Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20110054967 | DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HOME APPLIANCE - A diagnostic system and method for a home appliance is provided. When the home appliance outputs product information as a sound signal, a service center remotely performs fault diagnosis of the home appliance by receiving the sound signal, detecting the product information from the sound signal, checking the state of the home appliance using diagnostic data included in the product information to determine whether the home appliance is out of order, determining, when a drying error has occurred, a cause of the drying error, and deriving a solution to the drying error. Upon deriving a diagnosis result through the fault diagnosis of the home appliance, the service center immediately notifies the user of the diagnosis result and may dispatch a service technician or may provide the user with a solution to allow the user to easily fix the fault without dispatching a service technician. | 03-03-2011 |
20110060618 | Statistical Determination of Operator Error - Various embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for estimating a frequency of errors for data processing operators, but without human inspection of documents typed by the operators and without comparing documents typed by the operators against known transcriptions. | 03-10-2011 |
20110066460 | SECURITY AND PROPERTY SCHEDULING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A comprehensive real property security scheduling system having an interactive system for reporting, tracking, and rectifying security incidences and for generating alerts for a building, for an office complex comprising a number of buildings, and/or for a real property management company having multiple buildings and multiple sites. | 03-17-2011 |
20110066461 | Electronic Marketplace Providing Service Parts Inventory Planning and Management - Service parts inventory planning and management are provided for one or more entities in a supply chain ( | 03-17-2011 |
20110066462 | Method, System, and Computer Readable Medium Useful in Managing a Computer-Based System for Servicing User Initiated Tasks - A method for determining whether secondary activities (activities that can be executed during system “down time”) should be executed at a time, and executing at least one of the secondary activities according to a priority or interrupt scheme. The invention monitors a threshold, which can be based on several factors, to determine when system conditions are such that secondary activities should be conducted. When system conditions are such that secondary activities should occur, the invention conducts secondary activities according to an interrupt scheme. | 03-17-2011 |
20110071870 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED TIME BANKING - A method for automated time banking is provided. The method includes creating a time bank for an employee within an organization in a memory, and assigning the time bank to the employee. The method also includes determining base hours, vacation hours, and hours worked for the employee, and processing the base hours, vacation hours, and hours worked in a computer to determine time bank hours for the employee. The method further includes storing the time bank hours in the time bank, processing the time bank in the computer to determine a work schedule for the employee, and storing the work schedule in the memory. | 03-24-2011 |
20110082717 | HIERARCHICAL MISSION MANAGEMENT - The different advantageous embodiments further provide a system for hierarchical mission management comprising a number of mission planners, a data processing system, and a communication system. The number of mission planners are associated with a number of agent groups. The data processing system is configured to execute the number of mission planners. The communication system is configured to provide communication between the number of mission planners. | 04-07-2011 |
20110087510 | Incident Communication System - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium are presented, for providing incident notifications. The systems and processes disclosed here automatically generate and send notifications relating to an incident in accordance with an enterprise's business rules and provide real time reporting of all communications relating to the incident. | 04-14-2011 |
20110093305 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FUELING MANAGEMENT - Systems and methods for determining and administering a refueling schedule for a fleet of one or more hydrogen-consuming vehicles, and managing hydrogen production rates and inventory levels servicing such vehicles. In certain embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods relate to determining when a vehicle may use a refueling station. The disclosed systems and methods also relate to controlling the rate and schedule according to which hydrogen is produced by one or more hydrogen generation plants available to the vehicle fleet, based upon the fuel inventories, consumption rates and/or refueling patterns of the fleet. | 04-21-2011 |
20110093306 | FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPLEX EVENT PROCESSING OF VEHICLE-RELATED INFORMATION VIA LOCAL AND REMOTE COMPLEX EVENT PROCESSING ENGINES - A fleet management complex event processing (CEP) engine executes on at least one hardware computer processor. The CEP engine receives at least a first input stream onto which first vehicle information related to a first vehicle is published, and a second input stream onto which second vehicle information related to a second vehicle is published. The CEP engine applies at least one query to the first input stream and the second input stream, and assesses if a fleet-related complex event has occurred. If it is determined in that the fleet-related complex event has occurred, the CEP engine publishes an indication of occurrence of the fleet-related complex event on at least one output stream. | 04-21-2011 |
20110112877 | Method and Apparatus for Constraint-based Staff Scheduling - A constraint-based framework models and solves the problem of assigning staff, for example a set of cardiologists, to various work-shifts or work-assignments, for example a day shift and a night shift, for a pre-defined scheduling horizon, for example three months. A work-schedule is produced, which is defined as a list of staff-shift or staff-assignment combinations that meet the various criteria set by the staff and the healthcare facility on how the staff need to work. The staff then uses this work-schedule to perform the needed activities for the amount of time specified by the scheduling horizon. The scheduling problem is modeled with the help of constraints and variables to express the physical constraints specified by the staff on their work schedules and the needs of the healthcare facility. By embedding the scheduling model within a software program, a work-schedule is produced quickly that meets the requirements of the staff and the healthcare facility. | 05-12-2011 |
20110112878 | Virtual Monitoring of Aircraft Fleet Loads - A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product for virtual monitoring of aircraft fleet loads are provided. The method includes calculating virtual load data associated with an aircraft from a set of orthogonal waveforms. The method also includes calculating a set of coefficients as a function of parametric data and high frequency data associated with an aircraft. The method further includes storing the set of coefficients on the aircraft and transmitting the set of coefficients to a ground-based system configured to reproduce the virtual load data based on a copy of the set of orthogonal waveforms and the received set of coefficients in order to perform aircraft fleet management. | 05-12-2011 |
20110119101 | Case Management Services - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for automatically routing and managing human resource requests. A method includes receiving a work ticket including a ticket identification code, a request type, a submission date, and an employee identification code from a workforce management engine, the work ticket being associated with a human resource request submitted by an employee at a human resource portal; assigning a case identification code to the work ticket; associating a work flow with the case identification code, the work flow including a status condition, and at least one work flow task associated with a workflow task event; and transmitting an update to the workforce management engine, the transmitting triggered by the work flow task event. | 05-19-2011 |
20110119102 | Paperless Docketing Workflow System - A workflow system provides role-specific console programs that display information for working attorneys, covering attorneys, paralegals and others. The system enables a working attorney's workflow items to be covered by another attorney, without intermingling display of “to do” items belonging to the covering attorney with “to do” items belonging to the working attorney. Another aspect of the system enables automatically attaching documents that are relevant to a workflow item to an e-mail message. | 05-19-2011 |
20110125540 | SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM USING INTERACTIVE ROBOT AND METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM THEREOF - An interactive robot may audibly communicate with a user, determine whether reasoning is performed according to a reasoning weight of a schedule if there is a schedule to be recommended by the interactive robot during conversation between the interactive robot and the user, perform reasoning using information collected in a database if reasoning is necessary, and provide schedule information to the user. | 05-26-2011 |
20110125541 | Using Alerts to Bring Attention to In-Store Information - A method and system is provided that uses alerts to bring in-store information that is of interest to the attention of team members working in a retail store. To send an alert to a team member logged in to a device data, data from a source is evaluated against business rules. An event is generated when a piece of data satisfies the business rules. The event indicates that the piece of data is of interest. A task is activated for the event and assigned to the team member acting in a role associated with the source of the event. An alert is sent to the device that the team member is logged in to indicating that the team member has been assigned the task. | 05-26-2011 |
20110137696 | PERFORMING FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS BASED ON SURVEY RESULTS - Systems and methods for prompting follow-up actions in response to a survey. According to some implementations, a computer implemented method includes receiving survey result information that is extracted from an automated survey offered to a survey recipient. The method also includes receiving an indication that one or more follow-up actions are warranted based in part on an analysis of the survey result information and providing a notification to one or more individuals responsible for performing the one or more follow-up actions. | 06-09-2011 |
20110137697 | AUTOMATED CORRECTIVE AND PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE SYSTEM - A method and system for automated corrective and predictive maintenance is described herein. In one embodiment, a failure notification associated with a tool is received, wherein the failure notification indicates one or more failure events for the tool. Maintenance data associated with the tool is obtained, wherein the maintenance data includes one or more maintenance events for the tool. An optimal schedule is created for the tool by merging the failure notification and the maintenance data. | 06-09-2011 |
20110137698 | SERVICE CALL-AHEAD SYSTEM AND METHOD - Systems and methods for managing service orders are disclosed herein. A computer implemented method, according to some implementations of the present disclosure, includes storing an estimated travel time and estimated time of arrival (ETA). The estimated travel time may be defined as an estimated period of time for a servicer to travel from a current location to a service destination associated with a customer who is to receive a service from the servicer. The ETA may be defined as an estimated time of day when the servicer is expected to arrive at the service destination. The computer implemented method also includes calculating a call-ahead time defined by a time of day when the customer is to be notified of the servicer's ETA at the service destination. The calculation of the call-ahead time may be based in part on a predetermined advanced-warning time period and the ETA. The predetermined advanced-warning time period may be defined as a predetermined amount of time before the ETA for providing an advanced warning of the ETA. The method also includes automatically notifying the customer of the servicer's ETA at the service destination no earlier than the call-ahead time. | 06-09-2011 |
20110137699 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CAB MANAGEMENT - It is provided a super territorial service center for allocating orders for payable back travels to location-related service providers traveling outside their respective local territories The service center receives service orders, receives data associated with location and availability of the service providers, and allocates service orders to service providers The service orders include service times, pick-up locations, and destinations in local territories different from the pick-up location The service center includes an order interface, a service provider interface and an allocating unit The order interface receives service orders from clients using the internet, telephony system, cellular networks, and indirectly through local dispatchers The service provider interface receives the data associated with location and availability of the service providers The allocating module searches appropriate service provider in a gradually increasing zone around the pick-up location, searches appropriate service provider, calculates travel time between locations, and prioritizes service provider | 06-09-2011 |
20110145031 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT OF A BUSINESS PROCESS - A method and system for workflow management in a business process environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes determining respective attributes of a plurality of business documents received via an input device of the computing device, and receiving a set of business rules associated with the plurality of business documents. The set of business rules are based on the attributes of the plurality of business documents. The method also includes forming a plurality of queue filters for segregating a set of transactions associated with the plurality of business documents based on the set of business rules, and forming a plurality of queues based on the plurality of queue filters and at least one activity associated with the set of transactions. Further, the method includes generating on a display of the computing device, a list of agents assigned for each of the plurality of queues. | 06-16-2011 |
20110145032 | Workforce management system for forecasting and scheduling work items that cross intervals - A forecast and plan generation process for a workforce management (WFM) system implements an algorithm to calculate staffing requirements when average handling time (AHT) is longer than a data collection statistics period and/or a work item is in progress of being handled in more than one interval. A schedule generation process schedules an agent for intervals after a work item is provided/connected to the agent, preferably up to an including an interval when the work item terminates (based on the AHT of the work item and a simulated arrival time of the work item). Additional agents are scheduled for new work items that are forecasted to arrive in an interval, in addition to the agents that may already be connected to a contact. | 06-16-2011 |
20110145033 | System and Method for Communicating Vending Information - A system and method for communicating vending information for a digital video disc is provided. A plurality of vending transaction data is received, wherein each of the plurality of data comprises a transaction timestamp and corresponds to a rental transaction for a digital video disc. The plurality of vending transaction data is stored in a memory of a vending apparatus, and is encrypted. It is determined whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since a first transmission of transaction data from the vending apparatus, and a communication request is transmitted upon such determination to a remote control center. A signal is received at the vending apparatus from a control center in response to the communications request, and a plurality of vending transaction data is transmitted to the remote control center in response to receiving the signal. | 06-16-2011 |
20110161126 | RESOURCE FREE TIME REPORTING IN A TASK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - The reporting of the free time for the resources of a task management system can begin with a free time reporter receiving an identifier of a resource registered with a task management system and a time period from a graphical user interface (GUI) of the task management system. The time period can be defined by a start date and an end date or a total quantity of time. For each resource, time allocation data can be queried to determine the quantity of time the resource is allocated to existing task activities during the time period. A free time report can then be generated based upon the queried data. The free time report can then be presented within the GUI of the task management system. | 06-30-2011 |
20110161127 | Method and System for Providing Site Recovery Information - A computer readable storage medium stores a set of instructions executable by a processor. The instructions are operable to receive, from a plurality of sources, data relating to a plurality of problems in a network; categorize the data according to a plurality of criteria, the criteria relating to the plurality of problems; and generate a subset of the categorized data. | 06-30-2011 |
20110161128 | Scheduling and Assigning Units of Work - Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for scheduling and assigning worker profiles to units of work. For example, in one embodiment, a scheduling system ensures that (a) workers are appropriately qualified to complete or perform units of work, (b) scheduling conflicts on a workers' schedule are avoided, and (c) customizable rules and guidelines are followed with respect to assigning the units of work. | 06-30-2011 |
20110173040 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CUSTOMER ALLOCATION - Systems and methods for allocating customers to agents. Customer information is received from customers that contains characteristics about the customers. The customer information may be stored in a database. Agent information is stored in a database and contains caller conversion success profiles for the agents. The caller conversion success profiles contain information regarding an agents ability to perform with customers having certain characteristics. | 07-14-2011 |
20110173041 | VENUE PRODUCT SALES AND NETWORKING - Systems, apparatus, interfaces, methods, and articles of manufacture for venue product sales and networking are provided. | 07-14-2011 |
20110191134 | CONTACT OFFER TIME FOR AGENTS SUPPORTING CONTACT CENTERS - A method for assisting an agent supporting a contact center is provided. The method includes obtaining one or more contact offer factors, determining a contact offer time for the agent supporting the contact center based on the one or more contact offer factors, and providing the contact offer time to the agent. The contact offer time defines when the agent will receive a contact offer. | 08-04-2011 |
20110191135 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING ON-DEMAND ROUTES FOR POWERED INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES - Systems and methods for creating in a facility on-demand routes for powered industrial vehicles to transport cargo efficiently. In one embodiment, an on-demand route generation module receives receiving a request to move cargo. The module analyzes data about the current location, the current tasking, and the driver availability of PIVs in operation. Based on the information, the module creates an on-demand route through the facility and sends a notification to an assigned PIV to pick up the cargo and carry it on the defined on-demand route. | 08-04-2011 |
20110202379 | Personalized uniform resource locator contact management system - Real-time notification of customers using communication channels such as email and the web that enables intelligent routing of the notification based on user generated rules. | 08-18-2011 |
20110238456 | Business Automation Techniques - Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing business automation. A business automation system is disclosed that provides contact tracking, split testing, landing page creation, tracking of the performance of printed promotions that are sent by direct mail, and automated follow-up, to name a few examples. Points can be assigned to certain activities within the system, and contacts that have the highest scores based upon those activities can be identified for additional follow-up. A browser-based designer allows for the generation of print materials such as post cards. Multiple layers can be added, manipulated, and/or rearranged. A PDF proof can also be generated. A browser based designer is also described that allows for the generation of landing pages. | 09-29-2011 |
20110246253 | PROVISION OF SUPPORT SERVICES AS A SERVICE - A method of providing support services as a service is presented. For example, the method includes providing to a service provider one or more service modules operative to provide the support services to the service provider. The one or more service modules are provided by one or more suppliers of the support services and include instruction code operative to be performed on a processor device and one or more application programming interfaces operative for programmatic access to the one or more service module. The service modules may further include one or more user interfaces operative for interactive access to a respective service module. The one or more service modules may include, for example, one or more of a profile service module, an offering service module, a customer service module, a process service module, a user interface service module and a revenue service module. | 10-06-2011 |
20110246254 | ENTERPRISE PROPOSAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A system and method for managing an enterprise is provided. The system and method may be based on a layered architecture including a data center that may store all documents and data abstractions for an enterprise. One or more services may interact with an enterprise resource planning system and/or a customer relationship manager to facilitate interaction with the documents and data abstractions. A client access point of the system may include a graphical user interface that includes one or more enterprise management functions for managing the enterprise documents and/or data abstractions. The enterprise management functions may include a user proposal manager, an enterprise proposal manager, a proposal library, a content health manager, an archive library, a bid center, a contracts manager, a resume manager, a debriefing center, and/or a projects manager. The enterprise management functions may re-engineer business processes and enable users to manage all aspects of an enterprise using a single unified interface. | 10-06-2011 |
20110251867 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATED OPERATIONS AND SERVICE SUPPORT - A method, system, and computer program product for initiating a plurality of incident and service requests are provided. Outages are checked corresponding to the incident and service requests. If the outages exist, they are displayed and mapped to the incident and service requests. If the outages do not exist, they are created if required and mapped corresponding to the incident and service requests. The incident and service requests are assigned to users available in a shift for solutions. If the solutions corresponding to the incident and service requests exist in a knowledge database, they are implemented. If the solutions corresponding to the incident and service requests do not exist in the knowledge database, they are created by the users available in the shift. Various checks are performed based on a checklist prior to the closure of the incident and service requests. | 10-13-2011 |
20110258010 | Systems and Methods for Shared Task Management - A task management system is disclosed for providing shared task management among a variety of users and allows users to create and share task-lists and tasks. Users can invite others to join task-lists and can assign responsibility for tasks to other users. In various embodiments, the system implicitly sets permissions for every task-list and task, and these permissions are automatically changed or updated by the system in response to users interacting with the system. In another embodiment, users can explicitly set these permissions. Thus, the task management system is configured so that there is no single administrator of the system; rather each user may be an administrator of certain tasks and task-lists and thus set the related task and task-list permissions. Thus, the system is configured to operate in the absence of explicitly set permissions, but is also flexible to allow for users to change and modify permissions explicitly. | 10-20-2011 |
20110264479 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FILTERING, DISTRIBUTING AND ROUTING SALES LEADS - A system and method of managing leads by filtering, distributing and routing leads to a representative using business intelligence. | 10-27-2011 |
20110276356 | METHOD OF MATCHING EMPLOYERS WITH JOB SEEKERS - A method of facilitating a match between an employer with at least one job opening and job seekers is provided. The employer has a set of position preferences related to the job opening. The job seekers have suitability data, resumes, etc., that are provided to the employer. The suitability data includes normalized assessment data. The method includes the steps of: determining a position quotient based on the position preferences; deriving a performance quotient for each job seeker, the performance quotient including normalized assessment data; comparing each the performance quotient to the position quotient; and ranking each the job seeker based on the comparison of the performance quotient to the position quotient. | 11-10-2011 |
20110276357 | SYSTEM AND METHODS OF MANAGING ASSIGNMENTS - Disclosed are systems and methods of making assignments, particularly of sales leads. The assignments are considered either committed or uncommitted responsive to an effective date associated with one or more assignment rule used to make the assignments. Uncommitted assignments may be used to review the effects of changes in assignment rules. Examples are provided including the use of uncommitted assignments to review the effects of changes in a hierarchical territory structure. | 11-10-2011 |
20110282705 | Project Management Systems and Methods - Embodiments of the present invention provide improved project management systems and methods. In one embodiment the present invention includes a project management system comprising a plurality of radial task regions displayed around a focal point and a plurality of time regions displayed around the focal point, wherein each time region represents a period of time. The present invention may be implemented in software or as a project management template provided on a sheet of material such as paper. | 11-17-2011 |
20110288897 | METHOD OF AGENT ASSISTED RESPONSE TO SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTIONS - Methods and systems provided herein provide an enterprise with the ability to conduct quickly and consistently respond to social media work items and other work items. In particular, a collaboration tool is provided to agents which allows the agents to view historical responses of other agents that have been determined, by an automated agent, to be relevant to a newly received work item. The relevant historical responses can be used to service newly received work items as either a suggestion for responding or as a response template. Responses to work items are then archived with data which describes the nature of the response and the work item for which it was created. | 11-24-2011 |
20110288898 | Coordinating Services - The use of one or more services in a computer system is scheduled so as to limit the overall system cost. The scheduling is based upon information concerning the fixed and incremental components of the cost of using the service, and a set of clients to which the service is available. | 11-24-2011 |
20110288899 | CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - A control system for remotely controlling the operation of a water distribution system is disclosed. The control system comprises a communication interface to enable communication between the control system and the water distribution system such that communication includes receiving from the water distribution system payment for dispensing of water, data on the working of its various components and data on the quality of the water dispensed by it. The control system further comprises a control processor configured to analyse data received from the water distribution system to determine if the quality of the water at the water distribution system satisfies a predetermined quality standard and to determine if the components of the water distribution system are functioning within a predetermined range. The control processor is further configured to issue component parameter adjustment instructions to modify the working of the water distribution system or instructions to stop dispensing of water if the quality standard is not satisfied or the components of the water distribution system are not functioning within the predetermined range. | 11-24-2011 |
20110295636 | AUTONOMOUS MACHINE SELECTIVE CONSULTATION - The different illustrative embodiments provide a system for selective consultation comprising a number of autonomous machines and a selective consultation system. The number of autonomous machines is configured to perform area coverage tasks in a worksite. The selective consultation system is configured to resolve issues encountered during operation of the number of autonomous machines in the worksite. | 12-01-2011 |
20110295637 | Method for Assisting a User in Obtaining a Repair Service at the User's House or Building - A service bureau system and method for assisting a user in retaining a service from a service provider selected from a plurality of service providers providing a plurality of different services. The system includes a receiving module receiving a service request from the user and identifying the user. The system also includes a service representative module having an input receiving an instruction from a service representative. The instruction includes a selection of one of the plurality of service providers. The system further includes a communication module establishing a communication between the service representative and the user responsive to receiving the user service request. The system also includes a scheduling module scheduling the selected service provider to provide the requested service. | 12-01-2011 |
