Abstract: A method for considering constraints imposed by the bidders in auctions for multiple items. The invention discloses representative examples of such constraints. We demonstrate that a winner determination problem may be formulated as an integer program, and may be solved by commercially available software packages. This invention includes both a business process of auctioning multiple items with constraints specified by the bidder, and a computer implemented method for determining winners in such an auction.

Abstract: A method for determining an allocation of a workload includes identifying an employee in an organization having the workload, associating the employee with an articulation workload metric, and determining the allocation of the workload to the employee according to the articulation workload metric.

Abstract: Demographic and transaction data are presented in a report usable for marketing-related purposes and other applications using a camera apparatus to capture customer image data at a point-of-sale location and sends the image data to a customer image database where the image data is stored. Demographic data (such as gender, age group, height) are extracted from the customer image data and sent to the customer image database. Point-of-sale transaction data is collected and sent to a transaction database where the transaction data is stored. A computer processes customer image data, transaction data, and attributes relating to the customer image data and transaction data, to correlate extracted demographic data to transaction data. The correlated data is preferably sent to a target marketing database and used to generate a market research report.

Abstract: Demographic and transaction data are presented in a report usable for marketing-related purposes and other applications using a camera apparatus to capture customer image data at a point-of-sale location and sends the image data to a customer image database where the image data is stored. Demographic data (such as gender, age group, height) are extracted from the customer image data and sent to the customer image database. Point-of-sale transaction data is collected and sent to a transaction database where the transaction data is stored. A computer processes customer image data, transaction data, and attributes relating to the customer image data and transaction data, to correlate extracted demographic data to transaction data. The correlated data is preferably sent to a target marketing database and used to generate a market research report.

Abstract: Demographic and transaction data are presented in a report usable for marketing-related purposes and other applications using a camera apparatus to capture customer image data at a point-of-sale location and sends the image data to a customer image database where the image data is stored. Demographic data (such as gender, age group, height) are extracted from the customer image data and sent to the customer image database. Point-of-sale transaction data is collected and sent to a transaction database where the transaction data is stored. A computer processes customer image data, transaction data, and attributes relating to the customer image data and transaction data, to correlate extracted demographic data to transaction data. The correlated data is preferably sent to a target marketing database and used to generate a market research report.

Abstract: A method for determining the set of winning bids in a combinatorial auction. Two variants of the method are disclosed. The first method is appropriate when the number of players and the number of combinations of items that are bid on by an individual player are relatively small. The second method is applicable when either of these values becomes large.

Abstract: A system, includes a user input device, a temperature changing unit coupled to the user input device, and a controller, coupled to the temperature changing unit, for controlling the temperature of the user input device.

Abstract: A method (and a system) for selecting team members includes retrieving requirements for at least one task, retrieving data regarding skills of a potential team member, and determining whether the requirements are at least partially satisfied by the skills of the potential team member.

Abstract: A system, includes a user input device, a temperature changing unit coupled to the user input device, and a controller, coupled to the temperature changing unit, for controlling the temperature of the user input device.

Abstract: A computer implemented method pertinent to yield managed service contract pricing. The method comprises the steps of inputting first information comprising a baseline profiling services contracted to zero or more existing customers; inputting second information comprising a profile of the services to be contracted to one or more new customers; and analyzing second information in the context of first information for the purpose of determining a range of prices to be considered for the services to be contracted.

Abstract: A method for considering constraints imposed by the bidders in auctions for multiple items. The invention discloses representative examples of such constraints. We demonstrate that a winner determination problem may be formulated as an integer program, and may be solved by commercially available software packages. This invention includes both a business process of auctioning multiple items with constraints specified by the bidder, and a computer implemented method for determining winners in such an auction.

Abstract: A method (and system and signal-bearing medium) of optimizing office worker interactions, includes assigning weight values to worker interactions, defining distances between work space locations, and calculating a placement of workers in work spaces through the application of an optimizing process using the weight values and distances.

Abstract: Prediction methods that anticipate the outcome of a detailed optimization step are used in lieu of or in conjunction with actual optimization to improve response time and reduce required computational resources for optimization problems having a hierarchical structure. Decomposition of the optimization problem into sub-problems and sub-sub-problems is, itself, an optimization process which is iteratively performed while preferably guided by prediction of the quality of solutions to the problems into which the “master” optimization problem may be decomposed. Prediction also reduces the requirements for computational resources and allows more decompositions to be examined within the available time in order to arrive at a more nearly optimal decomposition as well as a more nearly optimal solution. Prediction is selectively used when it is determined that such a benefit is probable.

Abstract: A method for combining pattern matching and optimization. The method includes the steps of reading the data elements and corresponding attributes for each of the two data files; performing pattern matching on the elements and the corresponding attributes of each of the two files read in this step; performing optimization on the results for finding a best total matching of the elements of the two files; and, outputting a file selected from the group consisting of the matches produced by step 3, and a file containing the elements that are not matched.

Abstract: Prediction methods that anticipate the outcome of a detailed optimization step are used in lieu of or in conjunction with actual optimization to improve response time and reduce required computational resources for optimization problems having a hierarchical structure. Decomposition of the optimization problem into sub-problems and sub-sub-problems is, itself, an optimization process which is iteratively performed while preferably guided by prediction of the quality of solutions to the problems into which the “master” optimization problem may be decomposed. Prediction also reduces the requirements for computational resources and allows more decompositions to be examined within the available time in order to arrive at a more nearly optimal decomposition as well as a more nearly optimal solution. Prediction is selectively used when it is determined that such a benefit is probable.

Abstract: A method suitable for producing a production plan that is feasible with respect to capacity availability. The method includes the steps of reading an end product demand and capacity availability information; selecting a specific demand derived from the end product demand and comprising an end product, a time period, and a quantity; determining whether the quantity can be produced in the time periods using the available capacity and surplus capacity from earlier periods; and, recording the amount of capacity used in each time period to produce this quantity; thereby enabling realization of end product demand when an imbalance of demand and capacity exists.

Abstract: A proactive planning methodology and system. The invention reconceptualizes current (delimited) calendar-based planning approaches, where planning is done at fixed or arbitrary times, in favor of a proactive planning methodology which can use information about real time changes in input data used for planning, for determining when a revised plan should be generated. The proactive planning methodology may determine, inter alia, that immediate planning is necessary, or it may schedule the generation of a new plan at some time in the future.

Abstract: A method for determining procurement for parts (P) in a production system having constraints comprising at least one of constrained resources (r.sub.i) and known maximum demands (d.sub.j). The method comprises two steps. Step 1 includes constructing a production planning decision space comprising independent sets of hyperplanes defined by decision variables (q.sub.j) corresponding to product quantities for products (j). The constructing step subsumes steps of expressing a potential usage of part (p) as a linear combination of production quantities (q.sub.j) based on bill of material usage rules; limiting the production quantities (q.sub.j) so that each is less than or equal to the maximum demand quantity (d.sub.j); and limiting the production quantities (q.sub.i) so that the usage of each resource (r) is based on bill of material and bill of capacity usage rates less than or equal to the availability of that resource.

Abstract: The invention discloses an apparatus for conveying higher dimensional tabular information to people using a lower dimensional output device. The apparatus is such that original information in the higher dimensional expression can be mapped to the lower dimensional output device, while preserving invariant a content and relationship of the original information.