Abstract: This invention relates to an object-oriented system and method for easily and rapidly distributing medical images from existing picture and report storage systems to a plurality of heterogeneous client workstations. The system includes one or more interface engines, for providing image objects with uniform structure regardless of the type of existing system on which they are stored, and image server middleware, for managing the distribution of image objects. The system also includes a security object server, for authorizing user access to the image distribution system and to particular objects, a personalization object server, for providing user interface preferences and client workstation capabilities, and a web server, for downloading initial access pages and user interface components.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for aggregating and pooling information with feedback in a computer communication system. A communication system includes a server device and a set of client devices. Each client device collects information from an associated individual (whether by asking questions of those individuals, or accepting data input from peripheral devices), and transmits that data to a server device. The server device, or some other device at its behest, determines statistical information with regard to that data (such as aggregate, correlation, dispersion, or other measures), and provides that information to a communication channel for distribution to the individuals. The communication channel can include either (1) a broadcast communication channel that members of an affinity group can display, or (2) redistributing the determined statistical measures to associated individuals using the client devices.

Abstract: A practical system and method for the remote distribution of financial services (e.g., home banking and bill-paying) involves distributing portable terminals to a user base. The terminals include a multi-line display, keys “pointing to” lines on the display, and additional keys. Contact is established between the terminals and a central computer operated by a service provider, preferably over a dial-up telephone line and a packet data network. Information exchange between the central computer and the terminal solicits information from the terminal user related to requested financial services (e.g., for billpaying, the user provides payee selection and amount and his bank account PIN number). The central computer then transmits a message over a conventional ATM network debiting the user's bank account in real time, and may pay the specified payees the specified amount electronically or in other ways as appropriate. Payments and transfers may be scheduled in advance or on a periodic basis.

Abstract: A computer program product stores computer instructions therein for instructing a computer to perform a process. The program product includes a recording medium readable by the computer, and computer instructions stored thereon instructing the computer to perform the process. The instructions and the process include determining and storing at least one enterprise attribute data, customer attribute data, shareholder attribute data and government attribute data, and implementing an enterprise computer simulation model that utilizes the attribute data and generates enterprise performance data. The enterprise simulation model evaluates the enterprise performance data with respect to the at least one of each other and predetermined criteria. The data from evaluated enterprise performance is then used for ranking, indexing, decision making, enterprise controlling and/or investment purposes, manually and/or electronically.

Abstract: A system stores criteria specified by a funder relating to trade transactions for buyers and sellers. The system compares the criteria with a proposed purchase order to determine whether the system can generate a payment guarantee on behalf of the funder for the buyer to the seller. The system also compares subsequent documents relating to an original purchase order with the original purchase order to ensure that the terms of the purchase order are properly fulfilled. When the appropriate conditions for payment are met, the system issues a funds transfer instruction to transfer payment from the buyer to the seller.

Abstract: A computerized reward system which encourages an individual's participation in a health management system includes a script generating means for generating a health management script, a script assignment means for assigning a health management script to the individual, a monitoring means for collecting data on the individual's compliance, a memory means for storing the compliance data, an evaluation means for comparing the compliance data to evaluation criteria to determine if the patient is compliant, and a reward to be given to the compliant individual. The individual's compliance is evaluated by his or her answers to the health management script. Each health management script program can be custom made for each individual. The different monitoring means possible which the individual can use include a remotely programmable apparatus, an interactive telephone call, and a multimedia processor.

Abstract: A system and method for selecting and presenting personally targeted entities such as advertising, coupons, products and information content, based on tracking observed behavior on a user-by-user basis and utilizing an adaptive vector space representation for both information and behavior. The system matches users to entities in a manner that improves with increased operation and observation of user behavior. User behavior and entities (ads, coupons, products) and information (text) are all represented as content vectors in a unified vector space. The system is based on an information representation called content vectors that utilizes a constrained self organization learning technique to learn the relationships between symbols (typically words in unstructured text). Users and entities are each represented as content vectors.

Abstract: The pricing module of the present invention provides a single module that models both fixed-income securities and equity securities into the future in an arbitrage-free model. Because the modeling includes both fixed-income securities and equity securities that are modeled based on common input state variables and does not allow arbitrage conditions between the fixed-income securities and the equity securities (as well as no arbitrage within a security class), the present invention provides an improved pricing module as compared to those in the prior art.

Abstract: A method is described of managing a plurality of tasks to be carried out by a plurality of personnel, each of the tasks having identified task details relevant thereto, in which the method includes: identifying task personnel who will be directly involved in carrying out each task; allocating sole responsibility for each task to a task controller, and transferring task details to and/or between task personnel and controllers such that task details relevant to a task are provided to and accessible by only the task controller and the task personnel for the task; wherein recommendations for modifying task details relevant to a task can only be made by task personnel for the task, and wherein a task or task details for a task can only be modified by the task controller for the task and/or an administrator, the method utilizes a data processing assembly operable under the control of program means embodied on a machine-readable storage medium that provides a task management system for coordinating the plurality of

Abstract: A system for scheduling time intervals for a plurality of users on a network comprises a database system that stores a profile for each potential invitee of the system at one or more servers. The invitee profiles comprises user profiles wherein each user profile has information regarding available and unavailable times for that user. The system further comprises request generators located remotely from the servers and connected over a network that generate a request for allocation of a time interval for one or more of the plurality of invitees. A busy time determination device gathers the profiles for the one or more requested invitees that are available in the databases and determining whether those invitees are available during the time interval requested by the request generating means. If not all invitees are available, a best fit determining system determines a next best time interval.

