Abstract: Computer technology for substantially optimizing portfolios of multiple participants is disclosed. Preferably the portfolios of such multiple participants comprise fixed income instruments. The disclosed systems and methods include using at least one computer system for storing digital data representing portfolio holdings of multiple parties and, in particular, for each participant storing in the computer memory data representing constraints with respect to the desired portfolio. The method and system comprise optimizing using an optimization engine portfolio and constraint information of multiple participants so as to generate a set of trades that would substantially optimize participants portfolios with respect to a known objective.

Abstract: Described herein is a system for a computer based market for goods, services, or information and any combination thereof with its foundation a multitude of user owned computers and a network of server computers which creates a relationship between the user of the consumer owned computers and the owners or operators of a network of server computers by the users use of application software to provide information regarding goods, services, or information and any combination thereof that the user wishes to market. The software's purpose is to make the user's computer perform as a server computer so that information regarding goods, services, or information and any combination thereof can be made available in the market created by a token description of the good, service, or information and any combination thereof on the network of server computers.

Abstract: An electronic intermediary electronically connects with a tax data provider and collects electronically tax data from the tax data provider. The electronic intermediary processes the tax data collected electronically, and prepares an electronic tax return using the processed tax data. The electronic intermediary connects electronically with a taxing authority, files the electronic tax return with the taxing authority, and arranges electronically for the payment or receipt of any tax liability or refund, respectively.

Abstract: A system, application and product in data processing is disclosed for setting up a credit check of a customer. A customer risk category is set. A credit is reviewed based on the risk category. A customer hierarchy is set. A customer credit limit is assigned to the customer based on the reviewed credit and the customer hierarchy.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining an indication that an application for a mortgage loan to secure a property may result in closing of the loan transaction. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving application information, such that the application information includes at least borrower information, property information, and a first interest rate; receiving home value information, such that the home value information represents an estimated value of the property; receiving a second interest rate; and determining the indication based on the received application information, received home value information, and received second interest rate, such that the indication represents a likelihood that the mortgage loan may result in closing.

Abstract: An Internet-based service configured to provide a variety of products, services and information tailored to a specific and known lifestyle, wherein all information provided about those products, services, and information is obtained from one web site configured to meet the needs of only that lifestyle.

Abstract: A transaction coordinating device 100 is composed, in which a transportation adjusting portion 140 is provided for adjusting an insertion of cargo transportation of a spot transaction with respect to a schedule of single and/or plural cargo transportation of predetermined fixed transactions, in the event an insertion of a spot transaction based on a temporary contract with respect to fixed transactions based on the contracts of predetermined period of time is adjusted. Accordingly, inserting cargo transportation of a spot transaction easily into a schedule of single and/or plural cargo transportation of fixed transactions becomes possible even in the event that a spot transaction arises suddenly, and further inserting a commodity transaction under a flexible contract into commodity transactions under rigid contract simply also becomes possible.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium is described that provides automated gift registry functionality to assist a user in purchasing an item for a recipient. In particular, the system may track various information about a series of item purchases from one or more services through which items can be purchased. When such information about past item purchases is available, the system can then use the information to provide various automated gift registry functionality for users that want to purchase items for various recipients. Types of automated gift registry functionality provided by the system include making recommendations of items that are appropriate to be purchased for a specified recipient, assisting in preventing recipients from receiving inappropriate gift items by monitoring item gift purchases and item self-purchases, and responding to user requests to determine whether a specified gift would be appropriate for a recipient. In addition to information about past item purchases (e.g.

Abstract: A demand fulfillment system and method that uses customer orders to generate a work schedule and a material delivery schedule for a factory that mass produces items, particularly commodities, built to customer order. The demand fulfillment system enables the manufacturer to operate the factory with minimal in-house inventory of parts and/or raw materials by only scheduling work for which inventory is available. Parts and/or raw materials are requested and delivered to an operation of at least one operation on a manufacturing line in the factory from in-house and external inventory based upon the work scheduled for that operation.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing the sale of a tier-priced commodity are described. Risk is managed by bundling with the commodity at the lower tier a financial instrument designed to indemnify against the risks associated with purchasing the commodity at the lower tier. The financial instrument may be an insurance instrument, for example. In one embodiment, prices of a commodity at two and a price or value of a financial instrument are determined. The purchase price of the bundled product is a function of the price of the commodity at the lower tier and the price or value of the financial instrument, which may depend, in part, on the purchaser. Different prices may be offered to different purchasers for respective bundled products. Other embodiments relate to selling bundled products over a network, such as the Internet, auctioning bundled products, and searching for the best price of a bundled product.

Abstract: A trading screen may display price and quantity information for price levels in a static axis of prices. The static axis of prices may be divided into two or more different regions. The price and quantity information for one or more of the regions may be consolidated from price and quantity information from plurality of un-consolidated price levels.

