Abstract: A method and data processing apparatus for lending money, utilizing the benefits of an interest rate yield curve to provide additional benefits to borrowers without increasing borrower debt levels or cash flow costs. By bundling additional benefits with simplicity and convenience, the present invention delivers significant extra value to a borrower. In other words, the benefits to a borrower are “turbocharged.

Abstract: A debt obligation issued to a holder by an entity which obligation is backed by a group of property owners, each owning an individual property, where the entity obtains from each owner cross-collateralized lien and loan agreements in which the owners promise to pay his or her periodic payments to the entity and to pay, if defaults occur, each and every other owner's periodic payments. The method of creating and servicing such obligation includes use of calculating equipment. The system includes pre-organization effort to assemble a peer lending group of potential property owners and causing the entity to purchase the homes at a below-market price using temporary financing which is later consolidated in bond financing.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for registering a player with a player tracking system on a gaming network. A player tracking account is created for the player using player information derived from an account card associated with the player. The account card corresponds to a remote account unrelated to the player tracking system.

Abstract: A credit card system is provided which has the added feature of providing additional limited use credit card numbers and/or cards. These numbers and/or cards can be used for a single or limited use transaction, thereby reducing the potential for fraudulent reuse of these numbers and/or cards. The credit card system finds application to “card remote” transactions such as by phone or Internet. Additionally, when a single use or limited use credit card is used for “card present” transactions, so called “skimming” fraud is eliminated. Various other features enhance the credit card system, which will allow secure trade without the use of elaborate encryption techniques. Methods for limiting, distributing and using a limited use card number, controlling the validity of a limited use credit card number, conducting a limited use credit card number transaction and providing remote access devices for accessing a limited use credit card number are also provided.

Abstract: A method preferably implemented using a digital computer provides payments to a provider rendering service individually and sequentially to a plurality of patients via telephone based on the individual time duration for performance of the telephone consultation services.

Abstract: A system and method for funding a collective account such as a charitable account includes issuing a plurality of financial instruments, linking the financial instruments to the collective account, aggregating individual financial instrument usage, calculating a bonus or other reward based on the aggregate financial instrument usage and funding or distributing the reward to the collective account. According to the invention, members of a civic, charitable, political or other entity may generate collective rewards or other benefits which may be attributed to the designated organization.

Abstract: A method for inter-terminal payment and corresponding devices and computer programs loadable into said devices is disclosed. The method comprises a transfer of financial value from a payment device of a payer (PDPr) to a payment device of a payee (PDPe) with the assistance and the supervision of a trusted third party (TTP). Payment relevant data of the payee is transmitted to the payment device of the payer (PDPr) which triggers the transaction of financial value at the trusted third party (TTP) by a message. The trusted third party (TTP) releases a payment confirmation for the payer and the payee providing a status information on the financial transaction for the payer and the payee, respectively, and sends this information in a confirmation transmission procedure to the payment device of the payer (PDPr) and the payment device of the payee (PDPe), respectively.

Abstract: A system and method for data transaction is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving an ATM card or a telephone call from a user; providing secure access to a data file containing data items previously input by the user; selecting a data item, in response to a command from the user; and outputting the selected data item to the user. Within the system of the present invention: a data network interface, receives an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card from a user, or a telephone call from a user; an identity authentication module authenticates the ATM card or the telephone call, and the user; a transaction management module provides secure access to a data file containing data items previously input by the user; and a data file repository stores the data file.

Abstract: In a semiconductor manufacturing system, a decryption key is effectively protected, thereby protecting manufacturing data. A host computer (1) sends encrypted manufacturing data to an exposure apparatus (2) and sends to a mask stocker (10) mask identification information and decryption key data to be used to decrypt the encrypted manufacturing data. The mask stocker (10) specifies a mask (13) on the basis of the mask identification information and records decryption key data (K1) on the mask. The mask (13) is transferred to the exposure apparatus (2) by a transfer cart (30). The exposure apparatus (2) receives the mask (13) and reads the decryption key data (K1). The exposure apparatus (2) decrypts the encrypted manufacturing data in accordance with the decryption key data and executes exposure on the basis of the manufacturing data.

Abstract: If identifying information for identifying a print request is not included in the print request transmitted from a user computer, the identifying information for the print request is generated, and the identifying information is embedded in a received image data to be printed as an electronic watermark. The image data in which the electronic watermark has been embedded is stored by associating that image with the identifying information and the image data is outputted to a print server. If the identifying information is included in the print request, image data corresponding to the identifying information is searched, and electronic watermark information of the identifying information related to the previous print request is extracted from the searched image data to transmit it to the user computer.

