Abstract: Systems and methods provide techniques for associating advertisements with relevant content on a user interface. A method for placing advertisements on a user interface includes providing a user interface having a plurality of user interface screens, at least some of the plurality of user interface screens containing user-selectable control objects, and determining which of a plurality of advertisements to display on a user interface screen based on at least one of the following criteria: topical relevance, contextual relevance, path relevance and cognitive prominence.

Abstract: A system includes a central server in communication with public agencies through a private network and with local service-providers through a public network. The central server executes a profiling module configured to exchange standardized information with a local service-provider over the public network and with a public agency over the private network; an invoicing module in communication with the profiling module, the invoicing module being configured to process claims submitted by the local service-providers; a compliance module in communication with the profiling module, the compliance module being configured to monitor compliance with contracts between the local service-providers and the public agencies; a demand module in communication with the profiling module for forecasting demand for services; and a procurement module in communication with the profiling module for entering into contracts with the local service-providers.

Abstract: Advertisements displayed in a web page are enabled to be changed as a context of the web page changes without reloading the web page. A first set of one or more advertisements may be displayed on a web page. One or more of the displayed advertisements may be replaced with one or more alternative advertisements. Selection of the alternative advertisements is triggered based on the occurrence of one or more events that cause a change in a context of the web page. The display of the alternative advertisements is performed dynamically, without the web page needing to be reloaded. In this manner, the advertisements displayed on a web page may be changed based on the change in web page context, to provide advertisements to users that correspond to the changing context.

Abstract: The efficient allocation of advertisements, also known as creatives, on one or more web sites is provided for while ensuring that guarantees to advertisers are honored. In one embodiment, a linear program solver allocates creatives to advertising slots according to an optimizing function designed to maximize revenue for the site. The linear program solver takes as input a set of creatives, creative performance data, constraints, and slot identifiers. The output of the linear program solver is an optimized schedule not violative of any of the input constraints.

Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to incentive programs awarding loyalty points based at least in part upon the number of miles driven in a motor vehicle. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, reward points can be earned by having the vehicle serviced at authorized locations, such as a dealership. At the time of servicing, the authorized location notes the current vehicle odometer reading, and this odometer reading is communicated to an administrator of the loyalty program. The odometer reading in turn serves as the basis for calculating the number of miles driven since the last authorized servicing, and for conversion of this mileage figure into loyalty points to be credited to the owner, lessor, or renter of the vehicle.

Abstract: The computer-based method and system shares revenue with a content provider and registered users. A web page has supplied electronic content and ads with displays and hyperlinks to a corresponding advertiser designated web site. Associated sales referral fees are tracked based upon user click throughs. The content provider is incentivized because the system shares the associated sales referral fees with him based upon factors such as frequency of posting content, quality rankings by users, gross value referral fees, and page user-visitors. Registered user-visitors are incentivized by providing each with N quality ranking tokens and by sharing the referral fees with users who post tokens on content. The QA ranking formula accounts for the quantity of posted tokens, the sequential order of posting, the number of user-visitors, and the referral fee to the content provider. The fees are paid to debit card, credit card, or cell phone account payment processors.

Abstract: A reservation system can identify available placements based on targeting criteria provided by advertisers and placement inventory data provided by publishers. The reservation system can receive reservation data for the available placements from the publishers and provide the reservation data with the available placements to the advertisers. The available placements and can be ranked and presented to the advertisers based on a first precision with which the placement can satisfy the advertiser's targeting criteria. A second precision can be determined for each placement that has enabled targeting rules. In turn, the reservation system can rank and present the placements based on the first and second precisions.

Abstract: Techniques for administering an account with a financial institution are disclosed. The financial institution may establish the account for the account holder. An account holder may execute purchase transactions using the account. A first and second affiliate may be associated with the account. Rewards information associated with the first affiliate may be calculated based on use of the account for purchase transactions. A compensation, to be provided by the financial institution to the second affiliate, may be calculated based on use of the account for purchase transactions.

Abstract: A computer readable medium is disclosed containing computer executable instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method, the method including but not limited to receiving trick play command data at an end user device; receiving a plurality of advertising data at the end user device; correlating the plurality of advertising data with penetration data for an end user associated with the end user device; prioritizing the advertising data for the end user device based on the correlation; and presenting a portion of the advertising data on the end user device based on the prioritizing of the advertising data during execution of the trick play command data. A system is disclosed that is useful in performing the method. A data structure embedded in a computer readable medium is disclosed that contains data used by the system and method.

