Abstract: A method of optimizing log truck productivity utilizing technology allowing the entry of log truck orders from the field. The present invention generally seeks to improve productivity by (1) minimizing the distances log trucks drive with empty loads and (2) improving coordination between groups of log truck drivers and groups of log loaders to allow for more efficient cross-servicing between the parties. Using the load input device, a loader operator in the field enters a “load ticket” that specifies a mill destination, a desired pickup time for the truck to arrive at the logging site and a desired trailer configuration type. This order is transmitted to a server where it is a received into a centralized application or server. A computer running optimization software can match the load with available trucks or trucks about to become available.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer readable media comprising instructions for generating a media plan for distributing one or more advertisements comprising an advertisement campaign. The method of the present invention comprises retrieving one or more advertiser specified business objectives for the advertisement campaign and retrieving an advertiser specified budget, as well as an advertiser specified budget allowance for the advertisement campaign. One or more relative values are identified for one or more advertising metrics based upon the one or more advertiser specified business objectives for the advertisement campaign. A score is generated for each of the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement campaign based upon the one or more relative values and the one or more advertisements comprising the advertisement campaign are sorted based upon the generated scores.

Abstract: A solon point of sale user interface, comprising a display operable to display point of sale information, such as hair salon information, for at least one of: a product and a service an augmentable visual presentation of client information. The visual representation augments at least one of: a client's hair style, hair color, hair cut and perm. The display is operable to display product offer information. The solon point of sale user interface may receive client history information and in response display the product offer information. According to one embodiment, the solon point of sale user interface generates product information in response to the client information. According to one embodiment, the solon point of sale user interface generates next appointment information in response to the client information.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer readable medium for enabling a user within an application to select a time zone for a temporary period of time include selecting a temporary time zone having a start time and an end time, and changing a time of events that fall within the temporary time zone.

Abstract: A method of creating an analogous workflow is provided. A first workflow is received at a first device, the first workflow including a plurality of first modules that are connected. A second workflow is received at the first device, the second workflow including a plurality of second modules that are connected. A third workflow is received at the first device, the third workflow including a plurality of third modules that are connected. An analogy workflow is determined based on a difference between the received first workflow and the received second workflow. The determined analogy workflow is applied to the received third workflow to define a fourth workflow. The defined fourth workflow is presented to a user at the first device. A method of identifying a workflow of a plurality of workflows is provided. A query workflow is received at a first device, which includes a plurality of modules that are connected.

Abstract: A method that schedules a meeting with a meeting invitee includes populating a database with potential meeting participants. A meeting notice is provides that notifies potential meeting participants of a future meeting with the invitee. One or more responding potential meeting participants and their associated records are identified. The identified database records are queried to select one or more responding potential meeting participants that meet a set of post-qualification criteria and the selected potential meeting participants are invited to the meeting.

Abstract: An information repository and management system for data regarding a client base which integrates a plurality of information types including database records, word processor files, e-mail, other hyperlinked documents, web pages and web sites. Implemented as a database application on a web-enabled database server, sales and marketing team members may access the system through an intranet or remotely through an Internet. Portions of the database may be extracted and placed on a portable computing device for traveling purposes. The extracted database can be later synchronized with the central database upon return of a sales and marketing team member from a meeting or business trip. Links and expandable subforms are provided to web sites for stock quoting and client home pages, allowing sales team members to quickly gather information regarding a company's latest news announcements, stock performance, and financial status.

Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamic allocation of agents for a network, which in one embodiment among many, can be broadly summarized by a representative method of receiving network data for a given time interval, where the network data is related to calls between users of the network and agents having agent-profiles that worked during the first time interval; determining a desired number of agents to work during another time interval based at least in part on the profiles of the agents that worked in the network during the given time interval; and assigning a group of agents to work during the other time interval, where the number of agents in the group is equal to the desired number.

Abstract: An unsupervised classification approach is improved by imposing some order into the treatment of the records and their attributes, which otherwise would be treated as random variables. A method is provided to identify particular attributes that are most associated with the “good” records within each of the plurality of groups of records within a data set. Based on a supervised scoring method, the records of the data set are processed to indicate their measure of “goodness”. There are various ways by which the records can be processed to indicate a bias during unsupervised clustering processing.

Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for facilitating generation of item recommendations based at least in part upon pair-wise lift. Pair-wise lift is a measure of correlation between a pair of items and is generally calculated based upon past usage data. If usage data is insufficient or unavailable, pair-wise lift for a pair of items can be estimated based upon metadata associated with the items. In other aspects, pair-wise lift can be used to generate an explanation for recommended items. An explanation for an item recommendation can be based upon common metadata features associated with the item pair. The relative impact each metadata feature has on predicted pair-wise lift can be evaluated to determine the common feature(s) most likely to have caused the item to be recommended.

