39th week of 2011 patent applcation highlights part 65 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20110238385 | System and Method for Constraining Curves in a CAD System - A CAD system, method, and computer readable medium. A method includes receiving a graphic model and a selection of a symmetric constraint. The method includes receiving a selection of first and second curves of the graphic model, the selections indicating respective points on the first and second curves. The method includes determining a user's intent and applying a symmetric constraint between the first and second curves according to the user's intent. The method includes storing and displaying graphic model. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238386 | Reversible-Orientation Joint - Embodiments of the invention may be used for the design or simulation of articulated assemblies to transform the definitions of the joints they comprise by reversing their orientations. That is, to a method for defining in software a representation of a physical joint which is oriented, that is, one which designates one joined segment to be the reference and one joined segment to be mobile, such that the joint can be transformed into a joint with comparable behavioral properties and constraints, but with the reverse relationship of reference and mobile segments. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238387 | APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR GENERATING ROUTE - A route generating apparatus includes: storage section storing geometric data of connection objects; data representing connection relations of group of main route for directly connecting objects, and branch route branching from main route, and connection objects; and data representing each constraint condition for constraining disposition position of branch point on the main route; constraint region generating section that generates each constraint region where corresponding branch point can be disposed, based on the geometric disposition position of corresponding connection object, corresponding connection relation, and corresponding constraint condition; route generating section that generates, as each main route, a shortest main route passing through each constraint region and generates, as each branch route, a shortest branch route that branches from the main route; and constraint region and route display section that displays a geometric figure of each constraint region, each main route, and each branch route. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238388 | Determination of safety limit minimum critical power ratio - In one embodiment, the method includes determining the safety limit minimum critical power ratio using the operating limit minimum critical power ratio, a change-in-critical-power-ratio distribution bias and a change-in-critical-power-ratio distribution standard deviation. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238389 | Finite Difference Scheme for Solving Droplet Evaporation Lubrication Equations on a Time-Dependent Varying Domain - The present invention is directed to simulating evaporation of a droplet of a fluid, and may be embodied in a system, method or a computer-readable medium encoded with instructions for a processor to carry out such simulation. The present invention solves equations, which may represent an approximation of evaporation of the droplet on a domain whose size is varying over time. The boundaries of saturation regions are tracked and updated over time, and the equations are iteratively solved with the new boundaries of the saturation regions. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238390 | Full Wavefield Inversion Using Time Varying Filters - An improved method for reducing the accuracy requirements on the starting model when performing multi-scale inversion of seismic data ( | 2011-09-29 |
20110238391 | ION IMPLANTATION DISTRIBUTION GENERATION METHOD AND SIMULATOR - An ion implantation distribution generation method for causing a computer to generate an ion implantation distribution, the method causing the computer to perform: generating distributions related to R | 2011-09-29 |
20110238392 | Systems and Methods For Reservoir Development and Management Optimization - Systems and methods which implement surrogate (e.g., approximation) models to systematically reduce the parameter space in an optimization problem are shown. In certain embodiments, rigorous (e.g., higher fidelity) models are implemented with respect to the reduced parameter space provided by use of surrogate models to efficiently and more rapidly arrive at an optimized solution. Accordingly, certain embodiments build surrogate models of an actual simulation, and systematically reduce the number of design parameters used in the actual simulation to solve optimization problems using the actual simulation. A multi-stage method that facilitates optimization of decisions related to development planning and reservoir management may be provided. Iterative processing may be implemented with respect to a multi-stage optimization method. There may be uncertainty in various parameters, such as in reservoir parameters, which is taken into account according to certain embodiments. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238393 | SPICE MODEL PARAMETER OUTPUT APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - In one embodiment, a SPICE model parameter output apparatus is configured to output a SPICE model parameter of a high-frequency or analog MOSFET for a simulation of a semiconductor circuit. The apparatus includes a data input part to input shape data of the MOSFET and measurement data on frequency characteristics of the MOSFET. The apparatus further includes a substrate resistance calculating part configured to calculate a substrate resistance of a one-terminal substrate resistance model regarding the MOSFET, based on the measurement data. The apparatus further includes a SPICE model parameter output part configured to calculate the SPICE model parameter, based on the substrate resistance of the one-terminal substrate resistance model and the shape data, to output the calculated SPICE model parameter. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238394 | Method and recording medium of a hybrid approach to multiple fluid simulation using volume fraction - Provided are a method of a hybrid approach to multiple fluid simulation using volume fractions for realizing computer graphics through analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations, which is executed via a computer and takes into account variable densities and variable viscosities resulting from N multiple fluids existing in multiple lattice cells, and a recording medium wherein a program of the method is recorded. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238395 | METHOD FOR GENERATING MODEL FOR PREOPERATIVE SIMULATION - The invention is directed to the provision of a method for generating a model for a preoperative simulation, wherein the method includes: a first step of constructing volume data for necessary organs by acquiring geometrical information from a medical image; a second step of manipulating the volume data to reposition and reorient an operator-designated organ to achieve a position and orientation appropriate for a surgical operation; a third step of generating a blood-vessel model, depicting a blood vessel to be joined to the designated organ, so as to match the position and orientation of the designated organ; a fourth step of generating volume data by forming a fat model of prescribed thickness around a prescribed organ contained in the earlier constructed volume data, after the blood-vessel model has been joined to the designated organ; a fifth step of thereafter meshing the organ represented by the generated volume data; a sixth step of manipulating a template model of a prescribed shape by using a template, and arranging the template model around the generated blood-vessel model; and a seventh step of generating a line-segment model based on the thus arranged template model. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238396 | MOLECULAR STRUCTURE PREDICTION SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A molecular structure prediction method for predicting the most stable molecular structure of a molecule based on results obtained by a plurality of appraisal systems includes steps of: generating a plurality of data sets by re-sampling from a training data set, determining a parameter set for each data set that has been generated to obtain a plurality of parameter sets, using the plurality of parameter sets to calculate energy of a molecule for molecular data for prediction, taking a consensus based on the results of a plurality of energies or three-dimensional structures, and predicting the most stable molecular structure based on the results of consensus. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238397 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSACTION RECORDING AND VISUALIZATION - Methods and apparatus for recording and visualizing transactions of a test bench simulation are disclosed. Transaction-specific data generated from a test bench simulation may be displayed in a sequence diagram view to provide a view of the transactions arranged sequentially in time. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238398 | ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLER, WIRELESS TERMINAL INCLUDING SAME, AND METHOD FOR DESIGNING ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLERS - There is provided an electromagnetic coupler that communicates signals by using at least one of a longitudinal electrostatic field and a longitudinal induced electric field. The electromagnetic coupler has a ground conductor, a radiation conductor composed of a plurality of rectangular conductors connected in series, and a feeding point formed at one point in the connection of the plurality of rectangular conductors. The plurality of rectangular conductors are connected such that each pair of adjacent rectangular conductors form an angle other than π radian, and a length from the feeding point to either end of the radiation conductor is an integral multiple of π/4 in electrical length with respect to a wavelength λ of a central frequency of a frequency band of interest of the electromagnetic coupler. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238399 | SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR MAPPING A MAGNETIC FIELD - A system for mapping a magnetic field in a volume of interest, the system includes a magnetic field transmitter, generating a magnetic field in the volume of interest, at least one freestanding magnetic field detector, operative to freely move within the volume of interest, the at least one freestanding magnetic field detector acquiring measurements of the flux of the magnetic field at a plurality of poses, and a processor, coupled with the magnetic field detector, the processor re estimating parameters characterizing the magnetic field model according to deviations between the measurements of the flux of the magnetic field and according to predictions of the flux, the predictions being determined according to a stored magnetic field model, thereby, the processor estimating a new magnetic field model. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238400 | DEVICE FOR A METHOD OF MODELLING A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE | 2011-09-29 |
