Abstract: An IC card arrangement wherein information which is the standard for transaction conditions such as amount information in an IC card is registered within the IC card, and further included is additional conditional information such as age, sex, etc. information for an owner of the card, or a predetermined contract destination. When a transaction is attempted using the IC card, restrictions and conditions for the owner, etc., are automatically set using the additional conditional information within the IC card.

Abstract: A multivariate negotiations engine for international transaction processing which: enables a sponsor to create and administer a community between participants such as buyers and sellers having similar interests; allows a buyer/participant to search and evaluate seller information, propose and negotiate orders and counteroffers that include all desired terms, request sample quantities, and track activity; allows a seller/participant to use remote authoring templates to create a complete Website for immediate integration and activation in the community, to evaluate proposed buyer orders and counteroffers, and to negotiate multiple variables such as prices, terms, conditions etc., iteratively with a buyer. The system provides secure databases, search engines, and other tools for use by the sponsor, which enable the sponsor to define the terms of community participation, establish standards, help promote the visibility of participating companies, monitor activity, collect fees, and promote successes.

Abstract: An electronic non-repudiation multivariate negotiations engine for iterative bargaining which: enables a sponsor to create and administer a community between participants such as buyers and sellers having similar interests; allows a buyer/participant to search and evaluate seller information, propose and negotiate orders and counteroffers that include all desired terms, request sample quantities, and track activity; allows a seller/participant to use remote authoring templates to create a complete Website for immediate integration and activation in the community, to evaluate proposed buyer orders and counteroffers, and to negotiate multiple variables such as prices, terms, conditions etc., iteratively with a buyer. The system provides secure databases, search engines, and other tools for use by the sponsor, which enable the sponsor to define the terms of community participation, establish standards, help promote the visibility of participating companies, monitor activity, collect fees, and promote successes.

Abstract: A multivariate negotiations engine for ordering sample quantities which: enables a sponsor to create and administer a community between participants such as buyers and sellers having similar interests; allows a buyer/participant to search and evaluate seller information, propose and negotiate orders and counteroffers that include all desired terms, request and order sample quantities, and track activity; allows a seller/participant to use remote authoring templates to create a complete Website for immediate integration and activation in the community, to evaluate proposed buyer orders and counteroffers, and to negotiate multiple variables such as prices, terms, conditions etc., iteratively with a buyer. This also allows buyers and sellers to use and negotiate payment options and methods that are accepted internationally.

Abstract: A system and method of managing an actuarially credible pool of life insurance policies to generate a consistent cash flow from death benefits paid on the insurance policies. The system and method accessing selected data having terms associated therewith, wherein the data is representative of the pool of life insurance policies. The cash value of the pool of life insurance policies is calculated from the selected data of the pool of life insurance policies for a predetermined point in time. The cash value of the pool of life insurance policies is compared to a predetermined cash value at the predetermined point in time. Then at least one of the terms is modified in accordance with a predetermined criteria, so that the cash value of the life insurance policies is managed and an actuarially definable cash flow may be obtained. This cash flow is then analyzed, so that at least a portion thereof may be sold to a third party.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for directly linking a harvest environment using precision farming techniques to the marketplace. It is a feature of this invention that properties of crops are evaluated “on-the-move,” during the harvest thereof, and are made known to users in the harvest environment to enable the real-time transaction for the sale of these crops. In a preferred embodiment, crops are harvested from an agricultural field in the harvest environment with a combine having an auger section thereon. A plurality of properties of the crops are evaluated on-the-move by flowing the harvested crops through the auger section and over an optical device. The optical device utilizes light reflected from the crops to determine the properties. Thereafter, the marketplace is searched with a computing configuration aboard the combine for a market seeking the crop properties.

Abstract: A system and method for the use of stored value cards when either a consumer or a merchant does not possess a stored value card. A consumer value acquirer receives funds from the bank account of a given consumer. The consumer value acquirer also has a pool of stored value cards that are not assigned to any specific consumer but which are used on behalf of consumers wishing to purchase goods or services via stored value card transaction. The consumer value acquirer acts as a proxy for the consumer and uses one of the pool of stored value cards on behalf of the consumer in a transaction with a merchant that uses stored value cards. Once funds stored value card funds are transferred to the merchant during a transaction, the consumer account with the consumer value acquirer is debited the amount of the transaction.

Abstract: A method and system is presented for distributing returns from an investment portfolio to a plurality of investors with different risk tolerances as a function of the risk-return preferences of the investors. Said portfolio may correspond to a point on an efficient frontier related to the risk-return points selected by investors.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for compressing a portfolio of financial instruments is described. Financial instruments to be compressed are identified, and a compressed subportfolio corresponding to the identified financial instruments is generated. The compressed subportfolio and any non-compressed financial instruments are then combined into a compressed portfolio.

Abstract: A method for improving an agent schedule comprises unscheduling an agent from a shift in the schedule; evaluating a score function for each of a plurality of possible schedules which have the agent scheduled for different possible shifts; and selecting an improved schedule from among the plurality of possible schedules. The improved schedule is characterized by an improved value of the score function. The above steps are repeated until a locally optimal schedule is obtained. The break times in the possible shifts are not necessarily scheduled in the above procedure. In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for optimal break scheduling. The method includes the steps of unscheduling a break; evaluating a score function for a plurality of possible break times for the break; and selecting an improved break time from the possible break times. The improved break time is characterized by an improved score.

