Abstract: An electronic bill presentment and payment system including an extensible, customizable, data source independent data layer for accessing a business data repository for processing billing information. The business data repositories use one or more data source formats. A business logic module generating business data requests for data from the business data repository in order to carry out processing of billing information. The business data requests are independent of the one or more data source formats of the business data repository. A data layer descriptor repository stores customizable data source descriptions for generating the data layer. The data layer is generated from the customizable descriptors in the data layer descriptor repository. The data layer module receives the data source independent business data requests and based on the request, the data layer implements a data source specific method for fulfilling the request by accessing data in the business data repository.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for enabling a conversational transaction in a service oriented architecture. The apparatus, system and method include receiving at an IMS Connect a first conversational transaction (“CT”) request comprising a conversation option flag from a Java client over a TCP/IP connection to a first socket of the IMS Connect and transmitting the first CT request to an IMS. The apparatus, system, and method include receiving from the IMS a first response to the first CT request and a conversational transaction identifier (“CTID”), and returning the first response along with the CTID to the Java client in response to the conversation option flag being set. The first response and CTID are transmitted using TCP/IP. The response is a portion of the conversational transaction and the CTID is configured to identify to the IMS subsequent CT requests from the Java client as part of the CT.

Abstract: A transaction monitor of an apparatus in one example is configured to determine an occurrence of a transaction between a vendor and a customer at a point of service location. The point of service location comprises a drive-up service location and is operated by the vendor. The transaction monitor comprises a camera component configured to record one or more images of the point of service location prior to, during, and/or after the occurrence of the transaction. The vendor collects a transaction tax for the transaction from the customer for payment to a tax authority. The transaction monitor is configured to maintain a record of the transaction tax that is separate from one or more records maintained by the vendor and/or the tax authority. The transaction monitor is configured to maintain the one or more images with the record of the transaction.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for the distribution of data in a lattice-based database via placeholder nodes. A data store can store data in a lattice-based database or other three-dimensional hierarchical format. Higher-level data, such as yearly profit, may be desired to be spread from parent nodes at different levels or points in the lattice structure to lower nodes or locations, such as quarters. Parent nodes can be associated with a set of programmatic placeholder nodes. A spreading tool can insert child nodes representing quarters, months, or other insertion point(s) represented or encoded by a set of placeholder nodes, dividing, combining, or otherwise distributing quantities appropriately. In aspects, data can be spread from multiple parents and/or multiple target child nodes, at once. In aspects, the spreading tool can access or host sequence logic to ensure data spreading in an order that takes dependencies, formatting, or other factors into account.

Abstract: Systems, methods, computer program product embodiments are provided for maintaining transaction consistency for distributed transactions in a distributed shared disk cluster environment. An embodiment includes utilizing broadcast messaging among the plurality of instances to identify at least one of a transaction and a transaction owner instance for a transaction request. Execution of the transaction occurs on an owner instance as found based on a response to the broadcast messaging.

Abstract: A data processing and analysis system is provided. The system includes an analysis engine that queries one or more components of data. A rules component specifies a relationship between at least one dimension of the data with respect to at least one other dimension of the data in order to facilitate an analysis of the data. In one example, the analysis engine is provided as an online analytical processing component.

Abstract: Systems, methods and articles of manufacture allow adjusting the relative weighting associated with evaluation criteria associated with a unified view of dissimilar data. The operation generally includes collecting data regarding attributes of a user interacting with an application, where the collected data has associated evaluation criteria. The data is collectively represented according to the evaluation criteria. The systems, methods and articles of manufacture then allow dynamically modifying the evaluation criteria before evaluating and collectively representing the data according to the adjusted criteria.

Abstract: Social networking has become a significant aspect of many people's lives as they communicate with others who are members of the same social networking application. In many instances members who have joined these social networks to find other individuals with similar interests are unaware that people who have these same interests have not joined the same social network but are members of another social network. Today these social networks are discrete, jealously guarding their member profiles, and limiting their member's ability to achieve the goal they joined the social network for. Accordingly, the invention allows members to search and manage activities on multiple social networks through a brokering service, the partner social networks deriving benefit through providing expanded resources to their own members which they do not have to acquire and also from revenue flowing from the brokering service.

Abstract: A comprehensive platform for merchandising intellectual property (IP) and conducting IP transactions is disclosed. A standardized data collection method enables IP assets to be characterized, rated and valuated in a consistent manner. Project management, workflow and data security functionality enable consistent, efficient and secure interactions between the IP Marketplace participants throughout the IP transaction process. Business rules, workflows, valuation models and rating methods may be user defined or based upon marketplace, industry or technology standards.