20110301991 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS IN HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS - Methods and systems for scheduling appointments in healthcare environments are described. An example medical scheduling system includes a data storage to store data including information associated with an open appointment and information associated with at least one of a type of care or a symptom exhibited by a patient and a processor to receive input from a first access device associated with the open appointment. The processor to identify a patient appointment request based on at least one of a type of care or a symptom exhibited by the patient from input received from a second access device. The processor to convey input received from the first access device to the second access device to facilitate scheduling the patient in the open appointment. | 12-08-2011 |
20110301992 | CONDITION BASED MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT - A method for supporting maintenance on a fleet of deployed equipment units each provided with an on-board data processing module and a data storage module, comprising: Providing and maintaining a database of repeatedly determined condition based operational status data of said equipment unit; Providing a set of predetermined maintenance tasks; Providing maintenance condition rules for determining maintenance need status, Determining repeatedly maintenance need status dependent on a selection of said condition based operational status data and said maintenance condition rules; Selecting repeatedly a maintenance task from said set of predetermined maintenance tasks list dependent on said maintenance need; Determining repeatedly a collection of current maintenance tasks for a maintenance schedule, and Generating a maintenance schedule comprising operator directives for said current maintenance tasks. | 12-08-2011 |
20110301993 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING PERSONALIZED STATIONERY DESIGNS AND SELECTING FULFILLMENT ORDER SITES - A system and method are described for digitally processing a stationery order and for selecting an optimum fulfillment site for fulfilling the stationery order. For example, a method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: providing an end user with a set of selectable stationery templates, the stationery personalization engine receiving an indication that an end user has selected a particular one of the stationery templates; collecting personalization data from the user, the personalization data including personalized messages, one or more stationery formatting options selected by the user, and names and addresses of stationery recipients; applying the personalization data to the stationery templates to generate a personalized stationery design; identifying a set of eligible fulfillment sites for printing the stationery design based on a first set of variables; and identifying an optimal fulfillment site from the set of eligible fulfillment sites based on a second set of variables. | 12-08-2011 |
20110307283 | METHOD FOR STAFFING A CALL CENTER - A method for staffing a call center involves, via a processor at the call center, generating a work schedule of a call center advisor for a then-current work day, the work schedule including i) information related to at least one planned activity, and ii) information related to at least one shrink activity, the information related to the at least one shrink activity being forecasted from a time-based, graduated ramp schedule. The method further involves, via the processor, utilizing the work schedule to determine an appropriate number of call center advisors for the call center throughout a future work day. | 12-15-2011 |
20110307284 | COMMAND CENTER COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF COMPLEX MEDICAL ENVIRONMENTS - Computer-implemented systems, apparatus and methods for managing information, operations and functions in a complex medical environment and providing a command control center interface for receiving/sending/displaying data, relating to products, instructions, diagnosis, consultation, patient's information, supplies and their provision, registration, scheduling, updating and like operational functions and features, and updating on an ongoing basis to coordinate, control and synchronize necessary and/or desirable operations within the environment, whereby the “hospital of the future” is effectively facilitated with proficiency and efficiency in an accurate and reliable manner. Such systems may also include one or more client terminal devices in communication with a data interchange subsystem. | 12-15-2011 |
20110313802 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TASK MANAGEMENT WITH SUB-PORTIONS AND MULTIPLE SUB-PORTION CHARACTERISTIC MANIPULATION - A method and system for providing for the management of resources wherein the method and system provide an ordered collection of entries that may be selected in a plurality or group and manipulated as a plurality or group. | 12-22-2011 |
20110313803 | Social Task Lists - Providing access to task lists via social communications systems is provided. A user may expose a list authoring surface and associated task lists to other users via one or more social communications systems. When another user attempts to access contents of the list authoring surface, the user attempting access may be required to provide permissions credentials, or the attempting user's social communications account may be designated as a permissioned account from which access to the contents of the list authoring surface may be obtained. Version control management may be applied to the accessed task lists to ensure accessing users receive access to most up-to-date versions of accessed task lists. Once an accessing user obtains access to a given task list, the accessing user may comment on accessed tasks, make changes to accessed tasks and/or collaborate on accessed tasks. | 12-22-2011 |
20110313804 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ARRANGING TRANSPORT AMONGST PARTIES THROUGH USE OF MOBILE DEVICES - A system and method are described for enabling transportation to be arranged for individuals carrying handsets or mobile devices. In some embodiments, a customer can transmit a request for transport from a given customer geographic location. A service may handle the request by selecting a driver for the customer. | 12-22-2011 |
20110320230 | USER INTERFACE FOR PROVIDING A USER WITH THE ABILITY TO VIEW JOB ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION - A graphical user interface (GUI) implemented on a computer for displaying job assignment information associated with a given user. The GUI comprises an information display area for displaying a plurality of entries, each entry of the plurality of entries being associated with a respective job assignment for the given user, each entry further displaying a data element identifying the respective job assignment, wherein at least one entry of the plurality of entries is indicative of a past job assignment. The GUI further comprises a control component operable by the user at the computer to cause the graphical user interface to display additional information regarding a selected job assignment. | 12-29-2011 |
20110320231 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING A USER TO BID ON A WORK ASSIGNMENT - A graphical user interface implemented on a computer for enabling a user to bid on a job assignment. The graphical user interface comprises an information display area for displaying a plurality of entries, each entry of the plurality of entries being indicative of a respective job grouping, each job grouping being associated with at least one job on which the user can bid. The graphical user interface further comprising a control component operable by the user at the computer to cause the graphical user interface to display additional information associated with a selected one of the job groupings. | 12-29-2011 |
20110320232 | Automatic Service Vehicle Hailing and Dispatch System and Method - A system and method are provided for improving efficiency of operation and convenience of access to a fleet of taxis, or other service vehicles, requiring rapid, on-demand dispatch to customer-determined locations. Automatic speech recognition (ASR) and/or radiolocation technology arc used to automate the entry of the customer pickup location, and optionally the dropoff location and other relevant information as well. A customer speaks the pickup location into a cellular telephone which then digitizes and transmits it as a data communication to an ASR system. The ASR system decodes the digitized utterance into a pickup location which is passed to a vehicle matching and dispatch system. The vehicle matching and dispatch system matches a taxi and dispatches it to the pickup location. In one embodiment, the identified pickup location is transmitted to the customer's cellular telephone for confirmation or correction, before dispatch of the requested taxi. | 12-29-2011 |
20120010918 | System and Method For the Automated Dispatch of Fueling Operations - An intelligent solution for monitoring, assigning, and accounting fueling operations. An automated dispatch fueling system comprises a fuel management server populated with airport profile and dispatcher configurations. Utilizing information stored in the database and received from external systems, the automated dispatch fueling system can automatically assign and monitor fueling operations. | 01-12-2012 |
20120022904 | VEHICLE ROUTE SELECTION BASED ON ENERGY USAGE - Vehicle management systems and associated processes can consider energy consumption when selecting routes for fleet vehicles. Vehicle management systems and associated processes are described that, in certain embodiments, evaluate vehicle energy usage based on factors such as terrain or elevation, vehicle characteristics, driver characteristics, road conditions, traffic, speed limits, stop time, turn information, traffic information, and weather information, and the like. The features described herein may also be implemented for non-fleet vehicles, such as in personal vehicle navigation systems. | 01-26-2012 |
20120022905 | PERFORMING FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS BASED ON SURVEY RESULTS - Systems and methods for prompting follow-up actions in response to a survey. According to some implementations, a computer implemented method includes receiving survey result information that is extracted from an automated survey offered to a survey recipient. The method also includes receiving an indication that one or more follow-up actions are warranted based in part on an analysis of the survey result information and providing a notification to one or more individuals responsible for performing the one or more follow-up actions. | 01-26-2012 |
20120022906 | System for Scheduling Classes and Managing Educational Resources - A method is provided for automatically producing a schedule of classes for an educational institution having a plurality of teachers, a plurality of students, and a curriculum. The method preferably includes receiving designations of a plurality of curriculum modules of the curriculum, each curriculum module including educational material, one or more of the curriculum modules being prerequisite modules for one or more subsequent modules. The method also preferably includes receiving, as an input into a computer system, curriculum information comprising an indication of which of the modules are prerequisite modules for subsequent modules. An input into the computer system includes student information comprising, for one or more of the plurality of students, an indication of his level of competence with respect to the educational material of one or more modules. The computer system preferably produces a schedule of classes for teaching the educational material of at least some of the modules responsive to the curriculum information and the student information. Educational material to be taught in each of the scheduled classes includes the educational material of a respective one of the curriculum modules. The students assigned to each of the scheduled classes have preferably attained at least a predetermined level of competence with respect to the educational material of the respective modules that are prerequisite modules for the module to be taught in the class. | 01-26-2012 |
20120029961 | METHOD, DEVICE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SERVICE BALANCING IN AN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM - A method of service balancing in an electronic communications system. The method comprises receiving ( | 02-02-2012 |
20120029962 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING JOB ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION TO A USER - A method for a business organization to assign a job to an employee comprising providing a job assignment database stored on a computer readable medium. The job assignment database storing job data conveying an identification of a job assignment yet to be performed and an identification of an employee that has been assigned the job assignment. The method further comprising executing software encoded on a machine readable storage medium by a CPU in communication with the job assignment database to implement a notification vehicle selection logic for selecting a notification vehicle among a set of notification vehicles to notify the employee of the job assignment and send an electronic notification to the employee of the job assignment over the selected notification vehicle. | 02-02-2012 |
20120046984 | RESOURCE USAGE CALCULATION FOR PROCESS SIMULATION - Resource usage calculation for process simulation (such as business process simulation). For each resource used by a simulated process, a usage counter object (or similar data structure) is used. In one embodiment, the usage counter object for each resource includes a list of time slots sorted by start times, and another list of time slots sorted by end times, to keep track of currently-scheduled time slots for this particular resource. In another embodiment, the usage counter object for each resource includes a list of time slots, sorted by start times and having associated end times, to keep track of the currently-scheduled time slots for this particular resource. The usage counter objects also store a count of how many units of this resource are currently in use, and a count of how many users are currently using the resource. These counters are updated using the sorted time slot lists. | 02-23-2012 |
20120066016 | PROVIDING WORK, TRAINING, AND INCENTIVES TO COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES IN CONTACT HANDLING SYSTEMS - Several of the embodiments disclosed herein relate to accessing and tracking real-time data concerning company representative performance, proficiency, training, scheduling, current work flow, and estimated work flow. Moreover, many of the improvements in contact handling systems disclosed herein automatically provide training, work, and incentives to company representatives to improve performance, proficiency, efficiency, effectiveness, automate scheduling, and automated work flow. Thus, as a result of the teachings disclosed herein, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and revenue may be improved in the contact handling industry. | 03-15-2012 |
20120072253 | OUTSOURCING TASKS VIA A NETWORK - Using a distributed set of unsupervised workers to produce a work product is disclosed. In some embodiments, a work product is received. A review task to review the work product is provided to a reviewing worker included in the set of unsupervised workers. A result of the review task is received. A determination is made, based at least in part on the review result, whether the work product satisfies an acceptance criteria. | 03-22-2012 |
20120078673 | DYNAMIC QUEUEING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - The present disclosure describes a dynamic queueing and management system. The system utilizes the desired completion time in determining where to place new orders into the queue of orders to be fulfilled. If the desired completion time changes, the position of the corresponding order is adjusted within the queue. In some embodiments, the desired completion time is determined based on the location of the customer, either within the store or en route to the store. The queueing and management system may also separate the order input function from the order fulfillment and delivery functions. This may optimize each part of the process and allow faster service. | 03-29-2012 |
20120084109 | Decisioning Guidelines And Framework - A system and method of identifying one or more locations eligible to perform a work function based on one or more filtering parameters is provided. The system and method may include receiving a first plurality of locations and filtering the first plurality of locations to identify a second plurality of locations eligible to perform an identified work function based on a first filtering parameter. The second plurality of locations may be further filtered to determine a third plurality of eligible locations, the third plurality of eligible locations being identified based on a second filtering parameter. In some examples, the third plurality of locations may be further filtered to identify a fourth plurality of eligible locations, the fourth plurality of eligible locations being identified based on a third filtering parameter. | 04-05-2012 |
20120084110 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SMART OIL, GAS AND CHEMICAL PROCESS SCHEDULING - A system and method support smart scheduling for an oil, gas and chemical process system with a plurality of facility units. A subset of the process facility units can be selected from the plurality of process facility units. A partial scheduling calculation can be performed on the selected subset of process facility units, independently from the rest of the chemical process facility units. A schedule can be calculated for the subset of chemical process facility units, based on the partial scheduling calculation. | 04-05-2012 |
20120089431 | Decisioning Framework - A system and method of determining a recommended location for performing a work function is provided. In some examples, the system and method may include receiving a plurality of process criteria, such as hours of operation associated with the work function, type of work performed, skill set desired, language skills desired, etc. The system and method may further include receiving a plurality of provider attributes, such as languages spoken, knowledge base/skill set, flexibility of staffing, etc. One or more recommended locations for performing the work function may be determined based on the business and provider attributes. | 04-12-2012 |
20120089432 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ASSESSING PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH AN EMPLOYEE WITHOUT A JOB ASSIGNMENT - A method for managing the application of penalties to employees of a company. The method comprises executing software encoded on a machine readable storage medium by a CPU to implement a job assignment monitoring function, the job assignment monitoring function monitoring events occurring in the course of a job assignment procedure during which a server arrangement communicates with a remote client over a data network to present an employee at the remote client with a job proposal, detecting among the monitored events a penalty triggering event and in response to the detecting, determining a penalty to be applied to the employee on the basis of the penalty triggering event. The method further comprises recording in an employee record stored in a database, data derived from the determining to register the penalty applied to the employee. | 04-12-2012 |
20120095796 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE SURVEY MANAGEMENT - A method for mobile survey management includes creating a survey database for storing surveyee information, survey question information, survey results information, the surveyee information including a list of a plurality of surveyees to be visited by a plurality of surveyors, and the survey question information including a survey question to ask to the plurality of surveyees, assigning one or more surveyors to one or more surveyees, transmitting the surveyee information including the list of one or more surveyees assigned to each surveyor to each surveyor's mobile survey device along with the survey question information, displaying the list of the one or more surveyees assigned to each surveyor on each surveyor's mobile survey device, displaying the survey question on the display of each surveyor's mobile survey device, entering an answer by each surveyee to the survey question to the mobile survey device, transmitting the survey result from each mobile survey device to the database, the survey result comprising the answer by each surveyee to the survey question, and updating the survey results information in the survey database based on the survey results transmitted from the plurality of mobile survey devices in a real-time basis. | 04-19-2012 |
20120095797 | Method of Managing Access Right, and System and Computer Program for the Same - A method of managing an access right to at least one asset associated with at least one digital work order, to at least one first element associated with the at least one asset, or to at least one second element associated with an access path to the at least one asset or the first element, and relates to a system and a computer program for the same. | 04-19-2012 |
20120101865 | System for Rating Agents and Customers for Use in Profile Compatibility Routing - A method for routing transactions from customers to agents follows a process of receiving, at a routing server, a transaction to route, and soliciting the customers before connection to an agent, to rate the agents after agent interaction, and checking for existing customer routing profiles. Upon finding an existing routing profile for a customer, checking for existing routing profiles of available agents, and finding existing agent routing profiles, routing customer to agent by matching routing profiles. If no existing routing profile is found for a customer, routing to an agent by a default routing strategy. | 04-26-2012 |
20120101866 | SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT DESIGN AND ENFORCEMENT FOR OUTSOURCED CALL CENTER - A method for managing support services includes storing one or more support level agreements (SLAs), each having an associated attribute, in a database as one or more corresponding data objects. One or more trouble tickets, each having one or more associated attributes, are entered into the database as one or more corresponding data objects. One or more of the one or more stored SLAs are automatically applied to each of the one or more trouble tickets by matching the attributes of the one or more trouble tickets with the attributes of the one or more SLAs. | 04-26-2012 |
20120109700 | Payroll System Optimization - In one preferred implementation, a business rules engine optimizes staffing decisions by accepting as inputs top-down constraint as well as bottom-up constraint rules to dynamically determine short to medium term optimal staffing patterns. The business rules engine of this embodiment optionally utilizes a Holt-Winters algorithm which factors in both seasonal and annualized trend information. In certain embodiments, the business rules engine is able to more accurately estimate necessary minimum staffing based on business constraints at both the strategic and operations levels. For instance, strategic (top-down) factors may include intentional overstaffing of stores during certain time periods or in certain key geographic regions, sales forecasts, aggregate margin enhancement, etc. Operational (bottom-up) factors can, in selected embodiments, include time-to-unload, time-to-stock, product throughput and related factors. | 05-03-2012 |
20120109701 | Fulfillment Workflow Optimization - A system and method for an optimization of fulfillment workflow is disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include receiving a request to be fulfilled from a client. The method may also include determining one or more item attributes associated with the request. The method may additionally include generating a batch of work units related to the request based at least in part on the one or more item attributes. The method may further include selecting an agent from a plurality of agents to process the batch. Moreover, the method may include transmitting the batch to the agent. | 05-03-2012 |
20120123818 | VIRTUAL MEETING SAVINGS - A method comprises receiving, by a processor, a number of participants for a virtual meeting and a home location for each participant. For each participant, the method further comprises ascertaining, by the processor, an environmental emissions savings associated with the participant in participating in the virtual meeting compared to having traveled to a corresponding meeting in-person. | 05-17-2012 |
20120130762 | Building directory aided navigation - A navigation system utilizes building directories to aid navigation. A mobile device, such as a mobile phone, captures an image of a building directory. The building directory includes information regarding the names and/or locations of tenants. An image recognition algorithm is performed on the captured image to extract information from the building directory. The extracted information is used to access a map database. The mobile device may display directions or a map to guide the user to a selected destination. In addition, the captured image may be used to build the map database or update the map database. Finally, the captured image may be matched with stored images of the building directory to determine the current location of the mobile device. | 05-24-2012 |
20120143644 | MINE SCHEDULING SYSTEM - A system for scheduling mine activities is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of sources of operational data indicative of scheduling relevant information associated with a plurality of mine operations, the mine operations being interdependent, a scheduling facility remotely disposed relative to the mine operations, the scheduling facility comprising at least one display, and a communications network arranged to facilitate transfer of the operational data from the mine operations to the scheduling facility. The scheduling facility is arranged to use the operational data to display scheduling relevant information indicative of the status of a production workflow such that a scheduling operator at the scheduling facility is provided with an overview of production workflow across at least the interdependent mine operations. | 06-07-2012 |
20120150578 | TASK MANAGEMENT IN A WORKFORCE ENVIRONMENT USING AN ACOUSTIC MAP CONSTRUCTED FROM AGGREGATED AUDIO - Incoming audio from mobile devices can be centrally processed, where a server can filter background noise in real time, such as by using an XOR function. Instead of discarding the filtered noise, however, it can be processed in parallel to dynamically construct an acoustic map of the environment. The acoustic map can be generated from an aggregation of sound data from multiple devices positioned in a geographic environment. The acoustic map can be linked to a configurable set of rules, conditions, and events, which can cause dynamic adjustments to be made to a workforce task management system. For example, employee availability can be assessed using the acoustic map and workforce tasks can be assigned based in part upon this availability. | 06-14-2012 |
20120166242 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SCHEDULING AN E-CONFERENCE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH PARTIAL AVAILABILITY - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for scheduling an e-conference for participants with partial availability. Initially, a system identifies a group of participants for the e-conference. The system receives a declaration of availability for the e-conference from at least one participant of the group. The declaration contains the partial availability of the participant based on time restrictions and topics of interest to the participant. Next, a schedule is determined for the e-conference based on the availability of the participants. Finally, the declarations of availability are displayed to the group of participants. In one aspect, participants update their declarations of availability during the e-conference and a schedule is updated to reflect the new declaration of availability. | 06-28-2012 |
20120166243 | FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Methods and apparatuses for scheduling a task using field data are provided. Field data can be used to more accurately predict and continually adjust the estimated amount of time to complete a work order when scheduling resources. | 06-28-2012 |
20120166244 | NOT-STARTED CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) DIALOGS - Not-started CRM dialogs are described to facilitate dialog management in a cooperative manner between a CRM system and a client. A workflow defining a set of actions to complete for a business process can trigger a dialog in a “not-started” state and assign the dialog to a particular user. Pending completion of the dialog, the workflow can be paused or continue in the background to a designated stopping point. The dialog that is assigned can appear in a list of scheduled/pending tasks for the particular user and can include a link or other functionality to resume the dialog. Selection of the dialog from the task list can cause the dialog to resume to an “in-progress” state and the status of the dialog can be updated. Thereafter, the workflow can detect completion of the dialog and continue with further actions to complete the business process. | 06-28-2012 |
20120166245 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC MODERATOR DELEGATION - A method and computer program product for receiving an indication of a meeting being scheduled between a plurality of attendees. At least one of the attendees is designated a moderator of the meeting. The actions of the designated moderator are monitored to determine if the designated moderator is capable of performing one or more moderator responsibilities associated with being the designated moderator. If it is determined that the designated moderator is incapable of performing the one or more moderator responsibilities, an alternate moderator chosen from the plurality of attendees is designated. | 06-28-2012 |
20120173295 | Determining a Target Career Path and Tasks to Achieve Same - A career navigation system provides an automated way to counsel and/or coach a user on professional networking as it affects career development and/or career advancement. The career navigation system helps people both identify a path to their desired career destination and follow that path by means of various career management and network management tools and action items. A user is associated with a role model, such as a real-life person who has achieved the user's goal job. The role model's career path is customized to generate a roadmap for the user to follow in order to achieve his goal. Action items are generated and scheduled based on the roadmap, and the user is prompted to complete the items and track his progress. | 07-05-2012 |
20120179502 | METHOD FOR COORDINATING RESOURCES FOR EVENTS AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING SAME - A method for coordinating resources for events, the method comprises identifying participants for an event; collecting information concerning the identified participants, the information at least comprising availability schedules; and providing an event monitoring interface to at least one participant device, the event monitoring interface presenting a representation of identified participants and at least one resource associated with the event. | 07-12-2012 |
