Abstract: Devices, methods, and systems for improving the customer experience and simplifying the purchase of items are disclosed. In general the devices, methods, and systems allow a customer to speak a name or type of item, or scan a code (such as a barcode) of an item, and the item is automatically added to a shopping cart of the customer. For example, speech recognition and machine learning techniques may be used to process audio input and identify potential products relating to the input. When there is a high confidence that an identified product is the product the customer intended to purchase, the identified product is automatically added to the customer's shopping cart. When the confidence is not high enough, a list of potential products may be generated and added to the customer's shopping cart. The customer may then select the intended product right from the list in the shopping cart.

Abstract: Methods and a system for inter-device Self-Service Terminal (SST) interactions are provided. A customer causes a request for assistance to be communicated from a SST during a transaction. A device in proximity to the SST accepts the request. A message is selected by a clerk of the device and relayed to the SST for presentation during the transaction. In an embodiment, the device wirelessly receives the request from a second device that is also in proximity to the SST.

Abstract: A system and method for generating recommendations based on verified user reviews receives verified user reviews from a rating system. The system and method constructs and updates user profiles based on various factors including location and demographic information. This information is used to create comparison points between profiles which is used to amplify certain possible recommendations based on the similarity between the users. This information may then be used to trigger the population of a user interface.

Abstract: Offer listings can be classified as accessory offers or product offers using a classification operation performed on a corpus of offers. Data from the classification operation can be used to classify received queries as either product or accessory, and to classify results as products or accessories for purposes of presenting a relevant list of results to a user.

Abstract: A computer-assisted method for uniformly pricing chargeable items in a healthcare provider's chargeable item database is disclosed. The method applies uniform pricing to identical or related chargeable items. A system for uniformly pricing related chargeable items is also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods include a database maintained by a financial institution that stores transaction data associated with a previous financial transaction performed via a financial account of a respective account holder, wherein the transaction data comprises a transaction location and a transaction timestamp, a spend memory processor of the financial institution that retrieves the transaction data from the database, interacts with a social linking application programming interface (API) to receive, via a network, social data from a social networking site, wherein the social data comprises a social location and a social timestamp, compares the social data to the transaction data, and creates a spend memory record based on one or more similarities between the social data and the transaction data, and a communication interface of the financial institution that provides the spend memory record to a mobile device associated with the account holder.

Abstract: For providing a simple network access process which can be used for accessing network with focus on a single service a process for providing network access for a user via a Network Provider (NP) to a Service Provider (SP) is claimed, the process including: establishing a connection between the user and the Network Provider (NP) by user's request to access the Service Provider (SP); authenticating of the user by a user's Identity Provider (IdP) on request of the Network Provider (NP); transmitting data from the Identity Provider (IdP) to the Network Provider (NP), so that the Network Provider (NP) has the information that the Service Provider (SP) or a third party is payee of the access fees; and providing the access for the user via the Network Provider (NP) to the Service Provider (SP) by the Network Provider (NP).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present methods and systems are directed to a system and method for managing and editing accounting periods. Particularly, the embodiments are directed to a financial management system that allows for the recordation of financial transactions without first requiring the creation of a user-defined accounting period, and that further allows for the creation, modification, and closure of defined accounting periods.

Abstract: Various techniques are provided for carrying out peer-to-peer financial transactions using one or more electronic devices. In one embodiment, a request for payment is transmitted from a first device to a second device using a near field communication (NFC) interface. In response to the request, the second device may transmit payment information to the first device. The first device may select a crediting account and, using a suitable communication protocol, may communicate the received payment information and selected crediting account to one or more external financial servers configured to process and determine whether the payment may be authorized. If the payment is authorized, a payment may be credited to the selected crediting account. In a further embodiment, a device may include a camera configured to obtain an image of a payment instrument. The device may further include an application to extract payment information from the acquired image.

Abstract: Provided is a settlement authentication method and system using a quantum random number generator. The method includes the steps of requesting, by a mobile terminal, a random number from a bank server and a POS terminal each including a quantum random number generator, periodically receiving a first quantum random number generated by the POS terminal and a second quantum random number generated by the bank server, and simultaneously sending a first quantum random number most recently received from the POS terminal to the bank server and a second quantum random number most recently received from the bank server to the POS terminal when the mobile terminal requests settlement.

