Abstract: A method and a system of authorizing a transaction without using a man-made token is disclosed. In a method according to the invention, a biometric sample is registered, biometric information is provided, the biometric information is compared to the biometric sample, a determination is made as to whether the biometric information matches the biometric sample, and if a match is determined, then the transaction is authorized.

Abstract: The invention may be embodied as a customer reward system or a method of rewarding a customer. A reward system may have a database of enrolled biometric samples, a point-of-sale station having a biometric-sample receiver, and a comparator in communication with the database and the point-of-sale station. In a method according to the invention, an enrollment station is provided and a first biometric sample is received along with an enrollment request. The first biometric sample may be enrolled in a database to provide an enrolled biometric sample. A point-of-sale station may be provided, and a second biometric sample may be received along with a point-of-sale request. The enrolled biometric sample may be retrieved and compared to the second biometric sample, and then a determination may be made as to whether the enrolled biometric sample is equivalent to the second biometric sample.

Abstract: A method and a system of authorizing a transaction without using a man-made token is disclosed. In a method according to the invention, a biometric sample is registered, biometric information is provided, the biometric information is compared to the biometric sample, a determination is made as to whether the biometric information matches the biometric sample, and if a match is determined, then the transaction is authorized.

Abstract: An estimate of the weight of goods within a household is provided without physical inspection of the household by an estimator, based on certain measurable quantities related to the household. A server transmits to a customer a questionnaire requesting specific data items that are predictive of the weight of goods within the customer's household. The server then receives from the customer a completed questionnaire and utilizes this data to estimate the weight of goods within the customer's household. The server may obtain additional data from a local database or a remote database, and use this additional data in conjunction with the data in the completed questionnaire to estimate the weight of goods within the customer's household.