Abstract: A method for producing a summary A of data points in an unaggregated data stream wherein the data points are in the form of weighted keys (a, w) where a is a key and w is a weight, and the summary is a sample of k keys a with adjusted weights wa. A first reservoir L includes keys having adjusted weights which are additions of weights of individual data points of included keys and a second reservoir T includes keys having adjusted weights which are each equal to a threshold value ? whose value is adjusted based upon tests of new data points arriving in the data stream. The summary combines the keys and adjusted weights of the first reservoir L with the keys and adjusted weights of the second reservoir T to form the sample representing the data stream upon which further analysis may be performed.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, systems and/or devices for managing content are disclosed. Briefly, in accordance with one particular embodiment, managing content includes presenting one or more references to one or more digital media assets. A request to reserve one or more of the referenced digital media assets is received, and the references to one or more digital media assets are updated such that the references include data indicating that one or more of the referenced digital media assets have been reserved.

Abstract: A method and system relate to data storage, and more particularly, to an intelligent storage service catalog. A method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having programming instructions. The programming instructions are operable to receive at least one definition of storage requirements for an organization for at least one data type and establish at least one data storage allocation rule based on the at least one data type. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to receive a request for storage for the at least one data type and allocate data storage based on the request for storage and the at least one data storage allocation rule.

Abstract: A method for queuing data for an application server is described. The method includes creating a queue entry record corresponding to the data, storing a queue entry including the data and the corresponding queue entry record in a queue, and receiving a command regarding the data from the application server.

Abstract: Disclosed is a data collection and analysis system that is capable of extracting data from various disparate sources, i.e., contact channels, storing the data and analyzing the data to show trends in the business operation. The data is stored in a data model that uses a star schema approach to providing a unified data source. Analyzed data can be made available to users on a nearly real time basis that allows the users to view trends in business operation and plan accordingly.

Abstract: A method for implementing selective file system caching. The method includes receiving I/O requests from an application and comparing each of the I/O requests with a configurable cache map, wherein the configurable cache map controls a selective caching based on an I/O type and a file type. Each of the I/O requests are processed to render caching decisions based on the configurable cache map. Selective caching is then implemented on each of the I/O requests in accordance with the caching decisions.

Abstract: A real estate disclosure reporting method identifies a condition category, creates a disclosure form and lists items of disclosure on a disclosure form. The items of disclosure relate to the condition category. The reporting method also researches a particular property to determine known items of disclosure, indicates the known items of disclosure on the disclosure form and generates a report of the known items of disclosure.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for automatically providing a usage profile corresponding to a user of a plurality of information handling system resources. Survey information related to a user of IHS resources is collected and processed to generate survey information. IHS resources used by the user are determined and associated configuration and operational information is collected and processed to generate imported information. The survey information and the imported information are then processed to generate a set of user usage scores, which are in turn processed to produce a user usage model, which is likewise processed to generate a user usage fingerprint. Comparison operations are performed between the user usage fingerprint and a plurality of reference usage profiles and the reference usage profile most closely matching the user usage fingerprint is selected.

Abstract: Client computers, a namespace server, and file servers are linked in a data network so that the namespace server provides the clients with NFS or CIFS access to a virtual file system including files stored in the file servers, and also provides migration of files between the file servers in a fashion transparent to the client access using NFS or CIFS. The client computers and storage arrays storing the file data are also linked in a storage area network so that the clients have high speed block access to the file data using a file mapping protocol. The namespace server redirects a metadata access request in the file mapping protocol from a client to the appropriate file server when the file is not being migrated, and otherwise denies the metadata access request when the file is being migrated so that the client reverts to NFS or CIFS access.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer usable program product for transferring messages to a directory are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A listing of message templates that is stored in a computer usable storage medium is received. A list of messages is received. The listing of message templates is loaded in a directory. The directory executes in a data processing system and is configured to store messages. The list of messages are loaded in the directory. Messages are loaded in the directory by receiving a list of messages in the directory. A message is selected and identified from the list of messages. A determination is made if the message corresponds to an existing base message entry in the directory. A message instance entry is created in relation to the existing base message entry if the message corresponds to an existing base message entry and the message is otherwise handled if not.

