Abstract: A price calculator may receive a pricing request for at least one item, the at least one item priced in accordance with a pricing schema including a plurality of price components. The price calculator may include a parallel price calculator configured to retrieve a parallel calculation flow handling procedure corresponding to the at least one item and designating at least two price subcomponents common to the price components. The price calculator may then calculate the at least two price subcomponents for the price components in parallel, using the parallel calculation flow handling procedure.

Abstract: There is stored in a storage device a conversion coefficient for correcting the difference between payment methods with respect to the correlation between the unit for enumerating a consumption amount and monetary value and treating the consumption amount of monetary value of each payment method as an enumerated value in the same unit system. Obtained from a payment apparatus is consumption record data where the consumption amount of monetary consumption by a user is represented by the number of units for each payment method. Calculated is an enumerate value corresponding to the consumption amount of each payment method based on the consumption amount of each payment method included in the consumption record data and the conversion coefficient. Based on the enumerated value obtained for each payment method and a predetermined unit price, calculated is a counter value to be charged from the first party to the second party.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, by a management module, an inventory unpacking sequence for a remote facility. The inventory unpacking sequence indicates a sequence for unpacking a shipment at the remote facility. An order associated with the remote facility is received that includes inventory items. The management module determines an order packing arrangement for the inventory items based on the inventory unpacking sequence. Mobile drive units are instructed to transport one or more inventory holders storing the inventory items to an inventory station, where the inventory items are packed into a shipment according to the order packing arrangement. The shipment is arranged to be unpacked at the remote facility according to the inventory unpacking sequence.

Abstract: Virtual resources may be provisioned in a manner that is aware of, and respects, underlying implementation resource boundaries. A customer of the virtual resource provider may specify that particular virtual resources are to be implemented with implementation resources that are dedicated to the customer. Dedicating an implementation resource to a particular customer of a virtual resource provider may establish one or more information barriers between the particular customer and other customers of the virtual resource provider. Implementation resources may require transition procedures, including custom transition procedures, to enter and exit dedicated implementation resource pools. Costs corresponding to active and inactive implementation resources in a dedicated pools associated with a particular customer may be accounted for, and presented to, the customer in a variety of ways including explicit, adjusted per customer and adjusted per type of virtual resource and/or implementation resource.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for automatically determining and implementing fare validation rules based on analysis of rejected transactions from one or more fare validators. In some embodiments, a server or other monitoring system can monitor rejected transactions, determine a common characteristic among all the rejected transactions, and create a validation rule change that would permit the use of fare media having the common characteristic. In some embodiments, the validation rule change may be reviewed and/or modified by a transit agent or other human supervisor. Accordingly, among other benefits, validation rule changes can be automatically created and quickly implemented where a number of rejected transactions indicate previous validation rules may be incorrect.

Abstract: Information may be determined about one or more queues located within an event venue, the information including how many people are in the queue and an average rate at which the queue is moving forward. The queues may each be associated with commercial enterprises such as concession stands. If a particular queue suffers from a low queue population or a low queue movement rate, a queue broadcast may be transmitted using one or more local wireless transmitters which each have a wireless transmission zone that is at least partially within the event venue. The queue broadcast may include queue information and may include an advertisement or perk, such as a discount or special offer for the commercial enterprise associated with the queue, thus incentivizing eventgoers to go to less-crowded or less-popular queues.

Abstract: An approach is provided for indirectly connecting a customer's mobile smart device to a point of sale computer located at a business when the customer is making a purchase at the business. The customer's mobile smart device and the POS computer communicate over the Internet with a customer interaction manager executing on an Internet server. This provides an easy to use interface for the customer and allows the customer to receive information and send requests to the business without having to wait for personnel working at the business to be available.

Abstract: Provided is a method for selecting one of a plurality of convergence paths that may be drilled by a bottom hole assembly (BHA) comprising identifying, by a computer system, a plurality of geometric convergence paths, wherein each of the geometric convergence paths provides a convergence solution from a defined bottom hole assembly (BHA) location to a target drilling path of a well plan. An offset distance is calculated for drilling by the BHA each of the geometric convergence paths connecting the BHA location to the target drilling path. A drill path curvature associated with drilling each of the geometric convergence paths by the BHA is determined by the computer system. A time required for drilling each of the geometric convergence paths by the BHA is determined by the computer system.

Abstract: A system generates a plurality of price master data lookup procedures that are capable of being executed in parallel. The plurality of price master data lookup procedures is stored in a repository in an in-memory system. The in-memory system includes a parallel processor. The system accesses the repository of price master data lookup procedures, and retrieves price master data in parallel using the price master data lookup procedures. The system then calculates a price using the price master data retrieved from the price master database in the in-system memory.

Abstract: In various implementations, sales orders are received and product requirement specifications are generated based on the sales orders. Planning for the production of the goods occurs based on the product requirement specification and the goods are produced based on the plan.