Abstract: A rendering application on a computing device requests a digital rights management (DRM) system on the computing device to authorize digital content rendering based on a corresponding digital license. If unavailable, the DRM system attempts to silently acquire the license from a license server without the intervention of a user. In the course thereof, the rendering application receives status information from the DRM system relating to the attempted license acquisition thereby and displays the received status information in a rendering application status display portion. If silent acquisition fails, the rendering application hosts a browser, causes the browser to navigate to a license server, allows a user to communicate with the license server by way of the hosted browser to acquire the license, and shuts down the hosted browser upon reception of the license from the license server.

Abstract: A method of distributing electronic content including metadata for that content comprises the following: reading the metadata to identify the content; identifying a holder of the copy; determining if the metadata includes licence data and whether the holder of the copy is a licensee; and, if not, receiving payment for that copy of said content so that said holder becomes an owner or licensee of said content. New licence data is then provided for inclusion in the metadata of that copy of the content to identify the holder as a licensee of said content.

Abstract: There is provided a content distribution system which is capable of a distributing a content in accordance with a requested data format or the capabilities of a terminal used, and which can eliminate inequity associated with content distribution in different data formats, by altering a usage rule. During content purchase processing, in a content distribution apparatus 1, information concerning use of a content purchased by a user is registered in the user's right database 20 based on a user database 18 and a content right database 19. For each content, the content right database 19 previously stores one or more units of information concerning content usage including usage rules for different usage modes. During content use processing, based on the registered information, the content distribution apparatus 1 transmits to the user terminal 3 a license stipulating a usage rule corresponding to the usage mode of a requested content.

Abstract: Disclosed are improved computer systems and methods for money transfers completed by one-time use computer readable media for use in cash dispensing networks of computers (ATMs) as an alternative to a traditional wire transfer. In another embodiment a consumer may purchase these computer media at a third party location, which then allows the consumer to use it as portable electronic draft which substitutes for a traditional traveler 's check.

Abstract: A system and method for the payment of petty cash disbursements is disclosed wherein a tree structure of linked purchasing cards is constructed according to a real-life organizational structure of persons able to authorized the expenditures of the petty cash. A central computer facility is used to maintain the structure and to facilitate the modification of the expenditure limits for the purchasing cards and the movement of cash between a master account and the accounts of each of the purchasing cards to cover purchased made thereby.

Abstract: Personal information that is registered with areas that can be connected to the Internet is divided into a plurality of data portions, which are then each registered with areas that are under different control. When a request to acquire this personal information is subsequently issued, the data portions that are registered with areas under different control are combined to restore the personal information.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for establishing and managing authenticated electronic documents (e.g. commercial contracts) whereby the content, revision status and authenticating parties are stored, tracked, retrieved and validated on demand by permitted users. Variable document data is input by user into an electronic form template and this data is captured by the system. The system derives a document number and revision number for the document and all of this identifying information is associated with the document and stored. A document digest formula is applied to generate a unique document digest. The system then generates a unique barcode for each page of the document based on the digest, document number, revision number and paging details and the barcodes are electronically added to the associated pages of the document. Either the parties to the document sign a printed copy of the barcoded document or a digital signature is applied using a third party validation service.

Abstract: A method for providing transactional billing for trusted third party services offered to a plurality of users via a computer network, the method including: generating at least one log record indicative of at least one of the users submitting at least one electronic document for trusted third party services; generating at least one log record indicative of forwarding the at least one electronic document to at least a second of the plurality of users; parsing the log records to generate billing information associated; and, providing the billing information to at least one processing application. The processing application processes the billing information and generates a plurality of bills dependently thereupon.

Abstract: A method for determining admittance to a negotiation comprises the steps of: defining admittance criteria from a superset of parameters; at least one potential negotiation participant making an admittance request to an admittance controller, which admittance request includes a set of information relating to the superset of parameters and forming a subset thereof; and the admittance controller determining whether the admittance request satisfies the admittance criteria.

Abstract: A postage metering system that includes a secure metering device (SMD) coupled to a printer. The SMD generates an indicium and the printer receives and prints the indicium onto a label. The printed indicium label includes a human-readable portion, a machine-readable portion, and an identifier portion. The human-readable portion includes at least one data element, with each data element providing a particular postage information. The machine-readable portion includes a combination of one or more graphical representations and encoded texts. The identifier portion exhibits characteristics useful for authenticating the indicium label and can include a fluorescent strip, a micro printing portion, taggants, other identifiers, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a human-like customizable expert agent capable of having personalized conversational interactions with human users. The customizable expert agent combines natural language conversation, animated gestures, general expertise, and subject expertise to create enjoyable and effective online experiences in a variety of contexts. Each customizable expert agent is preferably a computer-controlled improvisational character having distinct personality, moods, and other life-like qualities. The customizable expert agent can act as a sales agent or a course coach and may proactively initiate a conversation with the user at any time. The present invention further provides an integrated software system and program products, including an application shell and an authoring tool, for desktop online application authoring and enterprise hosted web deployment.

