Abstract: Labelled item keys displayed on a touch sensitive display screen of a merchandise register (e.g., a POS terminal) are dynamically changed during operation of the register in accordance with a particular sale and/or previous sales. Information regarding all traded merchandise items is retained in a memory. Sales information relating to each merchandise item is updated and reorganized within the memory during the registration of each sale. After completion of each sales registration, merchandise items are ordered according to selected sales information associated with each merchandise item. In one example, a hierarchial ranking according to sales volume is created for all traded items. In addition, a key arrangement storing memory stores key arrangement data that specifies a particular positional arrangement or layout for displaying item identification indicia within a limited number of merchandise keys that are displayed on the touch sensitive display screen.

Abstract: This is a system for disseminating obituaries by a depository that monitors reports of death and selectively transmits some of them to persons who have contracted beforehand with the depository to be notified of certain deaths when report of them is received. The depository creates a database of persons whose deaths are to be reported to customers and a database of customers who are to have certain deaths reported to them. The customer specifies the method of communication and the address to which the death notice is to be sent. The depository monitors all reports of death arising in a domain predetermined in an agreement with the customer and compares data identifying the reported deceased with data identifying the awaited deceased selected by customers. When there is a match the depository transmits a notice of death to the customer at the address and in the manner specified.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic inventory clearing system having particular utility as an airline reservation system. The system includes one or more devices for storing information from which transactions can be generated, at least one transaction forwarding and storage station for requesting a desired transaction and an information processing unit for evaluating requested items with respect to the stored information. The information processing unit is capable of compiling a list of uncompleted transactions and of automatically querying the information storage device(s) for the availability of items to fill each transaction on the list. A process for using the system is also described.

Abstract: An interactive method for performing a differential medical diagnosis utilizing a programmed computer system and a stored data base. In one particular embodiment, the method is for making a dermatopathological diagnosis based on operator selections from data files sequentially presented from the broadest scope to the narrowest scope. The data base is stored in a forwardly and backwardly linked hierarchical array of data files. If the data base were graphically arranged according to the linkages, it would appear in the form of a decision tree having a plurality of levels, each level encompassing the entire subject matter of dermatopathology. Each data file in the data base corresponds to a node of the decision tree and the records in the data file correspond to the branches.