Abstract: A method for use in marketing includes detecting, at the point-of-sale, a plurality of Uniform Product Codes associated with respective items purchased by a customer. The method also includes transmitting, on a substantially real-time basis, the plurality of Uniform Product Code over the Internet to a remote computer connected to the Internet.

Abstract: The present invention provides anchoring mechanisms for tissue implants. The anchors are integrated as part of the structure of the implant and serve to resist migration of the implant from highly dynamic muscle tissue such as the myocardium of the heart. In implant devices configured as a flexible coil, various attributes of the coil may be altered to increase the anchoring capability of the device. The flexibility of the device may be increased to resist migration by changing the coil filament thickness, pitch or filament material. Alternatively, the end coil may be altered to have a broader cross-sectional profile in engagement with the tissue or may include an anchoring barb. Additionally, methods of implanting a tissue implant device are provided.

Abstract: An automated exchange system for trading an order having a hidden volume. An order is received requesting a hidden volume trade. The automated exchange generates an open volume with a random/pseudo-random size and/or at a random/pseudo-random time based on one or more parameters associated with the order.

Abstract: A computer system and a method of searching for information to construct an information object includes querying a resource having information stored as bindable data elements and returning results of the query. The system and method includes a fragment base that stores the bindable data elements as fragments and/or primitives that may be used to satisfy the query. The computer based system and method can include a sense process that reads data referred to a client process and tests the data to determine whether the data can be bound to existing data or produces new data within the fragment database. Fragments and primitives represent information in small pieces that can have both generalized structure and particular data. As information changes and grows incrementally, fragments can be added to or modified within a fragment base to define a larger composite concept that is an information object.

Abstract: An automated banking machine (12) is operative to conduct transactions in response to HTML documents and TCP/IP messages exchanged with a local computer system (14) through an intranet (16), as well as in response to messages exchanged with foreign servers (20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 96) in a wide area network (18). The banking machine includes a computer (34) having an HTML document handling portion (76, 80, 82). The HTML document handling portion is operative to communicate through a proxy server (88), with a home HTTP server (90) in the intranet or the foreign servers in the wide area network. The computer further includes a device application portion (84) which interfaces with the HTML document handling portion and dispatches messages to operate devices (36) in the automated banking machine. The devices include a sheet dispenser mechanism (42) which dispenses currency as well as other transaction devices.

Abstract: A first equity instrument which represents an ownership interest in a portfolio of stocks. The portfolio of stocks is a subset of a larger portfolio of stocks, which also has a corresponding second equity instrument representing an ownership interest in the larger portfolio of stocks. The weight of each stock in the smaller portfolio is substantially similar to its weight in the larger portfolio, divided by the combined weight of the smaller portfolio within the larger portfolio. Thus, trading in the equity instrument allows one to maintain the relative proportions of the stocks belonging to the smaller portfolio, in the larger portfolio without having to trade the individual stocks comprising the smaller portfolio.

Abstract: A unitary investment instrument combining a swap and a structured note, both of which provide multiple utilization of capital. The unitary instrument has three performance components. An investor invests in the issuer the principal amount of the structured note component. The structured note provides its own portfolio exposures as well as serving as collateral for the base benchmark portfolio swap (alternatively, the base benchmark portfolio exposure can be acquired through a separate collateral deposit on the investor's own portfolio). The first component is a benchmark portfolio, which in one preferred embodiment is a financial or stock index such as the S&P 500 Stock Index. The second component is an incremental benchmark portfolio keyed to the same benchmark index and the third component is keyed to a passive commodity index, having long and short positions, which in one preferred embodiment is the Mount Lucas Management Commodity Index.

Abstract: A dual credit card system is in two parts: a) the creation of a dual credit card; and b) the usage of a dual credit card. The creation begins with the receipt of an application by merchant for a dual credit card. The issuing organization issues the dual credit card to the applicant. The user may make a purchase with the dual credit card at either a private label merchant location or at a location accepting the bankcard. These locations may traditional physical locations, a web site on the Internet or a catalog. When a purchase is made at a merchant location, the processing of the merchant location dual credit card purchase is done via a private-label processing channel. If the user uses the dual credit card at a non-merchant location, the purchase may be processed through the VISA/MasterCard network.

Abstract: A method of exchanging an obligation between parties where the exchange is administered by a supervisory institution that ensures real-time settling of obligations between parties by updating shadow records in real-time and instructing one or more exchange institutions to effect, from time to time, the exchange of obligations in accounts maintained external to the supervisory institution. Updates to the exchange institution accounts may reflect the net obligations of parties over a nominated period of time. The role of the supervisory institution is to ensure that obligations are only settled where parties have sufficient balance in their shadow records to complete the transaction. Obligations that can be exchanged include, but are not limited to: shares in financial or physical assets, participation rights in wagers, national or synthetic currencies, exchange settlement account deposits, taxation account deposits, and deposits of financial instruments or precious metals.

Abstract: An automated priority right auctioning system receives and evaluates bid information records received from a plurality of remote terminals. The bid information records correspond to bids for one or more priority rights. The automated priority right auctioning system includes a memory storing a plurality of previously accepted bid information records, the previously accepted bid information records each including identification information, section information, quantity information and bid price information. The system further includes a central controlling computer operably connected to the memory. The central controlling computer is operable to first receive a message including a received bid information record from one of a plurality of remote terminals through a communication system. The received bid information record includes received identification information, received section information, received quantity information, and received bid price information.