Abstract: Determining a set of edit operations to perform on a string, such as one generated by optical character recognition, to satisfy a string template by determining a minimum cost of performing edit operations on the string to satisfy the string template and then determining the set of edit operations corresponding to the minimum cost. Transforming a string to satisfy one or more string templates by determining a minimum cost of performing edit operations on the string to satisfy one or more string templates, selecting one or more minimum costs, determining a set of edit operations corresponding to the minimum costs, and then performing the set of edit operations on the string. Determining a minimum cost of performing edit operations on a string to satisfy a string template by determining set costs of performing sets of edit operations using costs associated with edit operations of the set and determining the minimum cost using the set costs.

Abstract: A system, method and program product for providing passenger screening. A method is disclosed that includes: providing a third party service to collect profile information from a user and provide the user with a unique ID; submitting the unique ID from the user to a reservation system when the user books a reservation; passing the unique ID from the reservation system to a government agency; submitting the unique ID from the government agency to the third party service and returning associated profile information to the government agency; checking the associated profile information against a watch list within the government agency and generating a screening level for the user; and communicating the screening level to a screening agent.

Abstract: A system is configured to receive a task. The task is received over a first network, includes authentication credentials, and is processed using an application. The system is further configured to send the authentication credentials to a licensing server. The authentication credentials are sent over a second network, and are sent prior to processing the task using the application. The system is also configured to receive an authorization. The authorization is received over the second network, and authorizes the application to process the task.

Abstract: A system is configured to receive a task. The task is received over a first network, includes authentication credentials, and is processed using an application. The system is further configured to send the authentication credentials to a licensing server. The authentication credentials are sent over a second network, and are sent prior to processing the task using the application. The system is also configured to receive an authorization. The authorization is received over the second network, and authorizes the application to process the task.

Abstract: In one aspect thereof the exemplary embodiments provide a data processing system that includes at least one data processor; at least one memory connected with the data processor and that stores computer software that is executable by the at least one data processor; at least one database storing a plurality of fares and rules establishing conditions under which at least one of the fares can be applied; and an interface to at least one user and configured to receive from the user a fare inquiry. The data processor is configured with the computer software to cause the data processing system to receive a fare inquiry that contains at least one rule attribute, to perform a first search to determine rule data applicable to the at least one rule attribute, and to perform a second search using the rule data to retrieve a list of fares that are applicable to the rule data.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for automating the procurement of a physical server when the remaining number of available servers in a server pool reaches a predetermined threshold value. A target server pool is monitored for commitment of its associated physical servers. If the number of available servers falls below a predetermined threshold, then an automated procurement template associated with the target server pool is retrieved. The automated procurement template is then provided to the physical server manufacturer, which converts the information it contains into manufacturing and delivery data. In turn, the manufacturing data is used to manufacture the physical server, which is then delivered to the customer for implementation.

Abstract: A system includes a physical machine that controls a virtual machine to execute a processing by using hardware resources of the physical machine, and a management apparatus includes a processor configured to execute: detect a first quantity of the hardware resources used by the virtual machine larger than a specific quantity set based on a second quantity of the hardware resources assigned to the virtual machine in accordance with a first usage fee corresponding to the virtual machine, calculate a second usage fee of the virtual machine based on a third quantity larger than the second quantity, and modify the second quantity to meet with the third quantity when the second usage fee is lower than the first usage fee.

Abstract: A method implemented on a computer having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for determining an estimated number of stitches for an embroidered design. The method includes uploading a file containing a design comprised of at least one of art and text; flattening the design into a flat file; determining a number of pixels that are non-transparent in the flat file; determining a percentage of non-transparent pixels in a total pixel area available for decorating; estimating a measurement of an area to be decorated using the percentage of non-transparent pixels; and determining the estimated the number of stitches in the design using the measurement of the area to be decorated.

Abstract: A method includes generating a delta price and generating a final price using the delta price. A process and system provide an ability to determine a product's final price with a selected set of features in which multiple configurations are to be generated. The ability to determine such final prices can be based on the ability to determine the change in price between one configuration of a product and that of another product configuration (e.g. the product configured with the desired feature(s)). A customer is able to select one or more features, and so view the effect on the product's final price, as well as compare the prices (and incremental price differences) between various configurations of a given product. This increases the likelihood of the purchase being made, because it provides the potential purchaser with the final price earlier in the sales cycle.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to generate and exchange pricing information by a pricing engine. According to one embodiment, a pricing graph having a plurality of inter-dependent nodes is constructed. The pricing graph includes at least one input pricing information node and output pricing information node. In addition, at least one node provides information that effects information received by that node. A frame is established with at least one input pricing information slot and output pricing information slot. The pricing graph is then executed via a pricing engine in substantially real time. As a result, a value in the input pricing information slot is provided to the input pricing information node and a value for the output pricing information slot is received from the output pricing information node.