Abstract: A method for extracting revenue information from a Point of Sale terminal for purposes of revenue sharing includes the step of examining data traffic in a conventional Point of Sale operating system. This operates in the background and allows extraction of select data relating to revenue traffic in a rental system. Data stored in a video buffer (54) is examined and, upon a predetermined transaction completion event then occurring, this data is extracted and stored in a separate capture file. This capture file is utilized to generate a revenue sharing data base, which is transferred to a remote revenue sharing transaction system. The transaction completion event is a keystroke that indicates completion of a transaction at the Point of Sale terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for aggregating terminals into clusters that assists in the construction of a distributed data communication network. Terminal locations to be clustered are used as input along with a weight for each one representing the traffic carried by that location. The terminals are placed into boxes based on their geographic coordinates and only boxes with substantial traffic are retained. Any terminals included in a box not retained are assigned to the closest retained box. The retained boxes are merged into clusters so long as the maximum cluster traffic and maximum cluster radius are not exceeded. The center of mass of the resulting clusters are then determined. The representative locations of the resulting clusters are determined as the location of the terminal in the cluster closest to the center of mass.

Abstract: A tracking method and apparatus for use with a computer including a processor for executing code, input/output devices for providing data, memory for storing account data and a display. In operation, a plurality of transaction images are displayed on the computer display. In response to selection of one of the transaction images, a corresponding entry sequence is executed. The execution causes a display of one or more entry fields for receiving transaction data in response to the execution of the entry sequence. The transaction data is entered in response to the entry sequence and the entry fields displayed. The transaction data entered is stored in an account store corresponding to the selected one of the transaction images. Each account has a plurality of fields for data. The entry fields presented by the entry sequence are only the ones necessary for the particular transaction as determined by the selected transaction image and the corresponding entry sequence.

Abstract: A computerized reservation system including controlling and monitoring of group travel related services is presented. In addition to master inventory of travel related services and a set of passenger name records which correlate individuals with reserved travel related services from the master inventory, the present invention uses a group control record which includes a group inventory which is a subset of the master inventory, and a number of group related passenger name records, which are a subset of the general passenger name records. When changes are made to any one of the master inventory, group control records or group passenger name records, appropriate changes are automatically made in the others of these three. Thus, the monitoring and controlling of group travel related services is greatly facilitated.

Abstract: An improved method and system for translating an optimization problem for use in efficient resource allocation. The improved method of the present invention includes the step of generating an index link record for each of the index variables in the optimization problem so as to eliminate the need for a symbol table and a plurality of temporary data records. The method also includes the step of linking the index link records of the index variables requiring expansion in a reverse order of the order listed in the optimization problem so as to reduce the number of traversals performed during expansion processing. The index link records have a pointer for identifying the next index variable requiring expansion.

Abstract: A computer system includes hardware for interfacing with the public telephone network and for accepting incoming telephone calls. The computer system detects from the incoming telephone calls automatic number identification data (ANI data), such as Caller-ID data, which identifies the calling telephone and further accepts personal identification codes from the caller. The system generates reports of the incoming telephone calls in which reports the location of the calling telephone is correlated with the person who is making the telephone call. Preferably, the system is applied for recording remotely, through the telephone network, the arrival and departure times of field based employees at various work sites.

Abstract: A new and improved tax collection system and method collects and remits taxes in real time at point-of-sale locations. The system includes a group of point-of-sale terminals at merchant point-of-sale facilities that receive and store tax collection information under merchant control. A bank computer at a merchant bank accesses the stored tax collection information and wire transfers the collected sums periodically to at least one computer at a tax authority bank. For credit or debit transactions, a service computer receives the tax collection information daily from certain ones of the point-of-sale terminals, and wire transfers the credited or debited taxes to the tax authority bank computer.

Abstract: A system of infusing fluids in a patient includes an infusion pump for infusing fluids into a patient in accordance with instructions to carry out a desired course of infusion therapy. The system includes a physiological sensor for sensing conditions of the patient during the course of the infusion and a remote infusion controlling system for monitoring the course of the infusion and generating suggested adapted instructions.

Abstract: A technique of using an electronic dictionary in conjunction with electronically-encoded running text that gives the user the most relevant information rather than belaboring the user with all possible information about a selected word. The technique maps the selected word from its inflected form to its citation form, analyzes the selected word in the context of neighboring and surrounding words to resolve ambiguities, and displays the information that is determined to be the most likely to be relevant. The dictionary preferably has information about multi-word combinations that include the selected word, and the context determination typically entails checking whether the selected word is part of a predefined multi-word combination.

Abstract: A keyword assigning system divides text data into words, stores results of the division in a table, detects numbers of occurrence times of words in each text data, registers them in a table, and obtains word occurrence frequencies in domains on the basis of the table. The system then extract keywords from the text data by domain on the basis of a resulted domain-wise word occurrence collection table, and extracts negligible word not capable of becoming keywords by domain. The system further registers the extracted domain-wise keywords and negligible words in a keyword-negligible word dictionary, looks the keywords and negligible words registered in the dictionary upon assignment of the keywords to the text data to extract words to become keywords from among the words of the text data to have the keywords assigned thereto, and assign the extracted keywords to the text data, thereby automatically making extraction and assignment of most of the keywords.