Abstract: A computer system and method for preparing financial estimates and for analyzing and using data in the management of projects, includes a graphical user interface (8) with two optional, graphical modes of operation. In one graphical mode of operation, the user directs the computer (10) to display a data map (31) in the form of a segmented pyramid. The segments (34, 35 et seq.) of the pyramid provide active areas or buttons, which when selected with the mouse input device (15), display an appropriate screen with the text or financial details for that segment of the estimating or management process. In an alternative graphical mode of operation, a series of objects in the form of process blocks (75, 78) are connected in a flow chart which proceeds from left to right along a path (73) that is displayed on the screen of the computer. The process blocks (75, 78) each have their own title bar (76) and sequence number (71) to assist the user in following a predetermined sequence in preparing a financial estimate.

Abstract: A system for scheduling time intervals for a plurality of users comprises a database, associated with one or more server means, for storing a profile for potential invitees of the system, the invitee profiles comprising user profiles wherein each user profile comprises information regarding available and unavailable times for that user. A remote workstation comprises a request generating system that is connected over a network to the server means and that generates a request for allocation of a time interval for one or more of the plurality of invitees. At the server, a busy time determination system gathers the profiles for the one or more requested invitees using asynchronous fan out requests to the one or more databases storing the profiles and determines whether those invitees are available during the requested time interval.

Abstract: A comprehensive system and methodology for incorporating origination and destination network effects into a transportation industry's vehicle assignment process. The invention utilizes a decomposition strategy to combine a simplified version of network segment-FAM with the network flow aspects of origination and destination yield management. The invention's decomposition of the problem allows for the nonlinear aspects of the targeted origination and destination market effects to be isolated in origination and destination yield management, and subsequently incorporated in the vehicle assignment model using linear approximations to the total revenue function. The system operates either in "standalone" mode, or communicably attached to remote and local databases attendant to equipment and scheduling.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of developing a software system using Object Oriented Technology and frameworks for developing a business application. The present invention solves this problem with a framework framework comprising a using non-financial component integration base class, a target financial component integration base class, and a generic data conversion engine. The present invention is applicable in the technical field of application development of software systems, e.g. for a business application as Financial or Logistic and Distribution, wherein it is the purpose of frameworks to provide significant portions of the application that are common across multiple implementations of the application in a general manner, easy to extend for specific implementation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for highlighting holidays in a calendar software application of a portable intelligent communications device or in a separate computer, including the steps of specifying a geographical location, determining holidays for the geographical location, depicting a calendar on a display screen of such portable intelligent communications device or computer, and depicting holidays in a fashion different from other days on the calendar. The geographical location information is specified by the current location of the portable intelligent communications device or via a graphical user interface. The holiday information is obtained from a database housed in the portable intelligent communications device or via an Internet address connected through communications circuitry of the portable intelligent communications device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic advertising system. More specifically, the present invention creates a means to select ads for publication in the newspaper based on past performance of individual personal ads, thus attempting to optimize the number of responses to the printed personal ad column as a whole. At the same time, all personal ads are published on the Internet so as to accommodate all advertisers regardless of the past performance of their ad. Finally, by fully integrating the Internet personal ads service with the audiotext personal ad service, advertisers whose ad only is published on the Internet are in no way disadvantaged by fewer features or options.

Abstract: The risk of fraud associated with access by a subscriber to a network (42) is managed by a system that includes a data base (46) that stores a record for each subscriber indicative of that subscriber's usage history and payment ability for each service to which that subscriber has access. Additionally, the subscriber's record also stores an individual service risk characteristic indicative of the risk of providing access by the subscriber to a particular service, as well as a composite risk characteristic indicative of an overall risk of access. In response to a request for access to a particular service by a subscriber, the data base (46) responds in accordance with the subscriber's individual service risk characteristic for the service sought as well as the composite risk characteristic. In this way, account is taken of the subscriber's usage and payment ability with respect to all services available to the subscriber, rather than the single service sought by the subscriber.

Abstract: A system for enabling access to non-HTML objects from a web browser. The system includes a database for storing non-HTML objects. A system user requests a non-HTML object from a database using a web browser. The web browser transmits the request to a server via a HTTP server and module. The server locates and retrieves the document requested. The module translates the document to a format supported by the web browser. The HTTP server communicates the translated object to the web browser over a network. The web browser then presents the translated object to the system user. The server also includes a schedule and calendar application which provides electronic scheduling and calendaring capabilities directly from the browser without having to open another application or display window.

Abstract: A method of forecasting the demand for ambulance services based upon a determination from the historical record of the number of currently active calls at the time each new call is received. The method may utilize records of specific calls history including the time each call was received and the time each call was completed, or it may use information on the number of calls received each hour to simulate specific calls history. The method may be extended to a "third dimension" to better account for the effect of service demands and staffing levels in preceding hours. The method has application to other services having the characteristics of limited available service resources, randomly occurring service requests but historically-repeating levels of demand, and relatively long service times.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for effecting remote commerce, such as in telemarketing (either inbound or outbound) and in electronic commerce, which are particularly adapted for the intelligent selection and proffer of products, services or information to a user or customer.