Abstract: A DB interface is provided between each subscriber database, which stores information associated with each goods including an aesthetic/sensuous attribute unique to each subscriber, and a basic DB, which stores support information for supporting goods planning of each subscriber by electronic processing. The DB interface converts the aesthetic/sensuous attribute to data corresponding to a unified classification and a unified evaluation axis of the basic DB so as to cause the basic DB to fetch the information of each subscriber database as part of the support information.

Abstract: A method and system of issuing an electronic authorization and validation for pre-scheduled activities such as airline reservations to eliminate paper tickets. The passenger makes the reservation and allows a reservation operation center to charge the passengers credit card company. A reservation number is issued in the computer. The passenger utilizes a plastic I.D. card that accesses computer for validation purposes. An automatic teller machine, at the airport, allows the passenger to receive specific flight information, departure gate information and the like by the insertion of the I.D. card. A mobile airline communications system at the departure gate includes a cellular telephone network connected to a lap top computer and a magnetic card reader that provides validation of the reservation and payment to an airline employee at the departure which allows the passenger to board the aircraft.

Abstract: A translation rule learning scheme for a machine translation using a computer, in which an original sentence in a first language and a translated sentence in a second language of a bilingual text are analyzed to obtain dependency structures indicating a predicate and a case information associated with the predicate in each language; case frame correspondences between the first and second languages are estimated by estimating correspondences of words in the dependency structures in the first and second languages according to a bilingual dictionary; the estimated case frame correspondences are modified by comparing the case information in the dependency structures in the first and second languages and estimating a missing case information in one language from an existing case information in another language; and translation rules are extracted from the modified case frame correspondences.

Abstract: An apparatus for retrieving image objects in accordance with a natural language sentence according to the present invention includes: an input section for receiving a natural language sentence; a language processing section for parsing the natural language sentence by referring to a dictionary for language analysis so as to obtain a syntactic structure of the natural language sentence; a situation element division section for converting the syntactic structure of the natural language sentence into a semantic structure of the natural language sentence and for dividing a situation represented by the semantic structure of the natural language sentence into at least one situation element by referring to a situation element division knowledge base; an image database for storing at least one image object corresponding to the at least one situation element; and a retrieval section for retrieving at least one image object from the image database by using the situation element as an image retrieval key.

Abstract: A data processing system for processing the voting of partial stock interests via equity and options, comprising computer means for determining and storing component factors for equity and for calculating and storing component factors for options and vote component factors corresponding to each of said component factors for options, wherein each said vote component factor is indicative of the right to receive a partial vote attributed to each of said component factors for options, wherein said component factors for options are at least two of: (i) a component interest indicative of the right to receive a partial share of stock equal in value to a stipulated price or a full share of stock of the company on a predetermined future date, whichever is the lesser value; (ii) a component interest indicative of the right to receive a partial share of stock equal in value to the appreciation, if any, of the share of stock above the stipulated price on the predetemined date; (iii) a component interest indicative of the

Abstract: A dictionary memory acquires knowledge of degrees of association between words. Word units are provided, each corresponding to a word and each storing word occurrence information, and these word units are connected by links in which the degree of association between words is stored, forming a network. The word units use word occurrence information to determine the degrees of activity of words, links determine word expectations based on the degrees of activity and degrees of association between words, and the word units determine likelihoods of words in input registers by adding the expectations thereto. Next, words selected by a maximum-likelihood word selecting part are placed in an output register by the corresponding word units. Links adjust degrees of association between words based on the likelihoods and degrees of activity of words.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed wherein a single set of consumer items may be purchased by debiting any of a plurality of accounts stored on a smart card. According to an embodiment disclosed herein, a point-of-sale terminal includes a terminal processor, an item identification device, a terminal memory, and a smart card reader. The item identification device may include a conventional UPC bar code reader adapted to read UPC bar codes on consumer items. A cost table and a plurality of item tables are electronically stored in terminal memory. The cost table associates each item identifier (UPC bar code) with a corresponding cost. Each item table contains a list of item identifiers, and may optionally associate specific item identifiers with corresponding accounts. Each item table is uniquely identified using an item table identifier. The terminal memory, item identification device, and smart card reader are all coupled to the terminal processor.

Abstract: A method for the retrieval from an electronic dictionary of a word which is known or believed to exist but can not be brought to mind or a word that is thought may exist, to replace a pedestrian word or phrase. A complete thesaurus and dictionary are needed to establish numeric codes. The numeric codes designate synonym groups and are assigned to thesaurus entries and are thereafter transferred to corresponding dictionary entries and their definition words. The synonym groups can be expanded to include related words and words that are not technically synonyms. Words having no synonyms are assigned unique numeric codes or can be included within the synonym groups of one or more related words. The user enters one or more search words which are thought may exist in the definition of the word sought. After locating the numeric code(s) for the search word(s) the dictionary is searched for words having those numeric code(s) within their definitions.

Abstract: A computerized reservation system including controlling and monitoring of group travel related services is presented. In addition to master inventory of travel related services and a set of passenger name records which correlate individuals with reserved travel related services from the master inventory, the present invention uses a group control record which includes a group inventory which is a subset of the master inventory, and a number of group related passenger name records, which are a subset of the general passenger name records. When changes are made to any one of the master inventory, group control records or group passenger name records, appropriate changes are automatically made in the others of these three. Thus, the monitoring and controlling of group travel related services is greatly facilitated.

Abstract: By gathering information regarding the total number of sales, total number of pending listings, total number of active listings, and total number of expired listings in a time period, a market index may be derived. This market index can then be charted over a plurality of periods, giving an indication of any temporal trends. The market index can further be used to guide and determine the action of a service provider such as a lender or title insurance company in a proposed real estate transaction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming an energy subtraction image comprises recording a plurality of radiation images of an object on recording media by irradiating several kinds of radiation with different energy levels to the object, which is constituted of a plurality of tissues exhibiting different levels of radiation absorptivity with respect to the several kinds of radiation with different energy levels, and then detecting a plurality of original image signals representing the plurality of the radiation images. A first image signal, which represents a first image primarily composed of patterns of first tissues of the object, is generated from the plurality of the original image signals. A first smoothed image signal is generated by processing the first image signal, the first smoothed image signal representing a first smoothed image in which noise components of the first image have been reduced or eliminated.