20120191496 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE IN A CONDITION-BASED REPAIR PROCESS - A method of determining component repair activities includes providing a computer-based component workscope routing system. The method also includes making a first determination of eligibility of a component for one of a standardized repair workscope that includes a plurality of predetermined standardized repair workscope activities, and an enhanced repair workscope. The enhanced repair workscope includes at least one of a number of enhanced repair workscope activities that is less than a predetermined number of standardized repair workscope activities, and inspection and repair activities that are different in scope from the plurality of standardized repair workscope activities. The method further includes making a second determination of eligibility of the component for the standardized repair workscope or the enhanced repair workscope. | 07-26-2012 |
20120191497 | INTERNAL MANAGEMENT OF CONTACT REQUESTS - Embodiments of the invention provide for systems, devices, apparatus, methods, and computer program products for allowing a first agent associated with an entity to initiate contact with a second agent associated with the entity via a contact entry point. The contact entry point is displayed on an interface page and enables a first agent to contact other agents associated with the entity in a faster, more efficient, and better informed manner. | 07-26-2012 |
20120191498 | DISPATCH MANAGEMENT MODEL - A method is provided and includes detecting a fault condition in a refrigeration system, determining a maintenance cost to correct the fault condition, and determining a monetary value associated with continued operation of the refrigeration system with the fault condition. The method also includes comparing the maintenance cost to the monetary value and determining a level of urgency for correcting the fault condition based on the comparison. The method also includes scheduling maintenance to correct the fault condition based on the level of urgency. | 07-26-2012 |
20120197677 | MULTI-ROLE BASED ASSIGNMENT - A method and system to effectively apply the real time resource information into process models at design time. When process models are being prepared, an optimal list of candidate roles for each task within the process is presented. This list is generated dynamically based on the characteristics of the underlying resources within the roles. Further, the same information, along with historical data related to past performance at a resource level, can be leveraged during process simulations for optimal resource allocations. | 08-02-2012 |
20120209647 | TASK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A device may receive, over a network, a message that describes a task, create a new task object based on the message, determine whether the task includes performing a follow up task or a new task based on the message, discard the new task object when the task is neither a follow up task nor a new task, perform a follow up to verify a performance of another task when the task is a follow up task, and assign the task to one of multiple queues for processing when the task is a new task. | 08-16-2012 |
20120215576 | ALLOCATING TASKS TO RESOURCES - Tasks of varying sizes may be allocated to multiple knapsacks (resources) both with multiple dimensions (domain principles) of a given size according to one or more desired criteria. For instance, sales territory management involves determining the allocation of items (accounts) of varying sizes to multiple knapsacks (territories or sales representatives) both with multiple dimensions (business principles) of a given size according to one or more desired criteria. | 08-23-2012 |
20120232943 | AUTOMATIC OPTIMAL TAXICAB MOBILE LOCATION BASED DISPATCHING SYSTEM - The invention discloses a method and system for real-time automatic optimal dispatching of a plurality of taxicabs to passenger pick-up locations. The system uses optimization model to optimally dispatch taxicab vehicles in order to minimize total clients waiting time and to maximize taxicab business profitability. The optimization is performed based on the data on currently available taxicabs and their location, and based on the data on new clients orders and clients' pick-up locations, wherein the data on available taxicabs and their locations is obtained by the cell phone/GPS means from taxicab in-car devices and the data on clients' pick-up locations is obtained from clients cell phones/GPS-based devices. | 09-13-2012 |
20120253871 | System and Method for Optimizing Allocation of Merchandising Resources and Pricing - A system and method of optimizing allocation of services and pricing for those services is described for group transactions having at least three distinct entities. The entities can include a retailer, a plurality of vendors in need of the services and a plurality of service providers who provide the services. The system and method include creating an allocation of services to be performed at the retailer by service providers on behalf of vendors, and a price schedule for the designated for services, and placing the allocation of the services up for commitment by the vendors in discrete increments. Final pricing is determined for the discrete increments of time, services or other discrete measure designated for services based on the amount of time committed to by the plurality of retailers, and schedules the services providers to provide the services on behalf of the vendors at the retailer. | 10-04-2012 |
20120253872 | ROLE MAPPING AND TRAINING TOOL - A role mapping and training tool may include a rule-based system determining parameters for tasks, roles, jobs, individuals, and training courses, and determining mappings between the tasks, roles, jobs, individuals, and training courses. The system may utilize segregation rules to determine mappings between roles and jobs that are acceptable. Also, from the mappings, training plans may be generated. | 10-04-2012 |
20120253873 | ELECTRONIC CLEARINGHOUSE - Systems and methods for efficiently exchanging goods and services, including sharable goods and services, are provided. Certain aspects relate to electronic auctions and clearinghouses that may be configured to more efficiently distribute resources. A task regarding the performance of services and/or provisioning of goods may be generated without assigning a predefined or pre-specified individual to complete that task. In certain embodiments, any one of a plurality of individuals or a group of individuals (i.e., a business) may bid or accept a task. Pledgers may also provide compensation for the successful completion of a task. Tasks may be updated to reflect an aggregate compensation value. | 10-04-2012 |
20120265572 | METHOD FOR EXECUTING A BUSINESS PROCESS BY A STANDARD BUSINESS PROCESS ENGINE - Executing a business process can include providing a context data object including a payload data structure for storing a payload data and automatically splitting an annotated context data object into one or more utility data objects. Responsive to creating a second utility data object, a pre-processing task can be injected into the business process, the pre-processing task using a copy of a first mapping to read data from the predefined data structure instance and to store the read data as payload data in the payload data structure of the first utility data object. Responsive to creating a third utility object, a post-processing task can be injected into the business process. The post-processing task can use a copy of the second mapping to write the payload data of the first utility data object to elements of a predefined data structure instance. | 10-18-2012 |
20120278115 | Method and Apparatus for Leveraging Social Media for Pro-Active Customer Notification - Customers are contacted on social media websites and instant messaging programs by monitoring a plurality of network-enabled user-interactive sites, e.g., social media websites, for an active presence of a customer on one of the sites. Upon detection of an active presence, a customer support agent is assigned to the customer associated, and a communication channel of customer's choice is established between the agent and the customer. This communication channel is used to exchange messages between the assigned agent and the associated predefined customer. A single contact center representation is established on each site, and a separate logical representation of each single contact center representation is established on premises equipment associated with the agent. The logical representation on the agent premises equipment is used to establish the communication channel between the customer support agent and the associated predefined customer. | 11-01-2012 |
20120278116 | HIERARCHICAL TRANSACTION FILTERING - Systems and methods of allocating transactions among business objects are described. The systems and methods include storing transaction data characterizing the plurality of transactions, producing a plurality of generated allocation rules, using relationships between nodes of a data structure, and executing a plurality of queries on the stored transaction data, using the plurality of generated allocation rules. | 11-01-2012 |
20120284073 | OPTIMIZED COLLABORATION BETWEEN DISTRIBUTED CENTERS OF GLOBAL SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS - A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product facilitate optimal collaboration between cells from different service centers for delivering a service to a customer. A cost of collaboration between two cells in different service centers is defined. Each of the two cells is a group of resources capable of executing a same task, and the cost is a 3-Tuple that consists of a monetary cost, a makespan cost, and a skill misalignment cost associated with the collaboration. After establishing acceptable cost ranges for the 3-Tuple based on constraints defined by an enterprise policy, a processor creates multiple collaboration matrices based on different permutations of the 3-Tuple. Once an optimal collaboration function derived from the multiple collaboration matrices is identified, the task is assigned to two optimal cells identified in the optimal collaboration function. | 11-08-2012 |
20120284074 | Method and Apparatus for Business Planning & Prediction Using Value Rank - Users of a subscription product or service are ranked according to the value they receive from the service (computed as the ratio between worth received and cost). Users with similar value ranks are identified as likely to experience similar relationship events. This identification is acted upon by scheduling a workflow (e.g., a sales call or special price offer) designed to encourage or discourage the similar relationship event from occurring with the identified users. Value-ranked users can also be used to understand the effectiveness of marketing and lead-development activities, and to help plan and allocate advertising budgets to achieve particular customer characteristics. | 11-08-2012 |
20120284075 | System and Method For the Automated Dispatch of Fueling Operations - An intelligent solution for monitoring, assigning, and accounting fueling operations. An automated dispatch fueling system comprises a fuel management server populated with airport profile and dispatcher configurations. Utilizing information stored in the database and received from external systems, the automated dispatch fueling system can automatically assign and monitor fueling operations. | 11-08-2012 |
20120290348 | ROUTING SERVICE REQUESTS BASED ON LOWEST ACTUAL COST WITHIN A FEDERATED VIRTUAL SERVICE CLOUD - A method for providing a virtual cloud service at the lowest actual cost can begin with an optimal transaction handler of a federated virtual service cloud maintaining a virtual resource pool of transactional units. Each transactional unit can represent a service application deployed to a cloud service provided by a cloud service provider having a usage-based service cost model that allows transactional units to be placed in an inactive state to suspend its operating expense. Operational metrics data for the cloud service providers can be continuously captured. In response to a service request, the transactional unit that meets fulfillment requirements of the service request and incurs a lowest actual cost can be determined based upon cost factors derived from the operational metrics data, the usage-based service cost model, and a current usage state of the virtual resource pool. The received service request can be routed to the determined transactional unit. | 11-15-2012 |
20120290349 | Real-Time Product Delivery During Customer-Driven Point Of Sale Retail Transactions - According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an approach is provided in which a product request is received that corresponds to a point-of-sale (POS) device, which is located at a merchant facility. In addition to identifying a product location corresponding to the product, an employee location of an employee in proximity to the product location is also identified. In turn, an electronic message is sent to the employee's mobile device that includes a request to transport the product from the product location to the POS device. | 11-15-2012 |
20120290350 | WORKFLOW SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSOR, AND MEHTOD AND PROGRAM FOR WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT - A workflow system is provided in which one person in charge efficiently processes each activity assigned to successive nodes. When a client request management program execution unit | 11-15-2012 |
20120296683 | INFORMATION DELIVERY AND MAINTENANCE SYSTEM FOR DYNAMICALLY GENERATED AND UPDATED DATA PERTAINING TO ROAD MAINTENANCE VEHICLES AND OTHER RELATED INFORMATION - Selected types of information are collected from various sources and a portion thereof transmitted to a remote server. The remote server dynamically compiles and processes this data with information from other similar and separate sources and provides useful and relevant information, such as vehicle and location specific road maintenance radar, forecasts and treatment recommendations, and then transmits the data back to the vehicles in the field for one or more of the appropriate deployment of equipment, instructions and the automated or manual application of materials. | 11-22-2012 |
20120303401 | FLEXIBLE WORKFLOW TASK ASSIGNMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - Enterprise systems, methods and computer program products are disclosed for facilitating a flexible assignment of tasks to work item queues according to assignment rules and conditions for a business document. The system comprises associating an application object server response to a client workflow form or control, associating an expression to an assignment rule or condition with the work item queue and creating a default work item queue for an expression or series of ordered expressions that do not evaluate true. During runtime, the flexible workflow task assignment process evaluates the sequence of ordered expressions for a given work item queue until no next expression is to be evaluated and assigning the task to the default work item queue. | 11-29-2012 |
20120303402 | Real-Time Alert System and Method - A system and method for communicating information about a service between at least one potential customer of the service and at least one service business that provides the service. The method comprises the exchange of information about the service between at least one service business and at least one potential customer. In one embodiment, a potential customer may request to be added to at least one waiting list of a service business. In an embodiment, a service business may schedule the delivery of services based on data collected from a potential customer, for example, the location of the customer. The system comprises one or more service business client-level computing devices and one or more potential customer computing devices. | 11-29-2012 |
20120310691 | Systems and Methods for Multi-Vehicle Resource Allocation and Routing Solutions - A computer system for allocating and routing a plurality of servicing objects within a map of a region such that work load is balanced across the plurality of servicing objects is provided. The system formulates a model for allocating and routing the plurality of servicing objects in the region. The model comprises a distance matrix based upon a first plurality of segments or a second plurality of intersections in the map. The memory stores instructions for partitioning the map into a plurality of disjoint contiguous sub-regions in view of the distance matrix using an equitable convex region partition algorithm. The memory further stores instructions for calculating a corresponding tour graph for each sub-region in the plurality of sub-regions, where, for each respective sub-region in the plurality of sub-regions, a servicing object in the plurality of servicing objects is assigned to the tour graph that corresponds to the respective sub-region. | 12-06-2012 |
20120310692 | PARTNER PORTAL SOLUTION FOR FINANCIAL SECTOR - A variety of technologies for partner portals are presented. The portal can support a wide variety of partner types and supporting functionality. Rights administration by partners can be supported via the portal. Common access functions, generic framework functions, co-partnering functions, and other functions can be supported. Partner collaboration workflow can support a variety of processes. Customer onboarding can be accomplished by partners via the portal. Numerous other scenarios can be supported, such as partner empanelment, co-branding, incentive specification, tracking, and fulfillment, and communication between customers and independent service providers. | 12-06-2012 |
20120323621 | Assisting Customers At A Self-Checkout Terminal - Assisting customers at a self-checkout terminal, including: requesting, at the self-checkout terminal, intervention from a shopper assistant; notifying, by the self-checkout terminal, the shopper assistant of the request for intervention; checking in the shopper assistant at the self-checkout terminal; and displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, an additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal. | 12-20-2012 |
20120330706 | WORKFORCE PLANNING TOOL METHOD AND SYSTEM - The workforce planning tool (WPT) decomposes, maps, and allocates historical cost center data of an organization, including personnel costs and non-personnel costs, to a process hierarchy used to identify target improvements. The WPT calculates baseline costs to operate the processes of the organization with no processing errors. The WPT calculates actual costs to operate the processes, and identifies an improvement target for the organization by comparing the baseline costs to the actual costs, and the historical cost center data of the organization. | 12-27-2012 |
20120330707 | WEB-BASED COMMUNICATION PLATFORM - A web platform including a number of general product profile pages, a number of specific product profile pages, a product owner module, a product technician module, and an access feature. | 12-27-2012 |
20130006686 | Managing Organizational Computing Resources in Accordance with Computing Environment Entitlement Contracts - Mechanisms are provided for managing a use of the computing resources. A computing environment entitlement contract (CEEC) manager is provided that generates CEECs, where each CEEC comprises a plurality of terms specifying a set of computing resources having a specified configuration that are to be used by a contracting party for a specified purpose at a specified level and pattern of intensity for a specified period of time. A cohort and profile manager is provided that generates one or more cohort profiles that specify common characteristics of members of the cohort. Cohort management services are provided that define a computing resource cohort representing a group of computing resources based on one or more profiles generated by the cohort and profile manager. A database system is provided for storing data corresponding to the plurality of computing resources, the one or more CEECs, and associations of computing resources with CEECs. | 01-03-2013 |
20130013359 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SCHEDULING BASED ON SERVICE COMPLETION OBJECTIVES - Provided herein is a system and method for determining a service agent start time objective for a customer contact and matching agents and customers based on meeting that objective. The method may include: receiving a customer contact to request service; determining a service completion objective for the customer contact based upon a service-level agreement; determining a handling time limit based on a historical elapsed handling time; and subtracting the handling time limit from the service completion objective, to produce the service agent start time. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013360 | DYNAMIC INTERFACE BETWEEN BPSS CONVERSATION MANAGEMENT AND LOCAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT - The present invention relates to devices and methods that coordinate an external conversation process between entities with an internal workflow of one of the entities. More particularly, it relates to devices and methods that are compliant with an inter-enterprise conversation process standard for routing electronic commerce documents between enterprises. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings. | 01-10-2013 |
20130018684 | GUEST EXPERIENCE SCHEDULE SYSTEM AND METHODAANM Padgett; John M.AACI ClermontAAST FLAACO USAAGP Padgett; John M. Clermont FL USAANM Butler; Bart D.AACI CelebrationAAST FLAACO USAAGP Butler; Bart D. Celebration FL USAANM Whittington; StevenAACI OrlandoAAST FLAACO USAAGP Whittington; Steven Orlando FL USAANM Russell; Patrick B.AACI OrlandoAAST FLAACO USAAGP Russell; Patrick B. Orlando FL USAANM Spivey; Bonnie J.AACI CelebrationAAST FLAACO USAAGP Spivey; Bonnie J. Celebration FL USAANM Diaz; ChristyAACI OrlandoAAST FLAACO USAAGP Diaz; Christy Orlando FL USAANM Sypko; Timothy D.AACI Winter GardenAAST FLAACO USAAGP Sypko; Timothy D. Winter Garden FL USAANM Fishpool; Jennifer PittsAACI OcoeeAAST FLAACO USAAGP Fishpool; Jennifer Pitts Ocoee FL USAANM Stevens; Roger C.AACI OrlandoAAST FLAACO USAAGP Stevens; Roger C. Orlando FL US - An exemplary computer-implemented method comprises receiving a guest strategy, the guest strategy determined at least in part from information received from a guest. The exemplary method also includes determining available experiences based on the guest strategy, and geographically sequencing at least two of the available experiences based on the guest strategy. An exemplary computer system comprises a guest interface capable of receiving a guest strategy, where the guest strategy is determined at least in part from information received from the guest. The exemplary computer system also includes a scheduling element capable of receiving information from the guest interface, the information including at least the guest strategy. The exemplary scheduling element includes logic to determine available experiences based on the guest strategy. The exemplary scheduling element also includes logic to generate a geographic sequence of at least two of the available experiences. | 01-17-2013 |
20130018685 | System and Method for Tasking Based Upon Social Influence - The present invention provides a structured sentiment expression and management system and method. The present invention can receive sentiment content from at least two contributing users, wherein the received content is structured according to a specific human emotion, gesture or feeling and a level of intensity of the specific human emotion, gesture or feeling. The present invention further displays the received content in a pre-defined and user-selected sentiment category related to the specific human emotion, gesture or feeling. In one embodiment, the present invention can initiate a contest requiring sentiment content in order to evaluate the winner. In one embodiment, the present invention can receive a request from a requester for a crowdsourcing task and, based upon determined social influence ratings, assign the task to a user. | 01-17-2013 |
20130024227 | INFORMATION PROCESSING TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINING TRAVELING ROUTE - A disclosed method includes determining, for each operator group, scheduled execution order by arranging, for each operator group, the predetermined number of operations to be conducted while traveling, wherein at least a portion of the predetermined number of operations is allotted to each of the operator groups; determining, for each operator group, operations to be conducted in the scheduled execution order by determining, for each operator group, along the scheduled execution order of the operator group and while advancing time, whether movement to an operation place of each operation of the predetermined number of operations and start of the operation satisfy a constraint condition set in advance for the predetermined number of operations; and calculating a first evaluation value of orders of the operations determined to be conducted for the plural operator groups. | 01-24-2013 |
20130024228 | Mobile Terminal, System Computer Program Product, and Method for Updating a Work Plan - A method, a computer program product, a mobile terminal, and system are provided. For example, the method includes receiving a work plan comprising at least one work item with a mobile terminal, wherein the work item includes an initial location of at least one identification device. The method also includes reading identification information contained on the identification device with the mobile terminal and identifying a deployed location of the identification device. Moreover, the method includes providing the identification information and the deployed location such that the work plan can be updated. | 01-24-2013 |
20130030853 | ENHANCING AND STORING DATA FOR RECALL AND USE - A personal computing device user may see an item of interest. The user captures data (e.g., a digital image, an audio recording, etc.) of the item of interest (e.g., anything user can see, hear or touch) and submits the captured data to a the memory enhancement service. The memory enhancement service submits the captured data to a human interaction task system for enhancement. The human interaction task system distributes the captured data to one or more human workers to identify the subject of the captured data, determine the user's interest in the item subject of the captured data, and provide information regarding the item that may be relevant to the user based on the determined interest. The enhanced data returned from the human interaction task system is stored by the memory enhancement service for subsequent recall by the user and possible use by the user or others. | 01-31-2013 |
20130054289 | System and Method for Budget-Compliant, Fair and Efficient Manpower Management - The present invention relates to a method and system for budget-compliant, fair and efficient manpower management primarily for service industries to improve customer service, save costs, improve employee morale and productivity. More particularly the present invention relates to a system and method enabling labour planners and schedulers to rapidly develop a budget-compliant, fair, effective, easy to use and manageable and deployable manpower schedule to optimize and increase effective manpower productivity. Further the system and method of the present invention generates manpower plans and schedules suitable for deployment, on the basis of two novel criteria's a) compliance of allocations to planned labour budgets while also being driven by business forecasts and b) using several fairness” criteria so that the desirable and undesirable features of the schedules are equitably dispersed. Further, the invention provides a system which can be deployed with several optional hardware and network architecture and configuration. | 02-28-2013 |
20130054290 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROJECT INFORMATION - A method and system are provided for the transfer and/or aggregation of data and, in particular, integrating data used in managing a professional services practice. The invention preferably transfers and/or aggregates data relating to the identity of clients and matters for whom professional services are being rendered with data relating to the work which data may be maintained in inconsistent, proprietary formats, comprising one or more of the following types of information: accounting; budgeting; docketing; time and billing: work product, word processing; records; project management; and/or other information relating to the professional services. The system of the present invention preferably comprises data storage and data processing means adapted to use the data in substantially portable and/or application-independent format, and/or and transfer or aggregate data between common, and/or proprietary data formats. | 02-28-2013 |
20130054291 | DETERMINING RELATIVE CRITICALITY OF SERVICE TICKETS IN FACTORY-STYLE SHARED DELIVERY - Described herein are methods, systems, apparatuses and products for determining relative criticality of service tickets in factory-style shared delivery. An aspect provides for accessing ticket information, accessing service level agreement information, accessing future volume estimation information, estimating a number of missed service level objectives that are permissible without having a service level agreement breach; and determining a criticality of at least one received ticket based on said ticket information, said service level agreement information, and said future volume estimation information. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 02-28-2013 |
20130066667 | Wireless Vehicle Valet Management System - A wireless vehicle valet management system comprising multipart barcoded valet tickets, a plurality of wireless handheld communication devices for entering customer, vehicle and valet information and communicating it to the system, a server, software, at least one database and a communication network. The wireless handheld communication devices (also referred to herein as “handheld unit or units”) preferably comprise a cellular telephone having applications programming capability and allow simultaneous communication with a plurality of handheld units from a central dispatch location. A system and method for retrieval of a parked vehicle includes offering the retrieval assignment to the attendants who are the closest to the vehicle to be retrieved. | 03-14-2013 |
20130066668 | AUTOMATED DIRECT MAIL PROCUREMENT SYSTEM - A machine-implemented method receives job specifications for at least one direct mail printing job from at least one user and creates at least one workflow related to the direct mail printing job. The workflow comprises at least one job activity. The method automatically transmits requests for bids on the job activities to entities for allowing the entities to bid on performing job activities within the workflow. Bids are received on the job activities from the entities and from rate cards previously established by the entities. The method identifies the lowest bids on an individual job activity-by job activity basis from the bids received from the entities and the rate cards and outputs the lowest bids to the user. The method receives an identification of a single selected entity to perform all activities within the workflow from the user and performing the workflow to output the direct-mail printing job. | 03-14-2013 |
