Abstract: In one embodiment an online game advertising system provides an architecture for enabling the definition, sales, distribution, and management of interactive advertisements, sponsorships, and placements that appear within an online video game as part of the game experience or during idle load, wait, and pause screens. For example, in a race car game, when a driver pulls in for a pit stop, the engine oil brand that the game player may choose may be defined as locations for advertisements or product placements for real life engine oils and game publishers and advertisers may manage what specific advertisements to place in these locations.

Abstract: In a safety stock control system, safety stock is changed in response to updating of a setting value so as to be continuously maintained as a proper value. The safety stock control system is comprised of a demand prediction means, an actual value calculating means, a predicted remainder calculating means, a parameter calculating means, and a safety stock calculating means for calculating safety stock based upon a parameter calculated by the parameter calculating means. In response to updating of the setting value, data of an area, which is different from such a data read when a plan is made, is temporarily read from a data storage means to the respective means, and then, various sorts of calculating process operations are carried out either one time or plural times.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for managing returnable containers according to a manufacturer's production schedule. It provides capabilities to move and adjust container inventory throughout the entire parts supply chain. Movements of the containers are tracked to ensure each supplier has at all times a physical inventory of containers that is adequate to ship parts in a timely manner to the manufacturer's facilities. Container movement is controlled through the use of process flows and their relationship with physical locations called “inventory holding areas.” An inventory holding area reflects the quantity of containers that are held within that portion of the supply chain. Each of these portions is represented by an “inventory holding area type.” The system and method operate based on the function of the inventory holding area types and the relationships between each other.

Abstract: A retail terminal and method of operation thereof. The retail terminal has a weight scale, a bar code scanner, RFID tag antenna, a scan error indicator, means for communicating with a processor and a memory containing a weight learning database (WLDB). The method comprises the steps of: allowing placement of an item, having an RFID tag, to be weighed on the weight scale; allowing scanning of the item via the bar code scanner; allowing RFID tag to be read by antenna located in the scanner; obtaining a weight measurement of the item on the scale upon successful scanning of the item; and comparing the measured weight of the scanned item with a predetermined weight for that item stored in the WLDB.

Abstract: A store system comprises: store controller 21 incorporating programs for executing sales and sales management tasks; display 27 for displaying a screen for the execution of a task specified by each of the programs; first input means for inputting data to store controller 21 based on an instruction displayed on the screen produced on the display 27; and second input means for inputting handwritten or voice memo information to store controller 21. Store controller 21 requests an operator to select key information to be appended to the memo information when the operator inputs the memo information via the second input means, and stores the memo information, together with the appended key information, in a storage device within the system.

Abstract: A novel system provided for selling goods has an electronic device configured to enable a customer to access a group of items pre-selected for the customer based on an evaluation made when the goods are tried on by a human model having similar individual characteristics as the customer. The evaluation is performed by the human model trying on the goods to evaluate whether the goods fit the customer, and/or by an expert evaluating whether the goods are suitable for a human model trying on the goods. The goods are classified in accordance with a pre-set classification. Human models are selected to represent categories of the pre-set classification. The goods are tried on by the human models of the respective categories, and are evaluated to determine evaluation marks. Individual characteristics of a customer are obtained to determine to which category in the pre-set classification the customer belongs.

Abstract: A process for increasing profits of a business engaged in the purchase of large numbers of products and/or products of volatile pricing from numerous vendors that operates to identify pricing errors, preferably typically before payment, by automatically reviewing all invoices typically in the order they are received to determine a best system price for each line item of each invoice by reference to pricing factors such as volume discount, seasonal pricing, price protection, commodity pricing, competition pricing, and cash discount recorded in memory for the subject item and reference to payment history data, accounts payable data and invoice data. From the pricing factors and associated data, a best system price is determined and compared to the invoice price for the item so that pricing errors are automatically uncovered and, if appropriate, flagged to identify the same as an exception for warning or notification.

Abstract: A system and method for forecasting tax effects of financial transactions is provided. The system and method include a series of web pages. The web pages allow a user to 1) determine their federal and state tax rates, 2) describe the asset they wish to sell. Additional web pages then display the tax consequences of the sale of the asset along with the details of the calculations used to evaluate those consequences. Still more web pages can be used to describe an asset to buy. In this case, the displayed consequences are expanded to compare the benefit of holding the current asset against the benefit of acquiring the new asset.