Abstract: A comprehensive, convenient, cost-effective, and intuitive mechanism for individuals to create, manage, and modify customized portfolios of assets and liabilities based on the individual's investment preferences, weighting schemes, risk tolerance, and timeframe. The mechanism includes a server (64) that has data storage (66) for the individual's data. The individual input (60) is used in asset and liability selections (62). There are investment tools (62) to educate individuals on investing concepts, terms, definitions, and strategies. Individuals, through an on-line discussion group, can discuss their investing questions with knowledgeable investors and access other individuals' investment related issues and comments. Investing can include fractional shares and odd lots. The system associated with the mechanism aggregates and nets the trading orders to reduce transactional costs.

Abstract: A distributed contact center and method of managing data transfers between the distributed parts of the contact center is provided. Distributed parts of the contact center are joined together through a known communications initiation protocol, then one or both of status information and control signals are transferred between the distributed parts using lossless communication protocols. The status information and/or control signals may be published to a large number of interested entities through the use of conference call facilities.

Abstract: A distributed contact center and method of managing data transfers between the distributed parts of the contact center is provided. Distributed parts of the contact center are joined together through a known communications initiation protocol such as SIP, then status information and/or control signals are transferred between the distributed parts using lossless communication protocols. The status information and/or control signals may be published to a large number of interested entities through the use of conference call facilities.

Abstract: This unit is compact and much smaller than available models. It also operates on an electromagnet like my other model.

Abstract: A ceiling fan motor includes a motor housing having an end wall and a side wall; a stator assembly mounted within said housing; a rotor assembly mounted within said housing to rotate relative to said stator assembly; and a fan blade hub adapted to have fan blades mounted thereto. The fan blade hub includes a central opening and the rotor assembly includes a drive means shaped complementarily to the opening of the fan blade hub. The drive means positively engages the fan blade hub, and hence the fan blades) as the rotor rotates. A grommet is positioned between the fan blade hub and the drive means to vibrationally isolate the fan blade hub from the rotor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the matching of resources to work entries. In particular, the present invention allows work items to be assigned to a particular resource based on the characteristics of the work item and on the qualifications and preferences of the resource. Furthermore, the present invention does not rely on queues, thereby allowing characteristics of a work item other than or in addition to the amount of time that a work item has been waiting for service to be considered in assigning the work item to a resource. The types of work items that may be validly assigned to a resource, or the preference rules used to select a valid work item for handling by a resource, may be altered by altering the validation rules and preference rules associated with the resource and/or work item. Accordingly, the rules for allocating work may be adjusted easily and quickly, including at run-time, and may represent any attribute desired for use in allocating work.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for resource allocation in a system which includes work items which are to be completed in both business time and real time. Work items are placed in a delta queue which has a calendar associated therewith indicating business time and non-business time for resources associated with the delta queue. When the calendar associated with the delta queue enters into a non-business time, a scheduler pushes an item at the head of the delta queue which corresponds to the amount of non-business time. Work items in the delta queue are thus delayed by the appropriate amount of time corresponding to the non-business time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for assessing the status of work waiting for service in a work queue or a work pool. Work items are placed in the work queue or work pool and have a service time goal. The work items in the work queue or work pool are scanned and a required queue position for each work item is calculated according to the amount of time remaining prior to the expiration of the service time goal and weighted advance time for servicing of work items in the work queue or pool. An array of counters has elements which correspond to required queue positions. Upon the calculation of the required queue position for a work item, the counter corresponding to the required queue position is incremented. When all of the work items are scanned, the array of counters is analyzed to predict a future state of the work queue or work pool.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to balancing resource loads. In particular, the present invention is directed to assigning work to service locations having the greatest probability of servicing the work within a target time. Because an average wait time is not necessarily equal to a probability of servicing work within a target time, the present invention is useful in meeting service target goals. Because the present invention operates by comparing the probability of a defined set of service locations to one another, absolute probabilities need not be calculated. Instead, relative probabilities may be used in assigning work.

