Abstract: A gantry to be used in the construction process of bridges, viaducts and other structures, which is equipped with a system that automatically adjusts the prestressing of the gantry's structure in accordance to the external actions being applied on it when loadings occur. The adjustment of the prestressing is achieved through the use of at least one sensor (2) that monitors the structure and which sends the measurements taken to a controller (6), . This controller is then capable of activating at least one actuator which alters the tension of the structure's prestressing cable or cables. Amongst the many advantages of the present invention, one is the possibility of applying a large amount of prestressing without this implying undesirable deformations in the main structure (1) when exterior loads are not applied.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for calculating or applying a gradient over a region in a multi-dimensional space. A boundary defines the shape of the region. A gradient specifies a value transition between a starting position and an ending position. The following actions are performed to calculate a gradient value at any point in the selected region: determining an interpolation vector extending from an effective origin included in the starting position through the point to the ending position and defining a gradient value for the point according to the gradient and based on the position of the point along the interpolation vector relative to the effective origin and an intersection point where the interpolation vector meets the boundary.

Abstract: A rotational angle detector for detecting the rotational angle of the rotor in a wide range without requiring dark current. A first detection gear including an m number of teeth and a second detection gear including an L number of teeth are each engaged with a main gear rotated integrally with a steering shaft which includes an n number of teeth. A microcomputer calculates a rotational angle ? of the steering shaft using a rotational angle ? of the first detection gear within one cycle and a rotational angle ? of the second detection gear within one cycle.

Abstract: A form measuring instrument comprising: a roughness sensor placed on the table, and for outputting measurement data that includes information on the cross-sectional shape; a relative movement mechanism for relatively moving the table and the roughness sensor such that the position of the roughness sensor on the workpiece is relatively moved along the surface to be evaluated, and for outputting the amount of relative movement at a movement resolution ?? as indexed-movement-amount information; a time sampler for sampling the measurement data output from the roughness sensor, at a constant time interval ts; and a data processing mechanism for converting the measurement data sampled at the constant time interval ts by the time sampler to measurement data having a fixed interval according to the indexed-movement-amount information output from the relative movement mechanism.

Abstract: In a conventional abnormality detecting apparatus, it is impossible to judge a breakdown before the breakdown actually takes place. An abnormality detecting apparatus for an automatic speed changer includes a speed change controlling unit for controlling the automatic speed changer; a learn controlling device for optimizing an rpm change at the time of speed change control by the speed change controlling device; and an abnormality detection controlling device for judging whether a learned value of the learn controlling device falls within a range between an upper limit and a lower limit and if the learned value falls out of the range, storing the condition as abnormal. Thus, it is possible to detect the abnormal condition of constituents such as a clutch in the automatic speed changer before the actual breakdown.

Abstract: A method for establishing an alert or an alert limit for monitoring a mechanical device includes identifying faults that can be recognized by their effect on measured trends and determining a set of available sensors for monitoring the trends. Representative data are acquired and processed to obtain a statistical characterization of the trends. In addition, a parameter variance is determined for at least one alert test in accordance with the statistical characterization. The method further includes analyzing Type I and Type II error risks and associated financial penalties to adjust parameters associated with the alert test and programming an automated alert system to utilize the adjusted parameters to identify measured trends of a mechanical device that are to be brought to the attention of a human analyst.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical waste identification system presents pharmaceutical waste information and, in response to a client entering a pharmaceutical name, the system provides a pharmaceutical waste disposal recommendation. This recommendation can include a labeling recommendation for a container for the pharmaceutical, a disposal recommendation for an empty container previously containing the pharmaceutical, and a disposal recommendation for the pharmaceutical.

Abstract: A disk drive including a disk, a signal measurement circuit to measure amplitudes of signals received from the host, and a processor for controlling operations in the disk drive. The processor under the control of a program in conjunction with the signal measurement circuit: measures an amplitude of a signal from a host during a first speed negotiation process and determines if the amplitude of the signal from the host is above a pre-determined amplitude for the disk drive. If so, the processor commands the disk drive to transmit the signals to the host at the measured amplitude of the first speed negotiation process. However, if the amplitude is below the pre-determined amplitude for the disk drive, a second speed negotiation process is forced using a low frequency signal from the host and calculations are performed to determine appropriate transmit amplitudes for the interconnect.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a cable force feedforward approach that takes into account the cable force in the counter-mass trajectory computation to reduce or eliminate vibration of the lens body caused by the cable force disturbance and corrective force exerted by the trim motors. In one embodiment, a method provides cable force feedforward control for a counter-mass of a stage with a cable connected to the counter-mass and using the cable force feedforward control to control one or more trim motors to produce a trim motor output force to be applied to the counter-mass, the counter-mass moving in response to a reaction force from movement of the stage.

