Abstract: A centralized biometric system is provided for verifying an individual's identity over a communications network. The centralized biometric system includes a receiver that receives, from a remote communications system, a biometric sample from a party attempting to obtain a service using the remote communications system. The service is provided contingent on authentication of the party as the individual. The system also includes a processor that compares the biometric sample to biometric information obtained from a storage to authenticate the identity of the party as the individual. The receiver and the processor are within a centralized system in the communications network.

Abstract: A global speech user interface (GSUI) comprises an input system to receive a user's spoken command, a feedback system along with a set of feedback overlays to give the user information on the progress of his spoken requests, a set of visual cues on the television screen to help the user understand what he can say, a help system, and a model for navigation among applications. The interface is extensible to make it easy to add new applications.

Abstract: A method of selecting contact information is disclosed. In the method, a signal corresponding to a source document is received and analyzed to determine a referenced entity. A data base of contact information and related contact entities is provided and searched to determine whether the referenced entity is among the contact entities. If the referenced entity is among the contact entities, the corresponding contact information is provided. The provided contact information may be used to address a message from a sender to a recipient. A system and an article of manufacture for carrying out the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A suite of applications is provided for the administration of implantable medical devices, particularly implantable therapeutic substance infusion devices. The applications may be accessed over a public network, such as the Internet, and may be run using middleware. The applications provide for the administration of medical devices as they pertain to a particular patient, the ordering of therapeutic agents from participating third-party dispensaries, the scheduling of device maintenance and explant events, and the review of literature and educational materials pertaining to a particular medical device or class of devices.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for multiple death life insurance in the event of simultaneous or coincident death of two or more insured parties, or a defined group of two or more insured parties. More particularly, embodiments of the invention provide a computer system and method for providing simultaneous multiple death life insurance designed to provide benefits to alleviate the financial burden experienced by beneficiaries as a result of simultaneous or coincident of two or more insured parties. Simultaneous multiple death life insurance according to the invention may be obtained through the internet by remote computers and internet access devices well known in the art.

Abstract: The method begins with an insured operator or third party claimant reporting a vehicle damage claim to an insurance provider of the insured operator. The damaged vehicle is delivered to a facility operated by the insurance provider. The insured operator or third party claimant is provided with a rental car at the insurance provider's facility. A repair estimate is prepared at the insurer's facility by a representative of the insurance provider. A repair facility is then selected by the representative of the insurance provider. The vehicle is then picked up by the repair facility and repaired at the repair facility. The repaired vehicle is returned by the repair facility to the insurance provider's facility. The repaired vehicle is returned to the insured operator or third party claimant at the insurance provider facility. The insured operator or third party claimant also returns the rental vehicle at the insurance provider facility at the same time the repaired vehicle is picked up.

Abstract: After an insurance application is made from a user, an insurance provider examines the application and makes an insurance contract. The insurance provider sends a transaction monitoring program (BTM) to the user, and the user installs this. Transaction data which the user communicates with a transaction party are monitored by the BTM and recorded in a transaction record. If the user incurs loss or damage, the user sends the transaction record to the insurance provider, and the insurance provider then analyzes this to verify the cause of the loss and pays insurance money.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for collecting and analyzing demographic information for consumer preference information. The system includes a computer database system adapted to accept and store product information and demographic information, and an open participation system with access over a wide area network to collect consumer preference information for storage in the computer database system. The method includes providing a computer information database for storing product information and demographic information, storing product information in the database, providing communication access through the wide area network, collecting user identification information, storing the collected user identification information in the database, enabling user access to the product information over the wide area network, collecting user preference information relating to the product information over the wide area network, and storing the collected user preference information in the database.

Abstract: A system and method for organizational risk based on personnel planning factors is provided. Each employee has an employee profile data area that is used to store planning data and actual data corresponding to the employee. Planning data includes risk analysis data, compensation data, and development planning data. Actual data includes current compensation data and performance data. Inhibitors and motivators corresponding to employees is used to determine a flight risk that pertains to the employee. A contribution level, corresponding to the employee's contribution to the organization, is analyzed along with the flight risk to determine a risk quadrant that is assigned to the employee. Managers can select a risk quadrant and obtain information about common inhibitors and motivators. Incentive data, such as stock options, compensation, and awards, is planned in light of an employee's risk quadrant in order to motivate high contributors to remain with the organization.

Abstract: A method for generating a sales volume forecast includes receiving user input specifying a hypothetical asking price and a future date and accessing, for each of multiple past time periods, historical data reflecting a sales volume for an item over the past time period and a corresponding price difference between an asking price and a coinciding market price for the item, the price difference also being associated with the past time period.

