Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for apparatus and methods for pricing on-line advertisement inventory. In one embodiment, a method for pricing on-line advertisement inventory includes (i) receiving a request for a price of a new product, wherein the new product includes a plurality of specified characteristics of a type of on-line advertisement display, (ii) providing a sample of new impressions that are predicted to be delivered for such new product, (iii) for each new impression, determining which bookings could be served by such new impression so as to define a set of overlapping bookings, (iv) determining the price of each new impression based on a weighted average of a plurality of prices of such each new impression's corresponding overlapping bookings, (v) determining the price of the new product based on an average of the prices of the new impressions, and (vi) returning the price of the new product for use in a booking negotiation with a potential buyer of such new product.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provides for methods, systems and computer program products for utilizing time measurement in advertising pricing. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises identifying one or more advertisements that are to be displayed in conjunction with one or more web documents. The one or more web documents are displayed in conjunction with the one or more advertisements and a time period the one or more advertisements are displayed is monitored. A monetary value for display of the one or more advertisements is determined on the basis of the time period the one or more advertisements are displayed.

Abstract: A method of determining a display specification, includes: specifying business parameters for calculating a business value for the display specification, wherein the display specification includes a plurality of display locations and corresponding display values that are associated with business entities; specifying user parameters for calculating a user value for the display specification; selecting the display specification to improve a combination of the business value and the user value; and saving one or more values for the display specification (e.g., saving values for the display specification directly or through some related characterization.).

Abstract: The invention relates to a hydraulic brake system and a method for controlling a hydraulic brake system for a land vehicle having a predetermined holding capacity for hydraulic fluid and at least one wheel brake. The invention is characterized by detecting if a current holding capacity of the brake system has increased in relation to the predetermined holding capacity and, if so, by feeding hydraulic fluid to the at least one wheel brake in a controlled manner and an amount corresponding at least to the increase in capacity.

Abstract: Hydraulic brake system and method for controlling a hydraulic brake system for a land craft, in which a quantity of hydraulic fluid delivered to wheel brakes during pressure build-up phases in antilock braking mode is limited so that substantially no hydraulic fluid thereof can flow to a master cylinder.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems and methods for auctioning sponsored ads are provided. The auctioning systems and methods take hidden costs of sponsored ads into account. A user's future propensity to click on ads is influenced by his/her experience with past clicks. An ad with disappointing quality of landing page imposes a negative externality on the search engine and the future stream of revenue from a user is reduced. The externality may also be positive. A good experience with an ad may train users to pay more attention to other ads. The externality of an advertisement (ad) can be considered as a “hidden cost.” Including hidden costs of sponsored ads in the auctioning process promote (or encourage) ads with good quality and discourage (or penalize) ads with poor quality. By doing so, advertisers are likely to improve the quality of ads being placed in the bidding pool, which will result in improvement in the overall quality of sponsored ads. Users benefit from the higher quality ads.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for automatically targeting and modifying an Internet ad. In one example, the method includes receiving a page and an ad to be placed on the page, rendering the page into a graphical format, computing descriptive features about the graphical format, mapping the descriptive features to parameters for rendering the ad, and rendering the ad based on the parameters.

Abstract: The invention relates to a closing assembly for closing the gap remaining between the first and last blade of a blade ring that is inserted into a peripheral groove of turbomachinery. Said assembly comprises at least two parts each of which can be hooked onto projections that form an undercut in said peripheral groove and comprises a securing element, which secures the parts from becoming detached from the peripheral groove. To provide a closing assembly for closing the remaining gap, which can be simply and cost-effectively detached and which reliably withstands high mechanical stress, the securing element is mounted to rotate about its longitudinal axis between the two parts and has a key head and a web.