Abstract: A system, method, and storage medium for determining packaging design for one or more containers are provided. The method includes selecting at least one 3-D CAD model of a manufactured part. The method further includes selecting a first 3-D CAD model of a first container defining a first receiving region. The method further includes automatically generating a first plurality of 3-D part packaging designs for the first receiving region wherein each 3-D part packaging design comprises a distinct orientation or positioning of at least the 3-D CAD model of the manufactured part and a second 3-D CAD model and selecting a first 3-D part packaging design from the first plurality of 3-D part packaging designs. The method further includes generating a first dunnage design based on the first 3-D part packaging design and the first receiving region, wherein a first volume defined by the first 3-D part packaging design and the first dunnage design can be held within the first receiving region.

Abstract: An irradiated state diagram that expresses a relation of a degree of long range order S to a variable R of an irradiated state related to a damage rate and an irradiation temperature is prepared according to an ordered structure of an alloy on basis of an evaluation formula related to an effect of irradiation on an irradiated state of the alloy by using, as parameters, a first threshold value Sth1 at which the degree of long range order begins to decrease greatly under irradiation, a second threshold value Sth2 at which the degree of long range order substantially reaches equilibrium after this decrease, and a degree of long range order in an equilibrium state Seq. An R-value is calculated and an S-value corresponding to the R-value is found. An Sth1-value, an Sth2-value and an Seq-value at the R-value are found and compared.

Abstract: A method for recognition of an input human motion as being the most similar to one model human motion out of a collection of stored model human motions. In the preferred method, both the input and the model human motions are represented by vector sequences that are derived from samples of angular poses of body parts. The input and model motions are sampled at substantially different rates. A special optimization algorithm that employs sequencing constraints and dynamic programming, is used for finding the optimal input-model matching scores. When only partial body pose information is available, candidate matching vector pairs for the optimization are found by indexing into a set of hash tables, where each table pertains to a sub-set of body parts. The invention also includes methods for recognition of vector sequences and for speech recognition.

Abstract: A system operates to receive status messages from banking machines operating in a network. The messages are received by an event management system operating at least one computer. The computer is in operative connection with a data store. The data store includes information representative of the banking machines in the network, status messages generated by the banking machines and actions to be taken including entities to be notified of conditions which cause status messages to be sent by the various banking machines. A device status processing program in the computer resolves an action to be taken responsive to the status message. Responsive to the action resolved by the device status processing program the computer causes a notification message to be dispatched by a multimedia reporter to an entity who is to be notified of the condition at the banking machine which caused the status message.

Abstract: The LSI design and development in manufacture is actualized by algorithm design, architecture design, actual hardware and software design, and verification. Herein, the architecture design contains a simulation program structuring process and a bus performance evaluation process, which are interconnected by a feedback loop. In the algorithm design, sources are described by the general-purpose high-level language such as the C language and C++ language. In the simulation program structuring process, the sources are subjected to isolation of the hardware and software, while an evaluation function is created to count bus traffic of the bus interconnecting the hardware and software. Every time data is written to a pre-defined variable loaded onto the bus, the evaluation function is performed to modify the sources. Then, evaluation is performed on the performance of the bus, so that the bus traffic for its processing rate is finally produced.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic circuit analyzing apparatus for evaluating the reliability value of an analysis result, an electronic circuit analyzing method, and an electronic circuit analyzing program. The electronic circuit analyzing apparatus comprises an input information storage unit 1 that stores input information, an analytic model creation unit 12 that creates an analytic model of an electronic circuit on the basis of the input information, an analysis unit 3 that calculates an analysis result of the electronic circuit using the analytic model, a partial model reliability value database 21 that defines the accuracy of each part of the analytic model and stores the accuracy value as a partial model reliability value, a partial model influence database 22 that defines the magnitude of influence of each part of the analytic model and stores the influence value as a partial model influence, a reliability value evaluation unit 23 that calculates an analysis result reliability value, i.e.

Abstract: A method for generating and evaluating a table model for circuit simulation in N dimensions employing mathematical expressions for modeling a device. The table model uses an unstructured N-dimensional grid for approximating the expressions.