Abstract: A device which translates a written source language pattern of a first language to a target language pattern of another written language, which includes a computer with a memory. There are a plurality of translation patterns stored in the memory. Each translation pattern includes a source language pattern; a variable that is identified with a portion of the source language pattern; and a target language pattern which is a translation corresponding to the base source language pattern. The variable is either a singular variable which corresponds to a singular source language pattern, or a nested variable which corresponds to a nested source language pattern. Each nested source language pattern is a combination of two or more singular source language patterns. A portion compares a text sentences to one or more nested source language patterns and singular source language pattern to determine if there is a match between the text sentence and the nested or the singular source language patterns.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for evaluating business opportunities for supplying goods and services (such as business forms and services) to potential customers takes a quantative approach that allows a user to evaluate a potential customer's needs, and the user's ability to supply those needs, to see what the area of opportunity for the user to supply that need is. Calculations can also be made comparing the user's ability to fulfill the needs to some absolute standard, to also determine an area of emerging technology. A series of questions relating to the customer's level of sophistication for predefined business techniques in a number of different categories are inputted into a computer, as well as the responses, and weights and values are assigned to the question responses to indicate a level of sophistication for each possible response of each business technique for each separate category.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for finding maximal matches in data strings and for finding matches in parameterized strings, that is, strings containing symbols from more than one alphabet in which the symbols from one of the alphabet are treated as parameters. In general, such maximal matches are found by creating a suffix tree representing the data string, generating lists for each node in the tree indicating the left contexts of all suffixes associated with that node and reporting matches for pairs of suffixes having different left contexts. One method of finding parameterized matches is to substitute a common symbol for the symbols of the alphabet representing the parameters before creating the suffix tree and then discarding matches found for which the actual parameters are not consistent.

Abstract: An electronic system for creating customized product proposals stores a plurality of pictures and text segments to be used as building blocks in creating the proposal. The pictures may include various products, environments in which the products may be used, and available product options. The text segments may include textual descriptions of the product, environments in which the product may be used, and its performance specifications. The system queries a user to determine a customer's needs and interests. Based upon the answers to the queries, the system selects the appropriate picture and text building blocks to fill in proposal templates. The system can print the completed proposal templates to provide the user with a customized, printed proposal that describes features and benefits of a product, in a particular environment, that are of interest to the customer who is to receive the proposal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system for proactively and continuously monitoring the compliance of property transaction agents with government registration laws and regulations includes methods and apparatus for receiving on a periodic basis at a central monitoring computer, information regarding property purchases from computers at financing sources, and information regarding property registrations from computers at a governmental entity. The central monitoring computer compares the two sets of information at periodic intervals, detects instances where there are missing or late registrations, or errors in registration information. The governmental entity sets parameters in the central monitoring computer for determining which detected information should be flagged for further attention.

Abstract: A system and method for scheduling resource requests for a resource provider generate a first schedule, based on expected durations of each resource request, and a second schedule, based on longer, pessimistic durations of each resource request. A user interface simultaneously displays the first and second schedules to a system user. The first schedule provides the system user with a guide to good overall management of the resource performance. The second schedule provides the system user with a guide for making time commitments to customers with a greater degree of confidence. The system and method employ a variety of techniques including statistic probability calculations to determine expected and pessimistic durations for each resource request, and incorporate features for updating the first and second schedules in response to dynamic changes in the resource environment.

Abstract: A system and method for generating context vectors for use in storage and retrieval of documents and other information items. Context vectors represent conceptual relationships among information items by quantitative means. A neural network operates on a training corpus of records to develop relationship-based context vectors based on word proximity and co-importance using a technique of "windowed co-occurrence". Relationships among context vectors are deterministic, so that a context vector set has one logical solution, although it may have a plurality of physical solutions. No human knowledge, thesaurus, synonym list, knowledge base, or conceptual hierarchy, is required. Summary vectors of records may be clustered to reduce searching time, by forming a tree of clustered nodes. Once the context vectors are determined, records may be retrieved using a query interface that allows a user to specify content terms, Boolean terms, and/or document feedback.

Abstract: In a word processor for processing a Chinese character, a control symbol is generated for a Kanji conversion result of each Kanji conversion string, and the Kanji conversion string and its control symbol are displayed on a display device in a pair. When an amendment is required, a user enters a control symbol corresponding to a Kanji conversion string to be amended and a function key indicating the type of amendment.

Abstract: An electronic system for creating customized product proposals stores a plurality of pictures and text segments to be used as building blocks in creating the proposal. The pictures may include various products, environments in which the products may be used, and available product options. The text segments may include textual descriptions of the product, environments in which the product may be used, and its performance specifications. The system queries a user to determine a customer's needs and interests. Based upon the answers to the queries, the system selects the appropriate picture and text building blocks to fill in proposal templates. The system can print the completed proposal templates to provide the user with a customized, printed proposal that describes features and benefits of a product, in a particular environment, that are of interest to the customer who is to receive the proposal.

Abstract: A dictionary retrieval device is constructed by a conversion character definition form for providing group IDs for character subsets, a character-group ID conversion part for replacing a character with a group ID, an input character string conversion part for converting the input character string input from the input part to an input group ID, a dictionary conversion part for converting a word dictionary to a converted word dictionary defined by a notation group ID string, and a dictionary retrieval part for retrieving the converted word dictionary by the input group ID string. The dictionary retrieval device can retrieve a word from a dictionary which could not have been retrieved from a dictionary due to an input error, in the past, by regarding elements of character set defined by a conversion character definition form as the same element.