Abstract: A shopping environment includes a server and a shopping device for broadcasting a wireless signal that identifies the identity of a shopper associated with the device. A network infrastructure conveys the wireless signal information to the server. A verification system is configured to detect the shopping device being in proximity to an exit of the shopping environment and to initiate precautionary action in response thereto. The shopping device may be enabled to permit the user to indicate purchase of an item and, responsive thereto, to communicate a purchase to the server as part of maintaining a virtual shopping cart of items selected for purchase by the shopper. The verification apparatus initiates the precautionary action if the shopper has not made payment arrangements. The verification apparatus is further enabled to display the number of items in the virtual shopping cart and the amount of time spent on the shopping trip.

Abstract: A system and method in which a buyer registers for a buyer's shipping account and uses the shipping account to pay shipping costs associated with purchases made over the Internet. When a buyer purchases merchandise over the Internet from either a retailer's website or from an individual through an online auction, the buyer is capable of controlling the shipping process by logging on to their buyer's shipping account. Among other things, the buyer can use their shipping account to select the desired type of shipping service (overnight air or ground) and populate a shipping label with shipping information such as delivery address, return address, and preferred delivery time windows. Once the shipping label has been populated and verified, the shipping label is electronically transferred to the seller for use in shipping the package. The system and methods of the present invention allow the buyer greater control over the shipping process.

Abstract: An event management method, program product and system for monitoring the status of a purchase order involves receiving purchase order information from a user, obtaining timeline information corresponding to the purchase order, receiving information from one or more sources on the status of the purchase order, using the received information to monitor progress of the purchase order against the timeline information, and providing a notification to the user upon identification of a missed date in the timeline information. Remedial measures are suggested or taken by the event management system.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for handling errors that arise in communications between process agents on behalf of business objects. The system and method deal with the discovery and reconciliation of business-logic-level errors and conflicts. The system and method may operate at two levels: they may detect errors and conflicts from within a process agent based on the messages it receives or has access to, or they may detect the errors and conflicts from another object based on collection of inter-process agent messages. Errors and conflicts may be automatically reconciled. This may occur when the system or method determines potential causes of the error and the potential impact of each cause. This allows for automated error or conflict handling in many cases where the cause is trivial or where the cause and solution are definitely discernable.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing an alternative payment platform, including method and systems for providing a platform for presenting an alternate offer to a user who is engaged with a primary offer and receiving an indication of the user's engagement with the alternate offer, wherein the user's engagement with the alternate offer serves as an alternative form of payment for an item associated with the primary offer. Such methods and systems may further include methods and systems for selecting one or more alternate offers engagement with which serves as an alternative form of payment for an item associated with a primary offer, presenting the selected alternate payment offers to a user, receiving an indication of engagement with at least one of the alternate offers, receiving payment in exchange for presenting the accepted offer and providing payment to the offeror of the primary offer.

Abstract: A method for using an internet accessible computer system to conduct business to business operations among a plurality of buyer companies and a plurality of seller companies. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of registering each of the plurality of seller companies with an internet accessible computer system, wherein each of the plurality of seller companies sells goods to a corresponding one of the plurality of buyer companies, and the corresponding one buyer company makes payment for the goods sold by that seller company; and registering each of the plurality of buyer companies with the internet accessible computer system, wherein the registration of each of the plurality of buyer companies depends on the registration of its corresponding seller company.

Abstract: At least one or more customized solutions for setting up a computer system for a customer may be provided. A customer may select a new computer system, or upgrade or set up a current computer system based at least in part on customer identification information. A customer solutions advisor computer program may query the customer and/or may retrieve databases to determine a likely computer configuration, preference, and need of the customer. The customer solutions advisor computer program may launch a polling program on at least one or more of computer systems of the customer to determine the configuration of equipment and software in the computer system. The customer solutions advisor computer program may recommend hardware and/or software solutions to the customer. The customer interactively customizes the computer system.

Abstract: A method for conducting a repairable inventory analysis calculates the minimum number of repairable parts to be held in inventory while still being able to satisfy the demand for spare parts even in view of uncertain repair lead times. The method uses a set of equations that relates a customer service level to arbitrary probability distribution functions of a repair lead-time and a part arrival process. The distributions are then searched to locate the optimal inventory level in the distribution.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for establishing and managing a distributed credential store. An identity service aggregates identity information from one or more identity stores and maintains the information as a remote credential store. Initially, the remote credential store, or portions thereof, is transmitted to a principal service as an initial configuration of a local credential store. A principal interacts with the principal service for defining or modifying a policy that identifies portions of the remote credential store which are to be synchronized with the local credential store. In some embodiments, the principal interacts with the principal service for defining a local policy that identifies portions of the local credential store which are not synchronized with the remote credential store. The interactions between the credential stores are trusted and secured.

