstract: A method for verifying a portable consumer device. The method includes receiving an authorization request message associated with a transaction conducted using a portable consumer device. The portable consumer device includes a portable consumer device fingerprint. The authorization request message includes an altered portable consumer device fingerprint and an algorithm identifier. The method also includes selecting an algorithm from among a plurality of algorithms using the algorithm identifier, determining the portable consumer device fingerprint using selected algorithm and the altered portable consumer device fingerprint, determining if the portable consumer device fingerprint matches a stored portable consumer device fingerprint, and sending an authorization response message after determining if the portable consumer device fingerprint matches the stored portable consumer device fingerprint.

Abstract: A method for determining one or more features of an annuity includes receiving data indicative of a prospective annuitant's personal expenses in at least a first expense category and a second expense category; storing the data in memory; accessing price index information for the first expense category; accessing price index information for the second expense category; accessing general price index information; and based on factors including the price index information for the first expense category, the price index information for the second expense category, and the general price index information, determining a benefit increase rate of an annuity for the prospective annuitant; and providing an output indicative of at least the determined benefit increase rate.

Abstract: Methods are presented for facilitating sales transactions by electronic media. A temporary barcode or other design is affixed to the person or personal object during the period of time for which a financial transaction might occur. Before the sales transaction can be consummated, the barcode information is scanned and characteristics about the scanned code are compared to characteristics about other codes stored in a database for the specific time period in question in order to verify the identity of the buyer for a given time period. Once the information is verified, the seller may be authorized to debit the buyer's electronic bank account or charge their charge card account to consummate the transaction or transactions during a period of time. The seller may transmit the buyer's barcode and the buyer transmit the seller's barcode to a clearance center, where the buyer has a smartphone capable of scanning the seller's code.

Abstract: A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for processing an image that shows multiple deposit items, where the image was captured by a remote capture device. For example, some embodiments provide a method that includes: (a) receiving an image that shows multiple deposit items, where the image was captured by a remote capture device; (b) identifying, based at least partially on the image, deposit item information associated with the multiple deposit items; and/or (c) crediting an account based at least partially on the deposit item information.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that keep check of financial transactions by maintaining a count of the financial transactions using a register portion, in conjunction with performing authentication further to inputting transaction data from a data-bearing record that is stored in a device. The system may include a communication portion that inputs transaction data received from the data bearing record, the transaction data including an input transaction count value and an input device differentiator number; and a processing portion that processes the transaction data.

Abstract: Systems and methods enable transfer of electronic account information from a first account provider to a second account provider. Through a receiving account provider system, an interface is presented to the user, the interface comprising a display of one or more selectable accounts associated with a first account provider. The user then selects one or more accounts to transfer and then the receiving account provider system effects the transfer of information from that selected account or accounts to an account associated with the receiving account provider system.

Abstract: A prioritizing system and method are disclosed for prioritizing processing of payment instructions through a payment instruction processing system of a business entity. The method includes identifying a first set of rules determining a prioritization among a set of payment instructions. These include payment instructions related to payments from nostro accounts associated with the business entity and processed by other business entities. Also, the payment instructions have data fields for qualitative and quantitative attributes describing the payment instructions. The method also includes holding and ordering the payment instructions in a queue, determining a first sequence ordering the payment instructions in the queue based upon the first set of rules, and initiating processing of the payment instructions in the queue according to the first sequence.

Abstract: Embodiment of the invention describe methods and systems for verifying customer supplied financial account information verification using debit and credit transactions. These methods include electronically transmitting an electronic debit and credit transaction to the customer financial account, based on the customer supplied financial account information. The method also includes electronically transmitting a first statement descriptor, as part of at least one of the electronic debit transaction and the electronic credit transaction, that includes a first verification code. The method also includes electronically receiving, from the customer, a second verification code, and comparing, by the computer system, the transmitted first verification code with the received second verification code with respect to each other. The method also includes verifying, by the computer system, the customer supplied financial account information based on the comparison of the verification codes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating a purchase request to a dealer immediately. A Data Center system has a system database accessible to a plurality of dealers. A potential buyer submits a purchase request over a computer network to the Data Center system. The purchase request may include product identification data and buyer location information. The Data Center system identifies at least one appropriate dealer to receive the purchase request. The Data Center creates a purchase request record from the data and information provided in the purchase request. The Data Center then communicates the purchase request to the appropriate dealer by immediately storing the purchase request record into the system database such that the purchase request is accessible only to the at least one identified dealer. The purchase request becomes available to the at least one identified dealer immediately upon the creation of the purchase request record.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for engaging in a transaction between a consumer and a merchant. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method and system for providing instant credit by a credit issuer to the consumer at a point-of-sale of the merchant. In addition, the present invention is directed to a method and system for identifying at least one optimal credit product from a plurality of credit products of at least one credit issuer to a consumer.

