Abstract: In order to facilitate the maintenance and enable to update a program, data, etc. anytime, a POS system has a plurality of registers for entering orders and processing accounts, and a controller for sales management, connected by a communication line to each of the registers, for managing sales of the whole store and setting items, unit prices, etc., wherein the controller for sales management has a maintenance control block including a section for setting and storing maintenance data, a section for detecting that the power supply to a register is turned on to execute an opening process, and a section for sending, when the turning on of power is detected, maintenance data to the register to update the executable program and/or various setting data of the register in the case where there is the maintenance data.

Abstract: A data processing system and method for administering a plan for funding investments in education is provided. The education investment plan includes a unit investment trust for financing the educations of a predetermined number of students pursuing careers in preselected fields of study. The data processing system selects students for participation in the plan by comparing their application responses in various categories, weighted according to a predetermined weighting scheme, to stored weighted criteria for the same categories. The education of accepted students is paid for by funds invested in the plan by investors. The students agree to assign a percentage of their future income for a limited time period to the plan, generating a return for the investors. Students are monitored throughout their education and employment until their obligations are discharged, with the results of the monitoring used to adjust, as necessary, the acceptance criteria.

Abstract: A computerized system is capable of receiving an input request from the orderer for a retailer, of searching selected wholesalers based on information obtained automatically from the wholesalers, and of then comparing these wholesalers to one another so as to provide a desired allocation of resources among these selected wholesalers such that orders are created for a high number J of distinct items which may number in the hundreds or even thousands. The search may be performed, for example, on the basis of net price per unit item or on the basis of net price per unit weight or per unit volume. The system preferably automatically creates an order file which can be transmitted to the selected warehouses to order the selected products but which can be manually edited prior to transmission.

Abstract: An automated system for use in decision-making, comprises input, output processing and storage capabilities. The storage and processing portions of the system include a number of components which receive information and data specific to a selected topic of decision-making. The components perform data collection, screening and decision-making functions. The system compares received data to previously stored data and identifies received data which does and does not correspond to the previously stored data. If the data does correspond, the system implements a first decision operation. If the received data does not correspond, the system determines the nature and degree of such non-correspondence, and implements a decision operation which is reflective of the nature and degree of the non-correspondence. If the nature and degree of non-correspondence cannot be determined, additional data pertaining to the selected topic is requested and compared to the previously stored data in an iterative manner.

Abstract: A system to automatically provide to a consumer an electronic rebate by an existing telephone network and system. The consumer dials a dedicated preassigned telephone number and is prompted to enter the product code and a serial number for purchase verification purposes. A rebate is provided instantaneously in the form of a credit to the consumer's telephone account. The rebates so provided to consumers are collated on a per manufacturer basis, and the telephone service provider issues statements to the rebating manufacturers to cover the rebates issued as well as its service charge.

Abstract: Apparatus that provides an integrated approach for all management activities for hazardous substances used or generated at a facility, including form generation and compliance with the reporting requirements. The apparatus includes eight functional groupings and a database schema or coordinator that integrates these groupings and allows them to share and exchange relevant information. The functional groupings include a hazardous materials index grouping (chemical profiles, waste profiles, Material Safety Data Sheets, etc.), a hazardous materials management grouping (MSDS generation, process definition, materials transfers, etc.), a human resource management grouping (training, exposure limits, etc.), a hazardous commitment management grouping (compliance requirements and deadlines), an emergency management grouping (planning for and response to unscheduled releases), and a facility management grouping that can be used by or for response to a regulatory agency.

Abstract: A transportable medical image storage medium includes a recordable optical compact disk. The compact disk has a first storage area which records a plurality of substantially losslessly compressed digital medical images and a second storage area which records a plurality of lossy compressed digital medical images corresponding to said losslessly compressed medical images. Where a case study or set of medical images is of such a length that more than one CD is required to record all of the losslessly compressed digital medical images, each CD records the entire set of lossy compressed digital medical images.

Abstract: A standalone, off network, station or terminal having a video screen and audio output to describe a telephone service to a prospective customer, demonstrate the service, and enable the customer to create a new service or service modification in an unassisted manner. Customer input to the terminal is by touch screen in response to visual and audio prompts. A graphic chart is created to provide flow chart depiction of the service. The console contains a processor, accompanying storage or memory and a large capacity ROM storage preferably in the form of a CDI unit. The terminal may be connected to the network to download service creation data and implement the requested service.

Abstract: A machine translation system which operates by analyzing a source text to deduce information about the usage and meaning of the words of a source language text as they occur in context. This information is passed to an equivalencing module, which determines a set of equivalent target language words from which may be constructed a target language text by a generation module. The generation module has internal structure, including a tree construction module and a constraint checking module. The two modules operate in parallel. The tree constructor builds legal target language structures from which the translated text may be extracted. The constraint checker ensures that each structure which is built will be part of a global structure that uses all the words which appear in the input to the generation module.

Abstract: An electronic requisitioning system for channeling customer requisition orders to internal suppliers and outside vendors, and processing invoices using a centralized computer system. A customer accesses an electronic item catalog and requisition form to place an order transmitted to the central computer system. Requisitions are segregated by supplier and sent as purchase orders to appropriate internal suppliers and outside vendors that ship the items directly to the customer. Invoices are centrally processed and the customer receives a combined invoice for all items requisitions and may transmit payment back through to the central computer system.