Abstract: A web application that enables access to a client's specific account transaction detail. The charge transaction detail can include anything related to charge or credit card transactions including travel transaction detail, corporate card detail and corporate purchasing card detail. The transaction detail can be captured from many sources and can include third party data. The clients can use a web application and web page to access the account data and create report views of the information. The system can also includes a create a report capability, which allows users to add filters and data elements to an existing report format and create a report specific to their needs and data.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that is designed in a manner that processes used for determining or administering taxes for a transaction apply tax rules that are specified (by a tax user) using configurable templates. During operation, the system receives a transaction for which taxes are to be determined during which a process may require the application of rules. The system then examines a configurable template associated with a tax rule, wherein the configurable template identifies a set of attributes associated with the transaction. The system also examines a condition group for the set of attributes. If each condition of the condition group is satisfied, the system, by way of completing the said process, uses the process result that is associated with the condition group for the process.

Abstract: An intranet providing a multiple-carrel public-access kiosk provides free access to foreign and domestic informational e-commerce intranet sites as well as e-mail and public service educational and informational materials. The kiosk accepts anonymous pre-paid cards issued by a local franchisee of a network of e-commerce intranets that includes the local intranet. The paid services provided by each carrel may include video-conference and chat room time, playing and/or copying audio-visual materials such as computer games and music videos, and international e-commerce purchase support services such as customs and currency exchange. Third-party sponsored public service materials may include audio-visual instructional materials in local dialects introducing the user to the use of the kiosk's services and providing training for using standard business software programs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and related method that enables a user to use one or more appropriate ROI tools according to the needs of the users. Specifically, the user provides data related to the organizations and technical expenditures, and this information is used to determine an applicable set of ROI tools. The inputted data is then provided to the applicable ROI tools for automatically examining a company's financial data, and using this evaluation to assess the desirability of technology expenditures.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus for retirement income planning. One embodiment of a method for planning an income stream includes receiving personal data relating to an individual, where the personal data includes the value of the individual's projected income and the value of the individual's projected expenses. The difference between the projected expenses and the projected income is then calculated, and an annuity is purchased in substantially real time from among a plurality of annuities presented in an auction-style format, where the annuity provides a sum to offset the calculated difference.

Abstract: A transaction control system generates presentation objects which reside on front-end terminals. The control system also comprises a business rules layer, a transaction layer, and an external interface layer. A transaction processing module is created by a control system generating a presentation object and transferring it to a relevant front-end terminal and also instantiating a business object, a transaction object, and an external interface object. Development of transaction processing modules is therefore very simple and the module is versatile and may be easily modified.

Abstract: A computerized data processing system for performing risk analysis of a portfolio, the system including a modeling and calibration unit configured to describe risk factors as random variables, the random variables being related to each other by a correlation matrix; an input unit configured to enter or choose calibration data and to obtain, by using the modeling and calibration unit, values for parameters that describe the degree of freedom for sub-vectors and to obtain values for the correlation matrix for the random variables, to enter or choose at least one risk mapping function, and to enter portfolio data of a portfolio to be analyzed; a simulation unit configured to simulate realization of the risk factors by using the correlation matrix; and an output unit configured to generate output data resulting from the simulation unit in a form of at least one of a risk measure or a price.

Abstract: A method for trading a security in an electronic market includes receiving closing orders and orders for the security traded in the electronic market, disseminating an order imbalance indicator indicative of predicted trading characteristics of the security at the close of trading, determining a closing price for the security based on the closing orders and orders, and executing at least some of the closing orders at the determined closing price.

Abstract: An investment allocation system, analysis module and method thereof for allocation of a total investment are disclosed. The investment allocation system comprises an input module, an analysis module and a allotment amount computation mode. The input module is used to input the historical data of a benchmark asset and multiple financial assets, and a threshold. The analysis module is used to calculate an adaptivity of each financial asset according to the threshold, and historical data of the benchmark asset and those financial assets. The allocation amount computation module is used to calculate an allocation ratio for each financial asset according to those adaptivities, related data, and a ratio computation procedure and the allocation ratio each of those financial assets being multiplied by the total investment to produce the amount of allocation for each financial asset.