Abstract: The detection method includes generating a plurality of neural network models. Each model has as a training set a data set from a plurality of samples of a commodity of known origins. Each sample has been analyzed for a plurality of elemental concentrations. Each neural network model is presented for classification a test data set from a plurality of samples of a commodity of unknown origins. As with the training set, the samples have been analyzed for the same plurality of elemental concentrations. Next a bootstrap aggregating strategy is employed to combine the results of the classifications for each sample in the test data set made by each neural network model. Finally, a determination is made from the bootstrap aggregating strategy as to a final classification of each sample in the test data set. This final classification is indicative of the geographical origin of the commodity.

Abstract: A Collection Knowledge System provides context-sensitive knowledge delivery services to application programs, thereby enabling application programs to effectively support variant computational processes.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer based method for managing information about a plurality of experiments conducted on a plurality of samples is provided. Each experiment provides an indication of a degree of expression of particular genetic sequences in a sample. The method includes a variety of steps such as registering at least one of the plurality of samples with a centralized database. The method then includes steps of tracking a plurality of information about the samples and tracking a plurality of information about the experiments. A step of producing a sample history about the plurality of samples from the plurality of information is also a part of the method. The method filters the information about the experiments and the information about the samples according to filters selected by a user. The information is made available for publishing to a variety of targets such as a public database.

Abstract: A customer signature or other type of record in a database system is updated using an event-driven estimator based on a model of time-dependent behavior. In a preferred embodiment, a current version of a record affected by a given transaction is retrieved from a memory of the system and an event-driven estimator of at least one of a transaction rate and a period probability for the record is determined based at least in part on a dynamic Poisson timing model having a number of periods and corresponding period-based transaction rates associated therewith. The event-driven estimator may be configured so as to generate an estimated transaction rate {circumflex over (&lgr;)}j,n for period j and a given transaction n, and then to generate an estimated period probability {circumflex over (&pgr;)}j,n for period j as {circumflex over (&lgr;)}j,n/&Sgr;k{circumflex over (&lgr;)}k,n. An updated version of the record may then be generated based on the event-driven estimator.

Abstract: A spatial knowledge base approach for the automatic extraction of metadata 116 from electronic documents 100. The electronic document 100 is converted to a substantially format invariant data file 104 by an intermediate language conversion element 102. Spatial layout facts 108 are extracted and combined with spatial layout rules 114 from a knowledge engineer 112 in a spatial metadata-reasoning element 110 to provide the metadata 116. The invention is based on mimicking the visual and spatial knowledge that humans make use of when reading a document.

Abstract: A cluster isolation system includes a processor that is operatively coupled to an input device, an output device, and memory. The system determines feature/interval combinations that distinguish one cluster of data objects from other clusters. The processor calculates cluster isolation measurement values at selected cut-off values for each feature. The processor reports the features and feature score intervals that satisfy selected isolation measurement value thresholds.

Abstract: The following subject matter associates new or different media content with a particular playlist while maintaining the playlist's corresponding reference(s) to content such as streaming media content. A server component receives a request from a client for one or more content items. The server component identifies a data structure that refers to one or more further content items. Next, the server modifies the data structure to reference the content item or items requested by the client. The server provides the content items referenced by the modified data structure to the client.

Abstract: Systems, methods and/or computer program products store temporally spaced apart bursts of data records in a database, by deferring building an index for data records in a respective burst, until after storing at least some of the data records in the respective burst in the database. Index building for all of the data records in a burst may be deferred until after storing all the data records in the burst in the database. Thus, while the data burst is being received, little or no resources may need to be devoted to index building. Rather, index building may begin after termination of a data burst, when more resources may be available.

Abstract: A method and system for performing master planning priority assignment is presented. The method includes assigning a priority to a demand record that contains at least one demand attribute and a priority field. The assignment includes identifying a database that contains priority assignment rules for demand records and then querying the rule database to find the database record that corresponds to the particular demand record. The corresponding database record is found by matching the data in the attribute fields in the rule database and the demand record. The priority associated with the matching priority database record is assigned to the demand record. Additional embodiments include a system and storage medium for performing master planning priority assignment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the performance of a mount operation changing the logical association of a first file system with a second file system of an information handling system by a user who may not have general authority to perform such a mount operation. In response to a request by a user to perform a requested mount operation on the first file system, a determination is made of whether the user has general authority to perform the requested mount operation, either because the user has general superuser authority or because the user has superuser authority for mount operations. If the user has general authority to perform the requested mount operation, the requested mount operation is performed. If the user does not have general authority to perform the requested mount operation, the requested mount operation is performed only if the user has a predetermined access authority to the first file system.