Abstract: A database management system and a method of managing a database storing a plurality of entities related to each other by a plurality of relations. The database management system includes a user interface for interfacing with the database in a current situation. The system also includes a context modeler for modeling a context representation and a server for storing a situation in which the user has been involved as at least one frame. The at least one frame describes at least one object and action involved in the situation in which the user has been involved and their relationship to each other. A context using the at least one frame is modeled by the context modeler so that when the context representation is applied to the database, operation of the database is adapted according to the situation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for estimation of order-based statistics on slowly changing distributions of data stored on a computer. An initial set of data is converted to an initial histogram based representation of the data set's distribution. New or removed data is converted into a new histogram separate from the initial histogram. The new histogram is combined with the initial histogram to build a combined histogram. Percentiles and order-based statistics are estimated from the combined histogram to provide analysis of a combination of the initial set of data combined with the new or removed data.

Abstract: Real-time chat and conference contact information manager which, responsive to storing of an identification data item into a contact record of a local contact list during an online communication session, extracts a search key value for a data item from the contact record, wherein the online communication session comprises a multiple-participant session selected from an online virtual collaboration session, an online meeting, and an online chat session; uses the extracted search key value to search a trusted administered contact list for a corresponding trusted value, wherein the contact list is designated as trusted and administered by the device with which the local contact list is associated as containing accurate and verified contact information; and modifies the local contact record to include the corresponding trusted value.

Abstract: Method, system and article of manufacture for scheduling queries. In particular, the scheduling options made available to a user for a particular unit of work are determined dynamically at the time of scheduling. In this way, the execution cost, for example, of a particular unit of work can be taken into account when determining which scheduling options to make available. In addition, or alternatively, system availability and/or user parameters may be accounted for when determining which scheduling options to make available.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for providing a generic sequencing service for ordering processing requests in a scalable business integration environment. When a request is received at a sequencing component, the operation specified in the request is identified. A determination is then made as to whether to sequence the operation according to a sequencing specification. If the operation is to be sequenced, key information of the operation is classified according to the sequencing specification. A lock on the request is then requested using the operation and the key information. Responsive to the lock being granted, a determination is then made as to whether the request is synchronous or asynchronous. If the request is synchronous, the target service component is invoked synchronously. If the request is asynchronous, the target service component is invoked asynchronously.

Abstract: Described are a system and method for determining an event occurrence rate. A sample set of content items may be obtained. Each of the content items may be associated with at least one region in a hierarchical data structure. A first impression volume may be determined for the at least one region as a function of a number of impressions registered for the content items associated with the at least one region. A scale factor may be applied to the first impression volume to generate a second impression volume. The scale factor may be selected so that the second impression volume is within a predefined range of a third impression volume. A click-through-rate (CTR) may be estimated as a function of the second impression volume and a number of clicks on the content item.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a recognition portion that recognizes a document shown in a given space, a detection portion that detects an event occurring in the given space, and an index-giving portion that gives information on the event detected by the detection portion to the information on the document recognized by the recognition portion, as an index for search.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer readable media are provided for integrating carrier services. In one implementation, carrier services are integrated into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system utilizing an integration platform. The integration platform may include a first, second, and third components. The first, second, and third components may interact to utilize within the integration platform services offered by ERP vendors and carriers by discovering, setting up, testing, running and updating these services. As result, typical business scenarios, such as a order-to-cash process, may be enhanced.

Abstract: Database management involving obtaining a request of update of a record of a database including: (i) pages with records, each including data and transaction identification information (XID) that has a range that is divided by a predetermined range; and (ii) generation identification information (GID) that is increased when the XID's value exceeds the divided range, where the page includes a GID header indicating the earliest GID of the records of the page. Also, reading a page's GID header when switching pages, comparing the GID header with the present GID of the present XID, and performing a freeze process to the record having the XID included in the page's GID header when the GID header's value is less than the difference between the GID's value to which the present XID belongs and a predetermined value.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for receiving transaction data for a transaction, accessing a database comprising alert preference data, generating a contact alert message using the transaction data and alert preference data using a notification server coupled to the database wherein the contact alert message comprises contact information of a first person who conducted the transaction, and sending the contact alert message to a notification device of a second person.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention allows a software developer or administrator to use their knowledge and/or development of a particular application, to optimize the performance of data access and updates to the database. In order to do this, an embodiment of the invention makes use of the developers knowledge of particular transaction and transaction operations that can be performed in a commutative manner. The overall effect is to perform the operations in a parallel fashion so that one operation does not block or restrict the processing of a second operation. The result is an increase in database access or performance, without any resulting decrease in database reliability.

Abstract: A user-dedicated storage area (97) of a cellular phone (10) is retained in a storage server (9) on a network (6). Software purchased by a user via a sales server (12) is not transferred directly to the user's cellular phone (10) but is stored in the user-dedicated storage area (97) of the user. The user downloads the software from his or her own dedicated storage area (97) to his or her own cellular phone (10) before using the software.

