Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for facilitating customer checkout with an electronic communication between a commercial establishment and a customer of the commercial establishment. A checkout line of the establishment can be monitored with respect to a number of customers in a queue waiting to checkout and for a time spent checking each customer out. In addition, an indication that a customer is intending to checkout can be received via an electronic communication from a network access device. The customer can similarly be notified when to approach a checkout line for checkout, taking into consideration a time to travel to the checkout line from the customer's location and information determined from monitoring the checkout line, thereby minimizing a checkout wait time while the customer is physically present at the checkout line.

Abstract: Operating a publicly accessible purchasing system including receiving, on a receipt date, from a purchaser in a publicly accessible purchasing system, a deferred purchase request (“DPR”) for an item, granting to vendors review access to DPRs, receiving from a proposing vendor a proposal regarding a reviewed DPR, selecting a selected vendor, in dependence upon the proposal, and issuing a purchase order to the selected vendor for an item on a date subsequent to the receipt date.

Abstract: Publicly accessible purchasing systems including receiving from a purchaser in a publicly accessible purchasing system, a deferred purchase request (“DPR”), in which the DPR includes a DPR identification, a purchaser identification, an item description of an item to be purchased, an identification of a vendor, and an issue date when a purchase order is to be issued to the vendor. Embodiments also include creating the purchase order in dependence upon the DPR, and issuing the purchase order to the vendor on the issue date.

Abstract: Operating a publicly accessible purchasing system including receiving, on a receipt date, from a purchaser, in a publicly accessible purchasing system, a deferred purchase request (“DPR”) for an item to be purchased; identifying a vendor; and issuing, in dependence upon the DPR, a purchase order to the vendor on a date subsequent to the receipt date. In some embodiments, a DPR includes an item identification for the item to be purchased, and identifying a vendor further comprises identifying a vendor in dependence upon the item identification. Some embodiments includes selecting a vendor in dependence upon vendor item prices. Some embodiments include selecting a vendor having a lowest vendor item price for the item to be purchased. Embodiments include selecting vendors in dependence upon purchasers' indicated maximum prices, in independence upon information in purchase orders previously issued to vendors, and in dependence upon proximity of a vendor to a purchaser.

Abstract: Operation of a publicly accessible purchasing system, including receiving, on a receipt date, from a purchaser in a publicly accessible purchasing system, a deferred purchase request (“DPR”) for an item to be purchased; soliciting at least one bid from at least one vendor; receiving at least one bid from one or more bidding vendors; selecting a selected vendor, in dependence upon the at least one received bid; and issuing, in dependence upon the DPR, a purchase order to the selected vendor on a date subsequent to the receipt date. A DPR can include an instruction to solicit bids. A DPR can include an indication of a minimum number of bids to be solicited, the method further comprising terminating the DPR if the received bids number less than the minimum number of bids indicated by the bid number indication.

Abstract: Search results for linked sources of information are associated with one or more predefined symbols or icons that indicate characteristics of the linked sites' contents. Site content ratings services and databases are co-opted to obtain additional site characteristic opinion, review results, and indicators. A search engine creates a set of characteristic factors associated with its index of web sites, and when providing a site reference as a result of a search operation, includes icons and symbols to indicate the characteristics to a user. Further sorting, filtering and searching according to the user's preferences may be performed.

Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for a meta-archive information server that provides a set of operations or services for obtaining information from a meta-archive; these operations may include dynamic indexing, searching, comparing, or other operations. A meta-archive is a set of one or more archive files that are logically grouped in (or otherwise associated with) a container object, e.g., a file system folder, a directory, or another archive file. By allowing a user to derive sets of information from an entire meta-archive, a user can maintain more files within archives, thereby reducing file system disorganization. The meta-archive information server can be easily run over a specific meta-archive when necessary, thereby generating information dynamically, even if the archive files within a meta-archive change over time.

Abstract: An enhanced method and system for generating and editing source code such as web pages and software which is subject to information processing such as version control and differencing comparison. Formatted source code is first separated into effectual code and ineffectual style definitions. The effectual code can then be submitted to the information processor for processing based sole on effectual content, or may be preprocessed to apply a uniform style prior to submission to an information processor. In either case, a difference or comparison report of the new version of source code is devoid of format-based or format-triggered notices. For future editing of new source code versions, the author's style definitions may be applied to allow editing code which has the presentation desired by the author.

Abstract: A method for preparing and automatically updating a greeting on a voice mail system comprising receiving a call to a voice mailbox, selecting a greeting template based on one or more conditions, identifying greeting parameters present within the greeting template, retrieving values for the greeting parameters, and generating a greeting using the values of the greeting parameters in accordance with the greeting template. The method allows the voice mailbox user to better manage incoming calls when the user is not available to accept them. The method further provides a benefit to the caller by providing a greeting that contains information tailored to benefit the caller, thereby helping the caller to decide, for example, whether or not to leave a voice mail message in the user's voice mailbox.