20130073327 | URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A transportation system and a method for operating the transportation system are provided. The transportation system provides a flexible, on-demand, and door-to-door transportation service to improve the accessibility of an existing public transit system. The transportation system may be operated by or in conjunction with the transit system and is uniquely different from either taxi, shuttle, or bus service. A vehicle of the transportation system transports a passenger between a pickup location and a predetermined node in response to a service request initiated by the passenger according to instructions that are dynamically determined in real time in consideration of the pickup location, a current location of the vehicle, and a predetermined travel time between the pickup location and the node. | 03-21-2013 |
20130085791 | SWITCHING ROUTING ALGORITHMS TO OPTIMIZE SATISFACTION OF LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS - A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, monitor workload distribution to one or more sub-contractors and predict whether a contractual obligation will be met (or not) and based on such a prediction automatically switch routing algorithms within a contractual period of time to ensure that costs associated with a contract are minimized. | 04-04-2013 |
20130090963 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING DISPATCH WORKFLOW INFORMATION - An approach for enabling a service provider to dispatch workforce for fulfilling a plurality of service requests based on a common property identifier is described. A workforce dispatch platform determines a property identifier associated with a customer based on a service request. A determination is then made as to whether the property identifier corresponds to one or more property identifiers corresponding to a plurality of other service requests. The workforce dispatch platform generates workflow information for dispatch of workforce to satisfy the request and the other requests based on the determination. | 04-11-2013 |
20130090964 | Time on Site and Point of Interest Tracker with Privacy Block - System converts GPS signals from worker's GPS-enabled device into task related time-location data by excluding private geo-data. Database holds task data, worker-device data. A web-based server captures and stores GPS data as task-related data when (a) contemporaneous GPS data is within predetermined distance of assigned task locations, (b) GPS data is in a task drive corridor (pre-approved geo), and (c) GPS data is vendor location (pre-approved). Enterprise templates are used to map trackable territories. GPS data not captured or stored is discarded or immutably filter-blocked. In a distributed system with the server and a supplemental computer, an im-filter at the supple-computer is controlled by the server. If not filtered, the server effects the storage of cleared GPS data into supple-computer storage by transfer of cleared GPS data to the supplement. The worker can turn OFF the GPS capture with temporary temporal controls. Enterprise templates are used to map trackable territories. | 04-11-2013 |
20130096968 | PERFORMANCE DATA IN A WORKER PROFILE AGGREGATED BY A JOB DISTRIBUTION PLATFORM FOR WORKERS THAT PERFORM CROWD SOURCED TASKS - Systems and methods of a job distribution platform for aggregating performance data in a worker profile for workers in performing crowd sourced tasks are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, of generating and storing performance data when a worker performs one or more tasks distributed online to their respective computing devices by a job distribution platform which crowd sources tasks over a network to remote workers. The tasks can span current jobs and a history of previous jobs distributed to the worker and the job performance data for the worker is collected for current and previous jobs. New jobs can be assigned to a worker selected based on performance data of the worker. | 04-18-2013 |
20130096969 | METHOD FOR ENHANCING TRANSIT SCHEDULE - A method and apparatus are provided for generating an enhanced transit schedule. Schedule deviations are calculated using an existing transit schedule. The schedule deviations are grouped in accordance with a plurality of schedule parameters. A group average deviation is computed for each group of schedule deviations. Each group average deviation is applied to a corresponding set of passing times of the existing transit schedule having corresponding schedule parameters to generate the enhanced transit schedule. | 04-18-2013 |
20130103442 | DYNAMIC RESTAURANT POSITIONING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system for managing restaurant crew member staffing comprises a computer having memory for receiving configuration data corresponding to a restaurant associated with a group of restaurants, first data corresponding to a projected consumer demand for items at the restaurant over a time increment, and second data corresponding to a historical consumer demand for items at the restaurant over the time increment, a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program adapted to dynamically determine a quantity of crew members needed and a position for each crew member determined to be needed to staff each of a plurality of work areas at the restaurant over a plurality of the time increments based on the configuration data, the first data, and the second data, and a computer display for displaying the quantity of crew members needed to meet the projected consumer demand over the plurality of time increments, and the work areas to which each of the determined quantity of crew members should be assigned. | 04-25-2013 |
20130103443 | RESOURCE ALLOCATION BASED ON RETAIL INCIDENT INFORMATION - Security personnel time is assigned to a store property by generating an incident score based on a probability of an incident occurring on a store property. A set of ranges of incident scores, each range being associated with a number of hours of security personnel time, are retrieved from computer memory. A range of incident scores in the set of ranges of incident scores that the generated incident score falls within is identified and an associated number of hours of security personnel time is retrieved. Security personnel time is assigned to the store property using a processor based on the number of hours of security personnel time retrieved for the identified range of incident scores. | 04-25-2013 |
20130117057 | Systems, Methods and Devices for Generating Alternate Itineraries - Systems, methods and devices for generating one or more alternate itineraries for an entity for accommodation upon one or more disruptions of one or more predetermined itineraries for the entity for accommodation, each of the predetermined and alternate itineraries consisting of one or more segments, wherein the one or more segments of the predetermined itinerary are affected by the one or more disruptions and none of the one or more segments of the alternative itineraries are affected by the one or more disruptions, the system comprising a data storage component, configured to store information relating to segments and disruptions; and a data services component configured to (a) receive information relating to disruptions and segments; (b) communicate the information from (a) to the data storage component for storage of same; (c) determine whether predetermined itineraries will be affected by disruptions and, if so, generate alternative itineraries. | 05-09-2013 |
20130124245 | Determining Availability Based on Percentage Available - An embodiment of the invention provides a system and method for displaying the scheduling availability of a user. The system includes an occupancy module for analyzing the schedule of the user to determine the occupancy for a time period in the schedule. The time period includes an available time slot and/or an occupied time slot. A processor connected to the occupancy module determines whether the occupancy for the time period is above a threshold level of occupancy. The threshold level of occupancy includes a maximum number of occupied time slots, a maximum percentage of occupied time slots, a maximum amount of occupied time, and/or a maximum percentage of occupied time. A scheduling module connected to the processor automatically displays the scheduling availability of the user as unavailable for the time slot when the occupancy for the time period is above the threshold level of occupancy. | 05-16-2013 |
20130132140 | DETERMINING A LOCATION RELATED TO ON-DEMAND SERVICES THROUGH USE OF PORTABLE COMPUTING DEVICES - A method for determining a location relating to an on-demand service on a computing device is provided. One or more processors receiving a transport request from a user. The transport request specifies at least one of a pick-up region or a drop-off region. One or more locations of interests within the at least one of the pick-up region or the drop-off region are determined. Based on the at least one of the pick-up region or the drop-off region, one or more historical locations related to the user is determined. A likely location is determined based on the determined one or more locations of interest and the one or more historical locations. | 05-23-2013 |
20130132141 | METHODS AND A SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT FOR LONG-TERM EXECUTION PROCESSES - In one embodiment, a method for executing long-term business process includes steps of: a) providing an interface to design or modify a BPM diagram for at least one business process; b) providing at least one data structure to store specification and/or requirements of the BPM diagram and state of at least one BPM case/instance; c) receiving an incremental change to the BPM diagram; d) implementing based on a first set of rules, the incremental change into the BPM diagram; and e) translating the state of the BPM case/instance from a first condition to a second condition based on: i) the BPM diagram incorporating the implemented at least one incremental change; and ii) a second set of rules. | 05-23-2013 |
20130138462 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CLOUD-BASED WEB ENABLED DATABASE DRIVEN BLIND REVERSE MARKET - The described embodiment of the system includes business methods and software and hardware that operate a confidential reverse blind market in industrial goods that matches buyers and sellers in a confidential manner and enables trade in goods traded in long term supply chains. In addition, the system provides a complete system of supply chain tracking from pre-order planning through ordering, production, seller shipping, buyer shipping, and inventory forecasting. | 05-30-2013 |
20130144671 | System and method for advising and investing in companies - A method for providing risk management services to company is disclosed. The method involves the following steps: (a) accessing a system; (b) viewing a project posting uploaded to the system; and (c) responding to the project posting in a manner which enables risk management services to be provided to a company. | 06-06-2013 |
20130159038 | System and Method for Interacting With Customers - A method for interacting with customers is disclosed herein. The method involves creating a service ticket for services to be performed at a customer's site, dispatching a technician to the site, emailing to the customer a notification stating that the technician is on route to the site, transmitting information to the customer. This information may include a service ticket reference number, a service requested by the customer, the name of the technician, a photo of the technician, a listing of the technician's qualifications and/or certifications, a map showing the technician's location and/or the route being followed by the technician, and the technician's estimated time for arrival at the customer's site. | 06-20-2013 |
20130166338 | ENHANCED BUSINESS PLANNING AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - In one embodiment, the method includes receiving one or more criteria defined as a planning trigger. In a further aspect, the method includes mapping the one or more criteria to a corresponding action plan. In response to recording criterion defined as a planning trigger, an action plan corresponding to the recorded criterion is invoked. Further, the method includes communicating the action plan to a selected set of contributors. Further, the method involves, receiving data specified in the action plan from the set of contributors and consolidating the business data received from the one or more contributors. In a further aspect, the method involves, extrapolating the received business data for generating extrapolated business data for one or more prognostic scenarios for facilitating business planning and operations. | 06-27-2013 |
20130166339 | Method, System, and Computer Program Product for Providing a Facility Map - A map of a facility is provided. Dispatch instructions for dispatching a mobile device from a starting location to the facility at a destination within a geographical area are received, and a current location of the mobile device is detected as the mobile device moves from the starting location towards the destination. The map of the facility is received based on the dispatch instructions and the current location of the mobile device, and the map of the facility is provided. | 06-27-2013 |
20130173322 | Energy Management with Correspondence Based Data Auditing Signoff - Systems and methods for monitoring energy management (EM) data from at least one energy data source; detecting a data anomaly event in the EM data; determining if a resolution for the data anomaly event requires human input; and submitting a request to at least one user for human input to resolve the data anomaly event. | 07-04-2013 |
20130173323 | FEEDBACK BASED MODEL VALIDATION AND SERVICE DELIVERY OPTIMIZATION USING MULTIPLE MODELS - An approach for validating a model is presented. Data from a system being modeled is collected. First and second models of the system are constructed from the collected data. Based on the first model, a first determination of an aspect of the system is determined. Based on the second model, a second determination of the aspect of the system is determined. A variation between the first and second determinations is determined. An input for resolving the variation is received and in response, a model of the system that reduces the variation is derived. | 07-04-2013 |
20130179205 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES - Systems and methods for optimizing transportation resources. The systems and methods include receiving, by a processor, a plurality of requests to pick up at a pick up location and drop off at a destination at least one item per request, storing the requests in a memory, and determining, by the processor, requests to be grouped in a vehicle to maximize at least one of vehicle and driver resources. | 07-11-2013 |
20130179206 | System And Method For Multi-Verifiable, As-Built Construction Modeling - A system for multi-verifiable, as-built construction modeling in which accurate, independently verifiable site maps, floorplan, exterior and interior elevations alongside detailed checklists for subcontractors, suppliers, and professional services can be generated for providing detailed written proposals, cost estimates and critical path timeline. | 07-11-2013 |
20130185105 | GENERATION OF SALES LEADS USING CUSTOMER PROBLEM REPORTS - Methods implementing and using techniques for generating sales leads in a sales lead generation engine. The sales lead generation engine receives one or more keywords describing one or more aspects of a product. The sales lead generation engine performs a search using the received one or more keywords in a collection of problem reports to identify matching keywords in the problem reports. A display of a computing device displays matching keyword pairs resulting from the search, along with a context in which the keywords occur. A selection of one or more matching keyword pairs is received from a user of the computing device. The sales lead generation engine performs a sales-oriented operation with respect to a customer associated with a problem report related to a selected matching keyword pair | 07-18-2013 |
20130197954 | MANAGING CROWDSOURCING ENVIRONMENTS - One or more embodiments manage web-based crowdsourcing of tasks to an unrelated group of workers. An information set associated with a task to be crowdsourced is received from at least one customer that is associated with the task. This information set comprises at least a description of the task, a reward to be provided for completion of the task, and at least one adjudication rule for accepting a task result. At least one advertising campaign for the task is created based on the information set. The advertising campaign is published for access by a set of one or more worker systems. At least one task result associated with the task is received from at least one of the set of one or more of the worker systems. The task result is compared against the rule. Task results are received and compared to the adjudication rule until the rule is satisfied. | 08-01-2013 |
20130197955 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING MAINTENANCE ROUTES WITHIN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM - Generating a maintenance route in a process control system includes creating an initial ordered list of all wireless nodes in direct communication with a wireless gateway, where the nodes are ordered by signal strength with the wireless gateway device. A subsequent ordered list is created of all nodes in direct communication with first node of the initial ordered list, where the nodes are ordered by signal strength with the first node. The subsequent ordered list is then appended to the initial ordered list after the first node. This process of creating a subsequent list and appending the initial list is iteratively repeated thereafter, each time accounting for the next node in the appended ordered list following the previous iteration until all nodes are accounted for. In the last iteration, the nodes correspond to stop points along the route and the order corresponds to the route to be taken among the stop points. | 08-01-2013 |
20130204650 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT - A system and method to manage SLA compliance customer services comprises an estimation engine to perform an automated estimation of a probability of SLA violation for a trouble ticket that indicates and operation incident that is to be resolved. The automated estimation may produce a risk value that trigger an escalation module to automatically perform a pre-emptive action if the risk values are higher than a threshold value, to promote resolution of the trouble ticket prior to SLA violation. The pre-emptive action may comprise sending an alert message to one or more operators associated with the ticket. The automated estimation may be based at least in part on compliance information for past tickets. | 08-08-2013 |
20130204651 | Automated Hotel Bell Desk Queuing System - A wireless bellhop queuing, distribution, and management system comprising a centralized wireless communication system, a plurality of wireless handheld communication devices for entering information and communicating with the centralized system, and a tracking system which depicts the physical location of the bellhops or storage items in the facility. A system and method for satisfaction of customer or guest requests includes offering the assignment to the bellhops who are the closest to the customer and task to be accomplished. | 08-08-2013 |
20130211865 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING AND MANAGING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS - A financial terms alert generation system comprises an information retrieval module, a financial terms comparison module, and an alert transmission module. The information retrieval module is configured to retrieve financing information, customer information, and product information from one or more sources accessible on a network. The financial terms comparison module is configured to compare a customer's current financial arrangement to a potential new financial arrangement to determine whether the customer is able to enter into a new financial arrangement on terms favorable to the customer. The alert transmission module is configured to transmit an alert to a dealer in cases in which the financial terms comparison module determines that a customer is able to enter into a new financial arrangement on terms favorable to the customer. Such alerts identify the customer and the favorable financial terms. | 08-15-2013 |
20130218618 | DYNAMICALLY OPTIMIZED DISTRIBUITED CLOUD COMPUTING-BASED BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT (BPM) SYSTEM - A workflow server can receive requests, each for a business process workflow conforming to a business process model. Each business process workflow can include a set of interdependent tasks. The workflow server can satisfy received requests by assigning tasks to different service providers that provide software services. Each of the tasks can be assigned to corresponding ones of the software services. For each task, the workflow server can also defines an allocated cost per software service, and a time allocation per software service for completing the corresponding one of the tasks. Different service providers, including those assigned to tasks, can receive information for ones of the tasks not directly assigned to them by the workflow server. The different service providers can then bid on these tasks. Wherein when bids are won, tasks for a business process flow can be reassigned based on winning bids. | 08-22-2013 |
20130231969 | ADAPTIVE WORKFLOW DEFINITION OF CROWD SOURCED TASKS AND QUALITY CONTROL MECHANISMS FOR MULTIPLE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS - Systems and methods of adaptive workflow definition of crowd sourced tasks and quality control mechanisms for multiple business applications are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for generating and distributing tasks to workers to optimize product categorization in an online marketplace, generating and distributing tasks to workers for search engine optimization of a website, and/or generating and distributing tasks to workers for business data verification and enhancement. Results can be aggregated from multiple workers to enhance or improve site information, site organization, or other business information to improve site placement in search results and/or to enhance/improve user experience. | 09-05-2013 |
20130246110 | VISUALIZING RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS ALONG A TIMELINE - A work definition is generated. The work definition includes resource requirements needed to perform tasks in the work definition. The resource requirements are displayed along a timeline. Resource availability can also be displayed along the same timeline. | 09-19-2013 |
20130246111 | USE OF TOUCH AND GESTURES RELATED TO TASKS AND BUSINESS WORKFLOW - A business data system generates a user interface display showing a business data record. The business data system receives a touch gesture user input to manipulate the business data record to perform an operation, a task or a workflow within the business data system. The business data system performs the operation, task or workflow based on the touch gesture user input. | 09-19-2013 |
20130253969 | Broadcast Messaging of Incentives Based on Value - A method for a provider to generate incentives for users to perform tasks includes the following steps. The tasks are assigned to the users to obtain a matrix of task assignments in which each of the users is assigned to at least one of the tasks and each of the tasks is assigned to at least one of the users, wherein each of the task assignments has a value and a cost to the provider, wherein for a given one of the task assignments the value less the cost to the provider is an economic utility to the provider, and wherein the step of assigning the tasks to the users is done so as to maximize a net benefit to the provider which is a sum of the economic utility for all of the task assignments. Incentives are offered to the users to perform the task assignments. | 09-26-2013 |
20130253970 | Audio Message Driven Customer Interaction Queuing System - This application is for an audio message-driven customer interaction queuing system for any public web page to allow web page visitors to utter questions into a browser-resident recorder application. The questions queue along with originating web page information and are distributed to customer service agents. These agents research the question, using web page as reference, and respond with an audio message, played upon the recorder application by the user after some brief service interval. The invention includes client, server and agent elements. The Client resides in a standard browser on a PC and consists of a Macromedia Flash interface driving an ActiveX control and JavaScript using audio encoding/decoding codecs. The Server consists of Java Servlets, Enterprise Java Beans, a web and application server and generic database technology. The Agent consists of a browser partitioned into areas to accommodate customer URL viewing, Connection Management, and a Client for message playback/record/send functions. | 09-26-2013 |
20130262167 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONNECTED SALES ASSOCIATE SERVICES - A method and system for providing a connected sales associate service application via a mobile device. The application provide for an integrated platform upon which various tools for providing support to a sales associate are built. The application includes a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment, and provides a user interface for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment along with multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices. The user interface displays information regarding trending sales data for the retail establishment and information regarding the sales associates accessing the central server. A sales associate can select and display information regarding one of the sales associates accessing the central server to at least one of view, create, delete, or assign a task to the selected sales associate | 10-03-2013 |
20130268308 | DISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE FRAMEWORK FOR DEFINING AND MANAGING GEO-TASK CAMPAIGNS - Defining and managing geo-task campaigns, in one aspect, may include enabling a creator of a campaign to define a collective data-gathering activity to be carried out by a plurality of participating respondents, the collective data-gathering activity defined at least by geographic location, time period and activity. One or more response values may be received from the plurality of participating respondents, the response values including data that conforms to the defined collective data-gathering activity including a description of the geographic location, a description of the time period, a description of one or more objects at the location associated with the activity. Response values are coordinated according to the defined geographic location, time period and activity. | 10-10-2013 |
20130268309 | CABLE CONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE/MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - Operation information which is provided from a construction DB server, assists an operation relating to a cable to which the operation is allowed, and is previously associated with a cable ID, is downloaded to a PDA which an operator carries. An RFID tag reader of a PDA is used to read information of an RFID integrated with a name indication card attached to a helmet possessed by the operator, and to read a cable ID of a cable from an index seal provided with an RFID and attached to an end of the cable. On the basis of the cable ID, operation information regarding the corresponding cable is acquired from among the downloaded operation information, and is displayed on a display means of the PDA. Each operator works with reference to operation assistance information displayed on the display means of the PDA, and when the operation is finished, RFID information of the operator is recorded again, to perform an association between the operation and the operation information at different times, and thereby, increase the reliability regarding history management. | 10-10-2013 |
20130275166 | CLOSED LOOP PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FOR SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS - A computer implemented method delivers information technology services according to a set of service level agreements. A service request class having a largest control error is identified from a plurality of service request classes. The service request priority of the service request class having the largest control error is then increased to form an updated priority. Service requests for the plurality of service request classes are dispatched in a next control iteration based upon the updated priority. | 10-17-2013 |
20130275167 | METHOD FOR RESEARCHING, CREATING, PRIORITIZING,EVALUATING, TESTING,INVESTING, IMPLEMENTING AND MANAGING NEW SOLUTIONS WITHIN AND AMONG BUSINESSES,PROJECTS OR GOVERNMENT ENDEAVORS - A system for business or project management and planning which particularly relates to a system which provides a system with methodology to support management and the employees in the management of business and governmental organizations in organizing and controlling a project or process and measuring the results of innovative ideas and actions by creating a stimulating environment, providing adequate customizable internal process, analyzing organization's innovation process using key indicators, and allowing for a customizable system that will foster the continuous innovation within an organization. | 10-17-2013 |
20130275168 | CLOSED LOOP PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FOR SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS - A computer implemented method delivers information technology services according to a set of service level agreements. A service request class having a largest control error is identified from a plurality of service request classes. The service request priority of the service request class having the largest control error is then increased to form an updated priority. Service requests for the plurality of service request classes are dispatched in a next control iteration based upon the updated priority. | 10-17-2013 |
20130282417 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A SOCIAL CUSTOMER CARE SYSTEM - The present invention relates to customer relationship management systems integrated with social media and social networks. More particularly, the invention provides a social customer care platform system to allow customer care functions, and in particular to allow customer service agents to identify, prioritize, match and triage customer support requests that may arise through a social network and may be serviced using a social network. It manages and tracks a high-volume of customer interactions and provides for monitoring of Internet social network posts relevant to a business's products or services along with the ability to capture, monitor, filter, make sense of and respond to, in real-time, tens of thousands of social interactions. It comprises role specific user-interface and functionality to match customer service environments, automated prioritization and matching for increased agent productivity, and an automated enterprise workflow to align social media support with existing business processes. | 10-24-2013 |