Abstract: A method to determine user attentiveness to an information item included in a web page comprising: displaying an image representing a first web page that includes a first information item to a first individuals; determining a baseline time that represents a typical amount of time that respective first individuals look at the first information item; sending a first web page over a network to first user devices; and sending a second web page over a network to second user devices; wherein the second web page appears substantially the same as the first web page except with a second information item instead of the first information item; obtaining first time measurements of an amount of time that first users of the first user devices typically spend looking at the first web page; obtaining second time measurements of an amount of time that respective second users of the second user devices typically spend looking at the second web page; determining a comparative time measure that is indicative of a difference in t

Abstract: An improved system and method for an online auction with optimal reserve price is provided. An auction engine may choose advertisements for web page placements using an optimal reserve price. To estimate an optimal reserve price, a bid may be received from a bidder for the keyword, click-through rates of advertisements allocated web page placement may be obtained for the keyword, and the optimal reserve price may be estimated for the keyword to maximize revenue by determining a distribution for the values per click from the bidders for the keyword. Web page placements may then be allocated for advertisements with bids at least the value of the optimal reserve price and payment for each of the advertisements allocated web page placements may be calculated using the optimal reserve price.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft having a first propulsion unit with an air inlet above the fuselage of the aircraft and a second propulsion unit with an air inlet below the fuselage of the aircraft, the fuselage of the aircraft having recesses for receiving the propulsion units which are arranged such that the first and the second propulsion unit are arranged above one another in the plane set by the longitudinal and vertical axis of the aircraft. The propulsion unit comprises an engine, a housing having an air inlet, devices for the releasable fastening of the propulsion unit to the fuselage of the aircraft as well as devices for establishing a releasable connection of electric supply and data lines as well as fuel lines between the propulsion unit and the fuselage of an aircraft.

Abstract: The invention relates to a closing assembly for closing the gap remaining between the first and the last blade of a blade ring that is inserted in a peripheral groove of a turbo machinery, said assembly consisting of at least two lateral parts, at least one of which can be hooked onto a projection that forms an undercut in said peripheral groove and at least one securing element, which secures the parts from coming detached from the peripheral groove. To provide a particularly reliable closing assembly, the securing element is configured as a pin, joining the parts of the closing assembly in a non-positive fit.

Abstract: The establishment and adjustment of the reputation score of a party in an online transaction system is described. A party may provide consideration to a transaction portal. In response, the transaction portal may increase (or initially establish) a reputation score for the party based upon the consideration. The portal may return to the party at least a portion of the consideration in response to a favorable event. The portal may decrease the score based upon factors such as the value of transactions weighted by user ratings. The transaction portal may also increase the score based upon a function of commissions made in transactions involving the party.

Abstract: In a method for the production of a fibrous web, especially a paper or cardboard web, an automatic ash control system and an automatic retention control system for the reduction or suppression of an interactive build-up of the two controls are linked via a model for the dependence between the filler addition and the retention agent consumption. A computer assisted quality control system is also cited.

Abstract: A system for updating advertisement bids including a query engine and an advertisement selection engine. The query engine provides an advertisement query to the advertisement selection engine. The advertisement selection engine includes a query processing module that retrieves advertisements associated with the advertisement query based on bids. The bid update module generates a suggested bid for an advertiser. The bid update module may be configured to automatically update the current bid for an advertisement based on the suggested bid. Further, the bid update module may be configured to determine the suggested bid by calculating a maximum profit position for the advertisement and projecting an envy free point for the maximum profit position.

Abstract: A method and system to verify the identity of a user are described. The system may include a communications module to receive a telephone number and a plurality of digits; an address detector to obtain a geographical address associated with a user, based on the telephone number; and a business rules engine to determine whether the plurality of digits correspond to at least a portion of the social security number of the user, utilizing the obtained geographical address and the received plurality of digits.

Abstract: A method and system to verify the identity of a user are described. The system may include a communications module to receive a billing telephone number and a private data segment associated with a user; an address detector to obtain a street address associated with the user; a private data processor to obtain one or more identification records, utilizing the obtained street address and the private data segment; and a matching module to compare the one or more identification records with the private data segment associated with the user to generate a match result.