Abstract: A verification environment is provided that co-verifies a software component 8 and a hardware component 10. Within the same environment using a common test controller 18 both hardware stimuli and software stimuli may be applied to their respective simulators. The response of both the software and the hardware to the simulation conducted can be monitored to check for proper operation.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for interfacing between a high-level modeling system and a hardware description language (HDL) co-simulation engine. A plurality of HDL co-simulation engine libraries are queried as to the capabilities of the engines. A co-simulation engine is selected based on the capabilities, and an instance of the engine is created. The selected co-simulation engine is configured, input logic vectors are provided to the selected HDL co-simulation engine, and the co-simulation engine is executed accordingly.

Abstract: A co-verification system includes a computer programmed to act as a simulator for simulating behavior of a first portion of an electronic device under test (DUT) by acquiring, processing and generating data representing DUT signals. The co-verification system also includes emulation resources programmed to emulate a second portion of the DUT by receiving, processing and generating emulation signals representing DUT signals. The signals of the DUT are mapped to separate addresses within a memory space, and the simulator controls and reads states of emulation signals by writing data to and reading data from addresses of the memory space states mapped to the DUT signals the emulation signals represent. The computer and the emulation resources are also programmed to implement transactors communicating with one another through a packet routing network. The transactors set states of the emulation signals when the simulator writes to memory space addresses and for reading states of the emulation signals.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for translating application strings between entities using a semantical (definition-based) translation scheme. Embodiments of the invention provide the ability to design and create an application user interface that can be reliably and efficiently localized. For one embodiment, each string is semantically defined and the definition is used to determine a corresponding display value for each entity (e.g., human language) of interest. Additionally, for one embodiment, a sparse-matrix data structure is employed to reduce the associated metadata.

Abstract: A parallel bilingual training corpus is parsed into its content words. Word association scores for each pair of content words consisting of a word of language L1 that occurs in a sentence aligned in the bilingual corpus to a sentence of language L2 in which the other word occurs. A pair of words is considered “linked” in a pair of aligned sentences if one of the words is the most highly associated, of all the words in its sentence, with the other word. The occurrence of compounds is hypothesized in the training data by identifying maximal, connected sets of linked words in each pair of aligned sentences in the processed and scored training data. Whenever one of these maximal, connected sets contains more than one word in either or both of the languages, the subset of the words in that language is hypothesized as a compound.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for designing a labeling guide for use by a labeler in labeling data used for training a spoken language understanding (SLU) module for an application. The method comprises a labeling guide designer selecting domain-independent actions applicable to an application, selecting domain-dependent objects according to characteristics of the application, and generating a labeling guide using the selected domain-independent actions and selected domain-dependent objects. An advantage of the labeling guide generated in this manner is that the labeling guide designer can easily port the labeling guide to a new application by selecting a set of domain-independent action and then selecting the domain-dependent objects related to the new application.

Abstract: A method of identifying patterns in a digitized acoustic signal is disclosed. The method comprises: (i) converting the digitized acoustic signal into a spatial representation being defined by a plurality of regions on a vibrating membrane, each the regions having a different vibration resonance, each the vibration resonance corresponding to a different frequency of the acoustic signal; (ii) iteratively calculating a weight function, the weight function having a spatial dependence being representative of acoustic patterns of each region of the plurality of regions; and (iii) using the weight function for converting the spatial representation into a reconstructed acoustic signal; thereby identifying the patterns in the acoustic signal.

Abstract: In order to prevent generation of a trapezoidal signal waveform due to limitations on dynamic ranges in an echo canceller and an echo path as voice signal transmission paths, a voice signal processing circuit of the voice signal processing system processes a waveform such that its signal level falls within the narrowest dynamic range without causing an overshoot and waveform crack. Process of a signal waveform is selectively conducted only of a waveform of a voice signal whose signal level is high to be liable to have distortion. As to a voice signal whose signal level is low and originally within a dynamic range, the signal is transmitted without having its waveform processed.

Abstract: An enhanced noise pre-processor in a speech codec smoothes channel energy estimate moving toward a first smoothing constant if a prior signal to noise ratio estimate for more than five channels are above a threshold and toward a second smaller smoothing constant otherwise. Forming a signal to noise ratio estimate for each channel includes conditionally boosting if a signal energy estimate is more than a predetermined factor of a noise energy estimate and signal to noise ratio estimates are above a threshold for more than five channels. The estimated signal to noise ratio is conditionally modified if two long term prediction coefficients are above a predetermined factor. The estimated signal to noise ratio is not modified and a voice metric is set greater than a voice metric threshold upon matching templates corresponding to the fricative and nasal speech sounds. An adaptive minimum channel gain is chosen based on a current signal to noise ratio estimate.

