Abstract: A method for determining an amount of electricity to purchase includes determining electrical power consumption characteristics of an electrical load at an end user of the electricity. A preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load is ascertained. The output varies with a rate of electrical power consumption by the load. A mathematical model is created of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load as a function of time and of monetary cost of the electricity. The model is dependent upon the electrical power consumption characteristics of the electrical load and the preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load. An amount of electricity is purchased based on the mathematical model of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load, and based on the monetary cost of the electricity.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a damaged vehicle estimate for a damaged vehicle. A mobile device is used to capture a photo image of the damaged vehicle and receive vehicle information from a user. The mobile device displays a graphical image of the damaged vehicle. A user can provide input on the graphical image that indicates a location of damage on the damaged vehicle. The photo image, marked graphical image and the vehicle information are transferred from the mobile device to a computer where a damaged vehicle estimate is generated. The damaged vehicle estimate is transferred to the mobile device and displayed to a user.

Abstract: A pattern-recognition based method and system that generate a plurality of block elements based on predefined boundary conditions provided by an automated underwriting system, capture and scan a workflow object within a workflow pathway thereby recognizing and identifying block elements of a recognition block-map in the captured workflow object, determine a proximity factor relative to each workflow object of a second database, measure a corresponding proximity factor by matching recognized block elements of the captured workflow object with block elements of a workflow object of the second database, provide the measure for the proximity of the two workflow objects based on the mutually allocatable block elements, and generate and assign a conformity index to the captured workflow object based on the conformity of the recognized block elements with a stored block elements of a first searchable data structure.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. For example, one method includes initializing a transaction mode for using a transaction card having a front portion and a rear portion from a seat device of a transportation vehicle; adjusting lighting from the seat device to capture an image of the transaction card; capturing the image of the transaction card using a camera of the seat device; and processing the image of the transaction card and extracting information from the image of the transaction card.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for activating a software product for use by a customer of a financial institution that accesses an on-line banking product on an on-line banking server. A request from the financial institution to activate the software product for use by the customer is received through an interface such as an extranet site of a host of the on-line banking product. An enablement request is transmitted from the interface to an activation server, and a script on the activation server is executed to modify a configuration element to automatically activate the software program for the customer. Thus, the financial institution, which does not host the on-line banking product, drives automatic activation of the software product without manual input by project managers or technical support persons of the on-line banking product host.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for determining price targets are disclosed. The systems and techniques are designed to be a key workflow tool for investment managers and analysts, saving time and improving investment discipline. Using the disclosed systems and techniques, price targets may be generated based on historic, forward looking, and/or relative valuation metrics which are applied to actual or estimated financial data.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods, articles of manufacture and systems for identifying and/or classifying an on-line banking account utilized for business purposes. A computer processor receives or determines a description of an on-line banking account including an abbreviation. Rules are executed determine respective edit distances or scores representing respective degrees of transformation from the abbreviation to respective normalized strings or words. At least one rule specifies that an edit distance or score for transforming an abbreviation to a normalized string is determined without considering any vowel appearing after a first letter of the normalized string if a first letter of the abbreviation is the same as a first letter of the normalized string. Respective edit distances or scores are determined, and at least one string is selected as corresponding to the abbreviation, e.g., the string being associated with the lowest edit distance or score as determined from application of the rules.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method, tax return preparation systems and computer program products for presenting an explanation for a tax calculation or operation performed by a tax return preparation system when the system is in “forms” mode. An electronic version of a tax authority form that has been modified by inclusion of interface elements is displayed to a user. In response to the user selecting an interface element while in forms mode, presentation of an explanation regarding a tax calculation or operation for the associated field is invoked. The user interface controller provides data in response to selection of the interface element to an explanation engine, which determines an explanation based at least in part upon the tax calculation graph. The explanation is provided to the user interface controller for presentation to the user.

Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and computer readable media for enabling direct electronic payment transfers are disclosed. Identification information of a payer, based on a user selection at a mobile device, is received from a first application installed on the mobile device. A user identification of a payment amount is received via a second application installed on the mobile device. The second application is different from the first application. Biometric data of the user is captured at a biometrics reader of the mobile device, and then compared to authorized biometric data to authenticate the user. Upon successful authentication of the user, a request for the electronic payment transfer from the payer to the user for the payment amount is initiated from the mobile device.