Abstract: The method, computer program and system enable a broadcaster to provide real-time questions to a remote audience and to receive real-time feedback from that audience. The method comprises broadcasting a performance and an index of selectable subjects that may be included in the performance to an audience, receiving audience votes for the selectable subjects, tabulating the votes for the selectable subjects, and scheduling the selectable subjects within the broadcast performance based upon the tabulated votes. Feedback from viewers can be received, tabulated and utilized for programming decisions while a performance or presentation is still in progress. In order to improve accessibility and participation in the voting process, preferably the viewer/listener feedback is accommodated through a number of communications media, such as through a telephone call by a viewer/listener to a special number, a smart cable box, or a web-based index.

Abstract: A system and method for dumping all or some exceptions in an object-oriented environment. The invention includes a Java virtual machine comprising: a system for enabling a verbose exceptions mode; and a system for dumping exceptions that occur during the running of the executable code when the verbose exceptions mode is enabled.

Abstract: A system, method and program of the invention enables bartering to be carried out over a network of computer systems. A specific bartering protocol language enables a specification of a needs list of needed items that a user desires to acquire and a specification of an availability list of available items that a user desires to use in trading for one or more of the needed items. Each needed item can be associated with a priority indicating a level of priority that a user has in acquiring the needed item. The needs list may also contain a range of near equivalent items having an associated priority indicating a user's desire to accept a given near equivalent item in lieu of a given needed item. The system performs a search of available items for a match with each of the needed items based upon the needed item's priority wherein the higher priority items are attempted to be matched before lower priority items are matched.

Abstract: A method of software development comprising the steps of determining, through Java reflection API calls, a current software signature for each Java object, from a Java software application comprising Java application code, to be administered by a software development wizard, retrieving from a deployment descriptor a Java object deployment description for each said Java object, and detecting changes in the Java application code, wherein detecting changes includes contrasting the current software signatures and the retrieved Java object deployment descriptions. Exemplary embodiments also include displaying, for user revision through a user interface, representations of the detected changes in the Java application code, wherein user revision includes user confirmation of detected changes, recording user revisions in the deployment descriptor, and conforming the Java application code to the user revisions.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and program for notifying an electronic address of the presence of physical mail in a designated mailbox is provided. The presence of at least one piece of mail in the mailbox is detected and an electronic notification is transmitted to the address indicating the presence of the at least one piece of mail.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for processing traffic tickets is provided. In one embodiment, a department of motor vehicle (DMV) server receives, from a portable law enforcement data processing system via a network, citation data and stores the citation data. The DMV server then determines and notifies a court of jurisdiction of the citation data and receives, via the network, instructions from a client representing an accused about how the accused would like to proceed with the case. Based on the instructions received on behalf of the client, the DMV server modifies the citation data.

Abstract: A method of extending telecommunications service, wherein the method is implemented in an extension application server. The extension application server is coupled for data communications to a customer data source and to a telecommunications server. The telecommunications server includes, installed and operating upon the telecommunications server, a multiplicity of telecommunications extension services. The method of extending telecommunications service includes receiving, in the extension application server, from a requesting telecommunications extension service in the telecommunications server, a telecommunications service request; preparing, in dependence upon information from the customer data source, a response to the telecommunications service request; and transmitting the response to the requesting telecommunications extension service.

Abstract: A method, program, and system for checking the availability of goods and services by means of the Internet are provided. The invention comprises compiling a customer profile, which may include information related to business affiliation as well as personal preferences. The customer uses a general search engine to submit a query regarding a desired good or service, and the search engine returns a list of suppliers that satisfy the search generic criteria. Special software on the client machine then sends more detailed queries, along with the customer profile, directly to certain suppliers selected from the list. These suppliers then return information, which corresponds to the customer profile. This information may include availability of specific accommodations, special discounts, as well as exclusive goods or services not offered to the general public.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for augmenting the mail header of a message with a list of digital signatures representing the chain of contributors to the message. The augmented header may also encode the actual contributions corresponding to each digital signature. The list is appended every time a message is forwarded. If a message has a portion with no corresponding digital signature or if one or more of the digital signatures is not trusted, the user may handle the message accordingly. Furthermore, a mail server or client may discard a message if the number of digital signatures exceeds a threshold to filter out unwanted messages, such as e-mail chain letters.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system for customizing an on-line test for persons with disabilities is provided. In one embodiment, a test server receives a request for a test. The test server then determines whether the user that will be taking the test has a disability and, if so, the type of disability or disabilities. The test server may also determine the type of assistive technology device, such as a text to speech converter, employed by the user in taking the test. The test server then customizes the test questions appropriately to compensate for the disability type identified by the user and presents the customized test questions to the user.