Abstract: A contact center for servicing a plurality of contacts received from a plurality of customers is provided. The contact center includes: (a) a plurality of workstations 15 corresponding to a plurality of resources 14; (b) a central server 10 in communication with the plurality of workstations, comprising: (i) at least one queue 42, 46 and/or 66 of contacts; and (ii) a bid item selecting agent 74 operable to (a) request at least some of the plurality of resources to submit a bid to service at least one contact; (b) receive at least one bid to service the at least one contact; and (c) select a resource from among the plurality of resources to service the at least one contact.

Abstract: A system, a method and a program product provide access to variable-length data segments on a sequential access storage medium using an iterative search for a specified data offset based on estimates of media offsets. The data is recorded in variable-length data segments aligned to predetermined alignment intervals. Each data segment has a predetermined signature field to identify the header of each data segment. Session data recorded on the medium so as to prevent session data that matches the signature field from being aligned with the predetermined alignment interval. Approximate or default parameters for data segment size are used for each estimate and are updated with each iteration based on actual data derived from data segment headers on the medium.

Abstract: The total illumination of each pixel to be displayed by a real-time computer image generator, is determined for at least one source illuminating a scene to be displayed, by storing in an observer depth buffer data signals representing those portions of object polygons visible to the observer in each pixel of the display, and storing in a source depth buffer, associated with each of the at least one scene-illuminating light sources, data signals representing illumination intensity received by each polygon pixel viewable from that associated source. A data signal, for each displayable pixel in the observer depth buffer, is generated by combining in non-saturating manner the illumination intensity of each light source impingent upon the equivalent pixel in all of the associated source depth buffers.

Abstract: The final viewable color of each pixel to be displayed responsive to specular reflected illumination intensity from a polygon is determined by generating a data signal, setting a specular component of the present pixel illumination intensity for the associated color, as the product of the intensity of a light source illuminating the polygon, a specular coefficient for that polygon, and a shading term proportional to the exponentiation of the rendered Gouraud Shading Intensity (GSI) for each of a plurality of selected primary colors of a sequence of pixels to be displayed as defining that polygon, by S, a shininess exponent (S) specified for that polygon.

Abstract: The final viewable color of each pixel to be displayed from video data signal output of a computer image generator, is found by: using input data signals setting display space coordinates of each vertex of each face polygon to be displayed, to generate a crossing location of each polygon edge along an edge segment of any of the array of display pixels; storing, and then processing, the edge segment crossing data signals for all polygons affecting that pixel, along with color data for each of the faces occupying any portion of that pixel, and for a plurality of different edge segments of a constellation of four adjacent pixels, to obtain pixel color intensity data for each corner of each displayable pixel; and mixing polygon color intensity data signals for all corners of a presently-processed pixel, to determine the final, observable color of that display pixel.

Abstract: In refuse incineration, it has been determined that the legal requirements governing refuse incineration can be more easily met by maintaining a uniform depth of charge on the grate. The charging of the refuse and the transport speed of the charge produced by movable refuse feeders can be regulated as a function of the quantity of refuse in the incinerator or in its individual zones. The load of the drive mechanism can be used for measurement and control purposes for maintaing a uniform refuse depth.

Abstract: An apparatus to facilitate producing scrambled eggs on a heated grill surface comprises a frame. At least one egg ring having a lower edge portion is adapted to be disposed in intimate contact with the grill surface for movement therealong and to define with the grill surface an enclosed region within the egg ring for confining liquid eggs. An interceptor member extends across the egg ring in position to engage the liquid eggs therewithin in response to moving the apparatus to and fro over the grill surface. Complementary interengaging portions between the interceptor means and the egg ring properly positions the egg ring on the frame as a function of mounting the interceptor on the frame. Cushion means are provided between the egg ring and the frame to bias the egg ring into intimate contact with the grill surface.

Abstract: The combination in a food slicer of the type embodying a cutter unit, comprising a plurality of spaced cutter blades, and a pusher unit having a plurality of pusher blades that may be manually moved into and out of intermeshed relation to the cutter blades for pressing tomatoes, or the like, through the cutter unit, of a safety guard having a portion movable upwardly and downwardly between a position wherein it is disposed in overlying relation to the cutter blades, between the cutter unit and the pusher unit, and a position wherein it is disposed above the pusher unit, the safety guard having a projecting portion for preventing the pusher blades being damaged by engagement with the safety guard.