Abstract: A system comprising a database containing information concerning uniquely identified entities is described. The database further contains a list of attributes describing the entities and describing products, skills, or services provided by that entity. A server compares the desired referral of a first entity to one or more second entities having the desired product, skill, or service, and by evaluating the relationship between the first entity and second entities presents those second entities in the order of their value as a referral.

Abstract: A system comprising a database containing information concerning uniquely identified entities. The database further contains a list of attributes describing the products, skills, or services provide by the entities. A server compares the desired referral of a first entity to one or more second entities having the desired product, skill, or service, and by evaluating the relationship between the first entity and second entities, presents those second entities in the order of their value as a referral.

Abstract: A system comprises a database containing information concerning uniquely identified individuals, and a processor to identify linkages between the individuals. The linkages are in the form of unique identifiers stored in a contact repository, and provide a first user the ability to use the linkages to construct a database of second individuals that have an identifier of the first individual in a contact repository of one or more second individuals.

Abstract: A system comprising a database containing information concerning uniquely identified individuals. The database further contains a list of attributes describing the individuals. A server compares the list of attributes of a first individual to another list of attributes for a second individual. The server further provides one or more metrics indicating a degree of match of the first individual to the second individual.

Abstract: A system comprising a database to store information concerning uniquely identified individuals, and a server to identify associations between the individuals and to assign rankings of the individuals based on the associations.

Abstract: A system and method for constructing an ID code for a loyalty program from non-restricted information from a payment card or other ID card having restricted information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method present to a consumer information during consumer idle periods. A signal indicating the start of idle time is used to present to the consumer various offers. The interactions are planned based on previously acquired consumer data, the current transaction, the venue of the transaction, the time of day and the date of the transaction, and the estimated time available. The method of the invention collects information about the customer utilizing a point-of-sale terminal. Information concerning the customer's transactions are accumulated and analyzed and the resulting information is used to improve the efficiency of the customer's next interaction with the system. The efficiency increase results from a fitting of a set of possible dialogues, into the idle time, so as to select a set of dialogues and their order that will provide the highest value.

Abstract: A system and method for constructing an ID code for a loyalty program from non-restricted information from a payment card or other ID card having restricted information.

Abstract: A system and method for the production of customer incentives at plurality dispensing station types, wherein the incentives issued at first the dispensing station of a first type are redeemed at a second the dispensing station of a second type, and wherein the incentives issued at the second dispensing station are redeemed at the first dispensing station, comprising means to identify the customer at the first and second dispensing stations; means to access a customer database containing targeted customer incentives that have been linked to the identified customer; the database having indicia linking the identified customer with specific the targeted customer incentives; means to link each the customer incentives to one or more the dispensing station types for the purpose of issuing the customer incentive; means to link each the customer incentives to one or more the dispensing station types for the purpose of redeeming the customer incentive; means to present the accessed incentives to the customer at the spe

Abstract: Apparatus, and a corresponding method, present to a customer various forms of information (product, brand . . . ) during periods where the customer is idle. A signal indicating the start or impending start of idle time is used to present to the customer various offers in a series of interactions between a computer interface and the customer. The interactions are planned based on previously acquired information about the customer, the current transaction, the venue of the transaction, the time of day and the date of the transaction, and the history of prior customer activities. The method of the invention enables a system of computers to collect information about the characteristics of a customer in a retail, banking or service establishment utilizing a point-of-sale terminal, which has input and output devices that the customer can use to communicate with the system of computers for identification purposes and to select from various options presented to the customer.

Abstract: Apparatus, and a corresponding method, for arranging presentation of advertising, sales, promotional, and educational campaigns to selected user of computer interfaces in one or more locations, that meet demographic requirements of campaign. Apparatus collects Information about campaign, capacity of various locations, characteristics of locations, and characteristics of users of those locations. Apparatus uses information to negotiate cost of campaign; to conclude a contract for campaign; to schedule, distribute, present, and measure campaign; and to report result of campaign to involved parties.

Abstract: A system for scheduling activities at a user terminal, normally associated with a point-of-service station, such that the activity selected is based on the prior history of activities presented to the user and their effect on the expected value of the candidate activities.

