Abstract: A technique is provided that supports making evaluations of impact on a business performance indicator, which varies depending on timing at which a change of plan is decided.

Abstract: A system and method for managing a workflow are provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for a power aggregation system. In one implementation, a service establishes individual Internet connections to numerous electric resources intermittently connected to the power grid, such as electric vehicles. The Internet connection may be made over the same wire that connects the resource to the power grid. The service optimizes power flows to suit the needs of each resource and each resource owner, while aggregating flows across numerous resources to suit the needs of the power grid. The service can bring vast numbers of electric vehicle batteries online as a new, dynamically aggregated power resource for the power grid. Electric vehicle owners can participate in an electricity trading economy regardless of where they plug into the power grid.

Abstract: A production contest management system enables management of workflow and scoring of projects, for example in a production contest environment. A project is divided into “phases.” Project managers can specify project phases, and for each phase, required timing and deliverables. For phases that involve a review (e.g., screening, review board, peer review), scorecards used to perform the review may be specified. The scorecards are made accessible electronically to one or more reviewers. The scorecards may be available on-line, or may be downloaded, completed, and then uploaded. Once received, scorecards are tallied. In this way, the management system helps coordinate production of a product that is produced using production competitions. The system allows for simultaneous management of multiple projects and production teams.

Abstract: A method and system for influencing public opinion are provided for influencing public opinion using a community of members. Methodologies and/or techniques are included to collect Influence Points; analyze Influence Points to find URLs of Interest (UOI) where the community needs act; plan effective campaigns; distribute tasks derived from campaigns to community members. The methodologies and/or techniques may also include monitoring the progress of campaigns. One campaign mechanism includes real-time desktop or browser add-on alerts sent to some or all community members, asking the members to voice their opinions at a selected UOI.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the disclosed invention, an apparatus determines a current price of a product for sale by the vending machine. It then determines, for the product, a price increment, a predetermined price, and a demand threshold, that are defined by data stored in at least one data table. A rate of units of the product that are sold are determined. The rate is compared with the demand threshold. Based on the comparison of the rate with the demand data, it is determined whether the new price should be greater than or less than the current price. The new price is set to the predetermined price if the new price should be greater than the current price. If the new price should be less than the current price, a price increment amount is subtracted from the current price to yield the new price. The determined new price is displayed.

Abstract: A system for managing a value chain includes a planning application that receives planning data from a number of entities included in a value chain and automatically generates a plan according to the planning data. At least two of the entities do not directly communicate planning data to one another. The system also includes a manager application that receives the plan and automatically identifies one or more exceptions in the plan, communicates planning data relating to the exceptions to one or more of the entities, receives instructions from one or more of the entities regarding how the exceptions are to resolved, and automatically modifies the planning data in response to the instructions.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating a radio media plan for a radio advertiser. The approach may include storing rate card information of a plurality of radio media properties; storing information regarding radio audience reached by the radio media properties; storing information regarding the radio advertiser; generating a media plan for radio advertisements based on the rate card information, information regarding radio audience, and the information regarding the radio advertiser; and presenting the media plan to the radio advertiser for purchase. The radio advertisement may include a terrestrial broadcast commercial, and the media property may include a radio broadcaster. The media plan may include a list of radio stations.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting advertisements to present to a user of a computing device are provided. An advertisement system selects advertisements to display to a user based on the serving area of candidate advertisements. The advertisement system selects those candidate advertisements whose serving area encompasses the user's current location. The advertisement system may also select candidate advertisements to present to a user based on a map area currently being displayed to the user. The advertisement system may filter the candidate advertisements based on the provider location being within the map area that is currently being displayed to the user.