Abstract: An advertisement system is provided in which a facility can be advertised more efficiently than the conventional method.

Abstract: A system for commercial promotion has a first computerized appliance enabled for data reception on a close-proximity wireless local area network (LAN) having a limited effective range, and for providing received data in a human-understandable form to a user of the first appliance, and a second computerized appliance enabled for data transmission on the close-proximity wireless LAN and having access to a data repository storing promotional material. The first and the second computerized appliances establish a connection on the wireless LAN by virtue of proximity within the limited effective range, the second appliance transmits promotional material to the first appliance in response to the connection, and the first appliance renders the promotional material in human-understandable form for the user in response to receiving the promotional material.

Abstract: A customer of an eating house orders refreshments by pressing a first touch panel provided at a customer's seat, watching a liquid-crystal monitor on which a menu of the refreshment and an average cooking time thereof are displayed. A cook inputs cooking-state information with a second touch panel provided in a kitchen when cooking is started and is completed. The cooking-state information is displayed on the liquid-crystal monitor so that it is possible to confirm a cooking state of the ordered refreshment. When the ordered refreshment is untouched, the customer can cancel or urge the refreshment by pressing the first touch panel. Upon instructing a check with the first touch panel, the check is printed out from a printer. The customer can order, cancel and urge the refreshments without calling a waitperson.

Abstract: A method for providing product information comprises establishing a local reference frame which defines a space including a product identifier and a portable display device, receiving a request for product information corresponding to the product identifier from the portable display device, determining a position of the portable display device in relation to the local reference frame, and providing the product information via the portable display device according to the position of the portable display device.

Abstract: A POS system including at least one store server and a plurality of POS terminals. Each POS terminal includes means for transmitting transaction data to the store server as a transaction occurs at the POS terminal, means for querying the store server for transaction data relating to a transaction that occurred at another POS terminal, means for instructing the store server to cancel the transaction that occurred at the other POS terminal, and means for executing a transaction cancel instruction received from the store server to cancel a transaction that occurred at the POS terminal, and the store server includes means for receiving a transaction cancel instruction from a POS terminal other than the POS terminal at which the transaction occurred, and for transferring the transaction cancel instruction to the POS terminal at which the transaction occurred.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a business-to-business network service for applications used by service providers is disclosed. The method and system include providing a central application capable of communicating with at least two applications over a public network, such as the Internet, and providing a repository database for storing customer information that spans more than one of the service providers. The method and system further include allowing the applications to query the repository database through the central application, thereby making the customer information accessible to each of the applications.

Abstract: A method for cross marketing between companies. A first company conditions the grant of a discount for a second product at a second company on a purchase of a first product at the first company. The second company offers the second product for sale and stands ready to accept the discount on this second product as granted by the first company. The consumer may be notified of the discount. A credit may be deposited into an account of the consumer as an amount of property, a percentage of revenue, money, or some combination. Cumulative discounts may be aggregated on the purchase of a second product. A credit to an account benefiting the second company may be made in compensation for accepting the discount. The method may be used by departments within a company.

Abstract: A method and system implementing a variable pricing structure that applies to goods and services available from a vendor, and rewards customers who spend more is described. Customers can select a combination of the offered goods and services offered by a vendor, rather than choosing from among a few, pre-bundled packages. A progressive discount is employed in the determination of the price of the combination, such that increasing the number of goods or services, or increasing the level of service results in greater discounts. The offering price of this combination is conveyed to the customer, and opportunities to make changes to the selected combination are provided. The opportunity to initiate the purchase of the selected combination is also provided.

Abstract: A system for use in an online merchant system which includes a system for homogenizing the format of received commerce item information from at least two distinct online entities, an aggregate database for storing the homogenized commerce item information, and a user interface that accesses the aggregate database for query and retrieval of competitive commerce item information from the online entities and displays it within a user's Web browser window. The system comprises a method and apparatus for associating a commerce item information tag with each separate unit of commerce item information that is received to the online merchant system, the commerce item information tag enabling recording and reporting commerce metrics related to the commercial activity of a commerce item for sale through the online merchant system.

Abstract: An electronic item list system and method, such as a wish or gift list, for an electronic shopping mall/online shopping portal, or an item list system provided as a software service. The system and method provides a user with the ability to create a list of items that the user would like others to purchase for the user as a gift or as a list of items that the user would like to retain for a later purchase. A user interface is provided that allows the user to select items electronically to add to a user specific gift list. The items are not limited to specific products, but can include general product categories and/or products from a specific merchant or manufacturer. The user interface communicates through an interface component that extracts data from a number of databases. For example, the databases can include a merchant database, an offers database, a manufacturers database and a products database.

