Abstract: Virtual firm (VF) technology is disclosed, in which the abstraction of enterprise resources benefits the efficiency and scalability of the enterprises (firms). The technology includes a system including a resource abstraction layer that defines virtual enterprise resources. The resource abstraction layer is configured to map the virtual enterprise resources to actual enterprise resources. A shared enterprise resource planning system provides multiple guest ERP units, each for a particular enterprise to define workflows containing tasks. The system has a two-layer task assignment function to assign each task to a suitable virtual enterprise resources in the resource abstraction layer, and further assign the task to be executed by an enterprise resources mapped to the selected virtual enterprise resource. The task assignment can be automated. The virtual enterprise resources are shared among different enterprises. Virtualizable enterprise resources may include human workers and computational workers.

Abstract: Virtual firm (VF) technology is disclosed, in which the abstraction of enterprise resources benefits the efficiency and scalability of the enterprises (firms). The technology includes a system including a resource abstraction layer that defines virtual enterprise resources. The resource abstraction layer is configured to map the virtual enterprise resources to actual enterprise resources. A shared enterprise resource planning system provides multiple guest ERP units, each for a particular enterprise to define workflows containing tasks. The system has a two-layer task assignment function to assign each task to a suitable virtual enterprise resources in the resource abstraction layer, and further assign the task to be executed by an enterprise resources mapped to the selected virtual enterprise resource. The task assignment can be automated. The virtual enterprise resources are shared among different enterprises. Virtualizable enterprise resources may include human workers and computational workers.

Abstract: Virtual firm (VF) technology is disclosed, in which the abstraction of enterprise resources benefits the efficiency and scalability of the enterprises (firms). The technology includes a system including a resource abstraction layer that defines virtual enterprise resources. The resource abstraction layer is configured to map the virtual enterprise resources to actual enterprise resources. A shared enterprise resource planning system provides multiple guest ERP units each for a particular enterprise to define workflows containing tasks and to assign each task to one or more suitable virtual enterprise resources in the resource abstraction layer. The assigned tasks are each executed by one or more enterprise resources mapped to the respective one or more virtual enterprise resources. The virtual enterprise resources are shared among different enterprises. Virtualizable enterprise resources may include human workers and computational workers.

Abstract: Virtual firm (VF) technology is disclosed, in which the abstraction of enterprise resources benefits the efficiency and scalability of the enterprises (firms). The technology includes a system that has a resource abstraction layer that defines virtual enterprise resources. The resource abstraction layer is configured to map the virtual enterprise resources to actual enterprise resources. An enterprise resource planning system provides workflows that contain tasks and assigns each of the tasks to one or more suitable virtual enterprise resources in the resource abstraction layer. The assigned tasks are each executed by one or more enterprise resources mapped to the respective one or more virtual enterprise resources. Virtualizable enterprise resources may include human workers and computational workers.

Abstract: Creative energy of consumers is captured and incentivized by businesses when the businesses provide personal incentives that reflect the extent to which the consumers make productive contributions to a socially networked business and consumer space. The personal incentives provide consumers lower prices through coupons, rebates, or other discounts for various items sold or distributed by the businesses. Consumers that are more productive or active in the social space can receive lower pricing on items. The personalized incentive for a particular consumer may be based on the quantity and quality of product reviews provided by the consumer as well as other factors such as consumer loyalty to a particular merchant or business. This business and consumer space spans the brick-and-mortar as well as the online retail spaces allowing consumers to use a mobile device to make online purchases by scanning a tag on a tangible object in a brick-and-mortar store.

Abstract: Creative energy of consumers is captured and incentivized by businesses when the businesses provide personal incentives that reflect the extent to which the consumers make productive contributions to a socially networked business and consumer space. The personal incentives provide consumers lower prices through coupons, rebates, or other discounts for various items sold or distributed by the businesses. Consumers that are more productive or active in the social space can receive lower pricing on items. The personalized incentive for a particular consumer may be based on the quantity and quality of product reviews provided by the consumer as well as other factors such as consumer loyalty to a particular merchant or business. This business and consumer space spans the brick-and-mortar as well as the online retail spaces allowing consumers to use a mobile device to make online purchases by scanning a tag on a tangible object in a brick-and-mortar store.