Abstract: A distributed system for commerce including a merchant system with a communication system for receiving, processing and transmitting data. The system further includes an intermediate server system in communication with the merchant system, and this intermediate server system includes a data storage system for storing data transmitted thereto, as well as a communication system for receiving, processing and transmitting data.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the problem of automatic, algorithm-guided estimation of insurance loss ratio, claims frequency, the probability of excess claims, and other insurance policy performance characteristics for an individual insured or for groups of insured individuals. A time-series-derived Bayesian power spectrum weight is calculated from the frequency of temporal pattern-specific values in terms of intensities at various frequencies of the power spectrum computed from credit utilization ratio (CUR; outstanding balance of debt, as a percentage of credit line available) time-series obtained by the insurer by ‘soft pull’ inquiries submitted periodically to credit-rating agencies, and provides an opportunity to capture and measure the relative magnitude of frequent or unexpected changes in consumer liquidity.

Abstract: Systems, processes, and computer programs are disclosed for facilitating personal payment transactions. In some embodiments, disclosed embodiments may provide an interface dialog engine for providing a dynamic and customized interface for effecting the personal payment transaction; a funding source engine for providing options to fund the payment; an payee identity engine for identifying the intended payee receiving the payment; a routing option engine for providing options to route the payment; and a messaging engine for providing channels for related parties to the personal payment transaction to communicate.

Abstract: Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for automatic generation of executable instructions based on a tax worksheet publication. Electronic data of the tax worksheet publication is received from a source such as a tax authority, converted into a different format and parsed, e.g., in the form of a parse tree or typed relationship graph. An interactive tax worksheet application embodying an executable instruction is generated based at least in part upon parsed electronic data.

Abstract: A computer device and method for processing data to detect modifications to insured property. Received is specification data regarding modifications to be made to insured property in connection with an insurance claim. Also received is data from one or more sensor devices associated with the insured property indicative of a status regarding modifications made to the insured property. Analysis is performed on the received specification and data to determine whether one or more predefined conditions for the insurance claim is satisfied regarding the modifications to be made to the insured property.

Abstract: A computer device and method for processing data to detect modifications to insured property. Received is specification data regarding modifications to be made to insured property in connection with an insurance claim. Also received is data from one or more sensor devices associated with the insured property indicative of a status regarding modifications made to the insured property. Analysis is performed on the received specification and data to determine whether one or more predefined conditions for the insurance claim is satisfied regarding the modifications to be made to the insured property.

Abstract: Computer implemented systems and methods are disclosed that allow for the efficient and rapid determination of guarantee funds for clearing member firms. Disclosed systems and methods account for the exposure of self-referencing risk.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for facilitating payment transactions using an application program interface. In particular, the systems and methods allow payment providers to integrate with a social network and facilitates payment transactions by providing instructions to the payment providers based on the payment providers being integrated with the social network. For example, one or more embodiments identify a payment provider associated with a payment account of a user requesting to initiate a payment transaction. One or more embodiments then determine instructions to send to the payment provider based on transaction information and then send the instructions to the payment provider to cause the payment provider to process the transaction according to the transaction information. Additionally, one or more embodiments cause payment providers to communicate with each other for processing payment transactions involving users of the social network.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing payments using payment aggregators are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise an e-commerce payment facilitator that acts as an intermediary between a commerce application and a plurality of payment aggregators. This allows the e-commerce payment facilitator to provide a user with payment methods supported by the plurality of payment aggregators. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the e-commerce payment facilitator to route transactions to payment aggregators based on various factors, such as availability, reliability, and profitability. In addition, one or more embodiments provide e-commerce payment facilitators with greater control over the processing of transactions by allowing for the routing and distribution of transactions across multiple payment aggregators.

Abstract: A computer-implement method may bundle insurance and financial products, and visually depict a current status for an application for each product within the bundle, such as applications related auto, home, life, or renters insurance, and/or vehicle loans. In one aspect, the method may determine a standard status icon or message for each product. A data server may receive a customer identification and selection of a first product offered, and determine a context of an application for the first product, wherein the context represents a state of progress of the application for the first product, and determine a standard status of the application corresponding to the context. The status is selected from a group of statuses standardized across two or more product lines sold by the company. The data server may further generate a status message including the status of the application and transmit the status message to a client device.

Abstract: A method and system for remotely exchanging weighment information via a wireless device, such as a cell phone, pertaining to a vehicle, such as truck, at a vehicle weight station. The system and method may include determining a present location of a vehicle to be weighed, verifying identification information of the vehicle to be weighed and receiving a vehicle weight from a server remote from the wireless device. The system and method may also include exchanging payment information between one or more servers and a wireless device.