Abstract: A computer system for facilitating user connectivity in a computer network includes an attention manager, an identity manager, and an introduction manager. The attention manager generates data indicative of the current interests of the user. The identity manager manages data indicative of the interests of the user. The introduction manager provides a proactive contact, content, or commerce data recommendation for the dynamic introduction of contact, content, or commerce data to the user, and may also provide bilaterally secure introductions with other users.

Abstract: A method of causing a proportion of a click-through fee to be credited to a facilitator of a user interaction with a printed substrate, said substrate comprising user information and coded data enabling the user interaction, said method comprising the steps of: (a) a user performing the user interaction with the substrate using a sensing device, said sensing device reading at least some of the coded data when operatively positioned or moved relative to the substrate and generating interaction data using the read coded data, said interaction data being indicative of the user interaction, said user interaction causing a first resource to be displayed on a display device wherein a content of said first resource includes at least one advertisement; and (b) the user selecting an advertisement in said first resource, thereby causing an advertiser resource corresponding to said advertisement to be retrieved and displayed on said display device, wherein step (b) causes said click-through fee to be charged to an adver

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently estimating and reporting the rendition of digital advertising messages in a network of electronic displays in which advertising message blocks, supporting loop undersaturation and loop oversaturation, are formed, wherein the resulting advertising message block is constrained to a preexisting length specified by a loop policy associated with each display frame in the system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to predicting, measuring, and/or guaranteeing demand for a contingent or hypothetical future item and, based upon that demand, determining whether or not to actually produce the future item. In particular, the present invention measures such demand via contingent event certificates and associated marketplaces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to predicting, measuring, and/or guaranteeing demand for a contingent or hypothetical future item and, based upon that demand, determining whether or not to actually produce the future item. In particular, the present invention measures such demand via contingent event certificates and associated marketplaces.

Abstract: The present invention relates to predicting, measuring, and/or guaranteeing demand for a contingent or hypothetical future item and, based upon that demand, determining whether or not to actually produce the future item. In particular, the present invention measures such demand via contingent event certificates and associated marketplaces.

Abstract: A method of delivering an advertisement related to hyperlink printed on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of: determining, in a first computer system, a context of said hyperlink; sending the context to a second computer system; and receiving, in a third computer system, one or more advertisements that relate to said context from the second computer system wherein said third computer is related to the first computer system.

Abstract: An advertisement optimization approach is presented, which utilizes multivariate testing to correlate characteristics of an advertisement to favorable responses received from an environment to which the advertisement was provided. As one example, a text based webpage advertisement may be tested to optimize a variety of different characteristics of the advertisement for response metrics such as click-through rate and conversion rate. Additional approaches are described, whereby advertisements may be tested and optimized across a plurality of different media formats, including both electronic and non-electronic media.

Abstract: A system for interactive delivery of self-contained advertisement units is disclosed. The system includes a client web browser, an advertisement unit database element, and an advertisement unit server element. The client web browser is configured to render a web page having a designated location for a first self-contained advertisement unit, wherein the first self-contained advertisement unit is configured to enable user interactions and submission of user interaction data via a submit function and be rendered without the use of a plug-in application. The advertisement unit database element is configured to store a plurality of self-contained advertisement units. The advertisement unit server element is communicatively connected to the client web browser and the advertisement unit database element.

Abstract: A system for implementing a reusable new product planning model includes a processor executing a new product forecast application. The new product forecast application implements a method. The method includes gathering historical demand data for products in a product set and determining a launch period for the products, the historical demand data broken down by time periods. For each of the time periods, the method includes determining a transition percentage for each of the products, grouping the percentages by respective launch-based time periods, and averaging the percentages, resulting in an averaged transition range. The method further includes calculating fast and slow transition ranges for each of the launch-based time periods and developing a production plan for a new product by applying one of the transition ranges to the new product before product launch, and allocating a remaining demand percentage to existing products in the product set using the selected transition range.

Abstract: An on-line system and method assembles, stores, and administers all of a company's merchandising content in a single location, and optimizes the effectiveness of the content by determining the content and format most likely to be of interest to the consumer. Generally, a merchant sets up at least one campaign in the system, by generating various objects and/or resources comprising merchandising content. The merchant and/or its advertiser then establishes a set of rules which are applied to determine the objects and resources of the campaign to be distributed to a consumer, based on various circumstances and scenarios. When the consumer interacts with the system, the system determines dynamically the merchandising content to be sent to the consumer by processing data corresponding to the consumer, the consumer's computer system and environmental and geographical data.