Abstract: A user can submit an order to buy or sell a tradeable object, only the order does not get sent to the matching engine. Instead, the order is placed in temporary storage and it is displayed to the user in the form of a virtual order icon. The virtual order icon indicates that an order request is waiting for an event to occur before it is automatically released to the matching engine. The virtual order icon can be managed by the user, which might include moving the virtual order icon to a different price level or deleting it. The preferred system continuously monitors for an event to take place, and in response to detecting the event, the order is released to the matching engine. As such, a real order icon is displayed to indicate that the order has now been sent to the matching engine.

Abstract: The lowest trade price for a security within a predetermined period of time is determined, and a momentum liquidity replenishment price is determined by adding the greater of a predetermined price or a predetermined percentage of the last trade price to the lowest trade price for the security for the security within the predetermined period of time. In a similar fashion, another momentum liquidity replenishment price is determined from the highest trading price of the security within predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A system and method for implementing a recurrent bidding process is disclosed.

Abstract: An automated ticket auctioning system receives and evaluates bid information records received from a plurality of remote terminals. Each bid information record corresponds to at least one bid for one or more desired seats at a venue. Each bid information record may also include a plurality of additional bids identified for different seats in the venue. The separate bids in each bid information record are prioritized. The automated ticket auctioning system includes a central controlling computer operable to receive the bid information records and determine, in order of priority, whether any of the bids in a bid information record is accepted. If one bid in a bid information record is accepted, all lower priority bids in that bid information record are dismissed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conducting an auction of securities on the Web. The system and methods provide a bid mechanism whereby bidders are rewarded for priority of anonymously revealing their bids and provide an allocation of the securities which allows winning bidders to pay a single market-clearing price that sells out the securities. In addition, the systems and methods allow all participants to monitor the auction in real time.

Abstract: A system for determining latent demand for at least one of a plurality of commodities includes an offer analyzer and a commodity selector. The offer analyzer analyzes at least a plurality of initially unaccepted offers for each of the plurality of commodities. The commodity selector selects at least one of the plurality of commodities to offer for sale which satisfies at least one criteria based on the analysis by the offer analyzer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for processing mortgage payments. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a fixed payment for the mortgage, such fixed payment being based on an initial interest rate, with the initial interest rate serving as a maximum interest rate; determining a principal and interest payment amount based on a revised interest rate, the revised interest rate not exceeding the maximum interest rate; determining a difference between the fixed payment and the determined principal and interest amount, so that any difference may prepay the mortgage.

Abstract: A method of providing a liquidity facility for a business entity is disclosed. According to various embodiments, the method comprises offering for sale a unit issued by an issuer. Each unit comprises a credit linked note, wherein the credit linked note is linked to the credit of the business entity. Interest on the notes is funded, at least in part, from (1) income received by the issuer from an interest rate swap counter-party under an interest rate swap agreement, wherein the issuer pays the interest rate swap counter-party income received on assets held by the issuer, wherein the assets are purchased using proceeds from the issuance of the units, and (2) payments from the business entity to the issuer pursuant to a credit agreement between the business entity and the issuer.

Abstract: A system and method for matching a loan consumer with lenders via the Internet includes receiving loan consumer application information. The application information is stored in a database. An internally specified filter is applied to the information to determine if the loan consumer meets a set of loan criteria. A subset of the information is submitted to a credit bureau. A credit report is generated based on the subset of information. A lender database is searched to match the customer information and credit report to ranked lenders. A query is transmitted to one of the lenders. A response is generated and received based on the query. Subsequent query and response steps are repeated only after receipt of the previous response, until all lenders have been queried. Only lenders who responded with an approval are presented for review by the customer.

Abstract: An automated payment system for processing payment by a customer to a company. The payment system includes a document scanning system which has an input receptacle adapted to accept a document. After receiving an authorization agreement from the customer, the scanner acquires at least one image from the document. Also provided is a first computer adapted to receive images from the document scanning system. Adapted to communicate information represented by the image, a first communication link couples the document scanning system and the first computer. The payment system also includes a second computer adapted to receive images which is in communication with the first computer via a second communication link. The second communication link is adapted to communicate images and payment information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating online storage of files (e.g., audio tracks, video, etc.) for playback/access or sale/exchange by the owners of the files without violating copyrights that copyright holders have in the files. For example, by providing a playback service that does not store additional versions of an audio file when the file is transmitted to, and immediately played on, a user device without buffering, the present invention avoids violating copyright laws by not making copies of the file. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.

