Abstract: A signal interpretation engine apparatus and method are disclosed in certain presently preferred embodiment as including a computer programmed to run a plurality of modules comprising a feature expansion module, a weight table module, a consolidation module, and a map generation module. The feature expansion module contains feature operators for operating on a signal to expand the signal to form a feature map of feature segments Each feature segment corresponds to a unique representation of the signal created by a feature operator operating on the signal across an epoch. An epoch corresponds to an event occurring within a time segment. The weight table module provides a weight table having weight elements Each weight element has a weight corresponding to a feature segment of the feature map. The consolidation module provides a superposition segment by combining the feature segments of the feature map corresponding to the epoch by forming an inner product of the feature map and the weight table.

Abstract: An information processing system for transactions by telephone of the present invention comprises a receiving terminal, operated by an operator, for inputting information from a customer taken over a telephone, storage means for storing information necessary in repeated transactions, and a voice recognition device having a voice recognition unit for recognizing specific vocabulary spoken by a customer or a voice response device having a push button signal recognition unit for confirming a push button signal generated by customer operations of push buttons of a telephone, wherein, for repeated transactions, a transaction name or transaction code arbitrarily designated by a customer at the time of a transaction beforehand or for the first time and information relating to this transaction name or transaction code are stored at a storage means in such a manner as to correspond with each other.

Abstract: A distributed budgeting and accounting system is designed to operate with secure token devices. The secure token devices serve both as electronic currency purses and as secure vehicles for authorization. The distributed budgeting and accounting system allows a budget to be defined for an organization. The budget is implemented via the secure token devices by transferring electronic currency tokens representing portions of the budgets to secure token devices associated with different portions of the organization. The funds may be transferred down a hierarchical organization by transferring funds between respective pairs of secure token devices. Once the budget has been fully distributed, members of the organization may spend electronic currency tokens on their secure token devices to cover the cost of using resources. Each card holder of the secure token device may only spend up to the amount provided on the associated secure token device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of managing an inventory of vehicles and parts associated with the vehicles using a central computer system and at least one remote computer system operatively connected to the central computer by a communications link to exchange data therebetween.

Abstract: A system and method for allowing a plurality of investors to manage investments in a mutual fund or a directly-owned portfolio of investments. The assets and liabilities of the mutual fund are adjusted in response to an action (buy, sell, trade) by one of the fund's members or participating investors in the system. A determination is then made of that member's and the other fund members' pro rata ownership interest, based on the economic result of that action. This process is iterated, as necessary, in response to actions taken by any members of the mutual fund. In this way, the mutual fund is dynamically managed. For a portfolio directly-owned by an investor participating in the system, the portfolio would be dynamically managed by having it reflect the dynamically changing individual, and aggregated, actions of other participating members, or others.

Abstract: A user interactive display computer process and program, provided by a distributer of computer components to a seller of computer systems, for configuring computer systems and networks including the computer components. The process involves prompting system purchasers to make a sequence of interactive data entries, each of said entries relative to the data processing needs of the purchaser using one of said computer systems and networks and then allocating the computer components to the networks and systems based upon said user entries. The quantities of the computer components thereby allocated to computer systems sold by said seller to said purchasers during a selected time period are tracked and stored. Then, a determination is made as to whether the quantities of components thereby allocated during the time period exceed a selected level and if the level is exceeded, fees due from said seller to said distributer for said process are foregone.

Abstract: A method implemented in a computer system for dynamically analyzing the status of a numeric system wherein the numeric system which includes one or more numeric objects such as inflow objects, outflow objects, account objects, variable objects, and pipe objects. The present invention also provides numeric objects having a growth property. In addition the present invention provides single icons which represent either a row or column of a spredsheet.

Abstract: A method and system for presentment of bills on a computer network includes a biller account hosted on a server of a bill service provider for receiving a bill file from a biller that includes bill data. The biller account automatically formats a bill for a consumer from the bill data. The bill file from which the bill is automatically formatted includes a bill template and bill content and may also include a temporary resource. A document server coupled to the bill service provider's server receives and automatically stores the formatted bill in a storage location. The formatted bill consists of an electronic mail message, and the storage location is an electronic mailbox. The stored bill is accessed and displayed by the consumer on a consumer terminal coupled to the document server. The consumer may pay the bill through a bill payment processor.

Abstract: A system for exchanging data between a portable payment terminal and a stationary base terminal in communication with a payment center. The portable terminal and the base terminal each include a central unit and a radio transmit-receive module. Each central unit is adapted to generate/read binary messages transmitted/received in the form of radio waves by the transmit-receive module. The portable payment terminal or the stationary base terminal include means for storing the binary messages and means for deactivating the central unit such that the radio transmit-receive module is operable only when the central unit is deactivated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and data structures for solution of problems of the class equivalent to optimal allocation determination in a combinatorial auction. The method stores bids in a binary tree which is searched in conjunction with a stopmask data structure which allows, in effect, parts of the binary tree to be instantly pruned during search and in place. Depth-first search in this tree can be done in place without an open list or recursive calls. The main search method operates via recursive call and generates each allocation of positive value once but does not generate others.