Abstract: A method and system for evaluating the performance of a study group of loans relative to the performance of a control group of loans is presented. The described method includes determining a study group and a control group from a portfolio of individual loans, determining a set of control variables associated with each of the individual loans included in the study group and the control group, partitioning the control group into one or more cells based on the set of control variables, calculating an estimated performance value for each of the individual loans in the study group based on the cells; and calculating a performance difference for the study group. The performance difference has a standard normal distribution with zero mean which allows statistical significance to be estimated using standard probability tables. The control group may either include or exclude the individual loans in the study group to eliminate inaccuracies.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reordering checks for a plurality of accounts of a financial institution. For each of the plurality of accounts, an order for a first quantity of checks for the account may be generated. The order may comprise an account number and contact information. For each of the plurality of accounts, a portion of the first quantity of checks for the account that has been processed may be monitored. Also, an indication of a threshold quantity of checks may be received. Further, it may be determined when the portion of the first quantity of checks that has been processed exceeds the threshold quantity of the first quantity of checks. For each of the plurality of accounts, when the portion of the first quantity of checks that has been processed exceeds the threshold quantity, an order for a second quantity of checks for the account may be generated.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention regards allocating lifted product volumes to specific entities of a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) through the use of Lifting Partner Groups (LPG) and an Entitlement Percentage (EP), which is itself calculated, consistent with the terms of the PSC. Through this system, specific PSC members no longer need to be identified for each specific terminal lift to allocate the lift back to the PSC entity. Rather, the EP is used in conjunction with the Lifting Product Groups to split up the portion of each lift attributable to each entity for actual accounting purposes, and further to determine the average sales price(s) to be used in calculating total production revenue.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically reordering checks for a plurality of accounts utilizing checks. For each of the plurality of accounts, a number of checks written may be determined from a most recent check order. The number of checks written may comprise a number of checks cleared and a number of stop payment orders made. Also, for each of the plurality of accounts, a check usage rate for the account may be determined. The check usage rate may be proportional to a number of checks written per unit time. Additionally, for each of the plurality of accounts a time-to-exhaustion for the account may be determined considering the number of checks written and the check usage rate for the account. Also, for each of the plurality of accounts, when the time-to-exhaustion drops below a threshold, an order of new checks directed to a customer associated with the account may be initiated.

Abstract: In a trading system market data from a matching engine is distributed by a broker to a plurality of trading floors repeatedly every T seconds, typically one second. This one second distribution period is divided into a plurality of time slots and each trading floor is randomly assigned to a slot. Data for a given trading floor is calculated and distributed during the time slot assigned to that floor. The position of a trading floor relative to others is varied by swapping a pair of adjacent time slots every J distribution periods.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a stock purchase index is provided. The system receives raw customer trading data. The raw customer trading data is segregated into buy and sell data per CUSIP to determine a number of buy CUSIP shares, a number of sell CUSIP shares, a total buy CUSIP market value, a total sell CUSIP market value, a total number of buy accounts, and a total number of sell accounts. The sorted data is processed to produce a stock purchase index report, wherein the stock purchase index report is a sell weighted index. The sell weighted index is then displayed in the stock purchase index report.

Abstract: A method and system for determining investor participation driven stock purchase indices. Raw customer trading data is received from an accounting system. The raw customer trading data is then aggregated to generate daily transaction total counts for all stocks (that is, total shares bought and sold, total market value, etc.) as well as daily transaction total counts for each individual stock. Aggregation of the raw customer data also addresses customer privacy concerns. The aggregated data is processed to produce moving averages, stock purchase indices, and stock rankings. The stock purchase indices are based on a diffusion index technique of segregating buyers from sellers, and with these relative counts, measures the breadth of investor purchasing participation. The stock purchase indices are then displayed to a graphical user interface. The display includes stock buy and sell ranking lists.

Abstract: A target level of funds may be defined to specify an ideal level of currency stored in a currency handling device for efficient operation. The target level may be modified based on forecasted currency usage needs. Forecasts may be conducted based on historical usage data, user input and seasonal/event considerations. When a level of funds exceeds the target level by a specified amount, a transport request may be generated. When a level of funds underruns the target level by a specified amount, a change order request may be generated. In one or more arrangements, recommendations for target levels, transport requests and change order requests may be provided for user confirmation instead of automatically executing the recommendation.