Abstract: A system and method of authenticating and acknowledging, for each user among a group of users, that the user's behavior is a positive contribution to a context. The authentication of positive contributive behavior is based on feedback from other users of the system. The system and method facilitate such user feedback. In one embodiment, the system and method use user feedback to selectively recommend messages in an electronic bulletin board system. In this embodiment, each user acknowledges positive contributive messages authored by other users. The system validates the acknowledgment by checking its consistency with feedback on the same message received from other users. If the acknowledgment is determined to be valid, the system acknowledges the user supplying feedback by awarding value units (points) to the user. To the extent that the author's message is well received, the system acknowledges the author by awarding points to the author.

Abstract: An electronic pricing and display system using programmable electronic shelf tags. Programmable electronic shelf tags are used in connection with apparatus for programming the electronic shelf tags. Pricing and product information is stored in databases of a computer system for such purposes as inventory control and updating pricing information. A portable programming device is used to transmit programming data Methods are provided for fast and convenient modification of large numbers of electronic shelf tags located throughout a facility (e.g., a retail store).

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for examining and effectively managing resource allocation in a health care organization or facility (e.g., a hospital, a hospice, or a nursing home). The disclosed technology relies upon an analysis of the electronic discharge records of a health care organization in a manner that allows extraction of only those records that were generated for patients having a specified condition (e.g., septic shock, coronary artery disease, auto-immune disease, etc.) or fall into a particular class based upon resource usage (e.g., length of hospital stay, type of surgery, or quantity and type of pharmaceuticals taken). Note that discharge records often fail to explicitly specify the condition of interest. To accomplish selective extraction, the content of the discharge records is matched against one or more “key explanatory variables” such as a “selection vector” which is collection of patient codes that implicitly specify the condition of interest.

Abstract: A shelf tag comprising a liquid crystal display having optical states which are stable without power and an interface that allows for each character element to be programmed easily by sweeping a programming device across the character element contacts with all power and signal requirements being supplied to the shelf tag by the programming device. The programming device can be integrated with a portable transaction computer equipped with a bar code reader or can be embodied in a stand-alone apparatus capable of receiving user input, displaying information and interfacing to the shelf tags. A method of using the shelf tags, the programming device and a radio frequency computer local area network are presented which automates many typical business applications such as inventory updating and simultaneously changing prices advertised on the shelf tags.

Abstract: The invention utilizes a computer apparatus to automatically generate displays or reports containing investment security or element recommendations (FIG. 4, box 133) along with an optional summarization of the reasons (FIG. 4, box 134) for the recommendation from magazines, online sources, and broadcast programs for one specific security or element (FIG. 4, box 132) at a time or one specific recommendation source (FIG. 7, box 184) at a time. The aforementioned reports could additionally include the performance of the recommendors (FIG. 5, box 156). A report could also be provided to show the performance statistics (FIG. 8b, box 196, box 204, box 206, box 208, box 210, box 212, box 214) of a recommendation source (FIG. 8b, box 194) for predetermined date ranges (FIG. 8b, box 216) either in an aggregated and averaged format (FIG. 8b) or for each recommendation (FIG. 8c) made by the recommendation source.

Abstract: This invention provides for a method of (or apparatus for) facilitating the delivery of advice to consumers using a server unit which can store and display the names and characteristics of experts and then rapidly assist in connecting the expert and consumer for real-time communication. The server can also have the ability to receive keywords from the consumer, match those keywords to one or more experts, and tell the consumer how to contact an expert.

Abstract: A method of simulating future cash flow for a given asset allocation under a variety of economic conditions, measuring the frequency of failure of the cash flow to avoid one or more predefined risks. Assigning user-selected weights to avoidance of specified risks and alternative user-selected weights to maximization of rate of return, the invention utilizes the cash flow simulation to produce a performance index. By methodological testing through asset allocation adjustments, the optimum performance index is determined, thereby identifying the optimum asset allocation.

Abstract: A system and method for forecasting intermittent demand. The forecasting technique utilizes sample reuse techniques to build a distribution of predicted cumulative lead time demand values that can be analyzed using statistical methods, be used as input for an inventory control system, be used as input for a sales planning system, etc.

Abstract: A complete system for the purchasing of goods or information over a computer network is presented. Merchant computers on the network maintain databases of digital advertisements that are accessed by buyer computers. In response to user inquiries, buyer computers retrieve and display digital advertisements from merchant computers. A digital advertisement can further include a program that is interpreted by a buyer's computer. The buyer computers include a means for a user to purchase the product described by a digital advertisement. If a user has not specified a means of payment at the time of purchase, it can be requested after a purchase transaction is initiated. A network payment system performs payment order authorization in a network with untrusted switching, transmission, and host components. Payment orders are backed by accounts in an external financial system network, and the payment system obtains account authorizations from this external network in real-time.

Abstract: A complete system for the purchasing of goods or information over a computer network is presented. Merchant computers on the network maintain databases of digital advertisements that are accessed by buyer computers. In response to user inquiries, buyer computers retrieve and display digital advertisements from merchant computers. A digital advertisement can further include a program that is interpreted by a buyer's computer. The buyer computers include a means for a user to purchase the product described by a digital advertisement. If a user has not specified a means of payment at the time of purchase, it can be requested after a purchase transaction is initiated. A network payment system performs payment order authorization in a network with untrusted switching, transmission, and host components. Payment orders are backed by accounts in an external financial system network, and the payment system obtains account authorizations from this external network in real-time.