Abstract: Ambiguities with respect to a user topic interest may be resolved so that useful topic-relevant ads can be presented. Such ambiguities may be resolved by monitoring user behavior, determining a user topic interest (e.g., from a plurality of different candidate topics) based on the monitored behavior, and serving ads relevant to the determined user topic interest.

Abstract: A method for the placement of advertisements on a page to optimize the occurrence of an event associated with such advertisements. The advertisements might include, for instance, advertisements on a webpage, and the event would include a user clicking on an advertisement. Data regarding the past performance of the advertisements is stored and updated as new data is received. A user requests a page from a server associated with the system. The server uses the performance data to derive a prioritized arrangement of the advertisements on the page. The server performs a calculation regarding the likelihood that an event will occur for a given advertisement displayed to a user. The advertisements are arranged according to this calculation and returned to the user on the requested page. The likelihood can also be multiplied by a weighting factor and the advertisements arranged according to this product.

Abstract: A computer system receives customer reviews for a subject, for example, a product, service, or market participant. Each review includes a rating of the subject and a comment about the subject. The rating may be favorable, unfavorable, or intermediate. The system sorts the reviews in a default order, for example, chronologically, and displays the reviews in the default order on a first webpage. The first webpage includes an input for requesting a non-default order of the reviews, for example, in accordance with the ratings of the reviews. The system sorts the reviews in the non-default order, and, when a user activates the input to request the reviews in the non-default order, displays a second webpage with the reviews in the non-default order. The non-default order may require all reviews with less than favorable ratings to be placed ahead of all reviews with favorable ratings. The system may be Internet-based.

Abstract: A method including receiving at least one advertisement in a device and presenting a first information of at least one advertisement in response to the device being activated from an idle state.

Abstract: A method and system for placing an excitable icon in or next to a screen Internet advertisement offering users the ability to print information related to the advertised product or service, which could consist of, but is not limited to, a marketing brochure or coupon. The method and system performs these tasks without noticeably altering the appearance of the web page on which the screen Internet advertisement and button are placed, opening a new browser window for the information to be displayed or redirecting the browser to the advertiser's web page.

Abstract: Implementations of a revenue-based advertising auction are described. Bidders submit advertisements to be assigned to ad slots such that each advertisement has an associated bid vector that indicates a value known to the auctioneer that the bidder is offering to pay for placement of the advertisement in each of the ad slots, respectively. Advertisements are assigned to ad slots on a web page such that a community revenue is maximized given the available advertisements and bid vectors A price is calculated for each advertisement allocated to an ad slot based on a contribution to the community revenue attributed to the advertisement.

Abstract: A provider prepares at least one quest including a plurality of tasks; offers, preferably for sale, advertising access in association with the tasks; and presents the quest(s) (20) to participants, with respective advertisements being presented in association with the tasks (24,26). The provider also provides incentives such as prizes for participating in the quests. Preferably, the tasks are linked. Preferably, the quest(s) is/are presented on a telecommunication network such as the Internet. The quests can be games, contests, tutorials or surveys. The prizes can be goods, services, discounts or publicity. Preferably, a narrative sequence of advertisements is presented along with the tasks of a quest.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an advertising device comprising manufacturing an advertising device describing at least one attribute of at least one product or service is disclosed. A facility address is retrieved from a database of establishment locations the address of one or more facilities offering the product or service. In a recipient address of an intended advertising device recipient is retrieved from a database of advertising device recipients. A route between the facility address and the recipient address is generated. The route is then applied to the advertising device.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an information bearing device comprising manufacturing an information bearing device describing at least one attribute of at least one product or service is disclosed. A facility address is retrieved from a database of establishment locations of the addresses of one or more facilities offering the product or service. In a recipient address of an intended information bearing device recipient is retrieved from a database of information bearing device recipients. A route between the facility address and the recipient address is generated. The route is then applied to the information bearing device.