20130282418 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FIELD SERVICES AUTOMATION - A portable representative device manages the administrative workload of a field technical representative. The portable representative device includes a processor programmed to present a technical field representative with a list of selectable scheduled tasks assigned to the field technical representative, each of the selectable scheduled tasks associated with a roof. The field technical representative is presented with a task-specific form for a selected scheduled task. The task-specific form includes a plurality of fields to collect field data for the roof of the selected scheduled task from the field technical representatives. Field data from the field technical representative is collected using the task-specific form, the field data including a roof plan of the roof of the selected scheduled task. The collected field data is submitted to a central control system. A system and method are also included. | 10-24-2013 |
20130290050 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSESSING EMPLOYABILITY OR ADMITABILITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL AND ENABLING MODIFICATION OR REMOVAL OF RELATED INFORMATION - Systems and methods are provided for assessing the employability or admitability of a user from a search report and enabling modification of a user's perceived identity to enhance employability. A questionnaire is provided to a user and the answers are parsed to create key terms, which are used to create search queries. The search queries are provided to search engines that are capable of searching databases including, but not limited to, public records, private records, social media and criminal records. The results are compiled and analyzed to generate a report card along with a report catalog containing some or all information and content returned from the search. A user can make selections on the report card and report catalog indicating adverse, incorrect, erroneous or mistaken information through a user interface. Countermeasures are provided to the user according to the selections made by the user and a countermeasure matrix indicating possible solutions. | 10-31-2013 |
20130290051 | Dynamic Talk Radio Program Scheduling - Methods and systems for dynamically scheduling a talk radio program include registering potential participants of a talk radio program service and receiving participant preferences for each of the potential participants, wherein the participant preferences include at least one topic of interest and a time availability; scheduling a talk radio program for production when a combination the participant preferences reach predetermined thresholds; and sending the potential participants a notification of the scheduling of the talk radio program. | 10-31-2013 |
20130325535 | SERVICE DESIGN SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING SAME - A system for developing a design of a service is provided. The system may include a first canvas including a first plurality of elements that define one or more needs for a service, a second canvas including a second plurality of elements that define a solution that fulfills the one or more needs for the service, and two symmetrical logic loops that relate the first plurality of elements in the first canvas and the second plurality of elements in the second canvas. | 12-05-2013 |
20130332210 | CONTENT MATCHING USING A RULES EVALUATOR - Invoice documents are automatically matched against receipts as part of an automated workflow that executes workflow process steps on a given invoice. A workflow engine is used to determine whether a pending invoice document needs to be matched against a receipt. This can be done using explicit matching information, or using implicit matching. Invoice documents that cannot be matched can be surfaced for user attention. A rules evaluator may also be employed to evaluate received documents. | 12-12-2013 |
20130332211 | METHOD OF CREATING WORK INSTRUCTION SHEET AND SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING WORK INSTRUCTION SHEET CREATION - It is an object to accurately perform a sequence of steps from setting of a process to creation of a work instruction sheet, based on design information. Provided is a work instruction sheet creation method which comprises: a preparation step of preparing specification information specifying what types of operation targets are included in each of a plurality of operation specifications, a setting step of setting, based on the specification information, process-related information with respect to each of the operation targets, to thereby create setting data including at least the operation targets, the operation specification and the process-related information; and a creation step of creating the work instruction sheet using the setting data. | 12-12-2013 |
20130339075 | USING PAST AND SCHEDULED EVENTS TO REDUCE THE COST OF MISTAKES IN AN EDISCOVERY PROCESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - Method, system, and computer program product for using past and scheduled events to reduce the cost of mistakes in an electronic discovery process management system. The operation includes providing an electronic discovery process management system configured to manage a plurality of legal matters; defining at least one scheduling rule associated with each legal matter; scheduling, based on the at least one scheduling rule, at least one event associated with each matter in the electronic discovery process management system, each event comprising a set of attributes including a first attribute comprising a matter related to the event and a second attribute comprising a due date of the event; and monitoring the at least one event to track the due date of the at least one event. | 12-19-2013 |
20130346128 | System and Method of Reviewing and Producing Documents - A system and method of providing comprehensive document review, production and reporting is described. The system and method provide a total quality management approach to a document review matter that not only controls costs but increases defensibility of the overall process, thereby reducing risk. The system utilizes unique review and performance metrics, increases quality control, and enhances physical and data security mechanisms. The system of the present invention can be implemented with any document review software or hosted platform desired for use by a customer. | 12-26-2013 |
20130346129 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COLLECTING AND PROCESSING AGRICULTURAL FIELD DATA - A system and method for managing the collection and processing of agricultural field data from a single location is provided. The system includes functionality to create workorders for the taking of samples at a predetermined location, transmit the sampling workorders to the equipment or operators at a job site, e.g., an agricultural field, and log the results of a completed sampling workorder. The system also includes functionality to transmit log data related to the taken samples to a laboratory and receive analysis information on the taken samples from the laboratory. The system then combines log data and analysis information on the taken samples for use in determining additional actions at the predetermined location. | 12-26-2013 |
20140012613 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING THIRD-PARTY LABOR - A system. The system includes a computing device, an authentication module, an instruction module and a tracking module. The computing device includes a processor. The authentication module is communicably connected to the processor and is configured to authenticate that a person is associated with a third-party associated with a store. The instruction module is communicably connected to the processor and is configured to coordinate work instructions to be completed at the store. The tracking module is communicably connected to the processor and is configured to track information associated with the person. | 01-09-2014 |
20140019181 | CLOSED LOOP PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FOR SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS - A computer implemented method delivers information technology services according to a set of service level agreements. A service request class having a largest control error is identified from a plurality of service request classes. The service request priority of the service request class having the largest control error is then increased to form an updated priority. Service requests for the plurality of service request classes are dispatched in a next control iteration based upon the updated priority. | 01-16-2014 |
20140025415 | DISTRIBUTED CONTINUOUS ANALYTICS - A continuing analytics method includes distributing continuous analytics tasks among a number of workers. The workers execute the tasks on data elements stored in a distributed data storage system. Executing a task changes the data elements. In response to the change, a worker that executed a task invokes an update to the data storage system. The worker then increments a version number related to the changed data element, updates the data elements, and notifies other workers of the updated data element. | 01-23-2014 |
20140039953 | TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND METHOD - Systems and methods of the invention relate to distributing transports to reduce travel time and/or travel distance for the movement of assets within a distribution center. Embodiments of the present invention include a transport manager that communicates real time transport itineraries that assign transport(s) based on proximity of an employee or equipment and a start location of a transport. Moreover, the transport manager can utilize a geographic location of the equipment and/or the employee to assign transports in order to reduce a distance traveled for a transport or reduce a travel time for a transport. | 02-06-2014 |
20140046710 | REMOTE TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT - A network device includes a memory, a display, a processor, and a network communication module configured to receive vehicle data, driver information, and driver communications from a plurality of portable wireless data transfer and display device via a long-range wireless network, each portable wireless data transfer and display device being associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of vehicles. The memory configured to store the vehicle data, the driver information, and the driver communications. The processor is configured to process at least one of: the vehicle data, the driver information, and the driver communication into summary electronic reports and present the summary electronic report of the plurality of vehicles in real-time by location via the display. The network device is configured to allow for selection of the drivers presented and is configured to send work requests to wireless devices in use by the selection of the drivers presented. | 02-13-2014 |
20140052484 | Self-Service Device Paper Tracking - Described are a system, method, apparatus, and computer readable medium that facilitates efficient replenishment of paper, such as receipt paper, at self-service devices. A rate of paper use may be determined for a self-service device. This information may be used to forecast when the paper is expected to be depleted. A time to replace the paper may be selected based on the forecast and on a schedule of other services to be performed at the self-service device. A report including the selected replacement time may be generated and sent to a division responsible for replacing the paper. | 02-20-2014 |
20140052485 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ON-LINE EVENT PROMOTION AND GROUP PLANNING - Systems and methods are provided for enabling on-line collaboration among a group of people, such as a group of friends, an affinity group, a fan club, a group of co-workers, a team, or the like, to arrive at a decision, such as a decision as to the nature of an event in which the group wishes to participate. | 02-20-2014 |
20140052486 | 3D Glasses with RFID and Methods and Devices for Improving Management and Distribution of Sold Commodities - RFID data is utilized for billing and management of 3D glasses in a cinema theater or group of theaters. RFID pedestals identify privately owned or rented 3D glasses brought into a theater by a customer. An invoice is automatically generated billing the theater operator for the use of the 3D glasses. Usage of the glasses along with other data collected about the customers is utilized for targeted advertising (e.g., e-mails, texts, selected advertise in pre-show, etc.). The invention reduces up front cost in installing a reusable 3D glasses system. | 02-20-2014 |
20140058776 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTION CHAIN MANAGEMENT - A system for supply chain management is provided. The system includes two or more manufacturer systems receiving order data, such as data identifying goods that have been ordered for each of two or more warehouses, and generating first and second shipment data, such as data identifying the actual amount of goods that were shipped. A warehouse system receives the order data, such as to allow a warehouse operator to make plans for accommodating the order, and the shipment data, such as to notify the warehouse operator of actual amounts of goods that have been shipped. An order controller system generates the order data and receives the shipment data, such as data identifying goods that are being shipped to the order controller system. | 02-27-2014 |
20140067449 | EVENT SCHEDULER BASED ON REAL-TIME ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS RULES - Scheduling a given event, in one aspect, may include obtaining a set of one or more business rules, obtaining analytics, and obtaining an event specification. The event specification may include at least one content specification and two or more transmission modes. The event may be scheduled based on the event specification, the analytics and the business rules. The scheduling may be indicated by a tuple comprising event content, one or more communication modes selected from the two or more transmission modes, and timing of the scheduled event. | 03-06-2014 |
20140067450 | EVENT SCHEDULER BASED ON REAL-TIME ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS RULES - Scheduling a given event, in one aspect, may include obtaining a set of one or more business rules, obtaining analytics, and obtaining an event specification. The event specification may include at least one content specification and two or more transmission modes. The event may be scheduled based on the event specification, the analytics and the business rules. The scheduling may be indicated by a tuple comprising event content, one or more communication modes selected from the two or more transmission modes, and timing of the scheduled event. | 03-06-2014 |
20140074526 | SYNCHRONIZING DATA RELATED TO WORKFLOW - In an embodiment, an image of a printed card is received at a client device. Printed card contains information related to a task along with a unique identifier to identify the task. The unique identifier is extracted from the received image of the printed card and the task corresponding to the unique identifier is identified. Based on the identified task, associated workflow is determined and a set of actions corresponding to the workflow is retrieved and displayed to the user. User selected action is received, along with other inputs, to update information associated with the selected action. The updated information is stored in a memory corresponding to the task. | 03-13-2014 |
20140074527 | SCHEDULE GENERATION METHOD AND COMMUNICATION TERMINAL FOR SCHEDULE GENERATION METHOD - A schedule generation method includes: automatically acquiring schedule information according to a preset condition; and automatically generating a schedule record according to the acquired schedule information, and setting the schedule record into a corresponding idle schedule. Through the embodiment of the present invention, a user can arrange a schedule of the user more scientifically, reasonably, and flexibly, thereby facilitating schedule management of the user. | 03-13-2014 |
20140081687 | MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS CONTACT CENTER OBJECTIVES - Methods, devices, and systems are provided such that multiple contact center objectives can be simultaneously analyzed and normalized by a single algorithm. A solution is provided for executing an algorithm that is able to consider multiple objectives simultaneously rather than serially. By considering multiple objectives in parallel when making work assignment decisions instead of considering single objectives, decisions and contact center adjustments are made with more efficiency and with a minimal use of resources. | 03-20-2014 |
20140089025 | AUTHENTICATING A RESPONSE TO A CHANGE REQUEST - A method to authenticate an identity of a responder. The method includes receiving a request and determining, by one or more computer processors, a reviewer for the request. A custom key is generated for the reviewer and the request, and at least one URL is generated that contains the custom key. At least one URL is sent, along with the request, to the reviewer. Upon receiving a response to the request that includes a selection of one URL, it is determined whether the response was received from the determined reviewer for the request. | 03-27-2014 |
20140100902 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PERSONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE SOLUTION - A method for engaging personalized customer services on an end-user device includes sending a request for agent-assisted service to the agent administration server, and receiving from the agent administration server agent information associated with a plurality of customer agents. The agent information defines agent identification information, an agent availability status, and one or more agent communication channels. The method further includes sending a request to communicate with a preferred one agent from the plurality of customer agents. The request includes at least one desired communication channel from the one or more agent communication channels. The desired communication channel is then established with the preferred one agent. | 04-10-2014 |
20140114710 | GATHERING AND MINING DATA ACROSS A VARYING AND SIMILAR GROUP AND INVOKING ACTIONS - A system includes a distribution center for scanning mail intended for and received from clients in a community. The mail scanned for generating sender, recipient, type, and arrival data. Category data is generated and includes a payables category, a donation category, and a printed matter category. Client preferences data is also generated. The data is mined to find commonalities of mail sent to and received from clients. An action is invoked based on the mined data and it is determined that the action is a payables, donation, or printed matter action. If the action is either a payables or donation action then, a client and a third party are notified prior to execution of the action. If the action is a printed matter action then, then a printed matter shared by more than one client is presented for sharing. | 04-24-2014 |
20140114711 | Restaurant Management System Drive-thru Reporting - A restaurant management system and method interface is provided. In accordance with the invention, data from various restaurant operations is collected and stored for processing. The data is processed into useful metrics, such as those indicative of various categories of restaurant staffing, efficiency, performance and quality. The useful metrics can be displayed as a human-readable chart, graph or report. The data can be processed in real time, permitting managers to promptly make adjustments and to alert restaurant workers or crew members of deficiencies so that prompt and effective remedial action can be taken to improve restaurant performance. Reports may be generated that provide the performance of restaurants individually and as a combined group. | 04-24-2014 |
20140114712 | Restaurant Management System for Performance Reporting - A restaurant management system and method interface is provided. In accordance with the invention, data from various restaurant operations is collected and stored for processing. The data is processed into useful metrics, such as those indicative of various categories of restaurant staffing, efficiency, performance and quality. The useful metrics can be displayed as a human-readable chart, graph or report. The data can be processed in real time, permitting managers to promptly make adjustments and to alert restaurant workers or crew members of deficiencies so that prompt and effective remedial action can be taken to improve restaurant performance. Reports may be generated that provide the performance of restaurants individually and as a combined group. | 04-24-2014 |
20140122140 | ADVANCED MANAGED SERVICE CUSTOMER EDGE ROUTER - An automated incident management device may receive a message from a customer site, the message indicative of a customer issue with a managed service provided to the customer site by way of a primary network connection. The device may connect to an item of customer equipment by way of a secondary network connection to the customer site; retrieve information from the customer equipment by way of the secondary network connection; attempt a corrective measure with the managed service based on the retrieved information, the corrective measure being determined according to rules that specify corrective measures likely to resolve the trouble ticket; and update a trouble ticket associated with the customer site responsive to the attempted corrective measure. In some examples, the automated incident management device may determine that the customer issue is responsibly of the customer to address. | 05-01-2014 |
20140122141 | SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING COST EFFECTIVENESS OF COKING SYSTEMS - Systems for analyzing a benefit or detriment of ( | 05-01-2014 |
20140122142 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING JOB ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION TO A USER - A method for execution by a computing apparatus comprising identifying a job to be assigned to an employee, the job requiring a given job qualification, wherein the given job qualification is associated with at least one requirement for maintaining the job qualification and a time-frame during which the at least one requirement should be satisfied. Completion of the job by an employee at least partially completes the at least one requirement for maintaining the job qualification. The method further comprises assigning the job to a selected employee from a set of employees, wherein each employee in the set of employees has the given job qualification. The selected employee is selected at least in part on a basis of a probability of the selected employee losing the job qualification relative to other employees in the set of employees. | 05-01-2014 |
20140129271 | POSITION LEVEL WORK SCHEDULE - A first employment position business object may be created. The first employment position business object may include attribute(s). An employee business object may be associated with the first employment position business object. The employee business object may inherit the attribute(s) in response to the association. The creation or the association may be initiated through a graphical user interface. The attribute(s) may include a work schedule. The employee business object may be disassociated from the first employment position business object. The employee business object may then be associated with a second employment position business object. | 05-08-2014 |
20140129272 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING SERVICE RESTORATION IN A UTILITY NETWORK - Some embodiments include a computer-implemented restoration work plan system and method comprising a processor, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in data communication with the processor, and a service restoration management system executable by the processor, and configured to prepare a first distribution system operations storm outage prediction project model forecast substantially in real time based at least in part on a weather forecast. Some embodiments include calculating and displaying an expected outage category level substantially in real time for each division based on the weather forecast, and resource numbers comprising the number of personnel needed to respond to outages and the number of crew needed to repair outages. Some embodiments include calculating and displaying an estimated time of repair within the repair plan based at least in part on a historical productivity assumption, the productivity assumption including a historical rate of assessment and repair and percentage of outages requiring repair. | 05-08-2014 |
20140136252 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SPLITTING SCHEDULING PROBLEMS INTO SUB-PROBLEMS - A computing system receives user input of scheduling problem data. The scheduling problem data relates to a scheduling problem and includes one or more stations and tasks to be performed by at least one station. The computing system constructs a graph problem using the scheduling problem data. The graph problem includes a graph. The computing system cuts the graph into sub-graphs using a cut algorithm to create a cut result that satisfies a threshold and identifies one or more task exceptions from the sub-graphs in the cut result. The one or more task exceptions are tasks that can be assigned to more than one sub-graph. The computing system creates scheduling sub-problems pertaining to the one or more task exceptions using the cut result. | 05-15-2014 |
20140136253 | DETERMINING WHETHER TO USE CROWDSOURCING FOR A SPECIFIED TASK - An embodiment of the invention, directed to a method, is associated with a workflow process comprising one or more discrete tasks. The method includes the step identifying a specified one of the tasks that may be performed by crowdsourcing. The method further includes defining a specified metric, which comprises a measure of benefit provided by using crowdsourcing to perform the specified task, or comprises a cost of using crowdsourcing to perform the specified task, selectively. The method further includes determining whether at least a given criterion has been met, wherein the given criterion is related to the specified metric. The specified task is then performed using crowdsourcing, only after determining that the given criterion has been met. | 05-15-2014 |
20140142998 | Method and System for Optimized Task Assignment - A computer-implemented method is provided for assigning tasks to resources. The method includes receiving one or more constraints corresponding to each of the tasks and one or more constraints corresponding to each of the resources. The method also includes receiving a value from a user defining at least one of a plurality of variables including: (i) a resource variable representing resources available for allocation to the tasks, (ii) a duration variable representing a time frame for completing the tasks, and iii) a scope variable representing one or more of the plurality of tasks requiring execution. The method further includes applying a first optimization scheme to determine a value for each undefined variable to formulate a task delivery plan and applying a second optimization scheme to determine a task for assignment to a resource. | 05-22-2014 |
20140142999 | Managing Assets - A method for managing assets including receiving a task across a network to be performed by a set of assets, identifying a subset of assets owned by an owner, transmitting a personalized direct communication across the network to the owner, wherein the personalized direct communication requests approval for use of the subset of assets to execute the task, and responsive to receiving an approval communication across the network from the owner indicating respective approved assets from the subset of assets producing a set of approved assets, automatically transmitting a set of communications across the network to the set of approved assets for execution of the task. | 05-22-2014 |
20140149160 | FACILITATING PERSONAL SHOPPING ASSISTANCE - Systems and methods are disclosed herein for facilitating shopping assistance. A shopping list is posted by a principal and presented to a plurality of potential agents. Responses are received from the potential agents and a response manually or automatically selected. Partial access to a shopping account of the principal is provided to the selected agent. Partial access may enable the agent to view a shopping list generated by the agent and to associate transactions of the agent with the principal. At a point of sale (POS) an agent may be authenticated and enabled to select a principal with which to associate a transaction. Real time data may be transmitted to a principal as items of a shopping list are checked off by the agent and updates and feedback from the principal may be provided to the agent. | 05-29-2014 |
20140156324 | SELECTIVE AUTOMATED TRANSFORMATION OF TASKS IN CROWDSOURCING SYSTEMS - An embodiment of the invention is associated with a system disposed to post software related tasks to a crowdsourcing marketplace for execution. Prior to posting a specified task, it is determined whether the specified task comprises a complex task. Responsive to determining that the specified task comprises a complex task, the specified task is evaluated with respect to a first criterion, to determine whether the specified task should be decomposed into two or more atomic tasks. Responsive to determining that the specified task does not comprise a complex task, the specified task is evaluated with respect to a second criterion, to determine whether the specified task should be combined with other tasks into a bundled task. | 06-05-2014 |
20140156325 | SELECTIVE AUTOMATED TRANSFORMATION OF TASKS IN CROWDSOURCING SYSTEMS - An embodiment of the invention is associated with a system disposed to post software related tasks to a crowdsourcing marketplace for execution. Prior to posting a specified task, it is determined whether the specified task comprises a complex task. Responsive to determining that the specified task comprises a complex task, the specified task is evaluated with respect to a first criterion, to determine whether the specified task should be decomposed into two or more atomic tasks. Responsive to determining that the specified task does not comprise a complex task, the specified task is evaluated with respect to a second criterion, to determine whether the specified task should be combined with other tasks into a bundled task. | 06-05-2014 |
20140164037 | GAMIFIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - Gamified computerized project management system and method which harnesses the innate human desire for playful competition and continual skill advancement to improve organizational productivity. The system allows team member bidding on project tasks, where they accumulate points according to various criteria including how well their work product meets previously established criteria, as well as an opportunity to acquire additional points from mastering various task related learning material. Other factors, such as providing assistance to other team members, evaluating work product, and the like are also awarded points. Competition is fostered by allowing team members to see where their point score ranks versus other players, while teamwork and member skill growth is also encouraged. Gamified project management files containing comprehensive project records may be saved, converted to standard project management files, or constructed by translation process that gamifies standard project management files. Standard prefabricated gamified project files may also be used. | 06-12-2014 |