Abstract: A multi-layer wound dressing comprising at least two absorbent layers, and materials for forming absorbent layers are provided. The absorbent layers have different absorbencies, with the layer closest to the wound having a lower absorbency than the layer furthest from the wound. The wound dressing typically contains additional non-absorbing layers, such as a backing film and wound-facing film. The dressing provides absorbency of wound exudates while preventing the absorbent material from entering the wound. In specific implementations the dressing is substantially transparent prior to application to a wound, as well as after application to the wound when body fluids have been absorbed.

Abstract: This invention facilitates the relocation of a hypertext document and objects referenced by hypertext items. The Universal Resource Locators (URLs) in a hypertext document are identified and assessed. A modifiable URL is a URL that is associated with an object that has been relocated, or with an object that will be relocated when the hypertext document is relocated. Each modifiable URL in the document is modified to reflect the relocation of each object, and each object that has not yet been relocated is relocated. If any relocated object is another hypertext document, this other document is similarly processed to identify and update each modifiable URL, each object requiring relocation is relocated, and each relocated hypertext document is subsequently similarly processed.

Abstract: An interactive system conducts auctions over an open communications network. Remote bidder site(s) are interconnected with remote scum site(s). Data for desired merchandise to be acquired at an auction is entered and a bidding strategy is automatically generated at a remote bidder site. The generated bidding strategy is dien implemented at a remote seller site. Auction data relating to merchandise to be auctioned is entered and a selling strategy is generated on the basis of the auction data at the seller site. Thereafter, the generated selling strategy is implemented by interaction with bidding agent(s) at the seller site. During an auction at a seller site, the bidder and seller actions are controlled and synchronized.

Abstract: A multi-attribute trading system creates value for both the buyer and seller. A spread or net value between the buyer's true value and the seller's true value is divided among the buyer, seller, and trading system. Multiple true values are inputted by a buyer for products with varied attribute specifications such as travel services. These multiple values are stored in a buyer attribute tree. Likewise, the seller specifies multiple true values for a multi-attribute product that are stored in a seller attribute tree. The trading system compares the buyer attribute tree to the seller attribute tree. For each specification of the multiple attributes, the spread or difference between the buyer-specified true value and the seller-specified true value is calculated. The attribute specification producing the maximum of these spreads is selected for trading.

Abstract: A system and method for opening and tracking trouble tickets over the public Internet. A customer service management system provides information included within a customer profile record to a Web enabled infrastructure which is accessible by a remote customer workstation having a web browser and Internet access. The customer profile information is used to prepopulate data fields in dialogs used to open a trouble ticket. Once a trouble ticket is opened, the customer workstation tracks the existing trouble tickets through a browser based graphical user interface. The graphical user interface provides current and historical status reports of the actions taken to resolve a network event and the service organizations responsible for resolving the network event.

Abstract: A unitary investment instrument that may be either a swap or a note instrument, both of which provide multiple utilization of capital. The unitary instrument has two performance components. An investor must either deposit collateral with the issuer (in the case of the swap instrument) or invest in the issuer the principal amount of the investment (in the case of the note instrument). The first component is a base portfolio, which is preferably the S&P 500 Stock Index. The second component is keyed to a passive commodity index, having long and short positions, which is preferably the Mount Lucas Management Commodity Index. The instruments' commodity index exposure is established as the product of a leverage factor and the amount of the base portfolio exposure; thereafter this exposure may be the product of (1) a leverage factor and/or (2) the change in value of the investment or either component thereof.

Abstract: A method for assessing the credit worthiness of a country is disclosed. The first step of the method is to create a database of economic scores for the country based upon a variety of economic factors. The database is kept current with frequent updates from publicly available sources and an average of the economic scores is calculated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for monitoring, for example, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, trading partners, chart of accounts, invoices, and/or payments, using a process management and workflow system coupled to a data repository are described. In one embodiment, the process management and workflow system is configured to be coupled to an accounting system by a communications link, and communicates with the accounting system via the communication link, authenticates the validity of the accounting system, receives financial information from the accounting system, extracts data from the financial information, and loads the extracted data into said data repository.

Abstract: A Building Database Manipulator to build databases for a variety of physical environments including definitions of buildings, terrain and other site parameters, by scanning in or rapidly editing data. Raster scans may be entered or object files in various formats may be used as input. Detailed information is stored in the drawing database about the object's location, radio frequency attenuation, color, and other physical information such as electrical characteristics and intersections of the object with the ground, floors, ceilings, and other objects when objects are formatted in a drawing. The formatting process is strictly two-dimensional in nature, but the resulting drawing is a true three-dimensional environment. The user sees the three-dimensional building structure by altering the views. The resulting database may be used in a variety of modeling applications, but is especially useful for engineering, planning and management tools for in-building or microcell wireless systems.

Abstract: A method, system and program product for creating a loan from a revenue stream from a lessee, the method comprising the steps of: determining a revenue stream from a lease of a leased tangible asset; calculating a Breakeven TA Note Rate, and a TA Note Amount for a TA Note based on a Multi-Note Loan Coupon, a TA Note Debt Service and market determined underwriting parameters for the tangible asset; calculating an CL Note Debt Service after the TA Note debt service, and other appropriate amounts, if necessary are subtracted from the revenue; calculating a Breakeven CL Note Rate and a CL Note Amount for a CL Note based on the calculated CL Note Debt Service, the Multi-Note Loan Coupon, a CL Note Debt Service, and market determined underwriting parameters; creating a file structure of one or more files for the TA Note and the CL Note; and associating the TA Note and CL Note to assign priorities for purposes of determining and distributing recoveries to holders of the TA Note and/or the CL Note and/or their design