Abstract: Methods and apparatus for visualizing numerical benchmarks are disclosed, wherein a display containing information relating to the general performance of a business in relation to its industry is created. The display incorporates the lower quartile value, the median value, and the upper quartile value of an industry. The display further incorporates the business ratio value. The display further includes indications of whether the business ratio value demonstrates good performance or poor performance of the business in relation to its industry. Thus, a user viewing the display can determine what a particular business' general performance is in relation to the lower quartile value, median value, and upper quartile value of its industry.

Abstract: A smart molecule system that may be embedded in a physical device in order to integrate information from external information sources in the physical device. The smart molecule system obtains information from external sources by connecting to a smart molecule service in a computer system through a URL to Number Transformation Algorithm (UNT) number. The UNT performs bi-directional transformation between the UNT number and a corresponding URL, thereby enabling physical devices with smart molecule to obtain information from the Web without using alphanumeric characters. Upon creating the UNT number and assigning it to an information source, a service provider distributes the UNT number to the smart molecule in order for the smart molecule to access the information stored therein.

Abstract: A system and method for defining, generating and identifying a geographic area is disclosed. This may be done by establishing zip codes as the basic building blocks for the geographic area. For example, the United States may represent a region, which includes all of the zip codes in the United States. A region may also be divided into mutually exclusive subregions. For example, individual states within the United States may represent the subregions, wherein the individual states represent all of the zip codes within that state. The subregions are then divided into mutually exclusive sections. For example, zip codes within the individual states may represent the sections. Simplified syntax is then used to allow a user to submit a query including parameters to identify subregions or sections that are to be included or excluded from the defined geographic area within the region. The system then processes this query and outputs a response representative of the query.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for visualizing numerical benchmarks are disclosed, wherein a display containing information relating to the general performance of a business in relation to its industry is created. The display incorporates the lower quartile value, the median value, and the upper quartile value of an industry. The display further incorporates the business ratio value. The display further includes indications of whether the business ratio value demonstrates good performance or poor performance of the business in relation to its industry. Thus, a user viewing the display can determine what a particular business' general performance is in relation to the lower quartile value, median value, and upper quartile value of its industry.