Abstract: A method of selecting lens colors for eyeglasses. In the method, the colors of the skin, hair lips and pupils of a purchaser of eyeglasses are measured, and the angular positions of the measured colors on a hue circle are determined. Then, hues apart by specified angles from the measured colors are extracted as basic proposed colors. The purchaser is questioned to obtain words expressing an image for the lens color, and a color tone corresponding to each word is retrieved from a color name data base. For each color tone, the number of given words and weight of word are calculated. Further, hues which match the measured colors of the purchaser are determined based on the words. When certain basic proposed colors coincide with the thus determined hues, the numerical points for the certain basic proposed colors are increased.

Abstract: An improved system is realized with an arrangement which takes advantage of affiliations that allow concentration of billing. In situations where a party is willing to serve as a financial surrogate for some subscribers of a services provider, savings can be realized by sending the bills for charges accrued by those subscribers ("affiliated subscribers") directly to such a surrogate. The surrogate pays the bills of the affiliated subscribers and may make its own arrangement with the affiliated subscribers to be appropriately compensated. The disclosed method and arrangement employs an affiliation database file to provide information as to who is a financial surrogate for others. Data which affiliates particular subscribers to particular financial surrogates may be under control of the services provider or under control of the financial surrogates. The billing process utilizes the information that identifies financial surrogates and the information about the affiliations of affiliated subscribers.

Abstract: In securities trading, in setting the initial offering price of a financial instrument, or in later revaluation as financial parameters such as interest rates may change, an estimate of the value of the instrument may be represented as a multi-dimensional integral. For evaluation of the integral, numerical integration is preferred with the integrand being sampled at deterministic points having a low-discrepancy property. The technique produces approximate values at significant computational savings and with greater reliability as compared with the Monte Carlo technique.

Abstract: An electronic dealing system which electronically performs matching processing between the information on transaction orders placed by order side customers and information on transaction orders placed by hit side customers so as to establish transactions, which system sets a margin relative to a last trade price, calculates a decision price from the last trade price and the set margin when the last trade price has been determined, detects if a situation has occurred which is disadvantageous to the customer under current market conditions with respect to the price of the offered order by judging the relative size of the price of the order placed by the order side customer and the calculated decision price, and outputs an alarm when it detects the occurrence of a disadvantageous situation, whereby the load on the customer is lightened and the customer can trade with more certainty.

Abstract: A document processing apparatus having a spell checker function for detecting a misspelling of an input word, and informing the operator of the detected misspelling, includes the presence control unit for detecting a dictionary memory used in detection of the misspelling of the word, and enabling/disabling the spell checker function in accordance with the detection result.

Abstract: A method of modeling an enterprise so that its policy changes as well as its current components and operations are represented in a database (11), and a method of using a computer to query the database. The enterprise is modeled using classes of objects and associated methods. During operation, a query about data in the database (11) is received from a user, with the query calling for the use of at least one method to answer the query. The database (11) is accessed to determine whether the method is affected by a policy change, where different policies are represented by policy objects. If so, the user is provided with policy choices. A policy selection is received, and the query is answered, using an implementation of the method based on the policy selection (FIG. 2).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing and storing the schedules of recurring events. The schedules are represented by recurrence rules generated according to a specific grammar. According to the grammar, each recurrence rule is composed of one or more recurrence commands. Each recurrence command corresponds to a cycle and includes a time interval indicator that specifies the duration of the cycle and a repeat quantity that determines the number of times the cycle is repeated in the schedule. Each recurrence command may also include an occurrence list that specifies at what times during a particular cycle the event occurs. The occurrence list may specify times in absolute or relative terms. Thus, the grammar supports recurrence rules for representing the schedule "first and tenth of every month" as well as the schedule "second Thursday and last Friday of every month".

Abstract: A computerized payment system by which a consumer may instruct a service provider by telephone, computer terminal, or other telecommunications means to pay various bills without the consumer having to write a check for each bill. The system operates without restriction as to where the consumer banks and what bills are to be paid. The service provider collects consumers' information, financial institutions' information and merchant information and arranges payment based on a financial risk analysis to the merchants according to the consumers' instructions.

Abstract: A computer network and method for feeding animals in a feedlot, in which discretion and direct control over the various suboperations of the feed ration assignment and delivery process are distributed among the individual operators in the system, while the feedlot manager is capable of indirectly monitoring the performance of the various suboperations.

Abstract: Aligned corpora are generated or received from an external source. Each corpus comprises a set of portions aligned with corresponding portions of the other corpus, for example, so that aligned portions are nominally translations of one another in two languages. A statistical database is compiled. An evaluation module calculates correlation scores for pairs of words chosen one from each corpus. Given a pair of text portions (one in each language) the evaluation module combines word pair correlation scores to obtain an alignment score for the text portions. These alignment scores can be used to verify a translation and/or to modify the aligned corpora to remove improbable alignments.