Abstract: Time-scaled, sound signals (i.e. sounds output at differing speeds) are generated by mixing weighted time-and frequency-domain processed signals, the former signal generally representing speech-based signals while the latter representing music-based signals. The weights applied to each type of signal may be determined by a scaling factor, which in turn is related to the desired speed at which a listener desires to hear a sound signal. In one example of the invention, only stationary signal portions of an input sound signal are used to generate time-scaled processed signals. An adaptive frame-size may also be used to pre-process the separate signals prior to being weighted, which at least decreases the amount of unwanted reverberative sound qualities in a resulting sound signal. Together, techniques envisioned by the present invention produce improved, speed adjusted sound signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transceiver which provides a high-quality decoded voice. A mobile telephone 1011 encodes voice data, and outputs the encoded voice data. Furthermore, the mobile telephone 1011 learns quality-enhancement data which improves the quality of a voice output from a mobile telephone 1012, based on voice data used in past learning and newly input voice data, thereby transmitting the encoded voice data and quality-enhancement data. The mobile telephone 1012 receives the encoded voice data transmitted from the mobile telephone 1011, and selects quality-enhancement data correspondingly associated with a telephone number of the mobile telephone 1011. The mobile telephone 1012 decodes the received encoded voice data based on the selected quality-enhancement data. The present invention is applied to a mobile telephone that transmits and receives voices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information extraction apparatus capable of analyzing an acoustic signal with accuracy and high efficiency. An amplitude analysis section 32 determines whether or not an attack or release is contained on the basis of an amplitude value for each small region of an input time-series signal. When it is determined that there is an attack or release, an analysis region setting section 33 sets the portion from an attack position to a release position as an analysis region. A frequency analysis section 34 analyzes the input time-series signal by generalized harmonic analysis and outputs extracted waveform information. An extracted waveform synthesis section 35 synthesizes the extracted waveform information and outputs the information to a time-series compensation section 36. The time-series compensation section 36 compensates the signal of the synthesized result with a signal outside the analysis region and outputs an extracted waveform time-series signal to a subtraction unit 37.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for separating a good quality information signal from a noisy acoustic environment. The separation process uses a set of at least two spaced-apart transducers to capture noise and information components. The transducer signals, which have both a noise and information component, are received into a separation process. The separation process generates one channel that is substantially only noise, and another channel that is a combination of noise and information. An identification process is used to identify which channel has the information component. The noise signal is then used to set process characteristics that are applied to the combination signal to efficiently reduce or eliminate the noise component. In this way, the noise is effectively removed from the combination signal to generate a good qualify information signal. The information signal may be, for example, a speech signal, a seismic signal, a sonar signal, or other acoustic signal.

Abstract: For measuring the influence of noise on the talking quality of a telephone link in a telecommunications network, a talker speech signal (s(t)) and a degraded speech signal (s?(t)) are fed to an objective measurement device for obtaining an output signal (q) representing an estimated value of the talking quality. The degraded signal includes a returned signal (r(t)) originating from the network during transmission of the talker speech signal over the telephone link. The objective measurement provided by the device is a modified PSQM-like measurement, which is modified to include modelling of masking effects resulting from noise present in the returned signal. Preferably, the modelling includes noise suppression performed on a difference signal (D(t,f)) in a loudness density domain using noise estimation.

Abstract: An electronic interactive book allowing a child to learn the pronunciation of various words. The book will be provided with a permanent or impermanent display onto which a plurality of words, phrases or sentences would be provided. The electronic book includes a microphone as well as a speech recognition unit for recognizing a word that the child pronounces. A highlighting device such as a light emitting diode or a means for illuminating a particular word in a manner different than the surrounding words would be engaged when the child correctly pronounces that word. The highlighting device has the ability to assist the child in the pronunciation of one of the words by verbally pronouncing a portion of the word, as well as simultaneously highlighting that portion. A visual display of the lip movements of an animated character would also assist the child in correctly pronouncing a particular word.

Abstract: A system and method for speech file processing which provides users with differentially selectable speech file transcripts which can be sent to one or more other users. The speech files may be voicemail messages from which respective voicemail transcripts are created. The voicemail transcripts are provided in a user selectable format from which users may select non-contiguous portions of the transcript.

