Abstract: An electromechanical linear drive having a housing and a piston rod that passes through a housing end cover, and is carried by a spindle nut arranged longitudinally displaceably in a housing interior space. The spindle nut engages the motor-driven threaded spindle such that it is displaceable back and forth in the housing interior space by rotary motion of the spindle. A lubrication nipple is accessible on an outer side of the housing, and at least one lubrication passage extends from the nipple and opens to a stop surface located in the housing interior space, which stop surface forms an end stop for motion of the spindle nut. At least one lubrication conduit leads to lubrication sites of the spindle nut and is arranged in the spindle nut so that when the spindle nut is in abutment against the stop surface, the lubrication conduit is joined to the housing-side lubrication passage.

Abstract: A method is provided for the sharing of information in which a request for information is transmitted along with an indication of a reason for which the information is sought and, in response to the request, a subset of the information available is provided on the basis of a characteristic of the event.

Abstract: A method for informing a caller of the availability of a call-center agent who can assist the caller without some of the disadvantages of the prior art is disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, when a caller accesses the address book in the memory of his or her telecommunications terminal (such as a telephone) the caller will see both the contact information for the call center and the availability of a call-center agent.

Abstract: An electromechanical linear drive having a housing and having at least one piston rod that passes through an end-located housing cover, projects at one end out of the housing, and is carried by a spindle nut arranged longitudinally displaceably in a housing interior space, the spindle nut sitting on a threaded spindle that extends through the housing interior space and can have a rotary motion imparted to it by means of an electric motor, and is displaceable back and forth in the housing interior space as a result of the rotary motion of the threaded spindle, is characterized in that a lubrication nipple (22) accessible on the outer side of the housing (11), and at least one lubrication passage (23, 24) joined to said nipple (22) and opening into a stop surface (21), located in the housing interior space (31), for the spindle nut (18), are arranged in a housing region (14) constituting an end stop for the motion of the spindle nut (18); and at least one lubrication conduit (25) leading to the lubrication site

Abstract: A method is provided for the sharing of information in which a request for information is transmitted along with an indication of a reason for which the information is sought and, in response to the request, a subset of the information available is provided on the basis of a characteristic of the event.

Abstract: A method for informing a caller of the availability of a call-center agent who can assist the caller without some of the disadvantages of the prior art is disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, when a caller accesses the address book in the memory of his or her telecommunications terminal (such as a telephone) the caller will see both the contact information for the call center and the availability of a call-center agent.

Abstract: A method is provided in which a user selects the characteristics of an agent with which the user wants to talk. The user is allowed to add a selection of agent characteristics to an online “shopping cart” and transmit the content of the shopping cart to the contact center. The contact center uses the transmitted information to find an appropriate agent for the user. The method can be provided as part of a preferential treatment of users. In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, preferential treatment is provided on the basis of one of: (1) a characteristic of a user, (2) a characteristic of a transaction in which the user participated, (3) the availability of a selection of agent characteristics which was made by the user in a prior session with the contact center.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of communication between customers of a retail Web site. In particular, the illustrative embodiment provides a computer implemented method comprises authenticating a first customer and a second customer to enable the first and second customers to access a retail Web site via the Internet, displaying a representation of the first customer viewing a Web page of the retail Web site and a representation of the second customer viewing the Web page of the retail Web site, and enabling audio communication between the first customer and the second customer.

Abstract: A system and method for constraint management in a database middleware system that responds to queries for data from requesting user applications by accessing diverse data sources. A constraint manager receives notifications of updates from sources that support notification, and the constraint manager monitors other sources that support monitoring, to undertake constraint management. Repairs of inconsistencies are made when possible, and when repairs are not possible, the inconsistencies are nulled out if the inconsistencies are totally useless to the requesting user application. In contrast, if the requesting application has some use for otherwise inconsistent, unrepairable data, the data is sent to the application along with an alert of the inconsistencies. Also, for those sources that do not support either notification or monitoring, the constraint manager executes just-in-time checking, i.e.