Abstract: Described are systems and techniques configured to determine and present information to a user of a materials handling facility. As the user moves through the facility, information is dynamically presented to the user on one or more displays using a user interface. The user interface may be presented on the display as the user approaches, and presentation may cease as the user moves away. The amount of information, size of elements presented on the display, and so forth may be based on kinematic data about the user. The kinematic data may include position, speed, orientation, and so forth.

Abstract: Methods and systems for carrying out financial transactions include creating unique aliases for payment instrument having associated identification numbers, associating the created aliases to the payment instruments and enabling consumer use of the aliases to carry out financial transactions. Various special point-of-sale devices may be employed to carry out the financial transactions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for executing a first transaction at a checkout system at substantially the same time that a second transaction is started at the checkout system. For example, a cashier can scan one or more items, adding the items to a first transaction. When all items have been added to the first transaction and a first customer is making a payment in the first transaction, the cashier can begin to add items to a second transaction, such that execution of the first transaction occurs at substantially the same time that items are added to the second transaction.

Abstract: A system for detecting an intrusion in an electronic device. The system includes at least one optical sensor connected to at least one security module of the electronic device. The optical sensor and the security module are configured to detect a variation in light intensity measured by the optical sensor as compared with a reference light intensity associated with at least one pre-determined light source inside the electronic device. The variation in light intensity represents a risk of intrusion into the electronic device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing payment account information in a user account by receiving payment card information by a card reader at a point of sale. An account can be created when the payment card information is read by the card reader. Optionally, a gift card can be scanned prior to the creation of the account, and the gift card information can be combined with the payment card information. The gift card can be an electronic gift card which can be personalized with textual, visual, video, and/or audio portions.

Abstract: An example method of wirelessly providing power to a receiver by a transmitter includes: (i) receiving, by a transmitter management device, information defining charging criteria, (ii) detecting a client device connected to the receiver, and (iii) in response to the detecting, determining whether the charging criteria are satisfied. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the charging criteria are satisfied, transmitting RF waves to form three-dimensional pockets of energy for providing power to the client device. The method also includes sending, to the transmitter management device that is remote from the transmitter, information (i) about an amount of power delievered to the client device, (ii) about a wireless utilization level of the transmitter, and (iii) about the location of the client device, wherein the transmitter management device generates a bill that is based on the information.

Abstract: Discrete resource tracking systems (and corresponding methodologies) that collect, tag and store resource consumption and usage values associated with industrial environment processes are provided. The specification can track water, air, gas, electricity, or steam consumption and usage view of a discrete (or batch) processes. Emissions and/or effluents associated with processes and sub-processes can also be collected, tagged and stored as desired. These stored resource consumption and usage and/or emissions and/or effluents data elements can be used for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, simulation, planning, forecasting, valuating, optimizing, etc.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for adding value to a stored value card in excess of the purchase price for the stored value card is provided. In one embodiment a stored value card transaction processor receives an activation or redemption request for a stored value card from a point of sale terminal. The activation or redemption request comprises at least one of a card identification, a point of sale terminal identification, a merchant identification, and an activation time which is compared to data stored in a stored value card datastore to determine if the stored value card to be activated is eligible for a value added award. The processor then determines the value added award and modifies the request to include the value added award. The processor then transmits the modified request to the card issuer authorization system and receives a response which is forwarded to the point of sale terminal.

Abstract: A method for competing mobile payment offers includes presenting a payment request based on a purchase request to an electronic device. A transaction description based on the payment request is forwarded to one or more payment providers. One or more payment offers are received from the one or more payment providers on the electronic device. A payment method is selected for the purchase request based on the received one or more payment offers. The purchase request is completed using the selected payment method.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system can comprise one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts. In some embodiments, the acts can comprise receiving a first item inventory level quantity for an item, storing the first item inventory level quantity at an inventory database, and comparing the first item inventory level quantity with a predetermined high threshold. In many embodiments, the acts further can comprise, when the first item inventory level quantity is less than the predetermined high threshold, transmitting a first Limited Stock Alert to an inventory cache, and at the inventory cache, storing a first inventory status corresponding to the first item inventory level quantity. Other embodiments of related methods and systems are also provided.