Abstract: A method for improving Search Engine revenues from advertisements by selecting and displaying advertisements from a portfolio of advertisements that are likely to attract user traffic while maximizing the expected Search Engine revenues. Conventionally, each sponsored advertisement in the Search Engine portfolio is associated with one or more keywords from a list of advertiser sponsored keywords, such that if a user enters a keyword contained in an advertisement in the portfolio, a corresponding sponsored link is displayed. According to this invention, in addition to the sponsored links, complementary links can be displayed to some of the paid advertisements containing none of the user-entered keywords. The method for computing the complementary links is based on “overlapping queries” and “overlapping intent” models.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that performs targeted advertising based on expenditure-related information from a financial application. During operation, the system first obtains the expenditure-related information from the financial application. Next, the system uses the expenditure-related information to select one or more advertisements to display to a user of the financial application, and then displays the one or more selected advertisements to the user.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling display of advertisements in a communication network. The system comprises a central system comprising a central server, a central database and a control module controlling ordering and time scheduling of advertisements to be displayed in advertisement campaigns in a digital medium, wherein each advertisement has assigned a time schedule dedicated to at least one advertisement campaign in which the advertisement is to be displayed. The method provides display of advertisements in an advertisement campaign in a digital/electronic medium based on a time schedule associated with said advertising campaign, said time schedule controlling which advertisement in said campaign that is to be displayed in said digital medium at a given time. A short time advertisement system is also described.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and system of campaign management with code to define, to plan, to carry out, and to track, every steps of any multimedia campaign, over different media, based on different communication networks, notably the fix and mobile telecommunication networks, the Internet network, the telebroadcasting network as well as the radiobroadcasting network. The invention forecasts that those steps and operations are carried out real time and end to end, in such a manner that there is no break of real time tracking. The invention forecast also to generate every possible statistics related to campaigns, and to display them over different medias. The invention forecast besides to carry out simultaneously several campaigns whether they are aimed at the same users or not.

Abstract: The invention is a method for delivering targeted web advertising to internet users via a network capable of rating, annotating, linking, meta-tagging and otherwise annotating any definable data accessible through a global computer network. The system is comprised of a graphical user interface (GUI), a database, and software to connect the two. The system stores and caches data and related annotations in a database. The software searches and organizes the database inputs. The GUI displays the result to the user. The user, through a web-browser or other means, would access a definable set of internet data (e.g., a web page) and through the proposed system be able to view ratings of that data as well as other relevant inputs from other users.

Abstract: A method of dynamically managing an advertising campaign over an internet protocol based television network, the method comprising the steps of: customizing the advertising campaign based on predetermined customization parameters; in response to customizing, providing a budgeting information for the advertising campaign based on budgeting parameters and displaying a content with the advertisement in a real time based on the advertising campaign.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, system, and computer-program product for producing valuable POS indicia that provides value to both the customer and to the establishment.

Abstract: According to certain embodiments, at least one encodable review code associated with providing services to a consumer is provided for use as a consumer interface to interact with the consumer, wherein the encodable review code is encoded based on a review code type.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating a sale offer over an electronic network (e.g., the Internet). Such methods and systems may be used to increase the revenue of a website by offering, at a substantially discounted or virtually free basis, one or more goods and/or services to visitors of the website. In one implementation, the seller may transmit a sale offer on the website for a high quality good or service, wherein the good or service can be purchased for free or at a cost near zero. The seller may make the offer visible and available to prospective buyers, who are connected to the website at that moment. Additionally, the sale offer may be available for only a very limited amount of time and may be offered at random or unpredictable times on the website in order to increase traffic to the website.

Abstract: A classification method and system for possible content alteration of a media work may include criteria regarding content that is feasible for alteration. Such criteria may be maintained in records that are accessible to an interested party. Some embodiments may include a record of primary authorization rights applicable to a possible content alteration. A further embodiment feature may include a record of secondary authorization rights applicable to substitute altered content incorporated in a derivative version. Various systems and methods may be used to incorporate substitute content in a derivative version of the media work in compliance with applicable modification guidelines. In some instances substitute promotional content may have some association with a real-world topic or real-world entity or real-world person.

Abstract: A calendar-based advertising system inserts advertisements into a calendar.

Abstract: A method of managing a purchase of a product from a vendor includes receiving a plurality of purchase requests from a plurality of buyers, generating a collective purchase order based on the plurality of received purchase requests, where the collective purchase order includes information indicative of each product sought for purchase by the plurality of buyers, and information indicative of a delivery location for the products to be purchased, submitting the collective purchase order to the vendor to effect purchase of the products, and allocating portions of the delivery cost amongst the plurality of buyers in accordance with a predetermined allocation criteria.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for gift card services. In general, data characterizing a request to provide a merchant credit service to an intended recipient is received and a message to be sent to the intended recipient is generated, where the message characterizes a phone number to call to activate the merchant credit service. Data characterizing authentication by a call to the phone number to activate the merchant credit service from the mobile phone number of the intended recipient is received, where the authentication includes checking caller identification of the call to ensure the call is from the mobile phone number of the intended recipient. The merchant credit service is activated. Credit associated with an account of a merchant credit service may be redeemed by providing an account number of the service. Redemption may be authorized based on caller identification of a mobile phone number associated with an account.