Abstract: Clickstream data collected from a panel of internet users is used to generate and present internet activity metrics. Data collected from a community of internet users may be augmented by clickstream data store content, third party content, search results, and other sources to form estimates of internet activity, such as traffic, that is structured and analyzed to produce metrics of nearly any internet web site or domain. The estimate of the panel's Internet activity may be refined by applying a domain-specific bias adjustment to the estimate. Applying the domain-specific bias adjustment to the estimate may include applying a weight to a subset of the data that connotes a specific domain from the panel of Internet users.

Abstract: A data extraction tool is provided for cataloging information in an information source for searching by a user. The tool mines information from the information source and organizes the information, or the locations of that information, within a database. A user may then query the tool for a desired type of information. The tool filters the database to provide a set of pinpoint site locations with information of the type requested in the query. These pinpoint site locations are presented to a user and indexed for future reference. The index of site locations may be updated automatically by the tool. A context system is provided for manually or automatically determining the proper context for a user's query. Thus, the data extraction tool provides information with a high probability of relevance to the user. The user obtains the information without expending much effort to refine the search.

Abstract: Mechanisms for securely allowing a participant computing entity to engage in a transaction initiated by an initiator computing entity and managed by a coordinator computing entity. The initiator provides a transaction initiation request to the coordinator. Upon receipt, the coordinator accessing a transaction coordination context that includes information such as a secure key that may be used by a participant to register in the transaction. The coordinator then provides the coordination context to the initiator, which provides the coordination context to the participant(s) that are also to engage in the transaction. Each participant then generates a registration request that is based on the coordination context, and that is secured using the secure key provided in the coordination context.

Abstract: An educational asset distribution system including an asset registration module which obtains information about a plurality of educational assets, said information including fixed metadata descriptive of an educational asset, and information for accessing the educational asset; a learning management system interface which receives context data descriptive of a user of a learning management system; a dynamic metadata storage which stores a portion of the context data in association with the fixed metadata; and an educational assets management module for managing the plurality of educational assets based on the context data, the information about the plurality of educational assets, and data stored in the dynamic metadata storage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calculating a score for word selection, which may be used to preprocess sets of words prior to a dimensionality reduction process, employs information about relationships between words themselves (such as synonym relationships) or relationships between items with which the words are associated (such as products in a catalog). In some embodiments, the relationships are also community based; i.e., the relationships are established by a community of users. The relationships may be references to two or more word sets in which the word of interest is common. In one embodiment, the word sets are descriptions of products in an online catalog, the community is the group of people who view the catalog, and the relationships used for calculating the score for a particular word of interest are coreferences (e.g., viewing or purchasing) of pairs of products for which the catalog descriptions both include the particular word.

Abstract: Database management and security is implemented in a variety of embodiments. In one such embodiment, data sets containing sensitive data elements are analyzed using aliases representing sensitive data elements. In another embodiment, the sensitive data elements are stored in an encrypted form for use from a secure access, while the alias is available for standard access.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reconciling data. In one implementation, the systems and methods may receive first data corresponding to an expected state of at least one of a plurality of objects and create second data corresponding to an actual state of the at least one of the plurality of objects. In addition, the systems and methods may compare the first data to the second data to determine if the actual state corresponds to the expected state. In accordance with another implementation, systems and methods are provided for determining and applying rules to data. Such systems and methods may receive data comprising a root element and at least one leaf element, the root element having attributes and the attributes comprising characteristics, select a condition table based upon the characteristics, select a first ruleset based upon the selected condition table, and apply rules defined by the selected first ruleset to the data.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to integration of a service-oriented transaction system with an information storage, access and analysis system, such as a Business Intelligence (BI) infrastructure. In general, in some implementations, a data transformation interface and a data transfer interface can be configured to effect data exchange between a computer-based information storage, access and analysis system including a second data model, and a computer-based service-oriented transactional system including a first data model. The data transformation interface and the data transfer interface can be configured to communicate through a decoupled information exchange that separates program implementation details of the data transfer interface from the data transformation interface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing real-time dynamic pricing information for a product based on receipt of a price queries from consumers at point-of-sale. The system receives price queries for a product provided by a consumer at point-of-sale by way of use of a mobile communicating device such as cellphone. The system maintains a database of received price queries. A preset price query threshold value associated with the product is retrieved in response to a received query. A price query count is extracted for the product, the price query count being the number of price queries generated in a predefined sample period. A product price is calculated in real time based on a comparison between the price query count and the threshold values. The consumer may be provided with discounts or coupons based on marketing campaign parameters derived from the price query.

