Abstract: A method of dynamic pricing of a resource is presented. For example, the method includes determining a set of anticipated demands for one or more users to acquire the resource according to uncertainty of the one or more users in preferring one or more certain time periods of a plurality of time periods for acquiring the resource. Prices for the resource differ between at least two of the plurality of time periods. Each anticipated demand of the set is associated with a different one of the plurality of time periods. The method further includes setting prices for the resource during each of the plurality of time periods according to the determined set of anticipated demands. The determining of the set of anticipated demands and/or the setting of prices are implemented as instruction code executed on a processor device.

Abstract: A system and method for providing contemporaneous product information with animated virtual representations includes identifying a product by detecting a marker with a user device. Based upon the product, an animated virtual representation is generated in a display of the user device. Information about the product is conveyed to the user by virtual interaction with the animated virtual representation.

Abstract: A pre-defined set of similarity parameters associated with a plurality of clients in a virtual environment, including at least one non-spatial dynamic parameter, is identified. The identified pre-defined set of similarity parameters is processed using at least one tool from a pre-defined set of analysis tools. A group is created within the plurality of clients using the identified at least one non-spatial dynamic parameter. A plurality of group characteristics associated with the group is generated using the processing of the identified pre-defined set of similarity parameters. A user interface is provided to at least one client from the group for communication in response to the generated plurality of group characteristics, wherein the user interface is used for at least one of intra-group communication and communication external to the group.

Abstract: A method of dynamic pricing of a resource is presented. For example, the method includes determining a set of anticipated demands for one or more users to acquire the resource according to uncertainty of the one or more users in preferring one or more certain time periods of a plurality of time periods for acquiring the resource. Prices for the resource differ between at least two of the plurality of time periods. Each anticipated demand of the set is associated with a different one of the plurality of time periods. The method further includes setting prices for the resource during each of the plurality of time periods according to the determined set of anticipated demands. The determining of the set of anticipated demands and/or the setting of prices are implemented as instruction code executed on a processor device.

Abstract: A system and method for providing contemporaneous product information includes identifying a product by collecting information with a user device, and determining a customer location using information collected by the user device. Based upon the product and the customer location, a sales person qualified to respond to customer questions is identified. A link is established between the customer and the sales person to permit live chat between a sales person and the customer.

Abstract: A system and method for providing contemporaneous product information with animated virtual representations includes identifying a product by detecting a marker with a user device. Based upon the product, an animated virtual representation is generated in a display of the user device. Information about the product is conveyed to the user by virtual interaction with the animated virtual representation.

Abstract: A user is provided with access to a preferred online store through one or more networks. The online store has one or more products each with a product description and a price. The product description and price are provided to the user. A computer receives one or more selection requests for one or more of the products (selected products) from the user. The user is provided with one or more bid conditions for the selected product which the user selects from. The user is then provided one or more second bids. Each of the second bids originates from one or more other stores that participated in an auction and each of the second bids conforms to the bid conditions selected by the user.

Abstract: An interactive parallel coordinate system is used in a business method to provide users with greater abilities to interpret and explore the clickstream data of online stores on the Web. The interactive parallel coordinate system uses the multiple axes of the system to represent steps of a process with respect to an independent variable. Specifically, the process steps are sequential steps which sessions take during their navigation of a Web site.

Abstract: A computer system and method that provides one or more visualizations to one or more users of a network application. The computer executes a sessionization process that receives one or more Web server logs from one or more online stores, and generates one session table for each session found from requests recorded in Web server logs. A shopping step finder process then receives one or more session tables and generates one micro-conversion table for each given session table. Finally, a visualization process receives one or more of the micro-conversion tables and generates one or more micro-conversion visualizations of one or more micro-conversions.

Abstract: A computer system and method computes conversion rates for individual products and/or product categories in an e-commerce Web site for measuring the effectiveness of the marketing in the Web site, and to associate the conversion rates with metadata information about products and/or product categories on served Web pages. An aggregation process traverses the log to determine the number of one or more of the shopping activities by requesters in the Web site, to compare two or more of the activity numbers in a conversion rate, and to relate the conversion rate to one or more of the metadata fields. The conversion rates give a measure of the effectiveness of the Web site and/or portions of the Web site for sales, marketing and merchandising.

Abstract: A computer executes a bid agent process that receives one or more selection requests for selected products over one or more of the network interfaces. A bid request process sends a bid request over one or more of the network interfaces to a one or more stores requesting a bid on the selected product. The bid request has a bid protocol agreed on by the stores and the stores also agree to send a bid within a time period. A bid receiving process then receives the bids and resends the bids over the network interface to the user.

Abstract: A server system on a network such as the World Wide Web aggregates and stores information about the content of Web pages served by a server on a network. A server process receives one or more requests for Web pages from requesters connected to the network. Upon receiving the request, the server produces a requested Web page and serves the Web page to the requester. The Web pages have with one or more content elements in addition to one or more metadata entries. The metadata entries are associated with the content elements of the respective Web page produced. The system also creates and maintains a log having a plurality of records. Each record has requester fields and metadata fields. A logger process stores the metadata entries contained in each of the Web pages in one or more of the metadata fields, and stores a requester identification, associated with the requester, in the requester field of the record associated with the respective Web page.

Abstract: A server system on a network such as the World Wide Web aggregates and stores information about the content of Web pages served by a server on a network. A server process receives one or more requests for Web pages from requesters connected to the network. Upon receiving the request, the server produces a requested Web page and serves the Web page to the requester. The Web pages have with one or more content elements in addition to one or more metadata entries. The metadata entries are associated with the content elements of the respective Web page produced. The system also creates and maintains a log having a plurality of records. Each record has requester fields and metadata fields. A logger process stores the metadata entries contained in each of the Web pages in one or more of the metadata fields, and stores a requester identification, associated with the requester, in the requester field of the record associated with the respective Web page.

Abstract: A computer system and method computes conversion rates for individual products and/or product categories in an e-commerce Web site for measuring the effectiveness of the marketing in the Web site, and to associate the conversion rates with metadata information about products and/or product categories on served Web pages. An aggregation process traverses the log to determine the number of one or more of the shopping activities by requesters in the Web site, to compare two or more of the activity numbers in a conversion rate, and to relate the conversion rate to one or more of the metadata fields. The conversion rates give a measure of the effectiveness of the Web site and/or portions of the Web site for sales, marketing and merchandising.

Abstract: A server system on a network such as the World Wide Web aggregates and stores information about the content of one or more Web pages served by a server on a network. A server process receives one or more requests for one or more Web pages from one or more requesters connected to the network. Upon receiving the request, the server produces a requested Web page and serves the Web page to the requester. The Web pages have with one or more content elements in addition to one or more metadata entries. One or more of the metadata entries are associated with the content elements of the respective Web page produced. The system also creates and maintains a log having a plurality of records. Each record has one or more requester fields and one or more metadata fields.