Abstract: Methods and related systems relating to peer to peer content distribution.

Abstract: Advertisement information and subscriber profiles received from a publisher together with subscriber characteristics received from an advertising buyer are analyzed to provide a publication subscriber recommendation for the advertising buyer. The subscriber recommendation facilitates targeted advertising to selected publication subscribers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system that allows a payment service provider to provide incentives to clients based not only on the level of use of the payment services by the clients themselves, but also based on efforts by clients to promote use by others of the payment service provider. Using the system of the present invention, the payment service provider benefits by acquiring new clients based on the recruitment efforts of its existing clients, and the existing clients benefit by being able to increase the level of benefits received beyond those attributed to the client's own spending.

Abstract: A method and system for providing targeted advertising in public places and carriers such as trains, buses, train stations, shopping malls, airports, etc. The demographics, purchasing history and/or personal preferences of individuals in the public place are collected from personal digital assistants (PDAs) or other wireless communication devices carried by the individuals in the public place or public carrier. The collected data pertaining to a group of individuals who are present near the display device, is processed and used to select appropriate advertisements that would most likely interest that group of individuals. The selected advertisements are displayed on the display device located in the public place or public carrier so as to provide targeted advertising to the group of individuals.

Abstract: A method by which a coupon having a variable benefit is provided includes generating a coupon having a variable benefit, wherein a duplicate of the coupon is transmitted from one recipient to another recipient, receiving an indication that a first recipient has performed a qualifying action, such as receiving, registering for and/or redeeming the coupon offer from a second recipient of the coupon, and changing a benefit of the coupon retained by the second recipient after the indication is received. A system includes a controller operable to compute a benefit of the coupon according to benefit variation conditions.

Abstract: An on-line frequency award program is disclosed. A user may access the program on-line and may browse a product catalog for shopping. The user may electronically place an order, upon which the program automatically checks the user's credit and electronically issues a purchase order to the supplying company. The program also calculates award points, updates the award account of enrolled users, and communicates that number of awarded points to the user. Enrolled users may browse through an award catalog and electronically redeem an amount of awarded points towards an award. The program then electronically places an award redeeming order with the fulfillment house and updates the user's award account.

Abstract: An advertisement selection system is presented in which vectors describing an actual or hypothetical market for a product or desired viewing audience can be determined. An ad characterization vector is transmitted along with a consumer ID. The consumer ID is used to retrieve a consumer characterization vector which is correlated with the ad characterization vector to determine the suitability of the advertisement to the consumer. The consumer characterization vector describes statistical information regarding the demographics and product purchase preferences of a consumer, and is developed from previous purchases or viewing habits. A price for displaying the advertisement can be determined based on the results of the correlation of the ad characterization vector with the consumer characterization vector.

Abstract: The invention provides consumers with the services of multiple cards or accounts while allowing consumers to carry a single card, transponder, code and/or other access device. Because the card may access combined services such as financial transaction services and transportation services, the system may facilitate charging the financial account for the transportation services. The system may allow the consumer to use loyalty points or geographic based loyalty points to pay for the transportation services. The system may also limit the use of certain loyalty points based upon the geographic area for certain transportation services in certain geographic areas.

Abstract: The fast food wrapping and delivery method and system use an ink jet printer that can print patterns in either obverse form and reverse form to print a food order and nutrition information of a food on a food container in real-time. When a POS system receives the food order from a customer, the POS system controls the ink jet printer to print the food order (or plus some additional instructions for making a food and nutrition information of the food) on one side of the food container to generate a custom fabricated food container that best fits with each unique food product ordered by a customer.

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 and apparatus is disclosed for advancing the sale of vending machine products. The invention enables selling products without revealing the identity of the product. By concealing the identity of the products from a consumer prior to receiving payment, the present invention promotes the automated sale of perishable, slow-selling and/or less profitable products, to increase the overall profitability of a vending machine. Various embodiments are disclosed, including: predetermined price embodiments in which a vending machine sells one or more mystery products for a predetermined price; consumer-specified price embodiments in which a consumer is allowed to specify a price for one or more mystery products; and upsell embodiments in which a vending machine offers one or more upsell mystery products in exchange for the amount of change owed to a consumer, or in exchange for an amount of change owed to a consumer plus an additional monetary value.

