Abstract: A computing apparatus is configured to quantify consumer sentiment at an aggregated or micro level using transaction data that records the transactions processed by a transaction handler of a payment system. A quantification model is generated based on correlating transaction data with respective emotional content indices extracted from data sources, such as regional news, weather, stock markets, movie themes, local sports, employment, traffic conditions, etc. Using the quantification model, consumer sentiment can be evaluated at various granularity levels, based on the granularity of the user group and the time period of the transaction data used in the quantification model.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for reducing fraud in payment transactions by identifying a potential point of compromise (POC) that may lead to subsequent fraudulent transactions, or confirming that a suspected point of compromise is in fact responsible for a security breach leading to fraudulent payment transactions. The invention is also directed to a system, apparatus, and method for identifying data or transaction characteristics that may be used to most effectively identify a point of compromise in a payment transaction system.

Abstract: Preferred embodiments of the invention provide WOM coding methods and electronic devices with error correcting codes that provide single, double and triple error correction. Preferred codes of the invention also the following property: if the code corrects two/three errors it has two/three parts of redundancy bits. For double error correction, if only one part of the redundancy bit has no errors then it is possible to correct one error. For triple error correction, if only one/two parts of the redundancy bits have no errors then it is possible to correct one/two errors. Preferred methods of the invention use codes that correct/detect a single, two and three cell-erasures. A preferred method of the invention applies a code that has three roots, ah a2, a3, each of which is a primitive element and where every pair of roots generates a double error correcting code.

Abstract: The invention provides a family of 2-write WOM-codes, preferred embodiments of which provide improved WOM-rates. Embodiments of the invention provide constructs for linear codes C having a 2-write WOM-code. Embodiments of the invention provide 2-write WOM-codes that improve the best known WOM-rates known to the present inventors at the time of filing with two writes. Preferred WOM-codes are proved to be capacity achieving when the parity check matrix of the linear code C is chosen uniformly at random. Preferred embodiments of the invention provide an electronic device utilizing an efficient coding scheme of WOM-codes with two write capability. The coding) method is based on linear binary codes and allows the electronic device to write information to the memory twice before erasing it This method can be applied for any kind of memory systems, and in particular for flash memories. The method is shown to outperform all well-known codes.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to generate audience measurement data regarding presentation of information to a plurality of customers via one or more media channels, identify the plurality of customers to a transaction handler to request information, receive the information generated based on transaction data related to a plurality of transactions processed at the transaction handler, and generate a report based on the audience measurement data and the information generated based on the transaction data. The one or more media channels may include an online media channel, a mobile communication channel, or an offline media channel, such as television broadcast, radio broadcast, newspaper, magazine, direct mail, billboard, etc.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for reducing fraud in payment transactions by identifying a potential point of compromise (POC) that may lead to subsequent fraudulent transactions, or confirming that a suspected point of compromise is in fact responsible for a security breach leading to fraudulent payment transactions.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to facilitate the identification of a transaction resulting from an activity occurring in a substantially separate context or environment, such as an offline transaction in a “brick and mortar” retail store resulting from an online advertisement or an online search. The computing apparatus may match information about the activity and information about the transaction to correlate the online activity and the offline transaction. The matching process may involve the use of an offer for a discount, an incentive, a rebate, a reward, reward points, cash back, a gift, etc. The offer is to be provided in the advertisement associated with an online activity and redeemed in a payment transaction, processed via the transaction handler, to correlate the advertisement and the transaction.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to receive a request for a profile to customize information for presentation to a user identified in the request and, responsive to the request identifying the user, provide the profile that is generated based on transaction data of the user. The profile summarizes the transaction data of the user using a plurality of values representing aggregated spending in various areas. The information includes an advertisement selected, prioritized, adjusted, or generated based on the profile. The advertisement includes at least an offer, such as a discount, incentive, reward, coupon, gift, cash back, benefit, product, or service.

Abstract: In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler, a profile generator to generate a profile of a user based on the transaction data, an advertisement selector to identify an advertisement based on the profile of the user in response to the transaction handler processing a transaction of the user, and a portal coupled to the transaction handler to provide the advertisement for presentation to the user in connection with information about the transaction of the user. In one example, the profile includes a plurality of values representing aggregated spending of the user in various areas to summarize the transactions of the user.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler to process transactions; a portal to receive, from users, consent data that identifies account identifiers of the users; a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions and store purchase details for at least some of the transactions; and a profile generator to generate profiles based on the transaction data and the purchase details stored in the data warehouse. In response to an authorization request received in the transaction handler for a payment transaction identifying a first account identifier, the system is to use the transaction handler to request purchase details associated with the authorization request from the merchant via a response to the authorization request, and receive and store the purchase details associated with the authorization request in the data warehouse, in response to a determination that the first account identifier is associated with consent data.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a data warehouse to store data associating a plurality of account identifiers with an offer having a predefined purchase requirement and an aggregated purchase requirement for a benefit; and a transaction handler configured to process a plurality of transactions. The transaction handler is further configured to determine whether each of the plurality of transactions satisfies a predefined purchase requirement, identify a set of transactions each satisfying the predefined purchase requirement, and determine whether the set of transactions satisfies an aggregated purchase requirement for the benefit. In one example, the transaction handler is configured to provide the benefit via statement credits when the set of transactions satisfies the aggregated purchase requirement.