Abstract: A method for processing language input can include the step of determining at least two possible meanings for a language input. For each possible meaning, a probability that the possible meaning is a correct interpretation of the language input can be determined. At least one relative data computation can be computed based at least in part upon the probabilities. At least one irregularity within the language input can be detected based upon the relative delta computation. The irregularity can include mumble, ambiguous input, and/or compound input. At least one programmatic action can be performed responsive to the detection of the irregularity.

Abstract: Method and device for the recognition of words and pauses in a voice signal. The words (Wi) spoken in a row and pauses (Ti) are thereby combined as to be appertaining to a word group as soon as one of the pauses (Ti) exceeds a limit value (TG). Stored references (Rj) are allocated to the voice signal of the word group, and an indication of the result of the allocation is effected after the limit value (TG) has been exceeded. To this end, parameters corresponding to the moments of the transitions between ranges with voice and non-voice are determined from the voice signal, and the limit value (TG) is then changed in dependence on said parameters.

Abstract: A system provides search results from a voice search query. The system receives a voice search query from a user, derives one or more recognition hypotheses, each being associated with a weight, from the voice search query, and constructs a weighted boolean query using the recognition hypotheses. The system then provides the weighted boolean query to a search system and provides the results of the search system to a user.

Abstract: To provide an acoustic model which can absorb the fluctuation of a phonemic environment in an interval longer than a syllable, with the number of parameters of the acoustic model suppressed to be small, a phoneme-connected syllable HMM/syllable-connected HMM set is generated in such a way that a phoneme-connected syllable HMM set corresponding to individual syllables is generated by combining phoneme HMMs. A preliminary experiment is conducted using the phoneme-connected syllable HMM set and training speech data. Any misrecognized syllable and the preceding syllable of the misrecognized syllable are checked using results of a preliminary experiment syllable label data. The combination between a correct answer syllable for the misrecognized syllable and the preceding syllable of the misrecognized syllable is extracted as a syllable connection. A syllable-connected HMM corresponding to this syllable connection is added into the phoneme-connected syllable HMM set.

Abstract: Facial animation in MPEG-4 can be driven by a text stream and a Facial Animation Parameters (FAP) stream. Text input is sent to a TTS converter that drives the mouth shapes of the face. FAPs are sent from an encoder to the face over the communication channel. Disclosed are codes bookmarks in the text string transmitted to the TTS converter. Bookmarks are placed between and inside words and carry an encoder time stamp. The encoder time stamp does not relate to real-world time. The FAP stream carries the same encoder time stamp found in the bookmark of the text. The system reads the bookmark and provides the encoder time stamp as well as a real-time time stamp to the facial animation system. The facial animation system associates the correct facial animation parameter with the real-time time stamp using the encoder time stamp of the bookmark as a reference.

Abstract: A speech displaying system and method can display playing progress by waveform and synchronously display text of a speech file using rolling subtitles when playing the speech file. After the speech file is loaded via a loading module, a sentence unit determining module partitions content of the speech file into a plurality of sentence units to produce a list of sentence units. A subtitle highlighting speed calculating module calculates a speed of highlighting every single letter or character contained in the subtitles in the sentence unit index for a sentence unit. A subtitle rolling module displays content of the list of sentence units. When the speech file is played, the subtitles in the sentence unit index are clearly marked, and every letter or character of the subtitles is highlighted. A waveform displaying module marks positions of sentence pauses and playing progress on an oscillogram for the speech file by lines.

Abstract: A method for recovering interrupted voice input, particularly voice input into communication, audio and/or navigation systems installed in a vehicle detects, during an ongoing voice input process, an event that requires interruption of the voice input process, stores an incomplete sequence of the voice input, and interrupts the voice input process in response to detection of the event. The method can further detect that the event has finished and can recover the voice input process based on the stored sequence. A corresponding device is also described.

Abstract: A method for processing speech audio in a network connected client device can include selecting a speech grammar for use in a speech recognition system in the network connected client device; characterizing the selected speech grammar; and, based on the characterization, determining whether to process the speech grammar locally in the network connected client device, or remotely in a speech server in the network. Selecting can include establishing a communications session with a speech server; and, querying the speech server for a speech grammar over the established communications session. Selecting can further include registering the speech grammar in the recognition system.

