Abstract: An electronic money holding device has a first storage unit for storing a uniquely assigned identification number and an amount of held electronic money, a processor for controlling the reference to and the updating of the amount of held electronic money and the transfer of electronic money between the electronic money holding device and another electronic money holding device, and a second storage unit for storing information of service providers concluding sales contracts with a possessor of the electronic money holding device and payment information of each sales contract.

Abstract: A system for deploying to a client accounting installation a general procurement and accounts payable application specifically configured for the client by an enterprise includes a database server for (1) maintaining on a storage device a database of templates describing procedures for assessing, preparing, developing, deploying and supporting the application, and for (2) serving these templates to team members operating web-enabled terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to the application while generating a description for adapting a front end server and an accounting system server to the requirements of the client.

Abstract: A software-based, integrated member decision support system provides a method for corporations, insurance carriers, health maintenance organizations, physicians, physician groups, or other clients to efficiently provide medical, pharmaceutical, and health benefit advice and information for an enrolled population. The system contains one or more databases which include member profiles, clinical information and guidelines, pharmaceutical information and guidelines, health benefit information, and optional additional information. A caller establishes communication with the system, which directs the caller to an operator who provides the caller with medical, pharmaceutical, and/or health benefit advice based on an inquiry from the caller and the information stored on the system. The system may automatically alert the caller or the operator of important medical or pharmaceutical information.

Abstract: A system for deploying to a client accounting installation a general procurement and accounts payable application specifically configured for the client by an enterprise includes a database server for (1) maintaining on a storage device a database of templates describing procedures for assessing, preparing, developing, deploying and supporting the application, and for (2) serving these templates to team members operating web-enabled terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to the application while generating a description for adapting a front end server and an accounting system server to the requirements of the client.

Abstract: A system for deploying to a client accounting installation a general procurement and accounts payable application specifically configured for the client by an enterprise includes a database server for (1) maintaining on a storage device a database of templates describing procedures for assessing, preparing, developing, deploying and supporting the application, and for (2) serving these templates to team members operating web-enabled terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to the application while generating a description for adapting a front end server and an accounting system server to the requirements of the client.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a private label card revaluing method for altering the value of a private label card having an associated plurality of transaction data for use with an electronic commerce terminal system, a card reader and a universal server. The process retrieves the transaction data from the private label card and communicates the transaction data to the universal server. User identification associated with the transaction data is interchanged with a further form of user identification based on a dynamic identification interchange.

Abstract: A method to generate a strategic business plan to improve operations, and to closely monitor various performance measures of an enterprise. This is accomplished employing a more comprehensive approach to maximizing profitability, increasing revenue, and explicitly considering risk. In particular, the method extends supply chain management using financial management considerations, extends financial management using supply chain management considerations, employs supply chain management techniques to improve financial management, and employs financial management techniques to improve supply chain management.

Abstract: The invention provides for a method and apparatus for determining the commission to be paid to a sales representative or sales team. Whenever a sale occurs, a Transaction describing the sale is created and inputted into the Commission system of one embodiment of the invention. Based on a set of Allocation Rules that specify the credit an individual is to receive from a Transaction, the Transactions are converted into several Allocations for individual Sales Representatives or Sales Teams. One or more Quotas specify a target or goal that must be reached to earn commission for each Sales Team. A Quota State indicates the current performance of a Sales Representative with respect to a particular Quota within a particular time frame. The Quotas are used to convert the Allocations/Transactions into Quota Details that specify how to increment or decrement the Quota State. A Promotion specifies the reward or commission that is received upon attaining a desired level of performance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for transacting any combination of electronic mail, electronic commerce transactions, and electronic business transactions by way of an electronic commerce terminal operationally related to vending equipment including gas pumps and service stations. The various vending equipment can be networked to one another through a first network, programmable and accessible by a PC, server, point of sale (POS) system, property or management information system (PMS/MIS), and also networked to a second network. Complete control of a vending machine's functionality including usage, control, diagnostics, inventory, and marketing data capture can be effectuated locally or by remote connection to the network. Remote connection to the network may be accomplished using Internet type connections, telecommunication (telephone, ISDN, ADSL), VSAT satellite, and other wire and wireless transmission systems.