Abstract: An automated network merchandising system provides a platform for delivering relevant retail offers to interested consumers online. A backend content pipeline analyzes and processes delivered catalog content into a merchandisable universe of products (MUP). On a user-facing end, corner stores—ad units appearing on pages of publishers' web sites—display offers from the MUP. Publishers deploy store scripts to their web pages. The script runs in the user's browser, causing display of an interactive ad unit featuring product offers. An adaptive targeting engine produces targeted product offers based on the ad's display context, including at least user data, page analysis and geographic location. A targeting console allows marketers to specify campaigns targeted to particular corner store ad contexts. Campaigns are defined by combinations of product categories, merchants, price ranges and key words. A store builder allows publishers to specify campaigns to be displayed to web site visitors.

Abstract: A method of network merchandising incorporates contextual and personalized advertising with human input to deliver relevant retail offers to interested online consumers efficiently and intelligently. Catalog content from retailers is downloaded, semantically analyzed and merged. The merged content is filtered using machine- and human-generated specifications to produce a merchandisable universe of products (MUP). Marketers and publishers create and modify corner store ad units and specify product offers from the MUP to display in those units. Publishers deploy the ad units on their web pages. Compensation of publishers by retailers can use a pay-for-performance model. Users visit the publisher's pages, viewing the product offers in the rendered ad unit.

Abstract: Handling electronic coupons includes accessing information indicating association of an electronic coupon with an account of a user that identifies multiple retail entities associated with the user. Information indicating association of electronic coupons with the user's account may be transmitted to respective computer systems associated with the multiple retail entities. The computer systems may associate electronic coupons with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupons at a retail store upon presentation of a user identifier. When the user redeems an electronic coupon, cancellation information for the electronic coupon may be transmitted to the computer systems of other retail entities associated with the user. Receipt of the cancellation information may cause the respective computer systems to cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon such that the user is prevented from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the corresponding retail entity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to dynamically allocate location dependent telephone numbers to facilitate voice connections between people. One embodiment includes: responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request; embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request. In one embodiment, responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, whether to play a prompt message to the user is determined based at least in part on statistic data about telephone calls collected at the connection server.

Abstract: An information management system 200 including a portable telephone 100 having a settlement unit 107 which performs electronic settlement and an information management server 50 which gathers and manages settlement information, wherein the portable telephone 100 includes a settlement information transmission unit 117 which transmits the settlement information to the information management 50, a receiving unit 140 which receives prize data from the information management server 50, a content storage unit 130 and an incentive hold unit 135 which store therein the prize data received, and the information management server 50 includes a settlement information receiving unit 203 which receives the settlement information and stores the received settlement information in a settlement breakdown database 52 and a transmission unit 207 which transmits the prize data stored in the content storage unit 60 to the portable telephone 100 if having received the settlement information from the portable telephone 100.

Abstract: An Internet-based brand marketing communication network for managing and delivering brand marketing communications to consumers using server-side driven multi-mode virtual kiosks (MMVKs) that are created, deployed, and managed using a novel suite of Web-based marketing communication services. For each consumer product registered on the network, a MMVK is created, deployed and installed, so as to establish a virtual brand marketing communication channel between brand management team members and consumers present in e-commerce (EC) enabled market space at the point of MMVK installation in EC-enabled market space, including EC-enabled WWW-sites, EC-enabled stores, EC-enabled online product catalogs, and wherever else consumers are considering the purchase of products on the World Wide Web (WWW).

Abstract: A system and method for distributing target advertising content to various electronic displays in a network of electronic displays. The invention discloses the technique of partitioning the electronic displays, partitioned both by geography and time, and providing an associated loop policy and frame criteria rules for each frame. The loop policy specifies a time period for repeating advertising content, and can optionally allow loop undersaturation and loop oversaturation for particular advertising messages. Frame criteria rules are disclosed that identify and describe allowable conditions that must be satisfied before a message is displayed, thus allowing advertisements, inappropriate for a particular frame at a particular time to be blocked.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for increasing 3rd party advertising on an interactive site, by assigning characteristics to portions of a website, and using those characteristics to personalize presentation of the website by according to personas of visitors. Persona characteristics can represent any distinguishing feature of interest, including for example, gender, marital status, occupation, interests, race, hobbies, business interests, religious interests, etc. In preferred embodiments a service company handles the creation and maintenance of visitors' personas. The company stores relevant information on the computers of users, and then cooperates with the website operator to access that stored information as needed. In a particularly preferred embodiment personalization can be used to assist in deciding what advertisements to display or not display on a website.

Abstract: A system and method for administering customized affinity and rewards programs enables businesses to consolidate, deploy and administer a variety of customizable and integrated affinity programs and reward points programs for their customers and/or employees. Using the system, businesses and other entities (“business partners”) may design, implement and manage both rewards and affinity programs for its employees and/or customers (“participants”). Customer service may be provided for access to the system both by each business partner and participant. Reporting, system access, and data analysis is also provided to enable the business partners and third parties, to assess the status of the programs, for example, to assess whether the programs are meeting defined goals and objectives of the business or the fulfillment provider. Data may be obtained from one or more third party sources, for example, through a data ETL process or via web service integration.