20140164038 | Alignment of Territories for Marketing and Sales and a Method Thereof - A system allows a user to reassign and/or assign territories, geographical territories for marketing and sales purposes. The system displays a geographical area that have assignable, bounded areas. The user selects an area and, by moving a finger or cursor, may add additional areas to the selected area or territory. By also using a function key at the same time, the user can limit the areas added to the territory to other larger geographically defined areas. | 06-12-2014 |
20140172477 | TECHNIQUES FOR USING A HEAT MAP OF A RETAIL LOCATION TO DEPLOY EMPLOYEES - A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The computer-implemented method includes the step of monitoring, at a processing device, regions of a retail location. The computer-implemented method also includes the step of determining, at the processing device, a crowd size for each region based on the monitoring step and indicative of an amount of people in the region when the monitoring step is executed. The computer-implemented method also includes the step of generating, at the processing device, a heat map based on the crowd sizes in each region, the heat map being indicative of the amount of people in each of the regions. The computer-implemented method also includes the step of altering a distribution of employees available for service to customers in the retail store in response to the identification of the over-crowded region. | 06-19-2014 |
20140188535 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REVIEWING AND RATING SCRIPTS TO GENERATE A QUANTIFIABLE SCORE - The present invention discloses a method and system for reviewing script file(s) to provide a quantified quality score. The system includes a server system, a processing module, and a data storage module. The server system is configured to receive the script files from a writer and assign these script files to multiple readers for analysis. The processing module is operatively coupled to the server system for processing the analyzed script files by the plurality of readers. The processor checks the status of individual reviews of the plurality of readers before generating a final score. The data storage module is operatively coupled to the server system and the processing module for storing the script files and the reviewed script files. | 07-03-2014 |
20140195286 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INTEGRATED CONTROL OF SUBTERRANEAN OPERATIONS - Methods and systems for integrating operations of various subsystems involvement in managing subterranean operations are disclosed. Data relating to a subterranean operation is received from one or more functional units at a centralized functional unit. The received data is used by the centralized functional unit to in a number of ways including communicating with a procurement subsystem to coordinate availability of materials for an upcoming subterranean operation; communicating with a operations support subsystem to at least one of coordinate availability of personnel to perform one or more subterranean operations and perform quality control on one or more subterranean operations; and communicating with a logistics subsystem to manage mobilization of personnel to perform one or more subterranean operations. | 07-10-2014 |
20140200937 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REQUESTING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND RATING EMPLOYEES AND SERVICE LOCATIONS KEYED TO IDENTIFICATION TAGS - Disclosed is a method and system for entering customer service requests, ratings and reviews in a quality control system, keyed to employee-specific or service location-specific identification numbers stored on physical media such as QR codes, bar codes, and RFID tags, and to notify employees of service requests for prompt resolution. Also disclosed is a system and method for using such employee-specific and service location-specific data to produce numerical measurements of quality, and to convert those measurements to points that may be exchanged for rewards, incentivizing good service and participation in the quality control system. | 07-17-2014 |
20140207503 | SKILL MAPPING ANALYSIS - A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for allocating people to subdivisions of a team. A set of skills is assigned to the team, and each of the skills has a range of skill levels. In one embodiment, the method comprises establishing, for each of the team subdivisions, a plurality of the skill levels for the set of skills, and determining a profile for the subdivision based on the skill levels established for the subdivision. For each person of a group of people, one skill level is assigned to the person for each skill of the set of skills, a profile is calculated for the person based on the skill levels assigned to the person, and the person is allocated to one of the subdivisions based on a comparison of the profile of the person and the profile of one or more of the subdivisions. | 07-24-2014 |
20140207504 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CALCULATING TASK EFFORTS AND APPLYING THE RESULTS FOR RESOURCE PLANNING - A system and method of calculating task efforts and applying the results for resource planning. The method includes inputting ticket data into a computer, the computer having a processor for executing a software program tool embodied therein. The computer executes the steps of the software program tool to calculate the task effort value for each task handled by a consultant where the consultant has multiple tasks open during a defined period of time. The computer executes the steps of the software program tool to aggregate the task effort values for each consultant by workgroup resulting in the task effort value for the workgroup. The computer executes the steps of the software program tool to estimate the full time equivalent (FTE) for each workgroup as the ratio of the task effort value for the workgroup to the total available work hours for the FTE. | 07-24-2014 |
20140214465 | PROCESSING RESTAURANT ORDERS WITHIN COMPUTING SYSTEMS - An order initiated by a customer via a client device is received over a communications network. The order indicates a target restaurant of a plurality of available restaurants having diverse menus, a delivery location, and a food order including one or more menu items available at the target restaurant. The food order is directed to one or more workstations of the target restaurant for presentation via an order-fulfillment interface to staff responsible for preparation of the one or more menu items. A delivery task is directed to a different client device for presentation via a delivery-fulfillment interface to a delivery agent responsible for delivery of the food order to the delivery location. The delivery task indicates the delivery location. | 07-31-2014 |
20140214466 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IN-AIR CUSTOMER SERVICE - A method has acts for receiving a transaction request in a contact center at a server having a processor, retrieving from data accompanying the transaction request identifying information regarding an originating node for the transaction request and identity of a sender of the transaction request, comparing the identifying information with stored data associating identifying information with specific aircraft providing on-board Internet service, discovering an association indicating the sender of the request is currently transacting as a passenger on a specific aircraft, retrieving further information regarding the passenger if available, retrieving information about the specific aircraft, including at least current flight status, routing the transaction request to an available contact center agent, connecting the passenger in a communication session with the agent, and displaying the information regarding the passenger, if any, and the information regarding the specific aircraft for use by the agent during the communication session with the passenger. | 07-31-2014 |
20140222478 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREATING AND MANAGING SCHEDULE ON BASIS OF SOCIAL NETWORK - The present disclosure provides a method and a system for creating and managing a schedule based on a social network. The method comprises the steps of: a schedule management server obtaining information from a specific account of the social network; the schedule management server parsing a type of the information, an identity of an information creator and information content; the schedule management server creating a schedule event based on the parsed type of the information, the identity of the information creator and the information content; and the schedule management server providing a user interface, so that a user views the created schedule event. | 08-07-2014 |
20140236651 | Display of Process-Plan Execution - A method is provided that includes receiving a plan model for a process including a plurality of tasks, and generating a layout including a network diagram that expresses the plan model. The method also includes simulating execution of the plan model, and dynamically updating the network diagram to reflect an actual task duration tracked for each task during the simulation. The network diagram includes along a time-directed axis, a plurality of task nodes that express respective tasks, with each task node being expressed as a first multi-dimensional shape having an outline with a dimension along the axis sized according to a task duration for a respective task. In the updated network diagram, then, each task node further includes a fill in the same first multi-dimensional shape as the respective outline but with a dimension along the axis sized according to the actual task duration of the respective task. | 08-21-2014 |
20140244326 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED SERVICE SCHEDULE DERIVATION AND UPDATING - A method, apparatus and computer program products are provided for automatically determining or fine-tuning bus service schedules for bus stops along a route. One example method includes causing reception of GPS data from a plurality of buses or uses from along a transit route, the GPS data comprised of a plurality of location points and associated temporal data, aggregating the location data by route and direction to determine a trip count, causing reception of at least one bus stop location, partitioning the associated temporal data into a number of clusters in accordance with the trip count, calculating a mean arrival time at the at least one bust stop for each cluster, and generating, using a processor, at least one service schedule for the at least one bus stop, wherein the mean arrival time of each cluster represents the service schedule. | 08-28-2014 |
20140244327 | TECHNIQUES FOR ALLOCATING RESOURCES BASED ON A SOCIAL PROXIMITY SCORE - Techniques for allocating sales representatives to potential new and/or existing customer accounts are described. With sonic embodiments, for each member of the social networking service in a pre-defined group of members (e.g., team of sales representatives), a social proximity score is derived to reflect a measure of how socially connected the member is to a target entity (e.g., company, school, government institution, or some other organization). The new or existing accounts are then allocated to various members in the pre-defined group, based at least in part on the social proximity scores. | 08-28-2014 |
20140244328 | WIND TURBINE MAINTENANCE OPTIMIZER - A service planning engine may predict the future wind speed at a wind farm as well as the future price of energy of the utility grid coupled to the wind turbines. Based on the predicted values, the service planning engine identifies times to perform maintenance when lost revenue is minimized—e.g., when the predicted price of energy is low. Furthermore, the service planning engine may calculate a service priority associated with the turbine to determine when to perform service. The service priority may be based on a status signal associated with the component to be serviced or the time window stipulated in the service contract for performing the maintenance. In one embodiment, the service planning engine also considers resource constraints such as labor costs (e.g., work schedules, overtime costs, availability of technicians with certain skills, availability of components, shipping costs, and the like). | 08-28-2014 |
20140257892 | SOCIAL PROJECT COLLABORATION THROUGH SELF-ORGANIZING TEAMS - A graph of tasks and people operated on are incrementally created as nodes in a social network. Task nodes may be created in the social network to represent one or more tasks. A people node in the social network may follow other people nodes and also follow the one or more task nodes, and have one or more tasks associated with the task nodes assigned to one or more people nodes. Projects are run in a self-organizing way by operating on a graph of tasks and people that evolves over the course of the project representing the current state and upon completion representing the entire project state and history including all work results, tasks and people who contributed. | 09-11-2014 |
20140257893 | Method and System for Certification - A computer-implemented method and system for receiving an identifier of a transferred item from an asset database of an owner of the item, updating an inventory tracking database of a certification management system to include the transferred item, receiving a representation of compliance that the transferred item is held by a custodian from a custodian inventory management system, generating a certificate for the item indicating that the item is held by the custodian, in response to receiving the representation of compliance, and distributing the certificate to the owner and the custodian of the transferred item. | 09-11-2014 |
20140257894 | SOCIAL PROJECT COLLABORATION THROUGH SELF-ORGANIZING TEAMS - A graph of tasks and people operated on are incrementally created as nodes in a social network. Task nodes may be created in the social network to represent one or more tasks. A people node in the social network may follow other people nodes and also follow the one or more task nodes, and have one or more tasks associated with the task nodes assigned to one or more people nodes. Projects are run in a self-organizing way by operating on a graph of tasks and people that evolves over the course of the project representing the current state and upon completion representing the entire project state and history including all work results, tasks and people who contributed. | 09-11-2014 |
20140278626 | Consistent Interface for Task Activity Business Object - A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a task activity business object. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278627 | FLEXIBLE STORE FULFILLMENT - Aspects described herein relate to a flexible order fulfillment management system that utilizes predefined fulfillment workflows including common business processes. By utilizing predefined workflows including common business processes, the order fulfillment management system is able to drive store-based fulfillment programs efficiently as multiple fulfillment workflows may utilize the same common business processes and a single fulfillment management system may operate workflows in parallel. In addition, such an order fulfillment management system may also be more easily adapted for different retail store environments as the system allows a designer to easily create or modify a fulfillment workflow by selecting predefined common business processes or creating any additional custom business processes. Another aspect described herein relates to a tool that allows a designer of an order fulfillment program to select from a group of predefined common business processes to create workflows associated with an order fulfillment program. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278628 | METHODS FOR GENERATING A WORK-ORDER IN REAL TIME AND DEVICES THEREOF - A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and a mobile computing device comprises obtaining one or more databases from one or more sources; identifying one or more items in the obtained one or more databases; determining a fee for the identified one or more items based on one or more fee setting parameters; and generating a work-order in real-time based on the determined fee. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278629 | METHOD FOR EMPLOYEE PARAMETER TRACKING - A method for employee attendance monitoring, including: receiving biometric information unique to an employee, the biometric information including a timestamp; identifying the employee based on the biometric information; updating a work record associated with the employee based on the timestamp in response to employee identification; analyzing the biometric information to extract a physiological parameter of the employee; updating a physiological record associated with the employee; and generating a recommendation for an employer based on the physiological record associated with the employee. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278630 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WASTE MATERIAL MANAGMENT - A method for scheduling waste material removal, comprising: receiving waste material information for each of a set of containers, each container comprising a sensor and configured to contain waste material, the waste material information based on a sensor measurement by the sensor, identifying contents of the waste material contained within each of the set of containers based on the respective waste material information, and determining a collection schedule for the set of containers based on the contents of the waste material for each of the set of containers. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278631 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING BUSINESS FUNCTIONS FOR ONE OR MORE COMPANIES - Approaches for managing business functions for one or more companies are disclosed. In an implementation, business rules that enable a workflow to be initiated (e.g., without an explicit user request for the initiation of the workflow) upon detection of an event associated with at least one of the business rules may be stored. Responsive to detection of a first event, a first business rule of the business rules that is associated with the first event may be identified. A first workflow that comprises one or more tasks associated with the first business rule and a first entity may be initiated based on the first business rule. A first task of the one or more tasks may be assigned to a first user associated with the first entity. | 09-18-2014 |
20140297344 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LABORATORY AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE - A personalized tool, designed to help personnel manage their laboratories/organizations/companies and personal/professional development more efficiently. Access to the tools needed to run a more efficient laboratory/organization and improve patient care/customer satisfaction. The web portal provides a variety of helpful electronic tools, giving personnel the ability to update their laboratory/organization profile, view news alerts and survey results, prepare for upcoming compliance surveys/reviews and receive support for a wide range of laboratory/organization/company needs. Example features for laboratories include an easy-to-follow dashboard wheel that displays compliance/progress status information at a glance, a self-assessment wizard allowing managers to monitor their laboratory's quality and a dedicated section for waived laboratories. This provides a resource where professionals can update their lab/organization/company profile, view communications, see survey results, prepare for upcoming surveys and receive support for a whole range of laboratory/organization/company needs. | 10-02-2014 |
20140297345 | USING CUSTOMER PREFERENCES TO MINIMIZE IMPACT OF REQUIRED MAINTENANCE - A method for scheduling system maintenance in consumer premises equipment is described including accepting customer preferences correlation with content and maintenance information, determining a present time, determining a duration of the system maintenance, calculating an ending time of the system maintenance, determining if the ending time of the system maintenance interferes with the customer preferences correlation, if the ending time of the system maintenance will not interfere with the customer preferences correlation, then determining if a customer is currently accessing preferred content or current content is strongly correlated with the customer preferences or if access to preferred content is anticipated before the ending time of the system maintenance and scheduling the system maintenance responsive to the third and fourth determining steps. | 10-02-2014 |
20140310039 | Automated Cloud Expansion and Ordering System and Method - Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing automated cloud expansion and ordering. Implementing automated cloud expansion and ordering might include monitoring cloud services and hardware operated by a cloud service provide. In some cases, monitoring may be periodically performed, while in other cases monitoring may be triggered by ordering of new cloud services by a subscriber. Based on a determination that hardware utilization is likely to exceed a predetermined threshold amount, the system might determine a number and type of new equipment, and to automatically generate and send purchase orders to vendor(s) for the new equipment. The system may also send work orders to technicians that include the site location, rack and slot identifiers, estimated equipment delivery dates and times, or the like. The system might also remotely (over a network) install software (including operating systems, software applications, and configuration files) on the new equipment. | 10-16-2014 |
20140316831 | DYNAMIC INTERFACE BETWEEN BPSS CONVERSATION MANAGEMENT AND LOCAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT - The present invention relates to devices and methods that coordinate an external conversation process between entities with an internal workflow of one of the entities. More particularly, it relates to devices and methods that are compliant with an inter-enterprise conversation process standard for routing electronic commerce documents between enterprises. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings. | 10-23-2014 |
20140324494 | RISK-LIMITED DISPATCH OF KNOWLEDGE WORK - A real-time monitoring sub-system may monitor resources, work requests, and work progress in an on-going manner in information technology global service delivery provisioning. An integrated management and planning subsystem may simultaneously operate on a plurality of timescales to optimize a service delivery objective under a constraint of schedule risk. The integrated management and planning subsystem may continuously update a work plan based on solving in the on-going manner, the optimized service delivery objective using the monitored resources, work requests and work progress. | 10-30-2014 |
20140324495 | WIND TURBINE MAINTENANCE OPTIMIZER - Determining when to perform preventative maintenance is an important consideration for maximizing the revenue of a wind turbine. For example, performing preventative maintenance may be cheaper than replacing turbine components when they fail. When determining to perform preventative maintenance, a maintenance scheduler may consider multiple factors. These factors may include the probability of failure, the predicted price of energy, predicted wind power production, resource constraints, and the like. Specifically, the maintenance scheduler may predict the future values of these factors which are then integrated into a net present value (NPV) for each of the components. Based on the respective NPVs, the maintenance scheduler may determine which maintenance actions to perform and in what order. | 10-30-2014 |
20140337071 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURING AND PROCESSING REQUESTS THROUGH WORKFLOW APPLICATIONS - A computer-implemented method of creating a workflow application is disclosed, including the steps of presenting a graphical user interface via a display device, receiving a user input specifying a request type representing a framework of information to be provided by an end user for a request to be acted on, receiving a user input specifying a task assignment representing an entity to which a task is assigned, and associating the task assignment with the request type. The method further includes the steps of receiving a user input specifying an action to be performed on the request by the entity to which the task is assigned, associating the action with the task assignment, and presenting a diagram within the graphical user interface to visually represent the request type, task assignment, and action as individual nodes. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337072 | ACTIONABLE WORKFLOW BASED ON INTERACTION ANALYTICS ANALYSIS - A system and method for analyzing interactions between end users and contact center agents, and for generating work items. An interaction analytics server analyzes contact center interactions, continuously or in batches, for characteristics including topics, sentiment, satisfaction, and business outcome, and delivers the results to an intelligent workload distribution server, which generates one or more work items for assignment to suitably skilled agents or stakeholders. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337073 | COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAKING VIRTUAL SALES VISITS - A computer-implemented method for managing virtual sales visits is provided. In exemplary embodiments, the method may comprise, at a computing device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, scheduling a video sales call with a remote user; receiving a confirmation of the video sales call from the remote user; sending materials to the remote user; tracking and confirming that materials have been received by the remote user; executing the video sales call with the remote user; terminating the video sales call and generating a reminder to follow-up with the remote user after a predetermined time; transmitting a follow up message to the remote user; tracking and confirming that the materials have been received from the remote user within a predetermined time after the call; recording and storing a record of expenses associated with the video sales call; and receiving an indication that the video sales call is complete. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337074 | DISTRIBUTIVE ON-DEMAND ADMINISTRATIVE TASKING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS - The DISTRIBUTIVE ON-DEMAND ADMINISTRATIVE TASKING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“DODAT™ embodiments”), in many embodiments, transform ticket and user inputs via DODAT™ components into payment and work product outputs. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337075 | DISTRIBUTIVE ON-DEMAND ADMINISTRATIVE TASKING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS - The DISTRIBUTIVE ON-DEMAND ADMINISTRATIVE TASKING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“DODAT™ embodiments”), in many embodiments, transform ticket and user inputs via DODAT™ components into payment and work product outputs. | 11-13-2014 |
20140343984 | SPATIAL CROWDSOURCING WITH TRUSTWORTHY QUERY ANSWERING - Spatial crowdsourcing systems and methods assign spatial tasks to be performed by human workers. The systems and methods can verify the validity of the results provided by workers. Every worker can have a reputation score stating the probability that the worker performs a task correctly. Every spatial task can have a confidence threshold determining the minimum quality of the accepted level of its result. To satisfy this threshold, a task may be assigned redundantly to multiple workers. A reputation score can be associated to every worker, which represents the probability that a worker performs a task correctly. A task may be assigned to a subset of workers whose aggregate reputation score satisfies the confidence of the task. | 11-20-2014 |
20140343985 | TASK BASED ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and method of managing tasks and organizations is provided herein. | 11-20-2014 |
20140358605 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CROWDSOURCING A TASK - The disclosed embodiments illustrate methods and systems for crowdsourcing a task. The method comprises presenting the task to one or more crowdworkers based on their reputation scores and a redundancy degree associated with the task. The task comprises one or more sub-tasks. A plurality of responses to the task are received from the one or more crowdworkers. Each response further comprises one or more sub-responses each of which in turn corresponds to a response for a sub-task of the one or more sub-tasks. A first set of sub-tasks is identified from the one or more sub-tasks based on a first set of similar sub-responses received for the first set of sub-tasks from the plurality of responses. A first set of crowdworkers from the one or more crowdworkers who provided the first set of similar sub-responses for the first set of sub-tasks are remunerated. | 12-04-2014 |
20140365254 | First to File Lean Invention Process - Systems and methods are disclosed to commercialize a product or service at an early stage, by conceiving of a new concept and converting the new concept into an intellectual property (IP) asset; forming a team to develop the new concept using a computer; determining contributions from each member of the team and assigning a profit sharing percentage to each contributing member; and developing the new concept and bringing the product or service to a marketplace as a new business venture. | 12-11-2014 |
20140372160 | CONTEXT-AWARE MOBILE CROWDSOURCING - The subject disclosure is directed towards a context-aware mobile crowd sourcing service/system. Context information is automatically collected for a mobile device via mobile-device sensors. When a task is received that specifies context-related criteria, a worker is selected for that task based at least in part upon the context information associated with that worker's mobile device. Sensors on the device may be leveraged to capture information related to performing the task. Also described is a cross-platform task configuration that allows a task to be written once and run on different mobile device platforms. | 12-18-2014 |
20150012318 | Method and an Arrangement for Provisioning of Services - The invention discloses, inter alia, a computer-implemented method for assigning a service provided by a service provider to a document and to a stakeholder in a computer executable service platform comprising a content analysis service, an identity evaluation service, and a service allocation service, wherein the document has a sender, a receiver and content interpretable as structured content. The invention is characterized in that the method contains the step for the identity evaluation service evaluating at least one attribute regarding the identity of a stakeholder of the document having a role of a sender or a receiver, a user having access to the document. The method also comprises the step for the content analysis service resolving at least one attribute value from the content or meta-data of the document. Finally, the method comprises the step of the service allocation service assigning at least one service to the document based on a match between the requirements of the service and the results of the execution of the identity evaluation service and/or the results of the execution of the content analysis service. | 01-08-2015 |