Abstract: In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording the transactions processed at the transaction handler, a profile generator to generate a profile of a user based on the transaction data, an advertisement selector to identify an advertisement based on the profile of the user in response to the transaction handler processing a transaction of the user, and a portal coupled to the transaction handler to provide the advertisement for presentation to the user in connection with information about the transaction of the user. In one example, the profile includes a plurality of values representing aggregated spending of the user in various areas to summarize the transactions of the user.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to generate audience measurement data regarding presentation of information to a plurality of customers via one or more media channels, identify the plurality of customers to a transaction handler to request information, receive the information generated based on transaction data related to a plurality of transactions processed at the transaction handler, and generate a report based on the audience measurement data and the information generated based on the transaction data. The one or more media channels may include an online media channel, a mobile communication channel, or an offline media channel, such as television broadcast, radio broadcast, newspaper, magazine, direct mail, billboard, etc.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler to process transactions; a portal to receive from users enrollment input identifying account identifiers of the users and respective loyalty programs; and a data warehouse to store data associating the account identifiers with the respective loyalty programs. In response to an authorization request received in the transaction handler for a payment transaction identifying a first account identifier, the computing apparatus is to use the data warehouse to determine whether the first account identifier is enrolled with a loyalty program; and if the first account identifier is enrolled with a first loyalty program, the computing apparatus is to use the transaction handler to request purchase details from the merchant via a response to the authorization request, and determine benefits to be awarded to the user of the first account identifier.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a transaction authorization request to reduce the need for a transaction risk assessment as part of the authorization process. The invention reduces both the data processing burden on the payment processor and the number of transactions for which authorization is denied. In some embodiments, the invention uses predictive or behavior modeling techniques to generate predictions of the transactions the consumer may engage in. If the consumer does engage in a predicted transaction, then a risk analysis process is not performed for that transaction.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to facilitate the identification of a transaction resulting from an activity occurring in a substantially separate context or environment, such as an offline transaction in a “brick and mortar” retail store resulting from an online advertisement or an online search. The computing apparatus may match information about the activity and information about the transaction to correlate the online activity and the offline transaction. The matching process may involve the use of an offer for a discount, an incentive, a rebate, a reward, reward points, cash back, a gift, etc. The offer is to be provided in the advertisement associated with an online activity and redeemed in a payment transaction, processed via the transaction handler, to correlate the advertisement and the transaction.

Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to receive a request for a profile to customize information for presentation to a user identified in the request and, responsive to the request identifying the user, provide the profile that is generated based on transaction data of the user. The profile summarizes the transaction data of the user using a plurality of values representing aggregated spending in various areas. The information includes an advertisement selected, prioritized, adjusted, or generated based on the profile. The advertisement includes at least an offer, such as a discount, incentive, reward, coupon, gift, cash back, benefit, product, or service.

Abstract: Novel techniques and tools for authoring multimedia compositions are presented. The novel techniques and tools allow an author of a multimedia composition to create a multimedia composition by dragging assets from a first window containing a project's unused assets and placing the assets into a structural relationship in a second window. The author may also remove assets from the structural relationship in the second window and return the assets to the first window of unused assets. The novel techniques and tools allow an author of a multimedia composition to better keep track of the assets to be used in the multimedia composition.

Abstract: A method of the invention uses an outer code that is a concatenation of code words generated by a parity check encoder. The outer code word is then permuted by an interleaver. The high rate coding provides good performance with a simple structure. According to the method, an odd parity check bit is generated for each data word of received systematic dates. Code words are formed by adding a generated parity bit to each data word. Groups of code words are permuted to form encoded input for transmission in a communication channel. The invention further includes encoding to maintain a runlength-limiting (RLL) constraint at the channel input. Interleaved runlength encoded system data is used to generate error code bits, which may be parity bits. Insertion of error code bits in the system data at the channel input is controlled to limit the number of error code bits inserted per a defined grouping of system bits.

Abstract: An improved ventilating range hood that drives a variable speed fan according to the state of four distinct air quality sensors: temperature, humidity, Carbon monoxide and smoke. A micro-controller is used to integrate the four signals and determine the appropriate ventilation requirement. This value is converted into a signal to drive the fan. Visual indicators are provided to display the state of each air quality factor. An audible alarm is activated if the levels remain at hazardous levels for more than a predetermined time interval after the fan has been turned on.