Abstract: Access to a content selection may be regulated by accessing a medium associated with the content selection, identifying a profile associated with the medium, using the profile to analyze a content request with a multitiered rule base that includes two or more of a medium rule base, a media player rule base, and a host rule base, and enabling access to the content selection in accordance with one or more results of the analysis.

Abstract: A method includes inputting into the computer a digital content file of the merchant, the digital content file including a header with information related to purchasing a digital content product and the digital content product in encoded form. The computer reads the downloaded header and displays at least some of the information related to purchasing the digital content product while concurrently downloading the encoded digital content product into the computer.

Abstract: A method for making transactions secure based upon a card-type medium (2) comprising a number (4) and a remote database (5) connected to a telecommunications network. A unique and non-reproducible identifier (3) in the form of a bubble code is physically affixed to the card (2) comprising a number (4) contained either on a magnetic strip, of a bar code, or in an electronic label. One representation of this identifier (6) and or (7) is stored in the remote database (5) at the same number (4) as that present on the medium. This identifier (3) constitutes an unforgeable link between the magnetic strip (1) and the database (5). When a call is made to the remote database by means of the number recorded on the card, a link authentication is performed by comparing the representation of the identifier stored in said database and the actual identifier.

Abstract: Request processing is optimized. The request has elements. The method, computer program and database system includes selecting an access path for the request taking into consideration a stored actual request element cost, processing the request using the selected access path, producing one or more actual request element costs, and storing the one or more actual request element costs.

Abstract: The present invention leverages demarcation of an agent into both a demander and a supplier to provide a polynomial-time method of approximating a supply and demand system's equilibrium value. This provides, in one instance of the present invention, a simplified means to iteratively extract the equilibrium value. By providing demarcated data, the present invention accounts for both demand and supply effects of an agent within a modeled supply and demand system. In one instance of the present invention, a market equilibrium price vector is approximated by employing a revenue value generated for an agent in a current market equilibrium price iteration as a budget value for the agent in the next iteration. This permits market equilibrium value modeling that encompasses an agent's contributions to a market both as a buyer and a seller within the same market for a given good and/or service.

Abstract: A method for reducing a risk associated with a commodity. The method is implemented at least in part by a computer and includes offering to supply the commodity to a commodity consumer. The offer includes an obligation to supply a first quantity of the commodity at a first price during a first period of time, an obligation to supply a second quantity of the commodity at a second price during a second period of time, and an obligation to supply a third quantity of the commodity at a third price during a third period of time. The second price is within a first price band defined by the first price, and the third price is within a second price band defined by the second price.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product are described for adaptively learning user preferences for smart services. According to an exemplary embodiment, a method for adaptively learning user preferences for smart services includes modeling an availability of a subscriber for responding to an event associated with a service in terms of probability values associated with attributes of the event and subscriber context information available to determine a current situation of the subscriber related to the service, the subscriber context information based on private information of the subscriber. The availability of the subscriber for responding to the event is determined using a probability value associated with an event attribute and a probability value associated with at least a portion of the subscriber context information.

Abstract: A controller for a plant having a fixed-weight recurrent neural network with at least one external input signal representative of a desired condition of the plant and actual condition of the plant, and an output connected as a control signal to the plant. The fixed recurrent neural network includes a set of nodes with fixed weight interconnections between the nodes and at least one feedback input interconnecting an output from at least one of the nodes to an input of at least one node. These nodes collectively determine the value of the output from the neural network as a function of the input signal and the feedback input. The controller also includes an adaptive neural network having a plurality of nodes with variable weight interconnections between the nodes. A cost input from the plant is connected to the adaptive neural network while an output from the adaptive neural network is coupled as a processed feedback signal to nodes of the fixed-weight recurrent neural network.

Abstract: A tool for providing health and/or wellness services is described herein. Not necessarily clean or unclean data about a plurality of self-selected or non-selected or unselected subjects is received. The data can be aggregated and mined at least in part by employing a statistical algorithm, a data-mining algorithm and/or a machine-learning algorithm. The data can be further employed to provide health and/or wellness services to participants.

Abstract: A method for determining a sequence of decisions related to a chaotic event. A plurality of decisions related to the chaotic event is received. A mathematical optimization algorithm is used to select a sequence in which the plurality of decisions are to be considered. The mathematical optimization algorithm takes as input at least one constraint and chaotic event information. The sequence is stored.

Abstract: A first total number of nodes in a first node set directly linked to a first node can be computed. A second total number of nodes in a second node set directly linked to a second node can be computed. A shared total number of nodes in a union of the first node set and the second node set can be computed. A mutual information metric can then be computed from the first total, the second total, and the shared total. A decision as to whether a new connection should be added between the first node and the second node, which were not previously directly connected, can be determined from the value of mutual information metric.

