Abstract: A SOBA lifecycle methodology is provided for assembling and maintaining service-oriented business applications (SOBAs) for effective functionality and interoperability. SOBAs are loosely coupled business processes and applications in which all functions are defined as independent, semantically-aware business services, with distributed assembly from a global chain of providers. One useful prerequisite for the methodology is analyzing the associated SOA (service-oriented architecture) strategy and infrastructure such as the hardware, software, human resources, and deployment strategy. A second prerequisite is analyzing the associated SOA governance process for how all the resources of the SOBA will work together. Governance refers to design, release, run-time, and manage-time functions.

Abstract: Electronic data interchange (EDI) documents are validated by creating an inventory of all rules, dynamically adjusting the inventory based upon entity specific rules derived from a plurality of companion guides, determining a profile containing pointers to select rules in the inventory for each companion guide and storing the profile for each companion guide in a storage. A runtime checker can then be used to check a received EDI document with a corresponding rule set, forward the EDI document if the EDI document matches its current rule set and return the EDI document if the EDI document does not match its current rule set. EDI rules may be enforced, for example, by determining entity-specific rules from corresponding companion guides, by expressing each rule in a neutral and machine readable format, by classifying the rules and/or by creating an inventory of rules and pointers to entity-specific rules.

Abstract: Electronic data interchange (EDI) documents are validated by creating an inventory of all rules, dynamically adjusting the inventory based upon entity specific rules derived from a plurality of companion guides, determining a profile containing pointers to select rules in the inventory for each companion guide and storing the profile for each companion guide in a storage. A runtime checker can then be used to check a received EDI document with a corresponding rule set, forward the EDI document if the EDI document matches its current rule set and return the EDI document if the EDI document does not match its current rule set. EDI rules may be enforced, for example, by determining entity-specific rules from corresponding companion guides, by expressing each rule in a neutral and machine readable format, by classifying the rules and/or by creating an inventory of rules and pointers to entity-specific rules.

Abstract: Electronic data interchange (EDI) documents are validated by creating an inventory of all rules, dynamically adjusting the inventory based upon entity specific rules derived from a plurality of companion guides, determining a profile containing pointers to select rules in the inventory for each companion guide and storing the profile for each companion guide in a storage. A runtime checker can then be used to check a received EDI document with a corresponding rule set, forward the EDI document if the EDI document matches its current rule set and return the EDI document if the EDI document does not match its current rule set. EDI rules may be enforced, for example, by determining entity-specific rules from corresponding companion guides, by expressing each rule in a neutral and machine readable format, by classifying the rules and/or by creating an inventory of rules and pointers to entity-specific rules.

Abstract: An autodiscovery feature with an easy-to-use interface is provided to automatically collect metadata about electronic services for use within a business enterprise and to store that metadata in a metadata repository. The autodiscovery feature is used to create autodiscovery queries that are sent to electronic services to collect from the services' digests specified metadata useful for identifying the functionality of those services and integrating the services into business processes. Digests, such as RSS feeds and Atom feeds, are typically created by services to include useful metadata, such as the title of a service, the URL link to a description of the service, a brief description of the service, the publication date of the service, and other data. Autodiscovery queries can thus collect services' relevant metadata and store it in a business enterprise's metadata repository, so that the services' functionality can be quickly identified and used for business processes.

Abstract: An eligibility and benefits (EB) personalization engine, metadata storage and a portal Web page are set up on a server. EB personalization profiles are set up and stored in metadata storage that specify, according to useful descriptors, personalized information that identifies the EB data of insurance companies that is relevant to particular health care providers. An EB filtering rules database is created to store the filtering rules of multiple insurance companies, where the rules are categorized by the same descriptors used in the EB personalization profiles. After receiving a provider's specific request for an insurance company's EB data for a patient's treatment, the EB personalization engine receives the full collection of EB data from the insurance company, uses the provider's EB profile and the EB filtering rules to select the correct EB data for the provider, and sends the provider that selected data.

Abstract: An internet web page and methods for displaying one or more views in a social networking environment is provided. The web page is a graphical user interface that facilitates communication in the social networking environment. The internet web page includes a first region that provides selections for showing a list of friends for a first user. The list of friends is approved by the first user. A second region defines a community media space that including tools for allowing entry of text, images, or videos. A third region presents online advertising targeted based on knowledge about the friends of the first user, who are identified in the list of friends. The online advertising further is identifiable as liked by the first user when displayed in the third region. Further included is a fourth region for displaying an image selected by the first user to represent the first user and a fifth region providing an interface for communication via a chat session.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating an internet web site for facilitating social networking. The method includes an operation that provides a plurality of on-line advertisements in a first viewable location. Each on-line advertisement is represented by an icon having a link to additional detail regarding the on-line advertisement. The method also includes an operation that receives a selection of at least one of the plurality of on-line advertisements. The selection indicates a liking of the on-line advertisement by a first user. In response to receiving the selection, the method moves the icon of the selected on-line advertisement to a second viewable location. The method also include an operation that detects selection of the on-line advertisement by a second user when the icon is at the second viewable location and an operation that provides a reward in response to the detected selection associated with the icon.

