Abstract: A user is provided with access to a preferred online store through one or more networks. The online store has one or more products each with a product description and a price. The product description and price are provided to the user. A computer receives one or more selection requests for one or more of the products (selected products) from the user. The user is provided with one or more bid conditions for the selected product which the user selects from. The user is then provided one or more second bids. Each of the second bids originates from one or more other stores that participated in an auction and each of the second bids conforms to the bid conditions selected by the user.

Abstract: An interactive parallel coordinate system is used in a business method to provide users with greater abilities to interpret and explore the clickstream data of online stores on the Web. The interactive parallel coordinate system uses the multiple axes of the system to represent steps of a process with respect to an independent variable. Specifically, the process steps are sequential steps which sessions take during their navigation of a Web site.

Abstract: A combination of a radio frequency identification transponder (RFID Tag) and to a magnetic electronic article surveillance (EAS) device is disclosed. The present invention relates generally to radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, and more specifically to RFID transponders for use in RFID systems and the method for their assembly.

Abstract: A combination of a radio frequency identification transponder (RFID Tag) and to a magnetic electronic article surveillance (EAS) device is disclosed. The present invention relates generally to radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, and more specifically to RFID transponders for use in RFID systems and the method for their assembly.

Abstract: A computer system and method that provides one or more visualizations to one or more users of a network application. The computer executes a sessionization process that receives one or more Web server logs from one or more online stores, and generates one session table for each session found from requests recorded in Web server logs. A shopping step finder process then receives one or more session tables and generates one micro-conversion table for each given session table. Finally, a visualization process receives one or more of the micro-conversion tables and generates one or more micro-conversion visualizations of one or more micro-conversions.

Abstract: A device has one or more memories that store a set of position points defining respective locations within one or more physical areas. A communication interface on the device communicates with one or more signal sources located at one or more of the respective locations proximate to the position detection device. Each of the signal sources responds to the device with information about the respective location. A path process defines one or more paths connecting one or more of the position points in response to a user query. The path process accesses the information from one or more of the signal sources and determines the progress of the device user through the physical area as defined by the path. A user interface communicates the progress through the physical area to the user.

Abstract: A computer executes a bid agent process that receives one or more selection requests for selected products over one or more of the network interfaces. A bid request process sends a bid request over one or more of the network interfaces to a one or more stores requesting a bid on the selected product. The bid request has a bid protocol agreed on by the stores and the stores also agree to send a bid within a time period. A bid receiving process then receives the bids and resends the bids over the network interface to the user.

Abstract: An active RF transponder is provided with a wake-up circuit that wakes the RF transponder from a sleep state upon detection of an RF interrogating signal. The active RF transponder includes a battery, an antenna adapted to receive RF signals from an interrogator, and electronic circuitry providing the various RF transponder functions of sending/receiving signals and storing data. A first embodiment of the invention includes a wake-up circuit that periodically checks for the presence of an RF signal at the antenna. The wake-up circuit is coupled to the antenna and includes a switch adapted to selectively couple the battery to the electronic circuitry and provide electrical power thereto upon detection of the RF signals by the antenna. The wake-up circuit further comprises an oscillator providing a clock signal having a low duty cycle that defines intervals during which the antenna is sampled for presence of the RF signals (e.g., approximately 20 ns every 100 &mgr;s).

Abstract: The present invention provides an RF tag having an antenna that can be selectively tuned to achieve optimal performance. The RF tag comprises an RF transponder integrated circuit and an antenna connected to the RF transponder integrated circuit. The antenna includes components such as tuning stubs and loading bars that are physically alterable to selectively vary the performance characteristics of the antenna. The tuning stub and loading bar may each further comprising a variably selectable length having elements that may be removed by punching, cutting, etching, laser trimming or other process. The antenna may further comprise a leadframe or a flexible substrate.