Abstract: A high-resolution medical imaging system for x-ray emission cardiovascular angiography and angioplasty procedures, allowing practitioners to acquire images in real-time on a permanent standard archiving medium without any substantial loss of resolution and to post-process as best as possible those images in real-time, simultaneously or not with another acquisition.

Abstract: The contract generation system of the present invention automates the generation of various legal documents related to a negotiated agreement. The contract generation system provides various standard documents that can be customized for each deal. The contract generation system also provides a database for containing general contract data, which is linked to the contract documents containing the textual provisions of the contract. The contract generation system also includes alternate provisions that can replace provisions in the standard documents, as well as supplemental and additional provisions that can be added to the standard documents. The contract generation system also allows for the contract documents to be manually edited to further customize the documents for a specific deal.

Abstract: An associative text search and retrieval system uses one or more front end processors to interacting with a network having one or more user terminals connected thereto to allow a user to provide information to the system and receive information from the system. The system also includes storage for a plurality of text documents, and at least one processor, coupled to the front end processors and the document storage. The processor(s) search the text documents according to a search request provided by the user and provide to the front end processor a predetermined number of retrieved documents containing at least one term of the search request. The retrieved documents have higher ranks than documents not provided to the front end processor. The ranks are calculated using a formula that varies according to the square of the frequency in each of the text documents of each of the search terms.

Abstract: An anticipated meaning natural language interface system for computer applications. A knowledge engineer anticipates the general meaning of each sentence that a user is likely to enter and builds a structure of general meaning nodes. For each node, the knowledge engineer enters one or more typical sentences to represent the general meaning. A knowledge engineer abstracts the typical sentences and stores the abstractions in a knowledge base. When a user enters a sentence, it is abstracted by the system and compared to abstracted typical sentences in the knowledge base. This information, and other available information, is used by an algorithm to determine which of the general meaning nodes is intended by the user.

Abstract: A guided outlining system to assist the user in developing strategy-specific outlines for business communications. The user is prompted to enter the target audience, purpose and specific content entries for the business communication. One strategy choice from a predefined list of strategy options is also selected by the user. Strategy guidelines are displayed for the user to assist in the organization of the content entries based on the selected strategy. The user is then prompted to assign type attributes and ordering criteria to each content entry. The content entries are then sorted and displayed to the user.

Abstract: A data processing system for the management of stock option accounts for a plurality of participants. The system invokes one of several distinct option Plans that govern the transaction choices available to the participants. The governing option plans are defined by the sponsoring company in terms of grant, vest and expiration date for the option contracts. The system implements the designated Plans for multiple client companies providing several distinct modes for option exercise by the participant.

Abstract: A laser imaging system, such as a storage phosphor system, provides an x-ray image signal. X-ray image processing apparatus includes an image processor for processing the x-ray image signal for an image parameter to produce an image processed x-ray image signal; a database for storing image parameters for producing different versions of an image processed x-ray image signal; and a control system for controlling the image processor and database to create multiple versions of the x-ray image signal, such that each version has different image parameter values.

Abstract: A method and system for the detection of anatomical features in a digital chest radiograph, and in particular rib edges and pneumothorax, wherein vertical profiles are defined in regions of the lungs in the radiograph, and a model function is fitted to the profiles to obtain initial estimates of the locations of rib edges. Gradient-histogram analysis is performed by determining edge gradient and their corresponding orientations in regions of interest (ROIs) defined in the radiograph in the vicinity of the initially estimated rib edges, determining the maximum edge gradient in each of the ROIs, and forming histograms which define accurate detections of rib edges. The edges are fitted with an elliptical function and a representation of the entire rib cage structure is obtained. The method and system are also applied to the detection of pneumothorax where ROIs are defined in the apical lung region and edge gradients and their orientations are detected in the ROIs.

Abstract: A handheld golf course distance computer includes a graphics display and keyboard and is preprogrammed, using an external personal computer and optical data link, with alphanumeric and graphical information regarding each hole of a particular golf course. The alphanumeric information includes an identification of the course and a selected hole, information relating to hazards and/or the best method of play of the selected hole, the distance of play from various tees, the number of strokes required to par the hole, and typical playing time for the course. The actual or elapsed playing time from the beginning of play is also displayed. The graphical information, including details of the course terrain, is obtained from an aerial photograph of the course and converted to pixel information using commercially available personal computer software. The alphanumeric and graphical information associated with the selected hole may be selectively displayed.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a signature from a fired bullet is obtained by mounting the bullet to turn substantially about a longitudinal axis of the bullet, illuminating a surface of the bullet, obtaining and storing a frame image at a given position of the surface portion using microscope optics, the frame image having a transverse extent substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis, advancing the frame image position by an amount less than a transverse extent of the frame image, repeating the last two steps a plurality of times to obtain a plurality of overlapping frame images, combining the frame images to form a continuous composite image having a transverse extent much greater than the transverse extent of the frame images, and computing a signature of the composite image along a line extending in the transverse extent of the composite image.