Abstract: A smart node is integrated with each Web service in a Web service application chain to automatically supply compatible features, missing functionality, and orchestration of the processes in the application, without coordination by an orchestration engine, in an embodiment. A smart node is a software program that systematically specifies the communications dimensions, functionality, and orchestration required for interoperability among Web services. The communications parameters, backup functionality, and process orchestration required for the Web services in a Web service application may be predetermined and programmed into smart nodes. The smart nodes are subsequently integrated with the Web services in a Web service application so that communications among the Web services occur first through the smart nodes. The smart nodes can thus supply communications parameters, any missing functionality, and dynamic process orchestration based on the current event context of the Web service application.

Abstract: The embodiments provide methods of selecting relevant advertisement to target users by utilizing the knowledge of friends or acquaintance of the target users. The target users and friends or acquaintances of the target users belong to the same on-line communities, groups, or circles. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for providing advertising content for display in a personal media space of an Internet networking tool of a user is provided. The method includes defining the personal media space in a display region of a graphical user interface window. The personal media space being controlled by the user in terms of content. The method also includes selecting an advertisement content unit to be added to the personal media space for display by the user. The method further includes establishing a communication session between the user and another user. The communication session includes an interaction space for enabling communication between the user and the other user.

Abstract: A method for automatic parallel processing of the steps involved in composing electronic responses to structured electronic requests where the request and the response contain some common fields of information. The process starts subsequent processing steps before the validation of the request is complete. A structurally complete, but partial response to a request is prepared as soon as it is possible to construct that response structure. The response structure is determined from personalization factors for the requestor, and a response template is created. The personalized response document is a skeleton created with known data from the minimum validation of the request, and with placeholders for data that has not yet been determined. The response is selectively populated with data from the request when the format of the response is determined. As additional information becomes available during the processing of the request, that additional data is placed into the response structure.

Abstract: A smart node is integrated with each Web service in a Web service application chain to automatically supply compatible features, missing functionality. and orchestration of the processes in the application, without coordination by an orchestration engine, in an embodiment. A smart node is a software program that systematically specifies the communications dimensions, functionality, and orchestration required for interoperability among Web services. The communications parameters, backup functionality. and process orchestration required for the Web services in a Web service application may be predetermined and programmed into smart nodes. The smart nodes are subsequently integrated with the Web services in a Web service application so that communications among the Web services occur first through the smart nodes. The smart nodes can thus supply communications parameters, any missing functionality, and dynamic process orchestration based on the current event context of the Web service application.

Abstract: A smart node is integrated with each Web service in a Web service application chain to automatically supply compatible features, missing functionality, and orchestration of the processes in the application, without coordination by an orchestration engine, in an embodiment. A smart node is a software program that systematically specifies the communications dimensions, functionality, and orchestration required for interoperability among Web services. The communications parameters, backup functionality, and process orchestration required for the Web services in a Web service application may be predetermined and programmed into smart nodes. The smart nodes are subsequently integrated with the Web services in a Web service application so that communications among the Web services occur first through the smart nodes. The smart nodes can thus supply communications parameters, any missing functionality, and dynamic process orchestration based on the current event context of the Web service application.

Abstract: An efficient organizer of companion guide rules is created by a validation application from the common set of rules among an industry's implementation guide and the rulebooks, such as companion guides of one or more entities, such as payers. The organizer of companion guide rules creates an inventory of all rules and a profile for each companion guide and stores each profile in metadata storage. Each profile contains pointers to code in the inventory for all the rules employed by the corresponding companion guide. After an EDI document reaches the validation application, a runtime checker engine checks metadata storage for a current rule set for the payer. A rule set is created the first time a profile is accessed during the validation process and whenever the profile is updated. The runtime checker engine attempts to validate the EDI document by comparing it to the current rule set for a payer's companion guide.

Abstract: The embodiments provide methods of selecting relevant advertisement to target users by utilizing the knowledge of friends or acquaintance of the target users. The target users and friends or acquaintances of the target users belong to the same on-line communities, groups, or circles. In an exemplary embodiment, a method for providing advertising content for display in a personal media space of an Internet networking tool of a user is provided. The method includes defining the personal media space in a display region of a graphical user interface window. The personal media space being controlled by the user in terms of content. The method also includes selecting an advertisement content unit to be added to the personal media space for display by the user. The method further includes establishing a communication session between the user and another user. The communication session includes an interaction space for enabling communication between the user and the other user.