Abstract: Methods and systems for utilizing promotion data accessible via a mobile device are disclosed. A digital record of promotion data from a product provider may be stored in a database. A plurality of such digital records may be aggregated for one or more providers. A digital record may be associated with an incentive account associated with an individual. An electronic request to apply promotion data associated with the individual to a transaction and authentication data identifying the individual may be received. A digital record associated with the individual's incentive account may be located and transmitted to a transaction processing system. A processing result record associated with the digital record may be received from the processing system. Usage information derived from the processing result record may be associated in a database.

Abstract: A system for facilitating image management for portable devices is disclosed. The system includes a host configured to maintain information relating to a first portable device and a second portable device and an interface device configured to communicate with the host and the first and second portable devices. The interface device includes control logic configured to: determine whether the first portable device is valid for image synchronization using information provided by the host; and if it is determined that the first portable device is valid for image synchronization, record an image of the first portable device, determine whether the second portable device is valid for image synchronization, and download an image of the first portable device to the second portable device if it is determined that the second portable device is valid for image synchronization.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for supplying an integrated mileage service.

Abstract: A method for analyzing advertisements and advertising campaigns. Important images are selected from one or more advertisements and then ranked. The most important images are then assigned to a category which preferably corresponds to a memory type, such as knowledge, emotion, or action. The relative numbers of images in each type determine the focus of the advertisement(s), and may be used to tailor the memory type(s) of subsequent advertisements.

Abstract: An electronic couponing technique includes transferring coupon information, which may include a coupon ID (identification) to a first portable terminal and storing same therein. The portable terminal displays a representation of the transferred coupon information on a display thereof. The stored coupon information may be transferred from the portable terminal to another terminal for redemption. The stored coupon information may also be transferred from the portable terminal to another portable terminal. Various schemes may be used to transfer the coupon information including a Bluetooth low-range radio link or an optical bar code scanner scanning an optical bar code or an infrared link or a wireless link from the portable terminal. The Internet or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) may also be used in transferring the coupon information to and from the various terminals.

Abstract: Among other things, the present invention provides systems and methods for fulfilling reward redemptions. In some cases, the systems and methods receive redemption requests associated with an account. The redemption request can be satisfied from a reward associated with the account, or by accessing a reward associated with another account. Redeeming a reward from another account can involve transferring value from one account to another, or grouping the related accounts and allowing members of the group to perform the settlement function. Various of the systems and method further provide for performing automatic reward redemptions, either by an entity maintaining the account to which the reward is associated, or through use of a fulfillment entity.

Abstract: A method enabling a frequent shopper reward system capable of tracking performance data of a plurality of members or account holders linked to a single frequent shopper account.

Abstract: A method and system for providing distributed network access point installation and management. A network provider installs and/or operates a plurality of access points at locations of a retail entity. Each access point may provide services such as Internet access, and/or content such as audio, video, text, and/or graphics, among other types of services. A carrier, such as a telephone or cable company, may compensate the network service provider for installation and operation of the access points. The carrier may in turn charge its subscribers for network access at the retail entity locations. A plurality of different carriers may provide compensation and allow respective subscriber access. The network access points may be configured to allow each carrier to present a point of presence to its subscribers at the retail entity locations. The installed network may also provide service for retail entity back office functions.

Abstract: A system and methods for web based graphical internet searching for locating unique items sought by buyers of designs, furnishings and accessories through use of the internet. The invention includes a search interface where both a seller and buyer will use the same graphical alphabet, which divides an item into its component parts, to decipher the language of design which has an infinite number of stylistic combinations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for advertising on a computing device are described.

Abstract: An order taking system and method for an establishment, or a plurality of establishments, each having an order taking facility associated with the establishment enabling a customer to place an order for an item from the establishment. Order placing equipment is located near the order taking facility being capable of receiving an order for the item from the customer. A remote order taking facility is located remotely from the establishment. A local order taking facility is associated with the establishment. A first communication link is used between the order placing equipment of the order taking facility and the remote order taking facility. A second communication link is used between the order placing equipment and the local order taking facility. The order taking system is operable in a first mode operatively coupled via said first communication link to said remote order taking facility and in a second mode operatively coupled via said second communication link to said local order taking facility.