Abstract: A method for fulfilling an order in a supply chain. The method is performed by extracting from a customer system information pertaining to the work order that specifies a piece of equipment to be repaired and items expected to be used during the repair procedure, determining, using an equipment knowledge base, a probability that each of the items will be needed to effect the repair procedure, and using the determined probability to stage the items within the supply chain whereby the items are made ready for use in the repair procedure. Further steps can include extracting from the customer system information pertaining to a completion of the repair procedure and using the information pertaining to the completion of the repair procedure to populate the equipment knowledge base for use in future probability of need calculations.

Abstract: A method and system for underwriter offering of multi-class instruments including a central processing unit (CPU), a program memory, a structure database and an investor database. The structure database stores a structure representative of a plurality of classes of a multi-class instrument, and the system operates to (i) inform investors of class information related, respectively, to each class of the multi-class instrument, (ii) receive bid information from investors, (iii) modify the structure database in response to the bid information and subsequently inform investors with updated class information; and once it is determined that the underwriter can profitably underwrite the transaction, (iv) notify the underwriter of an amount of collateral to purchase to cover accepted bids.

Abstract: Methods and systems for improving auction-based online commerce are provided, including methods and systems for facilitating advance, rapid, accurate estimation of shipping costs between a seller and the winner of an online auction. Methods and systems include an application for facilitating seller estimation of shipping costs, including various components of shipping costs, and for providing to the buyer a shipping estimate based on the circumstances of the buyer and the auction.

Abstract: An automated auctioning system includes a customer, a web services register server (such as an Extended Markup Language (XML)-based registry server like an Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) registry) and a number of web service providers. Automated auctioning processes of a web service desired by the customer are undertaken between the potential customer and the web service providers. The potential customer issues a bid request, and each web service provider determines whether the value of a bid in response to the bid request is below a value warranted by market demand and issues the bid if the value is higher. The potential customer assesses the bid, creating a bid assessment score. The potential customer performs an iteration on the bid assessment score using a new bid request if the score has improved since a last iteration, while engaging the web service if the score has not improved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a home asset management account system is provided that combines a first mortgage account and an equity line of credit (LOC) and offers a periodic sweep feature between the first mortgage and equity LOC, a periodic property value review feature of the first mortgage, and a statement feature that provides a customer valuable information on the subject property estimated value and the relationship between the first mortgage and the equity LOC. The first mortgage and equity LOC results from a proprietary automated decisioning/pricing system, the periodic sweep feature, the periodic property value review feature, and a unique statement feature are bundled into a financial package available for customers.

Abstract: A method for protecting investment position information during risk or performance evaluation, comprising the steps of: sending position name information and corresponding position quantity information from a sender to a calculation agent by way of one or more intermediaries; and concealing at least a respective portion of the sent information from the calculation agent and each of the one or more intermediaries, such that none of the group consisting of the calculation agent and the one or more intermediaries has access to all of the group consisting of the identity of the sender, the position names, and the position quantities.

Abstract: A system for managing user accounts and controlling anonymous access to resources over data networks for a plurality of provider members in a manner to preserve the secrecy of the identity of a user who is in a home provider's user/customer base. The system includes a means for sharing non-identifying user information and charges among a plurality of service provider members, including a home provider and an outside provider, a means for enabling a user who is registered as a customer with the home provider to anonymously access the resources of the outside provider, a sharing means adapted to allow the system to permit the home provider to enable access by the user to the resources of the outside provider without requiring either personal identification or an open account for the user at the outside provider, and a verification means separate from the home provider adapted to allow the outside provider to determine the user's access privileges and criteria.

Abstract: A cashless gaming system and method of securely transferring a monetary value. When “cashing-out” of a first terminal of the system, the monetary value is encrypted with an encryption key and an encryption algorithm to produce an encrypted monetary value. A transaction code is associated with encryption key and the monetary value. The transaction code and encrypted monetary value are written to a transportable medium that is issued by the first terminal. The transaction code and associated encryption key are stored in a key repository database. The transaction code and monetary value are stored in an accounting database which is securely separate from the key repository database. The transportable medium is taken to a second terminal where the encrypted monetary value and transaction code are read. The encryption key associated with the transaction code is retrieved and used to decrypt the encrypted monetary value. The monetary value is then credited to the second terminal.