Abstract: A method for paying at a food establishment that begins with a patron identifying a payment point at a consumption station of a food establishment. The payment point provides the patron an invoice of purchased items. A patron can then use a payment artifact to initiate a transaction with the payment point. The transaction information can be sent to payment center associated with the payment artifact. If the payment center approves the transaction, confirmation can be sent back to the payment point. The payment point can then apply the authorized amount to the invoice of purchased items.

Abstract: A point of sale system or other computer system stores a product pricing database in which a full price and discount prices corresponding to one or more discount pricing tiers are stored for each product available for sale. Each of the discount prices for a given product has an associated threshold purchase total that has to be satisfied before the discount price is applied to a transaction. When a transaction occurs, the purchase total for the transaction is first calculated on the basis of full retail prices for the products and the purchase total for the transaction is compared with one or more threshold purchase totals which correspond to the discount pricing tiers. If a discount pricing tier is applicable (e.g. the calculated purchase total for the transaction is at least equal to a threshold purchase total), the appropriate discount prices for each product in the transaction are retrieved and used to calculate a reduced purchase total for the transaction.

Abstract: An information processing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information record medium that are controlled to generate an operation effect sound that differs for each user of a card upon an operation for electronic money are provided. A card 10 records user information 12, balance information 13, and audio data 14. The card 10 makes a settlement of electronic money with a vending machine 20 to buy a commodity. When the card 10 is presented to the vending machine 20, it reads the user information 12, the balance information 13, and the audio data 14 from the card 10 through wireless communications. The vending machine 20 makes a settlement on the basis of both information of the commodity that a user has selected and the balance information 13. As a result, the vending machine 20 provides the selected commodity to the user. On the other hand, with audio data 14, at a predetermined timing of the settlement, a predetermined sound is output.

Abstract: A method and system of conducting sales over the computer internet where the prices of the merchandises are dynamic functions of time instead of static rational numbers. In one embodiment, this method and system is a free market place that's able to conduct single-unit or multiple-unit sales of products and services from multiple sellers. In this market place, negotiation of the price does not require either side to make arbitrary offers, and further, with a large pool of prospect buyers, the true, current market value of the on sale products and services can be automatically reflected and updated through the purchases made.

Abstract: A centralized transaction system including a server communicating with client workstations and remote devices. The system includes a server communicating with a terminal, a remote device, and a workstation. Both customers and vendors access the server through a workstation to set up and maintain information on the server and to access historical information relating to transactions. The system is suitable for both on-line transactions and brick-and-mortar store transactions, including convenience transactions. A customer possesses an identification code that is presented to a vendor for a transaction. The vendor sends the identification code to a server, which sends an authentication code to a remote device in possession of the customer. The customer causes the authentication code to be sent to the server, which authenticates the customer for the transaction.

Abstract: Active forms are intended to replace paper forms to increase the efficiency of workflow within an organization. In addition to replacing paper forms, the basic nature of active forms makes them well suited for use in systems that encompass multiple organizations. The invention consists of improved methods and systems using active forms, particularly among multiple organizations and with mobile computing devices.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to accept and settle transaction payments for an unbanked consumer. A consumer initiates a transaction with a merchant, and the merchant may transmit transaction information to a central processing unit using an initiating processing unit. The central processing unit may generate a unique transaction identifier or the merchant may generate the unique transaction identifier which complies with the systems rules and notifies the central processing unit of the transaction information and unique transaction identifier. The system may provide the merchant and consumer the nearest payment processing unit. At the payment processing unit, the consumer presents the unique transaction identifier, which is transmitted to the central processing unit for validation. The consumer may also validate the transaction information. The consumer makes payment at the payment processing unit, and the payment information is transmitted to the central processing unit.

Abstract: An online card-present transaction system facilitates card-present type transactions with a merchant over a public network. A host system is configured to accept authentication data from a user via an authentication device. The host system, after authenticating a user is configured to retrieve the user's account information from a user database system and translate a user account number into a temporary transaction number. The temporary transaction number is then transmitted directly from the host system to the merchant, thereby eliminating the need for the user to send to the merchant over the internet, the user's transaction account number.