Abstract: This invention relates to a data processing system and computer-based data processing method for managing an investment account structure. According to some of the preferred embodiments, the account structure is made up of one or more annuity contracts or life insurance contracts, each of the contracts being owned by one or more individual subscribers. Premiums are paid for the contracts being invested in one or more depository accounts, insured by deposit insurance, at one or more financial institutions. According to another preferred embodiment, annuity contracts are structured in one or more irrevocable trusts, with each subscriber's principal and/or income placed in a trust corpus of one of the irrevocable trusts. Each subscriber has a primary beneficiary (usually the subscriber) and a secondary beneficiary. When a subscriber dies, the trust income is distributed to the remaining primary beneficiaries.

Abstract: A translation machine is arranged to derive two or more syntaxes from one original sentence, determine which of the syntaxes is the most approximate according to a syntax priority rule given by a user or a manufacturer and output a translated sentence based on the most approximate syntax. The translation machine includes a memory, a translating module and a main CPU as main components. The memory serves to store a partial structure of each syntax and a syntax priority rule containing a numerical value indicating a priority of the partial structure and an incidental condition of the syntax. The translating module serves to collide the syntax priority rule stored in the memory with the syntax of the original sentence and giving a proper evaluating value to the syntax of the original sentence. The main CPU serves to output the translated sentences on the syntaxes derived from the original sentence according to their larger evaluating values.

Abstract: A cash processing system includes a detachable cash safe, a cash processing apparatus that detachably receives the cash safe for automatically setting a commanded amount of cash therein, and a cash handling apparatus that detachably receives the cash safe, in which the commanded amount of cash is set, for performing services including a cash dispensing service. The detachable cash safe has a cash left containing unit for containing left cash and a cash handling unit for performing a dispensing operation. Left cash information associated with the left cash is stored in a left cash storage file in a memory when cash is left in the cash handling apparatus. The left cash information is displayed upon returning the left cash, and a search of the left cash storage file in the memory is performed for part of the left cash information entered through an input section for accessing corresponding left cash information.

Abstract: A system for vending insurance policies includes stand-alone, interactive self-service terminals coupled to a central office over a communication link. The terminals are normally off-line, but periodically are placed on line for transmitting data to, and updates from, the central office. The terminals, which include a microprocessor, data storage and printers, are programmed to conduct a dialogue with a customer to establish a customer's eligibility, as to age and underwriting criteria, for a policy, quoting premiums, and soliciting a purchase decision. If purchase is elected, the customer's credit is checked and, if approved, a policy application is printed. In one embodiment, customer and company copies are printed and delivered to the customer who is instructed to keep the customer copy, sign the company copy, and direct the signed copy to the company. In a second embodiment, a signature digitizing module is used.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a computerized market for used and collectible goods by use of a plurality of low cost posting terminals and a market maker computer in a legal framework that establishes a bailee relationship and consignment contract with a purchaser of a good at the market maker computer that allows the purchaser to change the price of the good once the purchaser has purchased the good thereby to allow the purchaser to speculate on the price of collectibles in an electronic market for used goods while assuring the safe and trusted physical possession of a good with a vetted bailee.

Abstract: A system and method for processing patient data permits physicians and other medical staff personnel to record, accurately and precisely, historical patient care information. An objective measure of a physician's rendered level of care, as described by a clinical status code, is automatically generated. Data elements used in the determination of the generated clinical status code include a level of history of the patient, a level of examination of the patient, a decision-making process of the physician treating the patient, and a "time influence factor." The quantity and quality of care information for a particular patient is enhanced allowing future care decisions for that patient to be based on a more complete medical history. Enhanced care information can be used in outcome studies to track the efficacy of specific treatment protocols. Archiving of patient information is done in a manner which allows reconstruction of the qualitative aspects of provided medical services.

Abstract: A crossing network that matches buy and sell orders based upon a satisfaction and quantity profile includes a number of trader terminals that can be used for entering orders. The orders are entered in the form of a satisfaction density profile that represents a degree of satisfaction to trade a particular instrument at various (price, quantity) combinations. Typically, each order is either a buy order or a sell order. The trader terminals are coupled to a matching controller computer. The matching controller computer can receive as input the satisfaction density profiles entered at each one of the trading terminals. The matching controller computer matches orders (as represented by each trader's satisfaction density profile) so that each trader is assured that the overall outcome of the process (in terms of average price and size of fill) has maximized the mutual satisfaction of all traders. Typically, the matching process is anonymous.

Abstract: A method and system for managing events within a calendar program executing within the data processing system. Selected events are associated with each other. An action is performed on the selected events in response to a completion of one of the selected events. The action performed may be marking the selected events as being completed or deleting the selected events. Similar actions may be performed on the selected events in response to a deletion of one of the selected events.

Abstract: A parameter-driven time-and-attendance analysis system that includes one or more data entry stations for entering user time and attendance data, and a central processor coupled to the data entry stations for receiving and evaluating the user time and attendance data. The central processor includes facility for identifying exception data indicative of non-standard time and attendance data, and for assigning event points to such exception data based upon character of the exception data. Such event points are accumulated for each system user, and a report is automatically generated when accumulated event points for a system user reach a preselected level.

Abstract: For use with the production of a billing document, a system and method for printing billing information on the billing document comprises a computer controlled system, suitable programming, that establishes a target mail date, determines the eligibility of the billing document for inclusion in the system, verifies that the billing document will be mailed on the target mail date, and changes the billing information printed on the billing document if the verification process determines that the billing document will not be mailed on the target mail date.