Abstract: A digital data file encryption apparatus and method, where a digital data server identifies the user and supplies an encrypted digital data file to the user in accordance with the identified result. A personal computer decrypts the encrypted digital data file supplied from the digital data server and reproduces the decrypted digital data file or re-encrypts it using an encryption key. The encryption key is generated on the basis of an identification number of a data storage medium or digital data playing device. A digital data playing device stores the re-encrypted digital data file downloaded from the personal computer in the data storage medium and decrypts the stored digital data file using the encryption key to reproduce it. A first internal key is added to the identification number to convert the identification number into the encryption key, which is then encrypted according to an encryption algorithm based on a second internal key.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling commands in several application files, whereby an access condition corresponding to said command is associated with each command in each application file, each command in each application file is executed if a user orders the execution thereof and if the access condition corresponding to said command is stored. According to the invention, the access conditions are stored jointly for all application files.

Abstract: Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as by performing transactions between parties that are automatically authorized via a third-party transaction authorization system. In some situations, the transactions are programmatic transactions involving the use of fee-based Web services by executing application programs, with the transaction authorization system authorizing and/or providing payments in accordance with private authorization instructions previously specified by the parties. The authorization instructions may include predefined instruction rule sets that regulate conditions under which a potential transaction can be authorized, with the instruction rule sets each referenced by an associated reference token.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resolving energy imbalance in a real-time manner is disclosed. A plurality of market user interfaces are coupled to an imbalance engine which determines optimal dispatch requirements corresponding to supply and demand requirements of the market participants. The imbalance engine resolves in a real-time manner the dispatch requirements while considering the transmission limitations, ramping limitations, transmission facilities, and price data.

Abstract: An invention forcing an aggregate risk model to be consistent with standalone models is provided. A revising transformation parameterized over and an objective function minimized over, the orthogonal group are provided, least changing cross blocks of covariance matrices, preserving information in original cross block correlations, consistent with a prescribed revised sub-block.

Abstract: Genetically adaptive neural network systems and methods provide environmentally adaptable classification algorithms for use, among other things, in multi-static active sonar classification. Classification training occurs in-situ with data acquired at the onset of data collection to improve the classification of sonar energy detections in difficult littoral environments. Accordingly, in-situ training sets are developed while the training process is supervised and refined. Candidate weights vectors evolve through genetic-based search procedures, and the fitness of candidate weight vectors is evaluated. Feature vectors of interest may be classified using multiple neural networks and statistical averaging techniques to provide accurate and reliable signal classification.

Abstract: This invention relates to an information processing device and method that enable generation of an unlearned new pattern. Data xt corresponding to a predetermined time series pattern is inputted to an input layer (11) of a recurrent neural network (1), and a prediction value x*t+1 is acquired from an output layer 13. A difference between teacher data xt+1 and the prediction value x*t+1 is learned by a back propagation method, and a weighting coefficient of an intermediate layer 12 is set at a predetermined value. After the recurrent neural network is caused to learn plural time series patterns, a parameter having a different value from the value in learning is inputted to parametric bias nodes (11-2), and an unlearned time series pattern corresponding to the parameter is generated from the output layer (13). This invention can be applied to a robot.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for learning Bayesian networks. The approach is based on specifying a search space that enables searching over equivalence classes of the Bayesian network. A set of one or more operators are applied to a representation of the equivalence class. A suitable search algorithm searches in the search space by scoring the operators locally with a decomposable scoring criteria. To facilitate application of the operators and associated scoring, validity tests can be performed to determine whether a given operator is valid relative to the current state representation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically debugging and optimizing an in-circuit test that is used to test a device under test on an automated tester is presented. The novel test debug and optimization technique extracts expert knowledge contained in a knowledge framework and automates the formulation of a valid stable, and preferably optimized, test for execution on an integrated circuit tester.

Abstract: A method for selecting members in a hierarchy includes determining a sequence of one or more actions associated with a member selection tree. The actions collectively selecting one or more members from a hierarchy of members. The hierarchy of members is associated with a particular dimension of an organization of data. The method further includes recording the sequence of actions in a member selection script. In addition, the method includes executing the member selection script to select one or more members after the hierarchy of members has been modified.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for detecting occurrences of semantic temporal events based on observations extracted from input data and event models. The input data is fed into the system from some data source. Based on specified event to be detected, multiple-layer models corresponding to the event are retrieved. The models are used to determine the types of temporal observations to be extracted from the input data. The extracted temporal observations are then used, in combination with the multiple-layer models of the event, to detect the occurrences of the event.