Abstract: A transaction authorization system comprises an authorization engine (22) configured to perform an analysis in relation to a received request for authorization of an electronic payment transaction and determine an authorization output based on the analysis, wherein the analysis includes application of one or more checking rules of the if-then clause type comparing one or more transaction-related attributes to one or more predefined attribute threshold values.

Abstract: A method and computer system for structuring two-vehicle financing. A price for a first vehicle having a first fuel economy is determined, and an average amount that the first vehicle will be driven each month is estimated. These steps are repeated for a second vehicle having a second fuel economy. Loan/lease terms are determined for both vehicles combined. A monthly transportation cost for the first and second vehicles combined is calculated based on the monthly loan or lease payment and the estimated amount that the first and second vehicles will be driven each month, respectively.

Abstract: A vehicle-onboard ETC apparatus capable of conducting ETC information communication includes a vehicle speed detector for detecting a speed of a motor vehicle which passes through a toll gate station equipped with an ETC system, a communication unit for exchanging ETC information for settlement of toll charge/payment with the toll gate station upon passing therethrough, a measuring unit for measuring reception field intensity of the received ETC information within a communication coverage area, and a decision unit for making decision on the basis of the detected vehicle speed and the measured reception field intensity as to a location within the communication coverage area where ETC information communication can be started while sustaining favorable field intensity for signal reception at the detected vehicle speed, to thereby allow the communication means to perform communication processing on the basis of the result of the above decision.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for tracking and reporting electronic commerce activity over a web site that is stored on a first server coupled to a wide area network. The web page is programmed to include data fields reflecting commerce transaction activity and data mining code. The web page is uploaded to a visitor computer responsive to a request over the wide area network from the visitor computer. Commerce information is accepted within the data fields of the web page at the visitor computer to form a completed web page. The data mining code is operated on the visitor computer to obtain technical and commercial data and sent to a second server on the wide area network for logging and analysis.

Abstract: Smaller investors can create and manage on a cost-effective basis a complex portfolio of securities using a mechanism that enables the investor to provide to the system the investor's preferences regarding his portfolio, to generate a portfolio, including fractional shares, that reflects the investor's preferences. The system then permits aggregation of the orders, and netting of orders, generated by multiple investors at various times during the day for execution. In addition, the structure of the computer-based system of the present invention allows its cost to be based on access to or usage of the system (such as a monthly fee) as opposed to by securities orders entered into the system as per common brokerage. The result is that the investor can create a portfolio of directly owned securities with attributes, such as diversification, similar to a mutual fund.

Abstract: A method of generating and displaying time and cost data representing the time and the cost to complete a plurality of oilfield related activities in response to a set of engineering results including wellbore geometry and drilling parameters comprises the steps of: (a) assembling a plurality of time data and a plurality of cost data based on the engineering results in response to a plurality of activity templates; and (b) generating a display of the time data and the cost data, the display illustrating the time data and the cost data representing the time and the cost to complete the plurality of oilfield related activities. The display includes a numerical display and a graphical display.

Abstract: Implied prices and their quantities are computed. Markets are characterized by exhaustively computing one or more combinations of other related markets. Each combination when summed in a particular way results in the market under consideration. In a described embodiment, the number of market combinations found is an exhaustive list of market combinations such that the market under consideration can be fully and completely characterized, such that each combination provides implied market information about the market under consideration. Implied market information can include implied prices and their quantities, which are computed for each combination and used accordingly in displays or used by automated or semi-automated trading tools.

Abstract: Smaller investors can create and manage on a cost-effective basis a complex portfolio of securities using a mechanism that enables the investor to provide to the system the investor's preferences regarding his portfolio, to generate a portfolio, including fractional shares, that reflects the investor's preferences. The system then permits aggregation of the orders, and netting of orders, generated by multiple investors at various times during the day for execution. In addition, the structure of the computer-based system of the present invention allows its cost to be based on access to or usage of the system (such as a monthly fee) as opposed to by securities orders entered into the system as per common brokerage. The result is that the investor can create a portfolio of directly owned securities with attributes, such as diversification, similar to a mutual fund.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically managing a price of a product in a vending machine. The method and apparatus is disclosed for implementing dynamic price adjustments at various times including after stocking, after a sale of a product and at periodic intervals. The method generally includes the steps of updating inventory data, including a quantity of a product, accessing price management data associated with the product, and determining the price of the product. According to the method and apparatus of the present invention, the determined price of the product is based on the price management data and the inventory data. The determined price is then stored in a memory of the apparatus and displayed for customers. The apparatus may be a vending machine, a processing module within the vending machine, or an external module remotely transmitting the dynamically adjusted price to a vending machine.