Abstract: A solution for conducting an auction, such as an online auction, is provided, which includes provisions for sharing with bidders a portion of a bid. A method for conducting the auction includes identifying an item for auction; receiving a first bid for the item placed at a first time; receiving a second bid for the item placed at a second time, wherein the second bid exceeds the first bid by a bid increment and the second time is different than the first time by a time increment; and assigning a portion of the second bid for distribution to at least one participant of the auction. In various embodiments, the portion may be assigned to all bidders, the winning bidders, only the non-winning bidders, and/or the like. The distribution of the portion may be time and/or bid amount related.

Abstract: A solution for conducting an auction, such as an online auction, is provided, which includes provisions for sharing with bidders a portion of a bid. A method for conducting the auction includes identifying an item for auction; receiving a first bid for the item placed at a first time; receiving a second bid for the item placed at a second time, wherein the second bid exceeds the first bid by a bid increment and the second time is different than the first time by a time increment; and assigning a portion of the second bid for distribution to at least one participant of the auction. In various embodiments, the portion may be assigned to all bidders, the winning bidders, only the non-winning bidders, and/or the like. The distribution of the portion may be time and/or bid amount related.

Abstract: A method for optimizing package-oriented network traffic control is proposed which can involve constraints to the optimization model which emerged dynamically during the optimization period. Thus, unpredictable events can be considered amongst foreseeable events during the optimization process. For achieving this the method according to the invention uses graphs which are dynamically generated and eventually be varied during the optimization process for managing the above said complex inter-dependencies. Unexpected changes of the time and loading schedules can be balanced and their negative impact on just in-time delivery of goods can be lowered. Generally, transport costs are reduced and natural resources are saved. In a preferred embodiment of the inventional method a variable time buffer extension is introduced which is used to extend the availability of the transport vehicle's capacity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic method of computerized optimization of a technical system like for instance routing systems such as a transportation routing system or a communication network. The invention teaches an optimization method of a technical system comprising new ruin- and recreate-steps operating on the state-variables of a current system state. The ruin-step destroys the current state in a “larger” extend and thus introduces increased freedom for the recreate-step to create a new state. This allows for recalculating a new state in accordance with additional constraints which also improves a quality measure of the state; i.e. every recalculated state always fulfills the additional constraints. Moreover, the recreate-step is not guided by the values of said destroyed state variables, which opens a larger space for determining a new state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mechanism to control telecommunication connections via digital switching networks like the ISDN. Frequently observed scenarios are a caller who is connected to an answering machine, although he intended to talk to a human individual, or where a node is shared by more than one individual and the caller wants to talk to a definite person likewise. Subscriber information is interchanged between a calling device and a called device before setting up the connection which is utilized to inform the caller about the device type at the called side or to inform the called side about the desired person. In the ISDN, a called device sends an ALERTING message to a switching center before accepting the connection. The switching center forwards a part of that message to the calling device which includes the so-called USER—USER Information Element (UUIE). In that USER—USER IE, an information like “UNDER THE CALLED NUMBER AN ANSWERING MACHINE IS BECOMING ACTIVE” can be coded.

Abstract: A description is given of an electronic auction machine, which reacts to changing sales conditions with appropriately adjusted machine prices. For existing automatic vending machines restocking is based upon very vague experience figures and in particular customary fluctuations in sales are not taken into consideration. With the proposed machine, using a computer current market data are recorded (31) and using these data the current market situation is automatically assessed (32,34). A corresponding updated machine price (33,35) is then displayed.

Abstract: In a process and a system for automatic, computer-system-supported optimization and the search for a state x dependent on at least one parameter P, for which f(x) as a measure of the quality of x assumes an extremum, an initial solution, i.e. a state x, is found as an initial state and a further state y different from x is found by means of an elementary change in an individual parameter P from x. If the result of a comparison of the target function values f(x) and f(y) is that f(y) is poorer than f(x) by more than a threshold value T, y is rejected, x is retained and a fresh adjacent state of x is found. If f(y) is at least as great as f(x)-T, there is a transition to state y. The threshold T is successively reduced to zero.

Abstract: A plurality of individual positions arranged on a surface area are toured. The individual positions are grouped such that each group occupies a continuous partial area in the positioning plane. The groups are ordered so that the partial areas adjoin each other, forming in their totality a geometrical coarse structure. The individual positions are continuously indexed such that their sequence follows the geometrical coarse structure. The indexing of the individual positions is altered in sections such that the time required for sequentially touring all the individual positions of a section is minimized.