Abstract: The methods and systems for database statement execution plan optimization exploit bind variable data available on the network to build and optimize an execution plan for the statement. A system for database statement execution plan optimization comprises a bind variable analyzer, a frame allocator, and an optimizer, in addition to a parser for parsing and analyzing the statement, a type checker for type checking the statement, and a tree builder for building an expression tree.

Abstract: Systems for an automatically facilitated support for complex electronic services include a plurality of databases having customer records and problem solving information to assist a user with problem resolution and a cycler module configured to access the databases. The cycler module is further configured to search the databases for database pages having keywords that match input provided by the user. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Abstract: A method for processing distribution channel data integrating business information with geographic data to produce integrated data, wherein the integrated data has greater resolution than the business information. Distribution channel data is captured and correlated with the integrated data to increase the resolution of the distribution channel data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of generating a distributed text index for parallel query processing by a number of nodes. A set of node indices is generated for text indexing a set of documents, each node text index covering a subset of the documents. For each node text index, a local frequency measure for each term of the node text index is calculated on the basis of a frequency of documents containing the term in the subset of the documents of the node. A global frequency measure for each term is calculated on the basis of a frequency of documents containing the term in the set of documents. A quality measure for each node text index is calculated on the basis of the local frequency measures of the terms of the node and the global frequency measure of the terms of the node.

Abstract: A method of performing data searches on a network includes the step of maintaining a database of electronic documents on a computer system forming a node on the network, such that each electronic document is associated with at least one resource description. Search form print data is generated at the computer system such that the search form carries information relating to at least one parameter of a search to be carried out and coded data associated with that information. Print instructions are received from the computer system at a printer via the network. The search form is printed at the printer. The coded data is sensed at a sensing device operatively connected to the printer. Search instructions generated by the sensing device are written to the computer system, via the printer and the network. A search is carried out on the network, in response to the instructions, based on the, or each, parameter. Search result print data is generated at the computer system, representing the results of the search.

Abstract: A system and method for determining relevancy of real time received terms, the method includes the steps of: determining relevancy keywords; extracting real time terms from currently received information streams; updating current reception patterns of relevancy keywords in response to a comparison between the extracted real time terms and the relevancy keywords; and determining a relevancy of relevancy keywords in response to a comparison between current reception patterns and reference reception patterns.

Abstract: Sampling may be supported in a multidimensional database by integrating it into metadata and/or data navigation requests. Additionally, biasing may be introduced to allow a user to focus results.

Abstract: In an implementation method for executing a general database processing, index definition information for setting a specific user-defined function in correspondence to a specific index which is used to carry out an index access to data in a database region is created, and module definition information for setting the specific index which is used to carry out the index access to the data in the database region in correspondence to an implementation module for subjecting the data in the database region to a specific processing is created. When it is determined that the user-defined function contained in a processing request is set in correspondence to the specific index on the basis of the index definition information, a specific implementation module for carrying out an access using the specific index is selected, and a database processing is performed using the implementation module.

Abstract: A program module may allow a user to change a user interface language. Because a help feature often refers to user interface terms, a user may become confused if the help feature refers to user interface terms in the help language rather than in the user interface language. HTML help feature file tagging may be altered with an HTML tag set so that these user interface terms may be identified and converted to the user interface language. Once a user interface term is identified in the HTML help feature file of the help feature language, the corresponding user interface term may be retrieved from the help feature file of the user interface language by identifying the same tag. The corresponding user interface term of the help feature file of the user interface language may then be plugged into the help feature file of the help feature language and displayed.

Abstract: Systems and techniques to identify records corresponding to a database system before they are stored in the database. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: generating a mapping that may be usable to identify a record in a database by reference to a database key. The database key may have a corresponding record in the database and the database key can be a unique value based on information independent of both the content and organization of a record. The technique can include generating a second mapping usable to identify records in the database by reference to a second type of database key. The second type of database key may correspond to a record in the database and the second type of database key can be a unique value.

Abstract: A method for retrieving and modifying data elements on a shared medium following request from multiple client computers, such that data retrieval transactions on a data element, originating from one or more clients, are not compromised by data update transactions on the same data element originating from other clients. The shared medium controller receives from multiple clients transaction requests for reading or writing a data element stored on the shared medium. The transactions requests are added to an execution queue in order. All read transaction requests are then retrieved and executed in parallel, up to a write transaction request on the data element. The write transaction request is then executed while all incoming read transaction requests for the same data element are queued until the write transaction request is completed.