Abstract: Table data is stored by parsing the table data into columns of values, formatting each column into a data stream, and transferring each data stream to a storage device for storage as a continuous strip of data. The strip of data is stored as a file that is not structured as a series of pages. The formatting of the data stream may include compressing the column values to minimize the length of the data strip. A particular compression procedure may be used that derives a code for each value in the column from a number of occurrences of the value in the column and replaces the value in the data stream with the corresponding code.

Abstract: In an integrated simulation method and system, first points, which are subjected to a first entity, and second points, with a second entity as the output variable, are defined. The second points are subdivided into a first subset and a second subset, and the second points of the first subset are subjected to a similar operation. The calculation of the transfer functions between pairs of points takes place with a simulation program, so that corresponding matrices of transfer functions result. Corresponding matrices are also generated with regard to further entities. The corresponding vector models and matrices can be linked up with one another to generate flexible system models.

Abstract: A schema for storing the meta data that describes relational databases. Advantageously, the schema can be used in both database vendor environments and toolkit vendor environments, thereby facilitating the sharing of relational database types. In addition, by describing the schema in a standard modeling language, even among multiple implementations of storage systems designed according to the schema, the conceptual structure and understanding of each storage system can be the same.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method is disclosed for retrieving documents using context-dependant probabilistic modeling of words and documents. The present invention uses multiple overlapping vectors to represent each document. Each vector is centered on each of the words in the document and includes the local environment. The vectors are used to build probability models that are used for predictions of related documents and related keywords. The results of the statistical analysis are used for retrieving an indexed document, for extracting features from a document, or for finding a word within a document. The statistical evaluation is also used to evaluate the probability of relation between the key words appearing in the document and building a vocabulary of key words that are generally found together. The results of the analysis are stored in a repository. Searches of the data repository produce a list of related documents and a list of related terms.

Abstract: An intelligent application-independent help system and method that automatically captures and analyzes information specific to the context of the application in use and the error encountered. The system not only provides the user with solutions to errors encountered during use of the application, but also offers easy access to relevant suggestions and explanations on the features and the options within the application. The system includes an analyzer process that processes the information captured and links to an appropriate help document in a knowledge base. In the event that the analyzer process fails to locate a relevant solution in the knowledge base or if the user prefers to speak directly with live support, the analyzer routes the problem along with all captured contextual information on that problem to support personnel. This allows the support team to reduce the number of questions they need to ask the user, thus reducing the amount of time required to solve the problem.

Abstract: A cluster of computer system nodes share direct read/write access to storage devices via a storage area network using a cluster filesystem. Version information about subsystems is acquired by a leader node when forming a cluster membership and distributed to all nodes in the cluster to enable proper messaging during operation. Access to files on the storage devices is arbitrated by the cluster filesystem using tokens. Upon detection of a change in location of the metadata server, client nodes waiting for a token are interrupted to check on the status of at least one of data and node availability. The cluster operating system maintains consistency of a mirrored data volume by automatically ensuring replication of a mirror leg while continuing to accept access requests to the mirrored data volume.

Abstract: A proxy processing method to flexibly add/modify customized operations such as customized user authentication and accounting is provided. A state transition engine stores state information and moves processing forward by updating states. It has the following characteristics. (1) a state transition table indicating proxy processing procedure is generated from a state definition file at start-up (1-(1)). (2) A state transition engine implements proxy processing according to the state transition table (1-(2)). (3) A feature is provided to add an extended region for extended features to the session management table (1-(3)). Also, with regard to extended logging: (1) An extended log definition file indicates extended log information to be logged (2-(1)). (2) Extended log information based on the extended log definition is stored in the session management table (2-(2)). (3) Each access log provides two types of separate information, a fixed-length standard log and a variable-length extended log.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus/method allows a user to interactively combine a plurality of sound chips into music data, edit music data, and play it back, by inputting data or commands via a keyboard or a mouse. A chip such as a sound pattern, a one-shot patter, or an effect to be applied to a sound pattern or a one-shot pattern is assigned to each key of a keyboard. If a user presses a key, a chip corresponding to a pressed key is executed. When a plurality of keys are simultaneously pressed, corresponding chips are played in a superimposed fashion. A piece of music can be composed by sequentially pressing various keys thereby sequentially combining corresponding chips.

