Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving an account number identifier associated with a consumer's account. Using the account number identifier, the consumer's recent transaction history in a transaction data warehouse is located. The transaction data warehouse stores records of purchases made by the consumer with the account at one or more merchants. Computational segmentation scoring is applied to identify a group of leading merchant category codes based on the consumer's recent transaction history. The group of leading merchant category codes are correlated with corresponding merchant offers stored in a central offer repository to provide merchant offers that are customized to the consumer's spending behavior. The customized merchant offers are presented to the consumer at a display interface of a device. The customized offers may be presented as an award or mystery offer in an interactive game.

Abstract: A computer readable medium configured to approximate the integral of the product of a plurality of functions includes logic configured to factor the plurality of functions into a set of fixed functions and one varying function, logic configured to determine a first vector that represents the product of the fixed functions in the wavelet domain, logic configured to determine a second vector that represents the one varying function in the wavelet domain, and logic configured to determine an inner product of the first vector and the second vector.

Abstract: A computer readable medium is configured to determine the integral of the product of a plurality of functions. The computer readable medium includes logic configured to project each function of the plurality of functions into the wavelet domain, logic configured to encode basis coefficients of each function in a wavelet tree, each function being encoded in at least one wavelet tree such that the plurality of functions are represented in the wavelet domain by a plurality of wavelet trees, and logic configured to traverse direct paths through the plurality of wavelet trees to determine the integral of the product of the functions represented by the wavelet trees, along which direct paths an integral coefficient may be nonzero.

Abstract: A method of rendering a graphical scene includes determining a plurality of functions that contribute to a light transport model of the scene, projecting each function of the plurality of functions into the wavelet domain, encoding basis coefficients of each function in a wavelet tree, each function being encoded in at least one wavelet tree such that the plurality of functions are represented in the wavelet domain by a plurality of wavelet trees, traversing direct paths through the plurality of wavelet trees, along which direct paths an integral coefficient may be nonzero, to determine the radiance of a point in the scene, and rendering the scene.

Abstract: A method of rendering a graphical scene includes determining a plurality of functions that contribute to a light transport model of a scene, factoring the plurality of functions into a set of fixed functions and one varying function, determining a first radiance transfer vector that represents the product of the fixed functions in the wavelet domain, determining a second radiance transfer vector that represents the one varying function in the wavelet domain, determining an inner product of the first and second radiance transfer vectors to approximate a radiance of a point x in the scene, and rendering the scene.

Abstract: A method of rendering a graphical scene includes determining a plurality of functions that contribute to a light transport model of the scene, projecting each function of the plurality of functions into the wavelet domain, encoding basis coefficients of each function in a wavelet tree, each function being encoded in at least one wavelet tree such that the plurality of functions are represented in the wavelet domain by a plurality of wavelet trees, traversing direct paths through the plurality of wavelet trees, along which direct paths an integral coefficient may be nonzero, to determine the radiance of a point in the scene, and rendering the scene.

Abstract: A computer readable medium is configured to determine the integral of the product of a plurality of functions. The computer readable medium includes logic configured to project each function of the plurality of functions into the wavelet domain, logic configured to encode basis coefficients of each function in a wavelet tree, each function being encoded in at least one wavelet tree such that the plurality of functions are represented in the wavelet domain by a plurality of wavelet trees, and logic configured to traverse direct paths through the plurality of wavelet trees to determine the integral of the product of the functions represented by the wavelet trees, along which direct paths an integral coefficient may be nonzero.

Abstract: A method of rendering a graphical scene includes determining a plurality of functions that contribute to a light transport model of a scene, factoring the plurality of functions into a set of fixed functions and one varying function, determining a first radiance transfer vector that represents the product of the fixed functions in the wavelet domain, determining a second radiance transfer vector that represents the one varying function in the wavelet domain, determining an inner product of the first and second radiance transfer vectors to approximate a radiance of a point x in the scene, and rendering the scene.

Abstract: A computer readable medium configured to approximate the integral of the product of a plurality of functions includes logic configured to factor the plurality of functions into a set of fixed functions and one varying function, logic configured to determine a first vector that represents the product of the fixed functions in the wavelet domain, logic configured to determine a second vector that represents the one varying function in the wavelet domain, and logic configured to determine an inner product of the first vector and the second vector.

Abstract: A code converter has a network of logic circuits connected in reverse binary tree fashion with logic paths between leaf nodes and a common root node. Characters are compressed from standard codes to variable-length Huffman code by pulse applying connections to the paths from a decoder. An OR-gate is connected to "1" branches of the network to deliver the output code. Characters are decompressed from Huffman to standard codes by connection of the Huffman code to control the clocked logic circuits to deliver a pulse from the root node to one of the inputs of an encoder. A feedback loop connects the root node and the path end nodes to initiate the next conversion. Alternative embodiments have decoder staging to minimize delay and parallel compressed code output.

Abstract: A system for the adaptive reordering of sequential decisions in the search of a data base is provided with a device that simplifies and speeds up a heuristic search method by implementing in hardware the computation required for the adaptive reordering. The system includes an arithmetic unit for computing for each decision the ratio p/c where p is the probability of a successful outcome of the decision and c is the cost of computation to make that decision. The arithmetic unit includes a device for estimating the logarithms of the prabability p and the cost c for each decision. Logarithms of ratios p/c are calculated for each decision by subtracting the log c from the log p, and then the logarithms of the ratios for the decisions are compared to produce a priority value for each decision. The decisions are reordered based on the priority value assigned to each decision to obtain the optimal ordering of the decisions.