20150012319 | Employee location noticeboard - An employee location noticeboard is in the form of a dry-erase board, with a list of prepared options and checkboxes providing specific details about the employee's current location and estimated time of return. The noticeboard also provides some options that are not intended to be actually used, but instead may provide harmless amusement for the reader. A method of producing noticeboard content provides for determining legitimate reasons for an employee to be away from his or her desk, determining not legitimate but humorous reasons for the employee to be away, and printing the list on the noticeboard. The noticeboard features suction cups for easy mounting on an office door. | 01-08-2015 |
20150025926 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCED USE OF DATA IN AGRICULTURE MANAGEMENT - A computer system for managing agricultural sales involving a salesperson and a first grower is provided. The computer system includes a database. The computer system also includes a processor. The processor is programmed to store historical sales data for the first grower in the database. The historical sales data includes a prior purchase of a first agricultural product by the grower. The processor is also programmed to identify a second agricultural product appropriate for the first grower based at least in part on the historical sales data. The processor is further programmed to create a task for the salesperson. The task is related to engaging the first grower regarding the second agricultural product. The processor is also programmed to display the task to the salesperson for engaging the first grower. | 01-22-2015 |
20150032489 | METHODS FOR FACILITATING THE PREPARATION OF CONSTRUCTION BID DOCUMENTS AND DEVICES THEREOF - A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and an electronic bidding server that obtains a selection of a template associated with a project from a first user, wherein the template includes at least a plurality of static and dynamic documents. Drawing(s), specification(s), and content associated with the project is received from a second user. Input field(s) of the one or more dynamic documents are populated with the content received from the second user. The specification(s), drawing(s), and static and dynamic documents are provided to a bidding platform configured to receive bids from bidders for completing the project. Subsequent to receiving and approving the bidder, a project administrator user approves automatic extraction of the data input, including the plurality of dynamic and static documents from all phases of the process to generate a compliant and correct contract for the project. | 01-29-2015 |
20150032490 | IDENTIFYING DRIVER REPORT DATA BASED UPON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SCHEDULE INFORMATION - In a transportation system, identifying factors that contribute to schedule deviation provides for improving the operation of the system. A processing device collects operational information related to the operation of at least one vehicle along a transportation route. The device determines a plurality of actual scheduled arrivals for the transportation route and compare the operating information with the actual scheduled arrivals to determine mean delay data for each driver. The device determines schedule deviation for each driver based upon the operating information and fits the mean delay data for each driver, standard deviation delay data for each driver, and the schedule deviation information for each driver into a results set. The device fits the data using a maximum likelihood modeling technique and/or a Bayesian modeling technique. The results set are presented to a manager or another similar authority role in the transportation system for further action. | 01-29-2015 |
20150032491 | COMPUTER PROGRAM, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR PREPARING AND PROCESSING AN ELECTRONIC WORK ORDER - A computer program, method, and system for preparing and processing electronic work orders that receives transaction requirements and organizes them into an electronic work order. The electronic work order is in a customer-specific template. The current location and status of drivers is monitored. A driver is either selected or recommended based upon analysis of the electronic work order, the driver location and status, and a database of worksite information. The selected driver is contacted and sent to complete the transaction. The driver, via a driver device, is presented with information about the customer, the worksite and the route. The driver device assists the driver in performing electronic work order and recording the performance. | 01-29-2015 |
20150039363 | REAL-TIME PREDICTION AND CORRECTION OF SCHEDULED SERVICE BUNCHING - A method includes: a computer receiving historical data from at least one service vehicle; the computer receiving network definitions for the least one service vehicle; the computer receiving dynamic data from the at least one service vehicle; and the computer developing predictions and corrective actions to prevent service bunching, based upon the historical data, the network definitions, and the dynamic data. | 02-05-2015 |
20150039364 | OPTIMIZING EMERGENCY RESOURCES IN CASE OF DISASTER - A method and system for planning relocation of people from disaster locations to safe locations. Received are an identification of: a disaster locations at which a respective disaster is predicted to occur, numbers of persons to be evacuated during a specified range of time at each disaster location, safe locations available for relocating the persons to be evacuated, vehicles available to transport the persons from the disaster locations to the safe locations, each vehicle's capacity of a maximum number of people that can be simultaneously transported, and each vehicle's current location. An optimal plan is generated for (i) evacuating the identified number of persons from the disaster locations during the respective specified ranges of time and (ii) transporting the evacuated persons to the safe locations, utilizing the received identifications. All persons evacuated from the disaster locations have been relocated at the safe locations by elapse of the N time intervals. | 02-05-2015 |
20150039365 | DIGITAL VEHICLE TAG AND METHOD OF INTEGRATION IN VEHICLE ALLOCATION SYSTEM - A system and method for allocating drivers to procure targets, such as automobiles. These targets are then transported to a desired drop-off destination. The entire system is automated, such that a requestor may hire drivers that are certified by the system and would satisfy requirements associated with the target, such as proper driver's license and location of the driver relative to the target. The system is powered by an internet based mobile application that is designed to match individual drivers to auto dealers, auction houses, driving transport companies and other businesses and individuals (“requestors”) seeking to move automobiles, goods, services, tasks, etc. from one location to another. The system has been designed to find, organize, and manage drivers and all aspects of the trip on a real time basis and reduce the cost of the existing system. | 02-05-2015 |
20150046206 | Method, Apparatus, and System for Managing Work Flow - A method, apparatus, system and media for managing work flow. One embodiment comprises a processor-readable media having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, comprising instructions to receive a service request from the customer via a user interface on the wireless communication device, the service request comprising a type of service desired by the customer, instructions for transmitting the service request by a communication interface in the wireless communication device to a central server, the central server for providing an invitation, based on the service request, to service providers that are pre-authorized by a central authority entity and who offer services matching the type of service identified in the service request, and instructions for a receiver in the wireless communication device to receive an acceptance of the service request from the central server, the acceptance provided by one of the pre-authorized service providers that received the invitation to the central server. | 02-12-2015 |
20150058053 | SHIFTING A GROUP OF TASKS ALONG A TIMELINE - An aspect of the present disclosure facilitates the shifting of a group of tasks along a timeline. In one embodiment, multiple tasks are sent for display along a timeline, with each task having a start time and an end time respectively equaling an original start value and an original end value along the timeline. In response to receiving data indicating a group of tasks and an offset, a new start value and a new end value for each of the tasks in the group is computed based on the offset. The start time and end time of each of the tasks in the group is set respectively to the computed new start value and new end value. The display of the timeline is updated (by resending the tasks) with the start time and end time of each task of the group set to the newly computed values. Thus, the received group of tasks is shifted along the timeline by the received offset. | 02-26-2015 |
20150058054 | Modularly Managed Service Platform - A service method and associated system is provided. The method includes generating event types for events and services associated with the events. Virtual or physical machines associated with the services are provisioned and a message associated with a first event is published. The message is routed to a queue of a second service and the second service is notified of the message. The services are enabled and a selection for a sub-set of the services is received. The selection is enabled. | 02-26-2015 |
20150058055 | AUTOMATED COURSE SCHEDULING AND BALANCING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A scheduling and balancing server operates with data acquired from a scheduler datastore and data from datastores residing in a university server to dynamically generate an annual course rolling schedule and to dynamically place faculty into course sections defined by the annual course rolling schedule. | 02-26-2015 |
20150073846 | OBTAINING A PRODUCT VIA A REPOSITORY IN AN ORGANIZATION WITH OBTAINMENT UNITS - A purchase order is received by an entity associated with an organization for a product to be obtained via a vendor, wherein the product has a value in external-obtainment units. The product is inventoried in a repository of the organization, wherein the product is obtainable via the repository of the organization with internal-obtainment units. The product is allocated to a number of entities associated with the organization. | 03-12-2015 |
20150081360 | Order/Vehicle Assignment Based on Order Density - Example systems and methods of assigning shipping orders to delivery vehicles are presented. In one example, a delivery region may be segmented into delivery blocks. A shipping order density may be determined for each of the delivery blocks. Adjacent delivery blocks having corresponding shipping order densities may be merged to yield delivery areas. A cost of using each type of available delivery vehicle to transport a delivery job may be determined relative to a cargo capacity of the vehicle type, a delivery distance, and a shipping order density. Each of the delivery areas may be partitioned into delivery jobs based on the cost of using each of the vehicle types. Each of the delivery jobs may be assigned to one of the available delivery vehicles based on minimizing a total cost of using the vehicles to transport the delivery jobs. | 03-19-2015 |
20150081361 | COLLABORATIVE PERSONAL ASSISTANT SYSTEM FOR DELEGATING PROVISION OF SERVICES BY THIRD PARTY TASK PROVIDERS AND METHOD THEREFOR - Provided is a collaborative Personal Assistant (PA) system for delegating provision of services by third party task providers. The system includes a contextual reasoned for searching for a first third party task provider supporting a first task required by a user input by using natural language input patterns for tasks supported by services operated by the third party task providers; and a server comprised of a task delegate unit for providing to the user a service and an action required by the user input for the first task, and providing additional service and actions supporting the first task to the user regardless of the user input. | 03-19-2015 |
20150095077 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HIRING WORKERS - An apparatus, system and/or method that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, transmitting to a human resources system application information and permission to perform a background check for a job opening, where the application information and the permission are inputted by an applicant via a user interface of a time clock device, presenting a job offer from the human resources system to the applicant via a graphical user interface, receiving an acceptance of the job offer inputted by the applicant via the user interface to make the applicant a worker, capturing work time information for the worker via the user interface, and transmitting the work time information to a payroll system. Other embodiments are disclosed. | 04-02-2015 |
20150100359 | System and Method of Routing Customer Care Cases for Electronic Devices - A computer-implemented method is provided for providing customer care to a user of an electronic device. After a device profile of the electronic device is received, together with any text added by the user in a query, a customer care case is created with the received parameters from the device profile and the added text from the user. This customer care case is then automatically routed to an appropriate resource or customer care agent channel based on analysis of the parameters and the added text. A separate but related method also relates to the database of expertise and availability parameters that is maintained for a plurality of customer care agents. The database is used for the aforementioned analysis and routing. | 04-09-2015 |
20150120349 | TASK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A task management system and method that enables task assignment, that supports task monitoring, that produces task reminders, that verifies task completion, and that assigns rewards or penalties based on task performance. The task management system implements a method of receiving an indication of a particular task to be completed and first image data that corresponds to the particular task. The method further includes receiving second image data that corresponds to a second image, and processor comparing the first image data and the second image data. The processor can determine whether the particular task is completed based on comparing the first image data and the second image data. A notification indicating whether the particular task is completed is then sent. | 04-30-2015 |
20150127396 | DETERMINING PREFERRED TIME TO CONTACT - Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for determining preferred times for contacting a customer. The system, method, and computer program product are configured to a) determine one or more contacts for a customer; b) determine regulations and/or policies associated with communicating with customers; and c) determine one or more optimal times from a twenty-four hour time period for contacting the customer based at least partially on the determined one or more contacts for the customer and the determine regulations and/or policies. | 05-07-2015 |
20150127397 | DETERMINING SEGMENTATION AND QUEUES FOR RECOVERY OF PAYMENT FROM FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS IN ARREARS - Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for determining which segment of the enterprise financial institution to assign to payment recovery for accounts in arrears. The segment determination process applies financial institution account metrics and customer attributes to the requisite business rules to determine which segment to assign for financial account payment recovery so as to maximize profitability. In additional embodiments, work assignment queues and/or payment recovery communication channels may be determined for the accounts in arrears based on applying customer attributes and/or financial account metrics to business rules. In still further embodiments of the invention, a next-allowable-date for contacting the customer regarding an account in arrears is determined based on applying collection history data to payment recovery velocity rules which define the criteria for contacting a customer and the frequency at which a customer can be contacted. | 05-07-2015 |
20150127398 | USER INTERFACE FOR MANAGING PAYMENT RECOVERY QUEUES USED IN THE RECOVERY OF PAYMENT FROM FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS IN ARREARS - Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are described which detail comprehensive user interfaces that provides representatives/associates, managing payment recovery work assignment queues, views of all accessible information pertaining to the customer and the accounts held or associated with the customer. The user interface further provides for the representative to filter and/or the accounts in arrears displayed in the queues within the user interfaces, so as to meet the dynamic needs of the representative as he or she manages the work assignment queues or communicates with the customer. In additional embodiments, the representative is provided the ability to save commonly utilized filters or combinations of filters for subsequent efficient management of the work assignment queues. | 05-07-2015 |
20150134385 | PROCESS CONTROL AND GOVERNANCE METHOD - A Process Control and Governance method is used to manage the entire process flow into several sub-processes. The process is overseen and managed by one Process Initiator, and is distributed to a layered execution structure consisting of a plurality of Process Executors. The Process Initiator and the Process Executors in all layers send messages corresponding to the tasks to a database system via a sending program. The database shows latest messages of all the processes, so that the Process Initiator can inquire and understand the latest progress of the processes in time. | 05-14-2015 |
20150134386 | COLLECTIVELY OPTIMIZING GROUP SCHEDULES TO MINIMIZE PROJECT COMPLETION TIME AND COST - A system and method for collectively optimizing group schedules to minimize completion time and project cost is disclosed. The method of some embodiments uses optimization techniques to collectively minimize the time and cost for the whole project, given the tasks, members and their attributes and dependencies. The system includes a project and task data store, a data validation engine, an analytics and correlation engine to resolve task prerequisites and dependencies, an optimizer to identify optimal task schedules according to a set of team members and associated project attributes, and an output generator to format a project calendar with all tasks and member assignments. | 05-14-2015 |
20150142488 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SCHEDULING STAFF BASED ON NORMALIZED PERFORMANCE - A system and method of ranking individuals based on a value per event using a processing system, the processing system comprising a processing device, a database for storing data, and communication processing devices, each of which is in communication with the processing device via a communication network, the method including assigning, by the processing device, a value to each item of a first group of items; assigning, by the processing device, a second group of specific items selected from the first group of items to individuals for promotion; determining, by the processing device, for each event, during a pre-determined period of time, a number of each item from the second group of specific items sold by each individual; normalizing, by the processing device, the number of each item sold based on a shift worked by each individual; determining, by the processing device, a value per event for each individual; and ranking the individuals based on the value per event. | 05-21-2015 |
20150142489 | OPTIMIZING ONSITE VENDOR BUSINESS - Systems and methods are provided to optimize a vendor's schedule by analyzing potential follow-up tasks and suggesting suitable follow-up tasks that satisfy certain criteria. The total revenue per hour of the follow-up task may be calculated by taking travel time to and from the follow-up task into account and compared to total revenue per hour calculated based on the vendor's historical job information. Coupon rates that may be offered to the customer associated with the follow-up task may also be determined algorithmically and suggested to the vendor. | 05-21-2015 |
20150149226 | Automated Notification Systems and Methods That Communicate Advertisement Related Information Based Upon Personal Profiles - Systems and methods are disclosed for automated computer based notification systems. A representative method, among others that are disclosed herein, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: monitoring travel or location information of a mobile thing (MT) that is destined to pickup or deliver a good or service at a stop location; engaging in a notification communication session between a personal communication device (PCD) associated with a party and the automated notification system when the MT is a predetermined proximity with respect to the stop location associated with the pickup or delivery of the good or service; selecting advertisement related information based at least in part upon personal profile information associated with the party; and causing the advertisement related information to be communicated to the PCD. | 05-28-2015 |
20150294251 | DISTRIBUTED TASK SCHEDULING USING MULTIPLE AGENT PARADIGMS - A computer-implemented method for assigning tasks to a plurality of agents includes determining, by a processor, a stance for an agent of the plurality of agents; and, when an unassigned task is available, assigning, by the processor, the unassigned task to an agent in the second stance. The stance is selected from the group consisting of a first stance and a second stance. Determining the stance is based on whether an unassigned task is available. The first stance relates to balancing tasks among the plurality of agents and the second stance relates to maximizing an amount of tasks assigned to a subset of the plurality of agents. | 10-15-2015 |
20150302330 | Automated Job Assignment to Service Providers | 10-22-2015 |
20150302331 | SCHEDULER FOR ATHLETIC FACILITIES - A schedule management system for athletic organizations produces an event schedule. The schedule is generated by the system that manages the information involved between the entities. The system accepts properties of an organization, properties of facilities serving the organization, and properties of other related entities. The system processes the properties to generate the schedule. The system can validate the schedule against the properties. The system can further recommend changes to the schedule. The schedule management system uses an interface to enter and modify the properties, to display the schedule, to interact with the validation, and to modify the schedule. | 10-22-2015 |
20150307273 | AUTOMATED WASTE MANAGEMENT - A method for enabling automated waste management is described. In one embodiment, data related to an event detected via a sensor coupled to a trash receptacle is received. A waste collection vehicle is configured to collect trash directly from the trash receptacle. The data related to the detected event is processed. A notification is generated based on the processing of the data. In some cases, a notification based on a determination of a volume of trash within the trash receptacle is generated, where the volume is determined via a ranging sensor. A notification is generated based on a determination of a weight of the trash within the trash receptacle, where the weight is determined via a load sensor. | 10-29-2015 |
20150310532 | VEHICLE TRUNKS FOR COMMERCE - Methods and systems for promoting commerce by using the trunks of vehicles for hire are described. The trunks can be used to transport, sell, and/or rent merchandise. When a user needs a vehicle for transportation or delivery, a service provider receives the request and locates a vehicle for hire that meets the request. More specifically, the service provider ensures that the trunk of the vehicle has the space to transport any items to be delivered and includes items that are useful for the passenger at his or her destination. | 10-29-2015 |
20150317582 | OPTIMIZING TASK RECOMMENDATIONS IN CONTEXT-AWARE MOBILE CROWDSOURCING - A “Context-Aware Crowdsourced Task Optimizer” provides various processes to optimize task recommendations for workers in mobile crowdsourcing scenarios by automatically identifying and recommending bundles of tasks compatible with workers' contexts (e.g., worker history, present or expected locations, travel paths, working hours, skill sets, capabilities of worker's mobile computing devices, etc.). The Context-Aware Crowdsourced Task Optimizer bundles tasks to both maximize expected numbers of completed tasks and to dynamically price tasks to maximize the system's utility, which is a function of task values and task completion rates. Advantageously, the resulting task identification and recommendation process incentivizes individual workers to perform more tasks in a shorter time period, thereby helping tasks to complete faster, even with smaller budgets. While such optimization problems are NP-hard, the Context-Aware Crowdsourced Task Optimizer exploits monotonicity and submodularity of various objective functions to provide computationally feasible task identification and recommendation algorithms with tight optimality bounds. | 11-05-2015 |
20150324717 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING REAL-TIME CARPOOLING - Computationally implemented methods and systems that are designed for receiving a request for transport of a first end user; selecting, in response to the received request, a transportation vehicle unit that is currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user for transporting the first end user, the selection of the transportation vehicle unit being based, at least in part, on ascertaining that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user; and transmitting one or more directives that direct the selected transportation vehicle unit to transport the first end user. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text. | 11-12-2015 |
20150324718 | REAL-TIME CARPOOLING COORDINATING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Computationally implemented methods and systems that are designed for transmitting a request for one or more identities of a transportation vehicle unit for transporting a first end user; receiving the one or more identities of the transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user, the transportation vehicle unit currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user and having been identified based, at least in part, on a determination that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user; and directing the identified transportation vehicle unit to rendezvous with the first end user in order to transport the first end user. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text. | 11-12-2015 |
20150324805 | PUBLIC NON-COMPANY CONTROLLED SOCIAL FORUM RESPONSE METHOD - Users may post issues and questions on public social media websites and other public forums. A business or product of the business may be the subject of the post. With a properly trained system the business can determined if another community member is likely provide and accurate, sufficient, and timely response to the post. If so, the business can avoid allocating resources to respond to such posts. However, if it is determined that an appropriate response is not likely, or not likely within an acceptable timeframe, the business may notify an agent to provide an appropriate response. As a benefit, the business may leverage a community of knowledgeable users to provide assistance to other users and thereby not expend resources unnecessarily. | 11-12-2015 |
20150324944 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR DIRECTIING ONE OR MORE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE UNITS TO TRANSPORT ONE OR MORE END USERS - Computationally implemented methods and systems that are designed for transmitting one or more requests for one or more identities of one or more transportation vehicle units for transporting one or more end users; receiving the one or more identities of the one or more transportation vehicle units for transporting the one or more end users, the one or more identified transportation vehicle units having been identified based, at least in part, on a determination that the one or more identified transportation vehicle units do not have any package delivery obligation that would be violated if the one or more identified transportation vehicle units transport the one or more end users to one or more destination locations; and directing the one or more identified transportation vehicle units to rendezvous with the one or more end users in order to transport the one or more end users to the one or more destination locations. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text. | 11-12-2015 |
20150324945 | REAL-TIME CARPOOLING COORDINATING SYSTEM AND METHODS - Computationally implemented methods and systems that are designed for transmitting a request for one or more identities of a transportation vehicle unit for transporting a first end user; receiving the one or more identities of the transportation vehicle unit for transporting the first end user, the transportation vehicle unit currently en route to or is currently transporting a second end user and having been identified based, at least in part, on a determination that the transportation vehicle unit is able to accommodate transport of the first end user while transporting the second end user; and directing the identified transportation vehicle unit to rendezvous with the first end user in order to transport the first end user. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text. | 11-12-2015 |
20150332186 | Crowdsourced Scalable Workforce For Secure Facilites - A system that allows inmates to securely, or unsecurely, complete tasks on a computer or touchscreen device, or any device that provides similar functionality. for parties outside the correctional institution in exchange for monetary compensation or alternate reward, such as free minutes for calling friends and family members. Inmate activity is reviewable and auditable by facility staff, who may elect to temporarily disable or remove the feature for a specific inmate. Tasks typically involve something that requires human intelligence, such as typing in words from scanned text that are not computer readable, or determining if a human is in a photo, or the name of a company from a web page, or whether a photo contains nudity. This category of tasks is sometimes referred to as crowdsourcing. | 11-19-2015 |
20150332187 | Managing Crowdsourcing Environments - One or more embodiments manage web-based crowdsourcing of tasks to an unrelated group of workers. An information set associated with a task to be crowdsourced is received from at least one customer that is associated with the task. This information set comprises at least a description of the task, a reward to be provided for completion of the task, and at least one adjudication rule for accepting a task result. At least one advertising campaign for the task is created based on the information set. The advertising campaign is published for access by a set of one or more worker systems. At least one task result associated with the task is received from at least one of the set of one or more of the worker systems. The task result is compared against the rule. Task results are received and compared to the adjudication rule until the rule is satisfied. | 11-19-2015 |