Abstract: A system and method for file management is comprised of hierarchical files systems, referred to as “areas.” There are three types of areas: work areas, staging areas, and edition areas. A work area is a modifiable file system, and, in a work area a user can create, edit, and delete files and directories. A staging area is a read-only file system that supports select versioning operations. Various users of work areas can integrate their work by submitting the contents of their work area to the staging area. In the staging area, developers can compare their work and see how their changes fit together. An edition is a read-only file system, and the contents of a staging area are virtually copied into an edition to create a frozen, read-only snapshot of the contents of the staging area. One use of the system and method for file management is as a website development tool.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for redeeming virtual coupons by associating the coupons with consumers' credit cards for redemption. In disclosed methods, coupon databases are associated with consumers and associated with the consumers' credit cards. Coupon offers are stored in the coupon databases and are redeemed by consumers by the use of the credit cards that are associated with the consumers' coupon databases.

Abstract: A computer file naming technique employs content-specific filenames (CSFN's) that represent globally-unique identifiers for the contents of a file. Since file references incorporating the CSFN's are not location-specific, they offer unique advantages in the areas of file caching and file installation. Particularly, web browsers enabled to recognize CSFN's inherently verify the content of files when they are retrieved from a local cache, eliminating the need for comparison of file data or time stamps of the cached file copy and the server copy. Thus, file verification occurs solely in the local context. The invention includes caching and software installation systems that incorporate the benefits of CSFN's.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing response time for data query rankings and retrieval is provided. In response to a received search query that contains one or more terms, an information retrieval system identifies a candidate set of documents that match any of the terms. Each term is assigned a term weight making it more or less relevant in relation to the other terms. A ranking logic defines score bins from a total score range based on possible matched term weights. A relationship is established that classifies a document into a specific score bin based on a sum of term weights from matched terms. In this manner, documents that match more term weights are guaranteed to have higher total relevance scores than documents that match less term weights. As a result, the most relevant documents are retrievable without having to retrieve the entire set of candidate documents and without having to compute total relevance scores for all the candidate documents.

Abstract: A storage system which supports distributed management of client configurations by storing such configuration information for a number of products across the storage network in a central repository is provided. The system further includes an external parser configuration file to provide a framework allowing users to access configuration data. The parser is separate from the configuration information repository. The parser is key-driven and extensible, facilitating programming, updates and modifications without modifying the binary library containing the configuration information.

Abstract: Described is a system and method for improving string matching in a noisy channel environment. The invention provides a method for identifying string candidates and analyzing the probability that the string candidate matches a user-defined string. In one implementation, a find engine receives a query string, converts an image file into a textual file, and identifies each instance of the query string in the textual file. The find engine identifies candidates within the textual file that may match the query string. The find engine refers to a confusion table to help identify whether candidates that are near matches to the query string are actually matches to the query string but for a common recognition error. Candidates meeting a probability threshold are identified as matches to the query string. The invention further provides for analysis options including word heuristics, language models, and OCR confidences.

Abstract: When resources are reported missing within a system they are logged in a system error log. Specifically, resources that are missing because they have been reassigned from one logical partition (LPAR) within the system to another LPAR are tagged. When diagnostics are run to resolve missing resources, the resource reconfiguration database is queried for all resources that were assigned to LPARs and now are reported as missing and a missing resource List is created. The system error log is searched for resources that are tagged as missing because of reassignment. Any tagged resource and associated child resources of the tagged resource are removed from the missing resource List thereby updating the List. Normal missing resource resolution procedures are run against the updated missing resource List.

Abstract: Techniques for generating a list of people relevant to a task includes receiving content associated with a task, automatically generating a query for a list of people based on terms obtained from the content, generating the list of people in response to the query, and presenting the list of people to a user

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system which routes incoming electronic messages or query messages in a forum or bulletin board environment to subject matter experts for resolution. The present invention includes steps or an apparatus for processing information configured to: receive the query message, correlate information contained in the query message with subject matters, route the electronic messages containing correlated data to the subject matter expert and posting query messages on an electronic bulletin board.

Abstract: A common contact identification system. The common contact identification system can include at least two contact lists, a comparator for comparing contacts in each of the contact lists, and a common contact list including contacts matched by said comparator. Each contact list can include a plurality of contacts. Each contact list further can have a publicly accessible interface through which the contacts can be accessed remotely. As such, the comparator can identify matching contacts in each of the contact lists.

Abstract: A method of ranking items includes displaying a set of categories. Each category has a set of weights for a user to choose. Each item is associated with the set of categories. The method also includes displaying a search result based on the weights chosen by the user. The search result includes a ranking of the items.