Abstract: The example embodiments herein relate to the field of electronic registration (ER) of purchased products and, more particularly, to an improved electronic registration system which enables online buyers and sellers (e.g. those participating in online auctions) to take advantage of the benefits associated with ER systems. The ER techniques enable buyers to determine whether the product for sale, for example, has been purchased through authorized channels, was stolen, is covered under a warranty, etc. Such techniques may be used with existing brick-and-mortar stores as well as online stores. Value may be added for buyers, sellers, auction houses, manufacturers, and/or contract service partners.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method to provide options on products to enhance customers' experience. A computer-implemented system is operated that delivers to a customer an option to utilize up to n of m selected products, where n is less than or equal to m. Information is recorded in a data store, pertaining to said option. In addition, a system is operated to define each of the n chosen products, whereby after each of the n chosen products is defined, the customer can utilize said chosen product. The information pertaining to said defined products is recorded in a data store.

Abstract: A system to determine offers and/or to determine the acceptability of offers based on received information relating to product redemption at a third party. According to one embodiment, the system includes arrangement for a customer to redeem a product from a third party, reception of information relating to a redemption of the product by the customer, reception of an offer to purchase a product for an offer price, determination to accept the offer based on the received information relating to the redemption, determination of an assigned third party at which the offer product may be redeemed based on the received information, and transmission of an acceptance of the offer and an indication of the assigned third party.

Abstract: A virtual network resource infrastructure for hosting and managing a plurality of e-malls and each e-mall uses the virtual network resource infrastructure for offering e-commerce solution and the hosting of: e-shops, e-distributors and web sites. Also, on-line foreign language interface translation and interface exchange. Further having satellite e-malls with e-services and e-mall using satellite e-malls' e-services; user surfing tracking means and multiple sales channel where e-shops, e-malls, satellite e-malls and e-distributors sell their products directly or cross-sell each others products.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating an agreement to purchase multiple units of a product are presented herein. The agreement may specify, for example, a period of time during which purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made and a minimum and/or maximum number of transactions in which the purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made. In some embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased by a customer in a brick-and-mortar retail establishment, wherein the customer takes possession of the product at the retail establishment. In other embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased remotely and delivered to a customer associated with the agreement in response to a request by the customer.

Abstract: Purchasing, redemption and settlement systems and methods are provided wherein a buyer takes possession of a product at a retailer. A purchasing system may communicate with a buyer through a communication network to establish a first price for a product between the buyer and a seller. The purchasing system may also arrange for the buyer to take possession of the product at a retailer, different from the seller, that offers the product for sale at a second price. Verification information, which enables the retailer to authorize the buyer to take possession of the product, is transmitted to the retailer. The buyer provides a payment, based on the first price, to the purchasing system in exchange for the right to take possession of the product at the retailer. In one embodiment, the purchasing system receives a buyer offer, including an offer price, related to the product. In another embodiment, the purchasing system transmits redemption information, including a redemption code, to the buyer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating an agreement to purchase multiple units of a product are presented herein. The agreement may specify, for example, a period of time during which purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made and a minimum and/or maximum number of transactions in which the purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made. In some embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased by a customer in a brick-and-mortar retail establishment, wherein the customer takes possession of the product at the retail establishment. In other embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased remotely and delivered to a customer associated with the agreement in response to a request by the customer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating an agreement to purchase multiple units of a product are presented herein. The agreement may specify, for example, a period of time during which purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made and a minimum and/or maximum number of transactions in which the purchases of the multiple units of the product are to be made. In some embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased by a customer in a brick-and-mortar retail establishment, wherein the customer takes possession of the product at the retail establishment. In other embodiments a unit of a product may be purchased remotely and delivered to a customer associated with the agreement in response to a request by the customer.

Abstract: A method for using a mobile communication device to purchase a ticket for an event. The method comprises locating an event of interest to a user through the mobile communication device, displaying a seating map of a venue in which the event of interest is being held, the seating map being displayed on the mobile communication device, receiving user input selecting an available seat on the seating map, issuing an electronic ticket to the user for the seat, and storing the electronic ticket on the mobile communication device.