Abstract: A method and system for incorporating trusted metadata in a computing environment is described. One illustrative embodiment is a system comprising at least one functional module configured to query a personalized database of trusted metadata including at least one report from an informer network that includes the computer user and at least one informer, each informer in the informer network being trusted by the computer user either directly or indirectly, each indirectly trusted informer being trusted directly by at least one other informer in the informer network, each of the at least one report including a subjective assertion regarding the quality of an item or an expression of a degree of trust in an informer; and at least one functional module configured to perform a task in the computing environment based at least in part on results of a query of the personalized database of trusted metadata.

Abstract: A network-based voice activated auto-attendant service is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a data processor is provided that can construct an enterprise voice directory by executing instructions to encrypt eXtended Markup Language (XML)-based files using an encryption key issued by a voice activated auto-attendant service provider network to form encrypted XML-based files. The instructions are further to store the encrypted XML-based files in a manner that is accessible to the voice activated auto-attendant service provider network, and to create the enterprise voice directory based on the encrypted XML-based files. The enterprise voice directory is configured to provide run-time access to the voice activated auto-attendant service provider network.

Abstract: A method is provided to authorize an online transaction between a purchaser and a merchant. The method includes providing, via an identity provider, verification of an identity of the purchaser. The method also includes providing, via a payment provider, verification of an ability of the purchaser to pay for the transaction, where the identity provider and the payment provider are different network entities. A computer system is also provided that can conduct an online transaction between a purchaser and a merchant providing one or more goods and/or services. The computer system includes a first node configured to provide verification of an identity of the purchaser, and a second node configured to provide verification of an ability of the purchaser to pay for the transaction, where the first node and the second node are associated with different network entities.

Abstract: The subject invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates mitigation of storage abuse in connection with free storage provided by messaging service providers such as email, instant messaging, chat, blogging, and/or web hosting service providers. The system and method involve measuring the outbound volume of stored data. When the volume satisfies a threshold, a cost can be imposed on the account to mitigate the suspicious or abusive activity. Other factors can be considered as well that can modify the cost imposed on the cost such as by increasing the cost. Machine learning can be employed as well to predict a level or degree of suspicion. The various factors or the text of the messages can be used as input for the machine learning system.

Abstract: A data capture system captures transaction data and a unique identifier of a recipient and combines the information to form a total transaction data set. The total transaction data set is associated with demographic information about the recipient and the total information is reserved for review by providers or recipients respectively to analyze the transactions.

Abstract: A database record controls a license to use a computational component. An input receives an order identifier associated with an order related to a computational component and an interface retrieves order information associated with the identifier. The order information comprises at least one material code. A material code mapping agent compares the material code with at least one material code mapping table to identify corresponding computational component information associated with the material code.

Abstract: Multiple atomic “component” database transactions are combined into a single extended transaction through message passing. The multiple component transactions that comprise a single extended transaction may, in combination, perform a single computation. The component transactions may pass messages to each other by writing and reading records to and from one or more databases. The resulting extended transaction may be distributed and/or long-lived.

Abstract: A method and system to conduct financial transactions over a communication network is provided. Data associated with a mobile communication device user is received and stored, and a user mobile airtime account is allocated to the user. A purchase request is received from the user via a mobile communication device, the purchase request being for a purchase from a merchant for a purchase amount. The communication network provides the user access to the network to make the purchase request without debiting a financial account of the user or the user mobile airtime account for the access to the communication network. A payment service provider now automatically debits the financial account of the user with the purchase amount, automatically allocates a service fee which is associated with the purchase amount to the mobile service provider and credits an account of the mobile service provider with the service fee.

Abstract: System(s) and/or method(s) (“tools”) are described that present indicia for implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages of a network browser application. The tools can present these indicia in a single graphic user interface, in response to a user's selection of a single unified access point, or in response to a search of the browser's user-associated web pages.

Abstract: A local search engine geographically indexes information for searching by identifying a geocoded web page of a web site and identifying at least one geocodable web page of the web site. The system identifies a geocode contained within content of the geocoded web page of the web site. The geocode indicates a physical location of an entity associated with the web site. The system indexes content of the geocoded web page and content of the geocodable web page. The indexing including associating the geocode contained within content of the geocoded web page to the indexed content of the geocoded web page and the geocodable web page to allow geographical searching of the content of the web pages.