Abstract: An occupant management method, system, and program product that associate occupant information with information about a physical area. For example, the invention can generate a hierarchical representation of a physical area such as a building or the like. The hierarchical representation is used to manage occupants of the physical area. For example, contact information for occupants can be maintained and associated with a physical location, and/or directions can be provided from a starting point to a designated destination point. The hierarchical representation can be used to facilitate two-way communication between an occupant and an emergency responder during an emergency event.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for increasing and/or for monitoring a party's compliance with a schedule for taking medicines. In a first embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving information regarding whether at least two medicine containers were able to communicate during a pre-determined time period, and determining a level to which the party complied to a medicine schedule based on the information. The method further includes rewarding the party based on the party's level of compliance. Systems, apparatus and computer program products are provided for carrying out the above-described embodiments and numerous other embodiments.

Abstract: In a method and a computer system for screening of medical cases known proven positive and/or known proven normal cases are inserted in the flow of cases during the screening. On a user's option the known cases can be infiltrated in the case stream in accordance with a fixed pattern or on a random basis. When the radiologist makes a misdiagnosis of a known case this is recognized by the system and a corresponding output message is provided to the radiologist. Further the system has a database for tracing all user actions, including the diagnostic findings for the purposes of generating a user action report, quality control and assurance, and support in litigation.

Abstract: Cars of a car rental system are made operable by having a renter present a digital key issued from the car rental system. The digital key specifies the starting date and time of a given rental transaction, and the identification of the car the key is for. The digital key is further signed by the car rental system for authenticity. A prospective renter makes online reservation over the Web and downloads into a portable storage device a digital key which can be used to operate the reserved car on the day the reservation is made for. On the pickup day, the renter goes to the car and inserts the portable storage device into a slot on the car. Upon successful verification of the digital key, the car is enabled and the renter can keep the car until he or she wants to return the car. The return process starts by having the renter obtain a invalidated digital key from the car. Once the rental car invalidates the digital key provided by the renter, the renter can no longer operate the rental car.

Abstract: A service element is defined and represented by a data structure. It includes one or more components and/or one or more other service elements. A service element providing a complete function is a service offering. Management of service elements and/or service offerings is facilitated by a Service Development Tool. In different aspects, the management includes various tasks associated with creating, modifying and deleting service elements, establishing relationships, error checking and optimization. In a further aspect, service elements are packaged and distributed to enable customers to deliver the service elements. Additionally, the hosting of software packages is facilitated.

Abstract: A residual value of goods based on data is forecast based on a secondhand price database storing transaction data including the residual value of objects and age of the objects. A standardized forecast residual value is calculated for a prescribed future time based on the standardized residual value. The standardized residual value is calculated by modifying a residual value of the object included in the transaction data stored in the secondhand price database based on attribute values of a prescribed attribute of the object included in the transaction data. A non-standardized forecast residual value is determined by making adjustments corresponding to the attribute values of the object of which the residual value will be forecast.

Abstract: A method and system for objectively determining potential success of a new project and similarity of the new project to historical projects. By defining a master set of processes, practices, and/or personnel available to be utilized by the new project, relationships may objectively be determined between the new and historical projects. Statistical information developed by the historical projects may be utilized to indicate potential success of the new project.

Abstract: An automated management system for monitoring and controlling distribution and storage of money tills, and linking tracking of employee productivity to time in receipt of a till. The system comprises a cabinet, a control panel, and a personal computer. The cabinet is mounted through a wall to provide an interface having a front side accessible from a first area and a rear side accessible from a second area, such as a cash room. The interior cabinet space is divided into till compartments that are selectively accessible from both the front and rear of the cabinet. Tills are loaded and removed from the rear by cash room personnel and from the front by cashiers. The system is operable to anticipate, based upon work schedules, needed till types or amounts; compile and maintain useful associated records, including employee productivity; and link to other systems to further improve efficiency.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, techniques are disclosed for providing promotions to users of communication networks, such as the Internet. Information related to a plurality of promotions, including promotions information and rules associated with the promotions, are stored at a promotions management system. The promotions management system receives a query from a vendor system requesting promotions to be shown to a user browsing a particular item at the web site of the vendor. The promotions management system responds to the query by determining a set of promotions to be presented to the user based on the information contained in the query, the information related to the promotions, and other information accessible to the promotions management system. The promotions in the set of promotions are then presented to the user.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect telephone calls and track information about the telephone calls resulting from advertisements for groups of advertisers. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining a geographic area after receiving a telephone call to a first telephone number publicized in an advertisement; determining a telephone number of a first advertiser; and connecting the telephone call to the telephone number of the first advertiser, the first advertiser billed for the advertisement based on telephonic connections made to connect the first advertiser and telephone calls to the first telephone number.