Abstract: A method for effecting transactions across multiple vendors in an integrated environment, wherein the user may purchase each of a plurality of items the user finds independent of the vendors. The user's selections are received from the user and mapped to selected set of vendors. When the user is finished, she invokes a check-out application to fill in one or many order entry forms for each of the relevant vendors whose goods the user selected during the course of shopping. The check-out application uses common information, such as name, address and credit card number, previously provided by the user in order to fill in the order entry forms for each vendor without requiring the user to fill in these forms. Finally, the check-out application tracks confirmation numbers in a common information store.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating electronic commerce and controlling vending equipment. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale. Vending equipment can be networked to each other through a first network, programmable and accessible by a PC, server, point of sale system, property or management information system, and networked to a second network. Complete control of a vending machine's functionality including usage, control, diagnostics, inventory, and marketing data capture can be effectuated locally or by remote connection to the network. Remote connection to the network includes Internet type connections, telecommunication (telephone, ISDN, ADSL), VSAT satellite, and other wire and wireless transmission.

Abstract: A purpose of this invention is to totalize, store, and check special sales information concerning special customers or special purchasers, etc. Sales information of registered merchandise is totalized and stored in an area corresponding to a department code of a department file table specified in a product department, by an ordinary registration mode. When special registration process is specified by depressing a department shift key, a value of the product department is changed to a value specified in a department shift table by a special registration mode and the sales information is totalized and stored in an area corresponding to the department code of the department file table specified by the thus changed value. Accordingly, the special sales information can be totalized as ordinary sales information, and can be stored separately from the ordinary sales information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic commerce terminal for conducting credit card, e-mail, e-commerce, e-business, and other types of transactions from a public transportation vehicle. Public transportation vehicles can include taxis, airplanes, buses, trains, subway, trolley, streetcar, and other public access modes of transportation. In addition, the present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and controlling vending equipment and applications. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale. Complete control of a vending machine's functionality including usage, control, diagnostics, inventory, and marketing data capture can be effectuated locally or by remote connection to the network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a processing method for conducting e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business by way of an electronic commerce terminal. An electronic commerce terminal can be referred to as a pervasive computing device. In addition, the present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and controlling vending equipment and applications. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale. Vending equipment includes copiers, phones (public, private, cellular), facsimile machines, printers, data-ports, laptop print stations, notebook computers, palmtop computers (PALM PILOT), microfiche devices, projectors, scanners, cameras, modems, communication access, personal data assistants (PDA's), pagers, and other vending machines, personal computers (PC), PC terminals (NET PC), and network computers (NC).

Abstract: A method of issuing a purchase card is provided. The method includes the steps of presenting a purchaser with the opportunity to buy the purchase card, determining whether the purchaser has sufficient funds to pay for the purchase card, creating a purchase card account for a recipient designated by the purchaser, and issuing the purchase card. The purchase card may also be issued in connection with another credit card, for example as a rebate for purchases on the credit card. The purchase card may also be converted to a credit card.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for retail store applications including point of sale transactions, and window display transactions. Additionally, the present invention relates to transacting e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and for communicating voice and data. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and controlling vending locations and equipment. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale in this instance in retail stores as a point of sale device and in storefront window displays. Vending locations and equipment includes point of sale systems, property management systems, management information systems, and retail stores including credit card processing terminals and retail store window display areas.

Abstract: A data processing system provides development of complex schedule plans under user control by using sorting and grouping processing to interface between a relational database and a scheduler application. The sorting and grouping processing provides for user-interactive editing of data in the database by presentation of groupings of activities developed in accordance with attributes of the activities concurrently with activities which are not included in a group. Editing of the group based on the presentation of other activities allows the user to apply acquired knowledge and understanding of the subtleties and dynamics of the activities and to make business decisions which therefore do not need to be represented in the scheduler application. Changes to data in the database are logged in a notebook or scratch-pad store so that data may be returned to its original or any prior state.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system for networking, monitoring and controlling electronic commerce and vending equipment. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale. Vending equipment includes copiers, phones, facsimile machines, printers, data-ports, laptop print stations, notebook computers, palmtop computers (PALM PILOT), microfiche devices, projectors, scanners, cameras, modems, communication access, personal computers (PC), PC terminals (NET PC), and network computers (NC). Vending equipment can be networked to each other through a first network, programmable and accessible by a PC, server, point of sale (POS) system, property or management information system (PMS/MIS), and networked to a second network. The first network and second network can be the same network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic commerce terminal for conducting credit card, e-mail, e-commerce, e-business, and other types of transactions from a public transportation vehicle. Public transportation vehicles can include taxis, airplanes, buses, trains, subway, trolley, streetcar, and other public access modes of transportation. An electronic commerce terminal can be referred to as a pervasive computing device. In addition, the present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and controlling vending equipment and applications. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring, collecting data, selling goods and services, controlling interactive advertising, controlling and effectuating electronic commerce and controlling vending equipment including cold drink and snack style vending machines. In addition the present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and controlling vending equipment and applications. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale.