Abstract: A system and method for associating payments with spending vehicles so that an individual who is entitled to receive periodic or special payments such as social security checks receives in place of the payment a spending vehicle such as a discount card, rebate, or coupon for use with purchases of the sponsor's products or services. Sponsors include companies and organizations interested in offering purchase incentives to their customers. An individual who wishes to receive a spending vehicle rather than the regular payment selects the spending vehicle he or she would like to receive. The individual then assigns his or her right to receive the payment to a third party. The third party then arranges to give a spending vehicle to the individual and to transfer the individual's payment to the sponsor of the spending vehicle. The third party may take a portion of the payment as compensation for the service.

Abstract: A system for providing spending information in a locality by foreign visitors using transaction records of financial presentation devices such as credit and debit cards that are presentable to merchants is disclosed. A storage device stores transaction data generated from card transactions. A transaction analysis module executable by a processor generates a filtered set of transaction records that exclude, from the stored data, a set of transactions which are indicative of having been made by long term residents of the locality, rather than by residents of foreign regions, in order to improve the accuracy of true foreign visitors to the locality. For example, the system filters out from the database all transactions of accounts that have made a bill-pay transaction. As another example, the system filters out non face-to-face transactions and all transactions with mail order and catalog merchants, and schools.

Abstract: Systems and methods for distributing user-generated content are disclosed. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention may allow content to be generated by a user at a manufacturer's site with respect to a corresponding product and this content distributed to one or more retailers who sell that product such that the user-generated content may be incorporated into the retailer's site or brick and mortar location in conjunction with that product to allow consumers shopping at that retailer to access or view such user-generated content.

Abstract: Methods and systems for use in enabling verification by entities on a path across a supply network of an item identification means traversing said path, the network comprising: at least one supplier entity able to introduce into the network an item identification means having stored therein an item identifier and a digital signature associated with said supplier entity, and to forward said item identification means along a path across said network; at least one intermediate entity able to receive said item identification means from said at least one supplier entity or from another intermediate entity in said network and forward said item identification means along said path; and at least one receiver entity able to receive said item identification means from an intermediate entity in said network.

Abstract: A system includes a structure information obtaining unit which obtains structure information containing information on components of a development target in a project and on dependency relationships between the components, the structure information described, e.g., in SysML, a work item determining unit which determines work items and a work execution order based on the structure information obtained by the structure information obtaining unit; a detailed item determining unit; a date scheduling unit and a WBS storage which manages the determined work items and work execution order as work schedule definition information. The work item determining unit determines a work item related to a leaf component, which is a component not including any other component, and determines, in a case where all of the multiple components included in a single predetermined component are leaf components, a work item related to a coupling relationship between the leaf components.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for authenticating and enabling returns at a physical store location and based off of an electronic receipt. The electronic receipt may be viewed on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. The electronic receipts software may use sound recordings to verify whether a customer is present at a returns terminal at a physical store location. The electronic receipts software may recode particular sounds or ambient noise at a returns POS terminal and analyze and compare this sound recording against known sounds to determine whether a customer is present at a returns POS terminal. The electronic returns software may prevent the customer from accessing returns features if the customer is not at a returns terminal and allow the customer to access returns features if the customer is at a returns terminal.

Abstract: A system, computer program and computer-based method for managing casino operations. The system provides for employee management and information storage and retrieval for a significant number of casino operations. The system includes an attendance controller that receives, stores and displays attendance information for casino personnel. Casino personnel are issued cards that uniquely identify them and monitor them in the fulfillment of their roles. Players may also receive these types of cards, which can be used to record their casino activity and reward them for playing. The system provides for managing financial transactions between the player and entity. Touch screen devices, resident at casino tables, may be used to request and manage the table.

Abstract: A computer-implemented engine, system and method for generating business valuations, scoring, and/or flagging over a network, responsively to information input by a user remote from the engine, system and method. The invention may include a graphical user interface capable of locally querying a user to input the company information, at least one network port capable of remotely receiving the company information from the graphical user interface, and at least one engine communicatively connected to the at least one network port, which engine preferably includes a plurality of rules to generate, responsively to the input company information, at least one of a business valuation, a business score, and/or one or more business flags to be used as indicators in a network marketplace, for the company associated with the inputted company information.

Abstract: A facility for determining availability status for item groups each containing one or more items is described. For each item whose availability status changes, for each item group containing the item, the facility adds the item group to a list of item groups if the item group is not already present in the list. The facility periodically removes a plurality of item groups from the list. For each item group it removes from the list, the facility determines an availability status for the item group based upon availability statuses of items contained in the group.

Abstract: A method and system for determining a position of information related to a media or data content based on an intention of a client concerned are provided. The method includes transmitting the content to the client, determining the position of the information based on the intention of the client, transmitting the determined position of the information to the client, and displaying and providing the content and the information having the determined position for the client. The system includes a content server providing the content to the client, an account management server managing an account of the client and generating a bid value submitted by the client for providing the information to the client, and a service management server receiving the bid value from the account management server, positioning the information according to the bid value, and providing the information to the client.

Abstract: One embodiment includes a computer-implemented system for incorporating a repair vendor into repair planning for a supply chain. The system accesses a logical representation of the supply chain, access an inventory plan for the supply chain, and generates a replenishment plan for meeting the inventory plan for the supply chain that includes suggested repair orders. Unserviceable parts in the supply chain are moved from the supply chain to the repair vendor, repaired at the repair vendor, and moved from the repair vendor back to the supply chain to meet the requirements for serviceable parts at the locations in the supply chain according to the suggested repair orders.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system and computer program product for implementing an automated inventory replenishment process between a manufacturer and a business partner. In one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided comprising the business partner purchasing and maintaining an inventory of goods from the manufacturer, and the manufacturer providing price protection to the business partner for the purchasing of the goods. This embodiment further comprises managing said inventory by using an automated process that takes into account said price protection for the purchasing of the goods.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for generating orders for inventory items that are fulfilled from a physical fulfillment network of a merchant. A fulfillment network model is maintained in at least one server, the fulfillment network model comprising an abstraction of a physical fulfillment network operated by a merchant, the physical fulfillment network being configured for multi-channel delivery. An e-commerce application is maintained for the merchant on the at least one server. An order for an inventory item is generated in the e-commerce application based upon interaction with a client. A fulfillment manifest is generated based upon the fulfillment network model, the fulfillment manifest identifying at least one action to be taken in the physical fulfillment network to implement fulfillment of the order.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for providing cosmetics customized for an individual customer, and more particularly, to a method and system for providing cosmetics customized for an individual customer, wherein customized cosmetics appropriate for skin condition or scalp and hair condition of the customer are produced using diagnostic data on the skin condition or scalp and hair condition of the customer and provided to the customer to thereby enhance customer's feeling of satisfaction. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for providing customized cosmetics appropriate for an individual customer using a microprocessor having information on standard cosmetic material mixing ratios in accordance with age groups and skin conditions of consumers as a database.

Abstract: A tax refund system is disclosed in which in exchange for a taxpayer assigning all or a portion of his or her tax refund, a participating provider provides to the taxpayer a spending vehicle with buying power at participating outlets. Tax return data for an individual's tax return is processed by the IRS. A taxpayer consents to using a portion of the tax return data to acquire a spending vehicle from a financial institution of the taxpayer's choosing. Using a portion of the tax return data, the IRS arranges to electronically transfer an amount related to the taxpayer's refund to an account at the financial institution selected by the taxpayer. A taxpayer then receives a spending vehicle such as a credit, debit, or cash card, spending account, coupon, or rebate from a financial institution or other spending vehicle provider such as a retailer, service provider, wholesaler, distributor, or entertainment entity.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a plurality of logical deployment units are distributed throughout a system. Each logical deployment unit is provided with one or more business objects. Links are set up between the plurality of logical deployment units, and the logical deployment units are enabled to receive a business transaction and to identify an individual material associated with the business transaction. In the embodiment, each business object is visible only within its own logical deployment unit and has access to the individual material, and the plurality of logical deployment units and the one or more business objects are integrated.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and program product may measure the economic impact of a business venture on a targeted area. An organization's expenditure data may be automatically analyzed in conjunction with supplier survey data indicative of how the initial project budget investment is re-spent. Correspondence prompting payees to upload the survey data may be automatically generated and sent. A multiplier or other economic indicator useful in analyzing economic impact may be automatically generated using the original investment figure, as well as the expenditure and survey data. Program code may enable modeling of different scenarios to optimize money allocation.

Abstract: A method for allowing a customer to view and at least partially pay a bill incurred in a bar or a restaurant operating a POS system tracking the bill. The customer operates a mobile computing device running a mobile app communicating with the POS system. The bar or the restaurant has staff. The method includes receiving, via the POS system, check-in data in response to checking-in via the app and payment account data as a security in response to authorizing access to the payment account data via the app. The method includes receiving, via the staff, an order from the customer and associating, via the staff, the order with the payment account data in the POS system. The method includes displaying the bill in real-time via the app. The bill includes the order. The method includes receiving at least partial payment in response to such authorizing via the app.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for representing a transfer of currency during a transaction. The method involves establishing a network connection with a computing device, receiving, from the computing device, transactional data associated with the transaction, receiving currency data associated with a financial account, and displaying a pictorial representation of currency based on the currency data, where a currency type and a currency denomination are depicted as a portion of the pictorial representation. The invention further involves designating an amount of currency from the pictorial representation to obtain image data, where the amount of currency is sufficient to complete the transaction, transmitting the image data to the computing device as part of the transaction, and sending instructions to transfer the amount of currency from the financial account based on the image data and the transactional data.

Abstract: A method and a system for dispensing samples and a computer readable recording medium are disclosed herein, the system can establish a feedback mechanism and recommend one or more suitable samples for a user on the basis of identification information that is inputted by the user.