Abstract: Creative energy of consumers is captured and incentivized by businesses when the businesses provide personal incentives that reflect the extent to which the consumers make productive contributions to a socially networked business and consumer space. The personal incentives provide consumers lower prices through coupons, rebates, or other discounts for various items sold or distributed by the businesses. Consumers that are more productive or active in the social space can receive lower pricing on items. The personalized incentive for a particular consumer may be based on the quantity and quality of product reviews provided by the consumer as well as other factors such as consumer loyalty to a particular merchant or business. This business and consumer space spans the brick-and-mortar as well as the online retail spaces allowing consumers to use a mobile device to make online purchases by scanning a tag on a tangible object in a brick-and-mortar store.

Abstract: Creative energy of consumers is captured and incentivized by businesses when the businesses provide personal incentives that reflect the extent to which the consumers make productive contributions to a socially networked business and consumer space. The personal incentives provide consumers lower prices through coupons, rebates, or other discounts for various items sold or distributed by the businesses. Consumers that are more productive or active in the social space can receive lower pricing on items. The personalized incentive for a particular consumer may be based on the quantity and quality of product reviews provided by the consumer as well as other factors such as consumer loyalty to a particular merchant or business. This business and consumer space spans the brick-and-mortar as well as the online retail spaces allowing consumers to use a mobile device to make online purchases by scanning a tag on a tangible object in a brick-and-mortar store.

Abstract: A networked business and consumer space is created in which consumers can interact with businesses. A verifiable identifier for each commercial item is used to create an actionable link between a consumer and a business, which can be a manufacturer, a marketer, or a retailer of the commercial item. The actionable link provides the basis for a complete loop of information during a transaction in which an incentive may be quickly and electronically verifiable. The method and the system reduce paperwork, increase transparency and efficiency, and further reduce error and fraud.

Abstract: An anti-counterfeiting method associates the first code with an article to be authenticated to identify the article, and associates a second code with the first code as a verification code to verify the first code. Both the first code and the second code are reproduced on the article. The reproduced first code is machine-readable (e.g., contained in a RFID tag), while the reproduced second code is covert and concealed from normal viewing by a concealment means such as a scratch-off material. An authorized person (e.g., a consumer) is allowed to conditionally remove the concealment to reveal the covert code. The first code and the revealed second code are used to verify the authenticity of the product with a verification center. During the verification, the first code identifies the article, while the second code verifies the first code and thus the authenticity of the associated article.

Abstract: An anti-counterfeiting method associates the first code with an article to be authenticated to identify the article, and associates a second code with the first code as a confirmation code to verify the first code. Both the first code and the second code are reproduced on the article. The reproduced first code is overt code while the reproduced second code is covert and concealed from normal viewing by a concealment means such as a scratch-off material. An authorized person (e.g., a consumer) is allowed to conditionally remove the concealment to reveal the covert code. The first code and the revealed second code are used to verify the authenticity of the product with a verification center. During the verification, the first code identifies the article, while the second code verifies the first code to test the authenticity of the associated article.

Abstract: An anti-counterfeiting method assigns a product code to a product, and reproduces the product code on the product. The reproduced product code has at least an overt code and a covert code. At normal conditions, the overt code is visible but the covert code is concealed from viewing by a concealment means such as a scratch-off material. A consumer is allowed to conditionally remove the concealment means to reveal the covert code, and send the overt code and the revealed covert code to a verification center to verify the authenticity of the product. At least the complete product code is large enough to identify the product, while the covert code is just large enough to discourage counterfeiting yet at the same time small enough to make it easy for the consumer to uncover.