Abstract: Apparatus, and a corresponding method, configured into a system, and using the prior history of a venue, similar venue, user or similar user, to present activities to said user operating in a time constrained manner, such that activities that must complete are unlikely to be present to the user and that activities that can be terminated with minimal impact on the user are likely to be presented when the time constraint is reached. The system is composed of: user terminals in various venues; an activity database with must-complete and terminate-able activities who's probable duration can be estimated; a mechanism to estimate the time available to present activities to the user; an activity selection means that chooses the activity type based on the likelihood that the activity will complete within the remaining time available for activities; and activity termination mechanisms for each type of activity.

Abstract: A system for scheduling activities at a user terminal associated with a point-of-service station, such that the users idle time is exceeded when the value of the idle time is likely to exceed the cost of overrunning the primary transaction associated with the point-of-service station. When the cost of overrun is expected to be greater than the value of the activity the activity is not presented to the user. This determination is made by using value criteria, the expected value of the activity, and the expected overrun of the activity. Additionally, the value criteria may be modified by the interarrival time of users at the point-of-service station or the utilization of the point-of-service station.

Abstract: Apparatus, and a corresponding method, present to a users various activities to the user, when the user is using a terminal in a manner that uses prior history of the actions of the user to prepare dialogs for the user that are more efficient. That is, take fewer actions or less time on the part of the user to complete the activities.

Abstract: Apparatus, and a corresponding method, present to a consumer various forms of information (information, ads, offers to sell . . . ) during periods where the consumer is idle, where the forms of information are based on the consumer's prior purchases. The system being comprised of one or more user terminals that present activities to the user, and one or more servers that collect, store and disseminate the information used in this process. A first server monitors the purchases of the user and transmits these to a second server, which consolidates the data into the user database. The second server correlates the user database containing the prior purchases and an activity database, to provide the correlation between the products and the activities, and disperses the correlation data to the appropriate first servers. The activities are then selected by the first server based on a correlation to prior purchases of the user, when the user subsequently uses one of the terminals.

Abstract: Apparatus, and a corresponding method, for arranging presentation of advertising, sales, promotional, and educational campaigns to selected user of computer interfaces in one or more locations, that meet demographic requirements of campaign. Apparatus collects Information about campaign, capacity of various locations, characteristics of locations, and characteristics of users of those locations. Apparatus uses information to negotiate cost of campaign; to conclude a contract for campaign; to schedule, distribute, present, and measure campaign; and to report result of campaign to involved parties.

Abstract: A method enables each node in a multi-nodal network to construct a routing table to all other nodes in the network. Each "home" or originating node performs a method which includes the steps of: transmitting a query to all immediate neighbor nodes and recording in a routing table, responses received which identify the neighbor node at the terminus of each link; transferring to each neighbor node, home node routing table entries and receiving routing table entries from each neighbor node; and, for each routing table entry to a node that is received from a neighbor node, if the route indicator is already present in the home node routing table, ignoring the entry; if the new entry indicates a route to a new node, entering the new node and a route identifier; and if the entry indicates a route to a node for which there is already an entry in the home node routing table, noting the new entry as a lower priority route to the node.

Abstract: A system and method allocates disk memory space for storage of compressed records and enables the compressed records to be stored in sequential physical positions on the disk memory space. The method and apparatus further assures a substantial likelihood that compressed, updated records will fit in the originally allocated physical positions during subsequent processing. The method comprises: compressing a record; determining a compression ratio (CR) value and a maximum run length (RL) of contiguous identical data segments in the uncompressed record; determining a corrected compression ratio (CCR) by repeating compression of the record without the RL of contiguous identical data segments included in the record; and if the CCR value is less than a historically experienced record compression ratio, employing the CCR value to allocate memory space for the compressed record. If CCR value equals or exceeds the ECR value, the ECR value is utilized to allocate memory space for the record.

Abstract: A memory controller performs parity encoding on a plurality of data strings moving between a memory connected via a read path to a data bus connected to a corresponding plurality of storage devices. A write buffer has one input for receiving data for storage in the memory and another input for receiving data from the memory for parity calculation. Two outputs of the write buffer are connected to a parity generator. Circuitry responsive to control signals from the data bus conditions the parity generator to logically and recursively combine the two outputs of the write buffer for supplying an updated parity calculation to the memory via a write path. To provide error detection and correction an ECC generator is interposed between the write path and the parity generator, and an ECC check/correction unit is interposed between the read path and control-signal-responsive circuity. The parity encoding is performed using a code that is associative and commutative.