Abstract: A method for providing stock information to traders. Stock information is received that includes bid offers, ask offers, the size of the bid offers and the size of the ask offers and the identity of the market makers making each offer. In addition, trade information is received that includes the volume of each trade, the time of each trade, and the price of each trade. The stock information and trade information are displayed on a display screen. The display screen includes a display of bid/ask trade bars for a stock or each of selected number of stocks in which percentage of sales at bid prices and percentage of sales at ask prices are depicted. By considering the display screen, traders are better able to determine trading patterns of the market makers in those selected stocks and increase their probability of buying low and selling high.

Abstract: A Brownfields investment vehicle, and a system and method for investing in Brownfields-related projects are provided that are capable of supporting all aspects of a Brownfields remediation/development/redevelopment project, while shielding investors from environmental liability. The Brownfields fund makes, for example, non-recourse, participating capital investments or Brownfields Value Contracts (“BVC”) to a number of “special purpose vehicles” for specific Brownfields projects according to fund investment criteria determined by a fund manager. An investor's risk of incurring environmental liability is substantially reduced by providing that the Brownfields fund is completely passive with respect to the Brownfields project, taking no security or mortgage interest in the Brownfields.

Abstract: A mask ROM includes electrically programmable redundancy cells. Error data is stored in non-use cells among the redundancy cells and access inhibition addresses are attached to the non-use cells in which the error data is stored. If illegal copying is effected by sequentially incrementing the address of the mask ROM, the redundancy cell is accessed and the error data is output when the access inhibition address is accessed.

Abstract: A method and system for financial spreading and forecasting provides a computerized system for automatically spreading and analyzing historical financial statements and generating financial forecasts. The system receives and stores information about a company, forecast parameters, including, for example, inflation adjustments, exchange rates, last historic year, and historical account data for the company, and automatically generates financial forecasts for the company. Information can be imported to the system and exported from the system, for example, over a network.

Abstract: An information providing system according to this invention comprises a center for providing information, and at least one terminal for accepting an offer of information from the center.

Abstract: One or more machine code entities such as functions are created which represent solutions to a problem and are directly executable by a computer. The programs are created and altered by a program in a higher level language such as "C" which is not directly executable, but requires translation into executable machine code through compilation, interpretation, translation, etc. The entities are initially created as an integer array that can be altered by the program as data, and are executed by the program by recasting a pointer to the array as a function type. The entities are evaluated by executing them with training data as inputs, and calculating fitnesses based on a predetermined criterion. The entities are then altered based on their fitnesses using a machine learning algorithm by recasting the pointer to the array as a data (e.g. integer) type. This process is iteratively repeated until an end criterion is reached.

Abstract: One or more machine code entities such as functions are created which represent solutions to a problem and are directly executable by a computer. The programs are created and altered by a program in a higher level language such as "C" which is not directly executable, but requires translation into executable machine code through compilation, interpretation, translation, etc. The entities are initially created as an integer array that can be altered by the program as data, and are executed by the program by recasting a pointer to the array as a function type. The entities are evaluated by executing them with training data as inputs, and calculating fitnesses based on a predetermined criterion. The entities are then altered based on their fitnesses using a machine learning algorithm by recasting the pointer to the array as a data (e.g. integer) type. This process is iteratively repeated until an end criterion is reached.

Abstract: An improved classification system for classifying characteristics of an article into classes of characteristics based on features associated with the characteristics. The system includes a first rule-based classifier that provides rules that embody requirements of selected features so as to together define selected classes. These rules are applied to measured features of an article characteristic to assign one of the selected classes to that characteristic, should the article characteristic meet the feature requirements of one of the selected classes. The system also includes a trainable classifier configured based on a training set of preclassified characteristics, with the trainable classifier connected so as to accept from the first rule-based classifier an article characteristic not classified by the rule based classifier.

Abstract: An intelligent help system which processes information specific to a user and a system state is described. The system incorporates a monitoring device to determine which events to store as data in an historical queue. These data, as well as non-historical data (e.g. system state), are stored in a knowledge base. An inference engine tests rules against the knowledge base data, thereby providing a help tag. A display engine links the help tag with an appropriate solution tag to provide help text for display.

Abstract: An inference rule determining process according to the present invention sequentially determines, using a learning function of a neural network model, a membership function representing a degree which the conditions of the IF part of each inference rule is satisfied when input data is received to thereby obtain an optimal inference result without using experience rules. The inventive inference device uses an inference rule of the type "IF . . . THEN . . ." and includes a membership value determiner (1) which includes all of IF part and has a neural network; individual inference quantity determiners (21)-(2r) which correspond to the respective THEN parts of the inference rules and determine the corresponding inference quantities for the inference rules; and a final inference quantity determiner which determines these inference quantities synthetically to obtain the final results of the inference.