Abstract: A device has one or more memories that store a set of position points defining respective locations within one or more physical areas. A communication interface on the device communicates with one or more signal sources located at one or more of the respective locations proximate to the position detection device. Each of the signal sources responds to the device with information about the respective location. A path process defines one or more paths connecting one or more of the position points in response to a user query. The path process accesses the information from one or more of the signal sources and determines the progress of the device user through the physical area as defined by the path. A user interface communicates the progress through the physical area to the user.

Abstract: The present invention provides an RF tag having an antenna that can be selectively tuned to achieve optimal performance. The RF tag comprises an RF transponder integrated circuit and an antenna connected to the RF transponder integrated circuit. The antenna includes components such as tuning stubs and loading bars that are physically alterable to selectively vary the performance characteristics of the antenna. The tuning stub and loading bar may each further comprising a variably selectable length having elements that may be removed by punching, cutting, etching, laser trimming or other process. The antenna may further comprise a leadframe or a flexible substrate.

Abstract: A method of sending data from a base station to a passive RF tag and writing the data to a tag non-volatile memory which detects a “partial write”, where the tag voltage falls during the write process under the voltage sufficient to reliably write the tag non-volatile memory, is presented. The tag voltage is compared to a stable reference voltage during the time the tag memory is being written, and if the tag voltage falls below an acceptable level, a flag in the tag non-volatile memory is cleared.

Abstract: A system, method of use, and a plurality of types of Radio Frequency Transponders (RF Tags). The RF Tags carry a directory or a tag type number which determines the layout of information in the tag memory. The tag type numbers are arranged hierarchically.

Abstract: An RF tag has an enable/disable circuit connected to a critical part of an electronic object/circuit, e.g. a computer mother board. The critical part of the circuit is any circuit component and/or connection that can enable and/or disable the electric circuit operation. Signals are sent to the tag to change data in the tag memory which causes the enable/disable tag circuit to control the critical part to enable and disable the electric circuit. A system checks the status of the tag, e.g. the electronic circuit was paid for, before enabling the electronic circuit.

Abstract: A method of selecting groups of radio frequency RF transponders (tags) for communication between a base station and the tags. The tags are selected into groups according to a physical attribute of the signal sent by the tags to the base station, or according to the physical response of the tags to a physical attribute of the signal sent from the base station to the tags. Communication with the tags is thereby simplified, and the time taken to communicate with the first tag is markedly reduced.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for sending data from a base station to an RF tag, whereby the RF tag comprises an "intention to write to memory" field, and the "intention to write to memory" field is written before writing the data and cleared after the data is successfully written. If the data transmission is interrupted and partial data is written to the tag, the "intention to write to memory" field will not have been cleared when the tag is checked at a later time through interrogation by a base station.

Abstract: An RF tag has an enable/disable circuit connected to a critical part of an electronic object/circuit, e.g. a computer mother board. The critical part of the circuit is any circuit component and/or connection that can enable and/or disable the electric circuit operation. Signals are sent to the tag to change data in the tag memory which causes the enable/disable tag circuit to control the critical part to enable and disable the electric circuit. A system checks the status of the tag, e.g. the electronic circuit was paid for, before enabling the electronic circuit.

Abstract: A method of selecting groups of radio frequency RF transponders (tags) for communication between a base station and the tags. The tags are selected into groups according to a physical attribute ofthe signal sent by the tags to the base station, or according to the physical response of the tags to a physical attribute of the signal sent from the base station to the tags. Communication with the tags is thereby simplified, and the time taken to communicate with the first tag is markedly reduced.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for selecting certain subgroups of radio frequency (RF) tags for querying, communicating, and/or identifying by a base station. The base station sends commands to a group tags within a RF field of the base station. The tags use control logic to determine whether or not they meet certain criteria sent out by the commands. This may cause the tags to change state which either prevents or allows a given tag to participate in an identification process. In this way, a given subgroup(s) of tags meeting certain criteria can be selected for querying, communicating, and/or identifying.