Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. The merchant segments are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Supervised segmentation is applied to merchant vectors to form the merchant segments. Merchant segment predictive models provide predictions of spending in each merchant segment for any particular consumer, based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of each consumer's spending in the merchant segments, and across merchant segments.

Abstract: A recommendation system and method uses data structured according to an indicator-based recommendation paradigm. Items to be considered for recommendation are stored in a text retrieval system, along with associated meta-data such as title and description. To these conventional characteristics are added additional characteristics known as indicators which are derived from an analysis of the usage of the system by users. This indicator-based system provides a more robust recommendation system that is able to capture a greater depth and variety of real-world relationships among items, and is able to handle p-adic systems and systems with ternary or higher relations.

Abstract: Files are divided into parts and at least some of the parts are transmitted to a client using a communication channel. At least some of the transmitted parts are cached locally. This allows subsequent streaming playback of the file while using less bandwidth by transmitting the part of the file that hasn't been cached, and combining the cached parts with the transmitted parts. In some embodiments, files may be represented at a low quality level by a first data set, and at higher quality levels with additional data sets. Data sets are cached locally, so that during subsequent streaming playback of the file, the quality level of the playback may be improved by sending additional data sets using bandwidth that would otherwise be dedicated to transmitting the cached data sets.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product perform text equivalencing. The text equivalencing is performed by modifying a string of characters by applying a set of heuristics, comparing the modified strings of characters to known strings of characters. If a match is found, the text equivalencing engine performs database update and exits. If no match is found, sub-strings are formed by grouping together frequently occurring sets of characters. An information retrieval technique is performed on the sub-strings to determine equivalent text.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments, which are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur. Supervised segmentation is applied to merchant vectors to form merchant segments. Merchant segment predictive models provide predictions of spending in each merchant segment for any particular consumer, based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of each consumer's spending in the merchant segments, and across merchant segments. Consumer profiles include consumer vectors derived as summary vectors of selected merchants patronized by the consumer.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product retrieve information associated with the signals. The information retrieval can be performed on a signal by quantizing the signal, forming words, and indexing based on weights of the words. The words are formed by grouping letters together to form a number of words within predetermined threshold values. The weights of the words are determined using a binomial log likelihood ratio analysis. The present invention may be applied to identification of an unknown song.

Abstract: Files are divided into parts and at least some of the parts are transmitted to a client using a communication channel. At least some of the transmitted parts are cached locally. This allows subsequent streaming playback of the file while using less bandwidth by transmitting the part of the file that hasn't been cached, and combining the cached parts with the transmitted parts. In some embodiments, files may be represented at a low quality level by a first data set, and at higher quality levels with additional data sets. Data sets are cached locally, so that during subsequent streaming playback of the file, the quality level of the playback may be improved by sending additional data sets using bandwidth that would otherwise be dedicated to transmitting the cached data sets.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior, including determination of likely responses to particular marketing efforts, is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. The merchant segments are derived from the consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors represent specific merchants, and are aligned in a vector space as a function of the degree to which the merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Consumer vectors are developed within the vector space, to represent interests of particular consumers by virtue of relative vector positions of consumer and merchant vectors. Various techniques, including clustering, supervised segmentation, and nearest-neighbor analysis, are applied separately or in combination to generate improved predictions of consumer behavior.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product discover relationships among items and recommend items based on the discovered relationships. The recommendations provided by the present invention are based on user profiles that take into account actual preferences of users, without requiring users to complete questionnaires. An improved binomial log likelihood ratio analysis technique is applied, to reduce adverse effects of overstatement of coincidence and predominance of best sellers. The invention may be used, for example, to generate track lists for a personalized radio station.

Abstract: Files are divided into parts and at least some of the parts are transmitted to a client using a communication channel. At least some of the transmitted parts are cached locally. This allows subsequent streaming playback of the file while using less bandwidth by transmitting the part of the file that hasn't been cached, and combining the cached parts with the transmitted parts. In some embodiments, files may be represented at a low quality level by a first data set, and at higher quality levels with additional data sets. Data sets are cached locally, so that during subsequent streaming playback of the file, the quality level of the playback may be improved by sending additional data sets using bandwidth that would otherwise be dedicated to transmitting the cached data sets.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product allow users to skip and/or to fast-forward through media items such as songs, while limiting the extent to which skipping is allowed in order to maintain conformance with sound performance complement restrictions such as those specified by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If the user requests a skip that may result in a DMCA violation, the skip is disallowed and the request is denied. Playlists are constructed so that the sound recording performance complement limitations are applied to a longer time period than the period specified in the DMCA, the longer time period being defined by adding an “excess time” to the normal DMCA period. If the user attempts to skip a song or song portion that would cause the aggregated skipped amount to exceed the excess time, the skip is disallowed.

Abstract: Predictive modeling of consumer financial behavior is provided by application of consumer transaction data to predictive models associated with merchant segments. Merchant segments are derived from consumer transaction data based on co-occurrences of merchants in sequences of transactions. Merchant vectors representing specific merchants are clustered to form merchant segments in a vector space as a function of the degree to which merchants co-occur more or less frequently than expected. Each merchant segment is trained using consumer transaction data in selected past time periods to predict spending in subsequent time periods for a consumer based on previous spending by the consumer. Consumer profiles describe summary statistics of consumer spending in and across merchant segments. Analysis of consumers associated with a segment identifies selected consumers according to predicted spending in the segment or other criteria, and the targeting of promotional offers specific to the segment and its merchants.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product discover relationships among items and recommend items based on the discovered relationships. The recommendations provided by the present invention are based on user profiles that take into account actual preferences of users, without requiring users to complete questionnaires. An improved binomial log likelihood ratio analysis technique is applied, to reduce adverse effects of overstatement of coincidence and predominance of best sellers. The invention may be used, for example, to generate track lists for a personalized radio station.

Abstract: A system and method for selecting and presenting personally targeted entities such as advertising, coupons, products and information content, based on tracking observed behavior on a user-by-user basis and utilizing an adaptive vector space representation for both information and behavior. The system matches users to entities in a manner that improves with increased operation and observation of user behavior. User behavior and entities (ads, coupons, products) and information (text) are all represented as content vectors in a unified vector space. The system is based on an information representation called content vectors that utilizes a constrained self organization learning technique to learn the relationships between symbols (typically words in unstructured text). Users and entities are each represented as content vectors.

Abstract: A remote pulmonary function tester uses a microcomputer to receive patient identification data, direct the test sequence, store several FEV maneuvers, and then transmit the stored data in a digital format to a central computer. The central computer plots a flow volume curve, computes FEV, FEF.sub.25-75% etc., compares these values with normals, and performs a preliminary disease categorization. The pulmonary function tester comprises a flow to pressure transducer, producing an analog signal, an analog to digital converter for digitizing the analog signal, a touch tone keyboard for simple patient identification data entry, and a microcomputer system having a read/write storage for storage of test and patient identification data, communication interface for connection to a central computer through telephone lines, and a read only memory and a central processing unit for control of the tester.