20150332188 | Managing Crowdsourcing Environments - One or more embodiments manage web-based crowdsourcing of tasks to an unrelated group of workers. An information set associated with a task to be crowdsourced is received from at least one customer that is associated with the task. This information set comprises at least a description of the task, a reward to be provided for completion of the task, and at least one adjudication rule for accepting a task result. At least one advertising campaign for the task is created based on the information set. The advertising campaign is published for access by a set of one or more worker systems. At least one task result associated with the task is received from at least one of the set of one or more of the worker systems. The task result is compared against the rule. Task results are received and compared to the adjudication rule until the rule is satisfied. | 11-19-2015 |
20150332201 | Manager Cockpit for Improving Manager Performance - Techniques are described for aggregating information from multiple software tools into a manager cockpit. The manager cockpit includes multiple views for presenting the aggregated information in various actionable tiles. When an actionable tile is selected, the manager cockpit presents actions that can be performed on the selected tile. In some embodiments, the manager cockpit can apply a rules engine to generate alerts and a coaching engine to generate recommended actions to remedy the alerts. The recommended actions can be presented as an action that can be performed on the selected tile. | 11-19-2015 |
20150339634 | HOME MAINTENANCE AUTOMATION - A network device receives customer registration information identifying a customer; receives first appliance registration information identifying a first appliance associated with the customer; and receives second appliance registration information identifying a second appliance associated with the customer. The first appliance registration information includes an initiation date and a service schedule of maintenance events for the first appliance, and the second appliance registration information includes an initiation date and a service schedule of maintenance events for the second appliance. The network device stores, in a data structure, the customer registration information, the first appliance registration information, and the second appliance registration information, and monitors the data structure for upcoming maintenance events for the first appliance or the second appliance. | 11-26-2015 |
20150339690 | Qualitative Price Management Method - Disclosed herein is a method of qualitative price management for businesses, which schedule services that use crews, the method comprising: providing a software application; gathering base pricing data for a requested service; displaying a matrix of qualitatively-adjustable global discount factors; qualitatively adjusting the global discount factors; using a pricing algorithm to determine a base daily discount rate for an individual day using the gathered base pricing data and the qualitatively-adjusted global discount factors; storing the calculated base daily discount rates in a database; displaying the calculated base daily discount rates in a monthly calendar format along with a qualitatively-adjustable discount override for each day; if further daily discount adjustment is desired, qualitatively-adjusting the total discount for a given day by using the qualitatively-adjustable discount override in the displayed monthly calendar; and color-coding the total daily discount depending on the size of the discount. | 11-26-2015 |
20150347940 | SELECTION OF OPTIMUM SERVICE PROVIDERS UNDER UNCERTAINTY - Various embodiments select at least one service provider from a plurality of service providers in a computing environment. In one embodiment, a service request is received from a user. The service request comprises at least a set of service requirements to be satisfied by at least one service provider. A satisfaction level is predicted for each of a plurality of service providers with respect to each of the set of service requirements. The prediction is based on a prediction satisfaction model associated with each of the plurality of service providers. A probability of an actual observed satisfaction level being higher than at least a user defined threshold is calculated for each of the predicted satisfaction levels. At least one service provider is selected from the plurality of service providers for satisfying the service request based on the probability that has been calculated for each satisfaction level predicted. | 12-03-2015 |
20150356480 | DETERMINING GROUP ATTRIBUTES AND MATCHING TASKS TO A GROUP - In a method for determining group attributes and matching tasks to a group, a plurality of individual attributes for members of a first group of a plurality of groups are determined, wherein each individual attribute has a type. Parameters of a first distribution of at least one type of individual attribute across members of the first group are estimated. Group attributes of the first group are determined based, at least in part, on the estimated parameters of the first distribution of at least one type of individual attribute. The determined group attributes of the first group are stored in a repository, wherein the repository includes group attributes associated with each group of the plurality of groups. A task is received, wherein the task is associated with a specific group attribute and the task is matched to one group of the plurality of groups based on the specific group attribute. | 12-10-2015 |
20150356481 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FREIGHT DELIVERY AND PICK-UP - An exemplary non-limiting embodiment of the present invention provides a system that includes a loading/unloading facility, a user apparatus having a user interface configured to communicate with a driver of a delivery/pick-up vehicle, and an administrator apparatus configured to communicate with the user apparatus and the loading/unloading facility. The user apparatus is located remotely from the loading/unloading facility. The driver checks into the user apparatus and the administrator apparatus coordinates arrival of the delivery/pick-up vehicle at the loading/unloading facility. | 12-10-2015 |
20150356692 | TUNING CROWDSOURCED HUMAN INTELLIGENCE TASK OPTIONS THROUGH FLIGHTING - Different options associated with the performance of intelligence tasks are flighted. Different versions of applications that provide the context within which intelligence tasks are performed are sourced for each of the different combinations of options. Subsets of the human workers are selected and provided such different versions of such applications. Correlations are made between those applications that were selected by individual workers and the options that such applications represented, and further between intelligence task results, including, optionally, an evaluation of the quality of such task results, and such options. Options, and the settings thereof, which affect and optimize the intelligence task results generated by workers, are, thereby, more efficiently identified. | 12-10-2015 |
20150363715 | PRODUCTION PLANNING AND CONTROL SYSTEM OF A PRINTING FACILITY AND METHOD FOR THE AUTOMATED PRODUCTION OF A PRINT ORDER - A device and method for automatically generating a production data set for an order to be printed in a printing facility is disclosed. Job data of an order to be printed and production possibilities of at least one processing device of the printing facility are received at an imposition module. The production data set for the order to be printed is automatically generated by the imposition module based on the job data and the production possibilities. | 12-17-2015 |
20150363720 | AUTOMATED METRIC TRACKING FOR A BUSINESS - A computer-implemented method to automate metric tracking for a business is disclosed. The method may comprise observing customer data related to the business. The customer data may comprise at least one of a number of customers, customer purchases, or customer traffic. The observed customer data may be compared with a work schedule for personnel associated with the business. The work schedule may be based at least in part upon one or more scheduling parameters of the business. It may be determined if the observed customer data exceeds one or more scheduling parameters of the business. In some embodiments, at one personnel associated with the business may be alerted based upon the determining step when customer data exceeds one or more scheduling parameters. In some embodiments, the method may additionally alert a supervisor of the business based on the determining step when the customer data exceeds one or more scheduling parameters. | 12-17-2015 |
20150363721 | VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL RELAY INTEGRATION FOR FIELD SERVICE MANAGEMENT - A VoIP relay integration management system including a service management application and a VoIP phone server that monitor and gather client interaction data between a client and a field agent. The system accepts a selection of service phone method, from a plurality of selection methods, for the field agent to use to call the client, and enables or disables the selection per the field agent. The system accepts, stores and schedules a task to be dispatched to the field agent, and calculates and displays a response time that includes a time from when the task is dispatched to the field agent to when the field agent generates a call. The system calculates and displays an average response time of all calls generated by the field agent, based on one or more of the field agent, an area of the task, a date of the task and a type of task. | 12-17-2015 |
20150363722 | EVENT SCHEDULER BASED ON REAL-TIME ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS RULES - Scheduling a given event, in one aspect, may include obtaining a set of one or more business rules, obtaining analytics, and obtaining an event specification. The event specification may include at least one content specification and two or more transmission modes. The event may be scheduled based on the event specification, the analytics and the business rules. The scheduling may be indicated by a tuple comprising event content, one or more communication modes selected from the two or more transmission modes, and timing of the scheduled event. | 12-17-2015 |
20150363743 | MULTI-STAGE CONTRIBUTION TRACEABILITY IN COLLECTIVE CREATION ENVIRONMENT - An apparatus for rewarding collaborative creation is described including hierarchically defining tasks of a collaborative project, defining a type of weight for each of the defined tasks, assigning weights to each of the defined tasks according to the type of weight defined for each task, measuring and recording contributions by collaborators as each task is performed and determining rewards for the collaborators. | 12-17-2015 |
20150379445 | DETERMINING A RELATIONSHIP TYPE BETWEEN DISPARATE ENTITIES - Methods, systems and computer program products for identifying a relationship between a plurality of entities are described. Members of an entity are segmented into one or more groups based on one or more attributes; one or more of the groups are analyzed to determine a function of the corresponding group. A pair of groups is selected, each group of the pair of groups being from a different entity. A relationship between the selected pair of groups is analyzed to generate a relationship metric, and the relationship between the selected pair of groups is characterized based on the relationship metric. | 12-31-2015 |
20150379480 | Method and System for Repair and / or Maintenance of Bicycles - The present invention relates to a method for maintaining and/or repairing at least one bicycle ( | 12-31-2015 |
20160012364 | COMMITMENT SOCIAL NETWORK SYSTEM AND METHOD | 01-14-2016 |
20160026953 | IN-LINE CREATION OF ACTIVITIES ON A UNIFIED DISPLAY - An activity thread is displayed with display elements representing different types of activities that correspond to a common identifier. A set of activity creation user input mechanisms is displayed, each actuable to create an activity in-line with the display elements in the thread. | 01-28-2016 |
20160034833 | REASSIGNING A BUSINESS HIERARCHY OF ROLES ASSOCIATED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY IN A SOCIAL CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) SYSTEM - Reassigning a business hierarchy of roles associated with an opportunity in a social customer relationship management (CRM) system includes receiving modifications, the modifications representing an adjustment to a business hierarchy of roles, identifying, in a social CRM system, an opportunity associated with the business hierarchy of roles, and reassigning, based on the modifications, the opportunity associated with the business hierarchy of roles, in which reassigning, based on the modifications, the business hierarchy of roles associated with the opportunity includes adding or deleting a member or a department from the business hierarchy of roles. | 02-04-2016 |
20160048783 | System and Method for Locate Request Entry Configured for Defining Multiple Excavation Sites as Part of a Single Locate Request - A system and method for identifying multiple excavation sites and generating multiple locate requests from a single locate request session comprising an electronic interactive interface for defining a geographic area, wherein the geographic area defined represents an area for evaluation of the presence or absence of one or more underground facilities, an auto-populating interactive smart map, a rules engine for determining a number of tickets per area defined, and a database and/or electronic storage of one or more underground facilities. | 02-18-2016 |
20160063409 | SANKEY ASSISTED BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY TASK ASSIGNMENT IN A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) SOLUTION - A method for Sankey assisted business opportunity task management in a customer relationship management (CRM) solution includes generating a Sankey visualization of different Sankey flows from business opportunity type to different sales representatives through intermediate stages of a sales cycle. The method also includes displaying the generated Sankey visualization in a triage portion of a user interface for the CRM solution. The method yet further includes selecting a new business opportunity through a new business opportunity portion of the user interface for the CRM solution, and further selecting a particular one of the sales representatives through the triage portion of the user interface of the CRM solution. Finally, the method includes responding to the selection of the particular one of the sales representatives by assigning in the CRM solution the particular one of the sales representatives to one or more tasks corresponding to the selected new business opportunity. | 03-03-2016 |
20160078678 | AUGMENTED REALITY METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING AN OPERATOR TO PERFORM A TASK ON A MOVING OBJECT - Augmented reality-based method, apparatus and system for assisting an operator to perform a task on a moving object according to at least one characteristic of the object, uses projection of light onto the object according to object tracking task instruction data as it moves through the working zone to provide a visual instruction for the operator about the task to perform on the object. | 03-17-2016 |
20160086117 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY BASED SOCIAL NEWS GATHERING AND REPORTING - Methods and systems for gathering and publishing news are described. Such methods and systems are geographically and social interactive based, and include assigning a beat, performing source development around these beats, defining a coverage map for monitoring the source, creating a coverage plan of the beat and the coverage map, receiving data from robots, where the robots monitor the sources within the coverage map and gather news data according to the coverage plan, using tools to analyze the data and create leads, screen the leads according to the coverage plan, write a journalistic story based on the screened leads; and publish the story. Publication is performed in an on-line medium. | 03-24-2016 |
20160098656 | Critical Path Scheduling with Primacy - Systems, computer-implemented methods and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are provided for updating a project schedule by creating task primacy relationships between tasks in projects that follow the critical path method. Creation of task primacy relationships involves the identification of a primary task and at least one related subordinate task. During the calculation of the forward pass and/or the backward pass, the working calendar of the subordinate task is amended to exclude the working time from the primary task. | 04-07-2016 |
20160098657 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING A RESOURCE - Systems and methods for managing a resource are disclosed. Resource may include vendors, suppliers, partners and the like. The systems allow users to conduct a weighted analysis of various resources and compare multiple resources on the same scale. Moreover, the systems are configured to grade various resources based on their strategic value to a business. This analysis and the resulting strategic value may be based on qualitative data provided by users and quantitative data captured from the business relationship between the business and the resource. | 04-07-2016 |
20160104084 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SCHEDULE-BASED AND ALERT-BASED CLEANING OF PV SYSTEMS - A method for scheduling cleaning of a photovoltaic (“PV”) system is implemented by a soiling monitoring computer system. The method includes determining a soiling level and a soiling rate for a photovoltaic (PV) system, calculating a cost associated with cleaning the PV system at each of a plurality of possible cleaning times, determining an expected energy output gain associated with cleaning the PV system at each of the plurality of possible times based on the soiling level and the soiling rate, calculating an expected benefit associated with cleaning the PV system at each of the plurality of possible cleaning times based on the expected energy output gain associated with each possible cleaning time, determining a first time of the plurality of possible times when the expected benefit exceeds the cost, and scheduling a cleaning time based on at least the determined first time. | 04-14-2016 |
20160110834 | Emergency Response Management System and Method - An automated disaster management system and method for power generators is disclosed. The system/method includes emergency computing devices (ECDs) communicating with an emergency web server (EWS) over a network. The EWS interacts with an emergency database (EDB), emergency task scheduler (ETS), emergency resource analyzer (ERA), emergency work order generator (EWG), and emergency management application (EMA). A service agency receives a request for installation/service/de-installation from a customer agency through the EMA. The EWG generates and transmits a work order to a crew that receives the work order and performs the operation at the job site after locating it with the ERA. Before, during, and after completion of an operation, the crew member via the EMA/EWS, dynamically updates reports to government and local stakeholders. Another embodiment includes a system to detect generator malfunctioning in real time and react accordingly to provide uninterrupted service during an emergency situation. | 04-21-2016 |
20160125331 | AUTOMATED AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY DETERMINATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method for autonomous record population with past agricultural treatments, including: monitoring a user device parameter of a user device for a trigger event, wherein the user device is associated with a user account; automatically initiating sensor measurement recordation with a user device in response to occurrence of the trigger event; recording a set of sensor measurements over a treatment time period; automatically identifying a past agricultural treatment based on the sensor measurements; and automatically generating a record of the past agricultural treatment for the user account, the record including: the treatment time period, an identifier for the past agricultural treatment, and a field identifier for the predefined geofence. | 05-05-2016 |
20160132801 | GLOBAL WORK ALLOCATOR SYSTEM - An end-to-end, centralized and globally-accessible platform for work assignment input, allocation, performance and tracking is herein described. The platform is configured to improve operational and quality assurance effectiveness and efficiency through automated work allocation, performance tracking and reporting. The end-to-end approach accounts for work assignment input, work assignment allocation, work assignment processing and quality assessment and assurance of the completed work assignments. In addition, both automated and manual work assignment allocations from both an operation (i.e., work input and allocation) perspective, as well as, a quality assurance perspective are possible. | 05-12-2016 |
20160132802 | JOIN FUNCTION IN A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ANSWERS TO REQUESTS - The invention provides a computer system including a router receiving a plurality of requests, a broker and a plurality of service workers, each assigned by the broker receive to receive the request and determining an answer based on the request, the router receiving the answers from the service workers, and the router providing an output that is based on at least one of the answers. A language independent platform is provided that can deploy code online while processing requests, execute multiple commands and join their answers, and scale automatically depending on load. | 05-12-2016 |
20160132803 | INFORMATION PRESENTING METHOD AND INFORMATION PRESENTING DEVICE - An information presenting method for presenting information that supports a determination of an assignment of security officers within a security zone, the information presenting method includes: acquiring an intrusion position of an intruder and one of a position and range targeted by the intruder on a movement route model that indicates a plurality of routes within the security zone; identifying a line that separates the intrusion position from the one of the target position and the target range on the movement route model, based on a number of routes that the line crosses from among the plurality of routes; and causing a display device to display graph information in which the line is displayed as information indicating the assignment of the security officers on the movement route model. | 05-12-2016 |
20160140673 | PRODUCT TRACEABILITY SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF - Disclosed are a crop traceability system and a method thereof, applied to automatically produce a multimedia resume of a crop planted at a specific geographic location. The system comprises a task generating module, a task processing module and a resume producing module. The task list generated by the task generating module comprises tasks for producing the crop, and each item has a specific position information corresponding to a specific location. An electric device is equipped with a task executing module and a multimedia generating module and thus generates a multimedia data saving a location information of the electric device and a real image information. The resume producing module compares the specific position information corresponding to the item with the location information of the electric device, so as to generate a result determining whether to use the real image information as a part of the multimedia resume of the crop. | 05-19-2016 |
20160148129 | REPORT DATA MANAGEMENT DEVICE, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING REPORT DATA MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AND REPORT DATA MANAGEMENT METHOD - A report data management system (for example, a report data management system or a report data management server. The same applies hereinafter) is a system that is run by an ERP and manages report data generated for each business unit in a business process, and includes a report data storage unit (for example, a process flow DB) that stores report data, performs control such that the report data is selectably displayed in the form of a list, performs control such that at least one or more pieces of report data among report data displayed in the form of a list is selected and the report data is copied and displayed so that partial data of the selected report data is rewritable, receives a rewrite input, and stores the data for which the rewrite input is received in the report data storage unit as the new report data. | 05-26-2016 |
20160148134 | Method of Providing an Electronic Bail Posting Service - A method of providing an electronic bail posting service is used to create a network of bail-posting agents and companies. The method also allows companies to hire bounty hunters to retrieve clients. A server is used manage a plurality of company accounts, agent accounts, and bounty hunter accounts. Each of these accounts is used by companies, posting agents, and bounty hunters to network with each other. An employer computing device displays a plurality of feature options to be selected. The desired feature that is selected corresponds with a job request that is to be sent to a plurality of desired recipients which are designated by the server. A job request is sent to the desired recipients and a job acceptance confirmation is generated when a work-willing recipient accepts the job request. A job completion receipt is sent to the employer computing device once the job request has been fulfilled. | 05-26-2016 |
20160171577 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING IN-PERSON RETAILER ASSISTANCE TO CUSTOMERS IN A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT | 06-16-2016 |
20160180268 | SYSTEM FOR SETTING A DELIVERY COUNT RANK | 06-23-2016 |
20160180475 | Oil-Field Trucking Dispatch | 06-23-2016 |
20160196519 | Dynamic routing through mobile computing | 07-07-2016 |
20160196520 | MANAGING METHOD AND MANAGING DEVICE OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENT MOUNTING SYSTEM HAVING PLURAL PRODUCTION LINES | 07-07-2016 |
20160253610 | SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED RANKING AND SORTING IN A DATABASE USING PREDEFINED USER ASSIGNED ATTRIBUTES | 09-01-2016 |
20160379145 | Surveillance Data Based Resource Allocation Analysis - Technologies and implementations for facilitating human resource allocation based, at least in part, on analysis of surveillance data are generally disclosed. | 12-29-2016 |
20160379146 | Integrating a Construction Jobsite System With External Tools - Systems and methods presented herein can allow a user to integrate an existing construction jobsite system with external tools, such as spreadsheet software or a database. An integration platform can allow a user to create, select, and configure plugins that interface with a wrapper on the construction jobsite system to translate procedure calls, files, and data between the construction jobsite system and the external tools. The integration platform may generate execution commands based on the plug in configurations, and the user may cause the execution command to be executed or scheduled for execution. The execution command can facilitate data synchronization between the external tools (e.g., endpoints) and the construction jobsite system, solving a major problem with construction jobsite systems. | 12-29-2016 |
20160379288 | Integrated Meal Plan Generation and Supply Chain Management - A customer profile for each user of a plurality of users is generated based on purchase history and reception of meals by the each user. A preferential fabric for each user is generated based on attributes of ingredients and dishes preferred by the user according to the user's customer profile. Users are clustered together according to the similarities of the preferential fabrics thereof. A sample product is selected based on its attributes having a high correspondence to the preferential fabrics of the users of a cluster. The sample product is transmitted to a portion of the users of the cluster and a response thereto is evaluated. In response to positive reception, direct shipment of the sample product to the cluster is invoked, bypassing a retail store. The sample product may therefore have a shelf life shorter than required to stock the sample product in a conventional retail store. | 12-29-2016 |
20160379296 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALGORITHMIC CONTROL OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS BY AN E-COMMERCE ENTERPRISE - This invention proposes an autonomous interaction decision support apparatus to provide the operator of an e-commerce business with a recommendation of which received orders to perform. The apparatus autonomously tracks situational information comprising the existing level of work of the e-business, for each of multiple products and/or services offered by the business, and also a desired level of work. In this way, the recommendation protects both the reputation of the business and achieves work-life balance for the business owner. | 12-29-2016 |
20160379315 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OFFLINE PROCESSING OF TASKS - According to embodiments illustrated herein, there is provided a method for processing one or more tasks. The method includes monitoring a worker-computing device for at least security threats. The method further includes transmitting selected one or more tasks to the worker-computing device. Further a worker associated with the worker-computing device processes the one or more tasks, while the worker computing device is disconnected from the crowdsourcing platform. The method further includes monitoring the processing of the one or more tasks by the worker, while the worker computing device is disconnected from the crowdsourcing platform. The method further includes receiving responses for the one or more tasks from the worker computing device, while the worker-computing device is connected to the crowdsourcing platform. | 12-29-2016 |
20170236176 | METHOD FOR USING CUSTOMER ATTRIBUTES TO SELECT A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE | 08-17-2017 |
20190143911 | DIGITAL VEHICLE TAG AND METHOD OF INTEGRATION IN VEHICLE ALLOCATION SYSTEM | 05-16-2019 |
20190147412 | Systems and Methods to Generate an Asset Workscope | 05-16-2019 |
20220138651 | GENERATION OF RECOMMENDED ACTIONS BASED ON STRENGTH AND DIVERSITY OF COLLABORATION IN A USER NETWORK - The disclosure herein describes improving collaboration between users in a user network based on collaboration strength and collaboration diversity. Collaboration data associated with collaboration activity between a user network is collected. Based on the collaboration data, collaboration ties of the user accounts are identified, wherein each collaboration tie is associated with a source user account and a target user account. For each collaboration tie, a tie strength score and a tie diversity score are determined based on the collaboration data. Each collaboration tie is then classified as a strong tie or a weak tie based on a tie strength threshold and as a diverse tie or a nondiverse tie based on a tie diversity threshold. Based on analysis of the classifications of the collaboration ties, a recommended action is generated and provided via a collaboration interface, whereby the collaboration interface enables collaboration of the user network to be improved. | 05-05-2022 |