Abstract: A method for displaying information related to a chaotic event. A mathematical optimization algorithm is used to select an optimal decision set for a user. The mathematical optimization algorithm takes as input a decision template, chaotic event information regarding a chaotic event, and a user profile. The optimal decision set is displayed for the user.

Abstract: We describe an apparatus for learning to predict moves in games such as chess, Go and the like, from historical game records. We obtain a probability distribution over legal moves in a given board configuration. This enables us to provide an automated game playing system, a training tool for players and a move selector/sorter for input to a game tree search system. We use a pattern extraction system to select patterns from historical game records. Our learning algorithm learns a distribution over the values of a move given a board position based on local pattern context. In another embodiment we use an Independent Bernoulli model whereby we assume each moved is played independently of other available moves.

Abstract: A system in which researchers can freely and effectively use worldwide bioinformatics analysis programs available on the Internet is provided. When a bioinformatics analysis program available on the Internet is used by a user computer, a broker program is used. The broker program has a function of absorbing differences in input/output format between analysis programs, and each analysis program is provided with the broker program. A broker program-providing server stores various broker programs provided by users and makes them available to the public. When the user uses bioinformatics analysis programs available on the Internet, the user can use broker programs that are made available by the broker program-providing server and that are created by other users.

Abstract: A b-tree may contain multiple keys stored in a normalized form. This normalized form allows keys to be quickly compared and may be used in compressing the underlying b-tree. Each normalized key is compressed relative to the previous key by replacing the common prefix bytes with a common prefix length byte containing the number of bytes in common between the key and the previous key. The compressed keys are stored sequentially in memory with no gaps in between.

Abstract: A document delivery server is connected to a user terminal through a network. The document delivery server includes a transmission/reception portion, memory portions that store original document information and public additional information respectively, storage control portions that store and read out the original document information and public additional information together with the memory portions, and a browse information separation/composition portion that transmits the original document information and public additional information to the user terminal through the transmission/reception portion.

Abstract: A system and method of discovering dependencies between relational database column pairs and application of discoveries to query optimization is provided. For each candidate column pair remaining after simultaneously generating column pairs, pruning pairs not satisfying specified heuristic constraints, and eliminating pairs with trivial instances of correlation, a random sample of data values is collected. A candidate column pair is tested for the existence of a soft functional dependency (FD), and if a dependency is not found, statistically tested for correlation using a robust chi-squared statistic. Column pairs for which either a soft FD or a statistical correlation exists are prioritized for recommendation to a query optimizer, based on any of: strength of dependency, degree of correlation, or adjustment factor; statistics for recommended columns pairs are tracked to improve selectivity estimates.

Abstract: A query engine, an indexing engine and methods of indexing and querying data. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a query engine for searching data including an artificial intelligence controller configured to select an appropriate combination of fuzzy logic and conventional logic based on query information and employ the combination to compare at least one element of the data with at least a portion of the query information to provide a comparison result.

Abstract: Method, apparatus, computer program, and computer program product for managing the durability of a plurality of transactions, each transaction including a plurality of operations, each operation for applying to a data item, each operation having a reliability level associated therewith. Each transaction is divided into one or more sub-transactions based upon reliability level of the operations. Sub-transactions are then dispatched to a persistence manager for execution against a persistent store.

Abstract: A method for estimating the first access time of a plurality of currently active transactions accessing at least one database object are disclosed. In one aspect, the method may include providing a storage area of a particular size to store data for a plurality of groups corresponding to the at least one database object. Each of the plurality of groups corresponds to a particular time interval. The method includes placing each of the currently active transactions in a group of the plurality of groups based upon a time of a first access of the at least one database object by each of the currently active transactions and the particular time interval. The method also includes storing a group first access time for the group. The group first access time corresponds to the earliest first access time for any of the currently active transactions in the group. The method may also include defining the object's first, or earliest access time, to be the earliest group first access time for currently active groups.

Abstract: Optimizing operation of a media player during rendering of media files. The invention includes authoring software to create a data structure and to populate the created data structure with obtained metadata. The invention also includes rendering software to retrieve the metadata from the data structure and to identify media files to render. In one embodiment, the invention is operable as part of a compressed media format having a set of small files containing metadata, menus, and playlists in a compiled binary format designed for playback on feature-rich personal computer media players as well as low cost media players.