Abstract: A method of communicating a renewal incentive for an expiring account to a user of the account. The method includes the steps of identifying a renewal date for the account with a host computer, and calculating whether the account qualifies for the renewal incentive based on account history accessible by the computer. The method also includes sending renewal data to the user about the renewal date, and the renewal incentive, for the account. The renewal incentive is effective upon renewal of the account, and the renewal incentive includes an enhancement over a current feature for the account.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for flow control. It is detected that a work request is being transferred to an in-memory structure. A maximum limit is compared with a number of work requests stored in the in-memory structure. If the number of work requests stored in the in-memory structure equals the maximum limit, a notification is sent that indicates that additional work requests are not to be sent.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for advertising where the advertisement performance is determined via tracking the deals made as a result of communication leads generated from the advertisements. One embodiment includes: providing an advertisement containing a communication reference to a customer on behalf of a party; providing a connection via the reference for real time communications between the customer and the party; and charging an advertisement fee in response to an action of a predetermined type being performed by the customer (or an agreement between the customer and the party being reached) as a result of the real time communications.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing electronic advertising which provides content to users based on observing behavior of certain trendsetters within a member population. The trendsetters are determined by studying historical adoption behavior of individuals within the member population, or by reference to known indicia.

Abstract: A computer based method for automated submission and evaluation of business proposals by providing a database mutually accessible to a proposal sponsor and at least one requesting user community, communicating with the user community and interactively requesting one or more media or promotional elements for evaluation, populating the database with one or more received media or promotional elements, calculating a proposal sponsor payment value based upon received media or promotional elements according to schema provided by the proposal sponsor, comparing the calculated proposal sponsor payment value of with at least one proposal recommendation threshold value, and associating the comparison result with a proposal decision conclusion selected from one of the group of conclusions including, recommended, not recommended, and additional information required.

Abstract: An online lawn care service quoting method and system are disclosed. The method and system are initiated by an estimate inquiry from a customer, preferably via the Web. Data from a lawn care service administration database is retrieved. The data includes customer demographic information and GPS satellite imaging photographs of various lot size dimensions. The lot size information and customer demographic information are combined to provide at least one quote for the customer estimate inquiry. The data in the database is upgraded and amended as needed by any change in industry standards and customer change requests. At least one quote is displayed to the customer online in response to the estimate inquiry.

Abstract: A person is viewing a display. By evaluating tracked information about the person, the display and/or the content being viewed, a tracking system determines that an opportunity exists to present an advertisement that is relevant to the person in the context of the person currently viewing the display. The tracking system provides advertiser data for the advertisement and instructions for generating the advertisement to a synthesis system local to the viewer and the viewer's display system, which dynamically synthesizes the advertisement and provides it to the display.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls for geographic area based advertisements. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving an indication of a target geographic area of an advertisement for an advertiser having a telephone number, the advertisement including one of: a telephone number assigned to the advertiser and a reference to the telephone number assigned to the advertiser; and providing the advertisement for delivery to users of interest in the target geographic area, the advertiser billed for the advertisement based on telephonic connections made to the telephone number of the advertiser through the telephone number assigned to the advertiser.

Abstract: A system directs a browser or browsing application associated with a user to a targeted web site after the user performs at least two activations or “clicks” of his pointing device. The first “click” is typically on a communication provided by the system, serving as an intermediary, and the second “click” is typically on a first data object or web page of the intermediary, before the browser of the user is redirected to a second data object or targeted web page, typically associated with a party unrelated to the party or entity controlling the system.

Abstract: A method attributes credit for conversions to a plurality of event types. A plurality of probabilities that a single impression of each of a plurality of respective event types causes a conversion by one of a plurality of users are defined. A processor is used to select values for the plurality of probabilities so as to minimize a total squared error based on differences between an observed outcome for each user and a respective expected outcome for each user calculated from the plurality of probabilities.

Abstract: Programming media and advertising media may be presented in a manner that approximates or equals a target ratio. In one implementation, a total temporal length of one or more programming media segments is accessed after the user has selected the programming media segments. One or more advertising media segments are then selected. The advertising media segments have a total length that is based on the total temporal length of the programming media segments and a target temporal ratio between programming media and advertising media. The client system may present the one or more selected advertising media segments.