20110238401 | Structural Optimization for Vehicle Crashworthiness - Optimum gauges of components in a vehicle side structure that meet minimum roof crush test requirement and side impact crashworthiness analysis (SICE) requirements with minimal mass are identified using a global optimization algorithm. A grouping of iterations, wherein each iteration contains input components of varying thicknesses, is simulated using the roof crush and SICE models. A self adaptive evolution optimization algorithm is used to generate additional groupings of iterations based on intermediate optimum results of a previous grouping. The additional groupings are simulated one or more times to identify a global optimum thickness of components in a vehicle side structure. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238402 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR REMOTE MAINTENANCE IN AN ELECTRONIC NETWORK WITH MULTIPLE CLIENTS - A system for performing remote maintenance in an electronic network configured to serve a plurality of clients may comprise a client, a database, and a virtual machine. The client may include a plurality of processing resources. Each one of the plurality of processing resources may have a respective set of processing instructions stored on an respective associated computer readable memory. The database may include information correlating a list of processing resources with a respective set of processing instructions. The virtual machine may be operable to access the database and perform calculations simulating proposed combinations of processing resources and their respective set of processing instructions before approving a software update requested for the client. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238403 | TRANSLATION BLOCK INVALIDATION PREHINTS IN EMULATION OF A TARGET SYSTEM ON A HOST SYSTEM - In emulation of a target system on a host system one or more blocks of target system code may be translated with the host system to produce one or more corresponding blocks of translated code. Translating the target system code may include linking two or more blocks of translated code together to form a chain such that a look-up in a first translated block in the chain will directly branch to a second translated block. The target system code may be analyzed for the presence of one or more native target system instructions indicating modification of the target system code during execution. If such native target system instructions are present some or all of the blocks of translated code may be marked potentially invalid. The one or more blocks marked as potentially invalid may be re-translated and one or more instructions in the blocks of translated code may be overridden without undoing the chain. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238404 | GENERAL DIGITAL SEMANTIC DATABASE FOR MECHANICAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATION - A general digital semantic database for mechanical language translation is provided. The database has vocabulary decomposed to part of speech characteristics and semantic characteristics to form inseparable basic semantic points. The vocabulary is regularly ordered according to classes of the semantic characteristic, part of speech characteristic, background and grammatical relation. Two or more languages are configured on the basic semantic points according to a synonymies relation. The languages are discretionarily interchanged based on the basic semantic points by a machine. The languages semantemes and syntax relation formula are configured in the semantic database to realize an automatic paginal translation. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238405 | A TRANSLATION METHOD AND A DEVICE, AND A HEADSET FORMING PART OF SAID DEVICE - A translation method and device ( | 2011-09-29 |
20110238406 | MESSAGING SYSTEM WITH TRANSLATION AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF - A method of operation of a messaging system includes: receiving a source message; identifying a phrase of the source message; searching a translation hierarchy for the phrase, the translation hierarchy having multiple dictionaries in a priority order; and translating a target message, for displaying on a device, from the source message based on the translation hierarchy. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238407 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SPEECH-TO-SPEECH TRANSLATION - Disclosed herein are systems and methods for receiving an input speech sample in a first language and outputting a translated speech sample in a second language in the unique voice of a user. According to several embodiments, a translation system includes a training mode for developing a voice recognition database and a user phonetic dictionary. A speech recognition module uses a voice recognition database to recognize and transcribe the input speech samples in a first language. Subsequently, the text in the first language is translated to text in a second language, and a speech synthesizer develops an output speech in the unique voice of the user utilizing a user phonetic dictionary. The user phonetic dictionary may contain basic sound units, including phones, diphones, triphones, and/or words. Additionally, a translator may employ an N-gram statistical model, Markov Models, and/or smoothing algorithms. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238408 | Semantic Clustering - Semantic clustering techniques are described. In various implementations, a conversational agent is configured to perform semantic clustering of a corpus of user utterances. Semantic clustering may be used to provide a variety of functionality, such as to group a corpus of utterances into semantic clusters in which each cluster pertains to a similar topic. These clusters may then be leveraged to identify topics and assess their relative importance, as for example to prioritize topics whose handling by the conversation agent should be improved. A variety of utterances may be processed using these techniques, such as spoken words, textual descriptions entered via live chat, instant messaging, a website interface, email, SMS, a social network, a blogging or micro-blogging interface, and so on. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238409 | Semantic Clustering and Conversational Agents - Semantic clustering techniques are described. In various implementations, a conversational agent is configured to perform semantic clustering of a corpus of user utterances. Semantic clustering may be used to provide a variety of functionality, such as to group a corpus of utterances into semantic clusters in which each cluster pertains to a similar topic. These clusters may then be leveraged to identify topics and assess their relative importance, as for example to prioritize topics whose handling by the conversation agent should be improved. A variety of utterances may be processed using these techniques, such as spoken words, textual descriptions entered via live chat, instant messaging, a website interface, email, SMS, a social network, a blogging or micro-blogging interface, and so on. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238410 | Semantic Clustering and User Interfaces - Semantic clustering techniques are described. In various implementations, a conversational agent is configured to perform semantic clustering of a corpus of user utterances. Semantic clustering may be used to provide a variety of functionality, such as to group a corpus of utterances into semantic clusters in which each cluster pertains to a similar topic. These clusters may then be leveraged to identify topics and assess their relative importance, as for example to prioritize topics whose handling by the conversation agent should be improved. A variety of utterances may be processed using these techniques, such as spoken words, textual descriptions entered via live chat, instant messaging, a website interface, email, SMS, a social network, a blogging or micro-blogging interface, and so on. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238411 | DOCUMENT PROOFING SUPPORT APPARATUS, METHOD AND PROGRAM - According to one embodiment, a document proofing support apparatus includes an input unit, an analysis unit, a detection unit, a database unit, a retrieval unit, and a display unit. The input unit is configured to receive input of one of at least one proof document and at least one entry document. The analysis unit is configured to perform a morphological, a syntactic and a dependency analysis and generate analysis information including a dependency relation. The detection unit is configured to detect as a possible coined word character string a compound word having a nominal continuation relation. The database unit is configured to store syntactic information. The retrieval unit is configured to retrieve a dependency-relation sentence, and to determine the possible coined word character string as a coined word if the dependency-relation sentence exists. The display unit is configured to display a message including the coined word. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238412 | Method for Constructing Pronunciation Dictionaries - Embodiments of the invention disclose a system and a method for constructing a pronunciation dictionary by transforming an unaligned entry to an aligned entry. The unaligned entry and the aligned entry include a set of words and a set of pronunciations corresponding to the set of words. The method aligns each word in the aligned entry with a subset of pronunciations by determining a pronunciation prediction for each word, such that there is one-to-one correspondence between the word and the pronunciation prediction; mapping each pronunciation prediction to the subset of pronunciations to produce a predictions-pronunciation map having each pronunciation prediction aligned with the subset of pronunciations; and determining the aligned entry based on the predictions-pronunciation map using the one-to-one correspondence between the word and the pronunciation prediction. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238413 | DOMAIN DICTIONARY CREATION - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, to identify topic words in a collection of documents that includes topic documents related to a topic are disclosed. A reference topic word divergence value based on a document collection and the topic document collection is determined. A candidate topic word divergence value for a candidate topic word is determined based on the document collection and the topic document collection. The candidate topic word is determined to be a topic word if the candidate topic word divergence value is greater than the reference topic word divergence value. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238414 | TELEPHONY SERVICE INTERACTION MANAGEMENT - A method for managing an interaction of a calling party to a communication partner is provided. The method includes automatically determining if the communication partner expects DTMF input. The method also includes translating speech input to one or more DTMF tones and communicating the one or more DTMF tones to the communication partner, if the communication partner expects DTMF input. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238415 | Hybrid Speech Recognition - A hybrid speech recognition system uses a client-side speech recognition engine and a server-side speech recognition engine to produce speech recognition results for the same speech. An arbitration engine produces speech recognition output based on one or both of the client-side and server-side speech recognition results. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238416 | Acoustic Model Adaptation Using Splines - Described is a technology by which a speech recognizer is adapted to perform in noisy environments using linear spline interpolation to approximate the nonlinear relationship between clean speech, noise, and noisy speech. Linear spline parameters that minimize the error the between predicted noisy features and actual noisy features are learned from training data, along with variance data that reflect regression errors. Also described is compensating for linear channel distortion and updating noise and channel parameters during speech recognition decoding. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238417 | SPEECH DETECTION APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, a speech detection apparatus includes a first acoustic signal analyzing unit configured to analyze a frequency spectrum of a first acoustic signal, and a feature extracting unit configured to remove a frequency spectrum of the first acoustic signal from a third acoustic signal, which is obtained by suppressing an echo component of the first acoustic signal contained in a second acoustic signal, so as to extract a feature of a frequency spectrum of the third acoustic signal. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238418 | Method and Device for Tracking Background Noise in Communication System - A method and a device for tracking background noise in a communication system, where the method includes: calculating a SNR of a current frame according to input audio signals; increasing a frame counter, and calculating tone features and signal steadiness features of the current frame if the SNR of the current frame is not smaller than a first threshold; judging the possibility of a time window including a noise interval according to the calculated tone feature values and signal steadiness feature values of each frame of the time window when the frame counter is increased to the length of the time window; and extracting noise features in the time window. Existence of background noise is analyzed continuously in a time window, so that background noise that changes frequently and dramatically can be detected or tracked rapidly. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238419 | BINAURAL METHOD AND BINAURAL CONFIGURATION FOR VOICE CONTROL OF HEARING DEVICES - A binaural configuration and an associated method have/utilize first and second hearing devices for the voice control of the hearing devices by voice commands. The configuration contains a first voice recognition module in the first hearing device and a second voice recognition module in the second hearing device. The second voice recognition module uses information data from the first voice recognition module for recognition of the voice commands. It is here advantageous that the rate of erroneously recognized voice commands (“false alarms”) is reduced. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238420 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EDITING SPEECH, AND METHOD FOR SYNTHESIZING SPEECH - According to one embodiment, a method for editing speech is disclosed. The method can generate speech information from a text. The speech information includes phonologic information and prosody information. The method can divide the speech information into a plurality of speech units, based on at least one of the phonologic information and the prosody information. The method can search at least two speech units from the plurality of speech units. At least one of the phonologic information and the prosody information in the at least two speech units are identical or similar. In addition, the method can store a speech unit waveform corresponding to one of the at least two speech units as a representative speech unit into a memory. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238421 | Speech Output Device, Control Method For A Speech Output Device, Printing Device, And Interface Board - A speech output device, a control method for a speech output device, a printer, and an interface board can improve the productivity of foreign language speaking workers in industries such as retailing and food services. A data communication unit | 2011-09-29 |
20110238422 | METHOD FOR SONIC DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION - A method to identify and classify a document ( | 2011-09-29 |
20110238423 | SONIC DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION - An apparatus for classifying documents ( | 2011-09-29 |
20110238424 | Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding excitation patterns from which the masking levels for an audio signal encoding and decoding are determined - For the quantisation of spectral data in an audio transform encoder psycho-acoustic information is required, i.e. an approximation of the true masking threshold. According to the invention, for each spectrum to be quantised in the audio signal encoding, an excitation pattern is computed and coded for both long and short window/transform lengths. The excitation patterns are grouped together in a variable-size matrix. A pre-determined sorting order with a fixed number of values only is applied to the excitation pattern data matrix values, and by that re-ordering a quadratic matrix is formed to which matrix' bit planes a SPECK encoding is applied. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238425 | Multi-Resolution Switched Audio Encoding/Decoding Scheme - An audio encoder for encoding an audio signal has a first coding branch, the first coding branch comprising a first converter for converting a signal from a time domain into a frequency domain. Furthermore, the audio encoder has a second coding branch comprising a second time/frequency converter. Additionally, a signal analyzer for analyzing the audio signal is provided. The signal analyzer, on the hand, determines whether an audio portion is effective in the encoder output signal as a first encoded signal from the first encoding branch or as a second encoded signal from a second encoding branch. On the other hand, the signal analyzer determines a time/frequency resolution to be applied by the converters when generating the encoded signals. An output interface includes, in addition to the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal, a resolution information identifying the resolution used by the first time/frequency converter and used by the second time/frequency converter. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238426 | Audio Decoder, Audio Encoder, Method for Decoding an Audio Signal, Method for Encoding an Audio Signal, Computer Program and Audio Signal - An audio decoder for providing a decoded audio information on the basis of an entropy encoded audio information includes a context-based entropy decoder configured to decode the entropy-encoded audio information in dependence on a context, which context is based on a previously-decoded audio information in a non-reset state-of-operation. The context-based entropy decoder is configured to select a mapping information, for deriving the decoded audio information from the encoded audio information, in dependence on the context. The context-based entropy decoder includes a context resetter configured to reset the context for selecting the mapping information to a default context, which default context is independent from the previously-decoded audio information, in response to a side information of the encoded audio information. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238427 | SIGNAL CLASSIFICATION PROCESSING METHOD, CLASSIFICATION PROCESSING DEVICE, AND ENCODING SYSTEM - A signal classification processing method, a classification processing device, and an encoding system are provided. The signal classification processing method includes: obtaining a high band input signal; determining a signal type of the obtained high band input signal according to a time domain characteristic parameter and/or a frequency domain characteristic parameter of the high band input signal; and determining an encoding mode corresponding to the signal type. The classification processing device includes: a receiving unit, configured to obtain a high band input signal; and a processing unit, configured to determine a signal type of the obtained high band input signal according to a time domain characteristic parameter and/or a frequency domain characteristic parameter of the high band input signal and determine an encoding mode corresponding to the signal type. An encoding system is also provided. Therefore, type subdivision and processing are performed on the high band input signal, so as to facilitate encoding and decoding processing of the signal. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238428 | Prediction Apparatus and Prediction Method - A prediction apparatus predicts an upper limit of the number of job executions per unit period in a system which executes a job responding to a request from outside. The prediction apparatus firstly acquires a sample data regarding the job. The sample data to be acquired is a sample data from which the number of job executions for each unit period in the past can be identified. Then, based on a distribution of the number of job executions identified from the sample data, the upper limit of the number of job executions per unit period in the future is predicted. Thereafter, the predicted upper limit is outputted. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238429 | TRACE INFORMATION ACQUISITION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACQUIRING TRACE INFORMATION - The trace information acquisition system acquires trace information about a product manufactured through a plurality of stages and includes storage unit that stores event data sets regarding events performed on the product and acquisition unit that acquires trace information from the event data sets stored by the storage unit. The event data set includes object data related to the event, personnel data related to the event, time data related to the event, positional data related to the event, and status data related to the event, and the event data sets stored at the plurality of stages have a common data format. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238430 | Organization Optimization System and Method of Use Thereof - A fully integrated organization optimization system installed on and running on a server, the organization optimization system having auditing and policy support that includes a document management component, a project management component, a role management component, an incident management component, and an email management component. Users of the system can seamlessly navigate between different components, and changes to one part of the system will automatically be propagated elsewhere as appropriate. Further, the system supports the implementation, redefinition and tracking of company policy, particularly with regards to compliance. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238431 | Surgical Console Information Management - In various embodiments, completing a pre-surgery checklist may include receiving surgery related information from one or more sources, transferring the received information to a surgical console, presenting the transferred information to a console user as part of the pre-surgery check-list, and receiving indication of a verified information element provided for the pre-surgery check-list (e.g., confirmation from a surgeon that one or more elements on the pre-surgery checklist are correct/verified). In some embodiments, the method may further include verifying a surgical patient's identity prior to surgery. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238432 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZED DISTRIBUTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF VACCINATIONS - The invention is directed to a method and system of distributing vaccination carts comprising the steps of entering into an optimization module which includes entering the type of immunization desired to be distributed, identifying the goals of a vaccination program, and running an algorithm to determine the proper number of vaccination shots to provide the Provider; operating a service module to create a master schedule to allocate the distribution cart to one or more Providers; running an issue detection module to detect whether a networked computer determines if there are any unacceptable sensor readings; and determining whether a sensor detects an issue and, if so, returning to the optimization module. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238433 | METHOD FOR RAPID AND SECURE INTRODUCTION OF NEW DRUGS, MEDICATIONS AND THERAPIES, THROUGH CLINICAL TRIALS INTO GENERAL HEALTHCARE - Accordingly, the object of the invention is one special application of the ‘Health Monitoring Platform’, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,551, with the method of ‘Validated Treatment Plans’, condensing procedure and documentation of the ‘clinical trials’ for a new medication and offering them to the general practitioner on-line: To be used as templates to screen his patient, to select and adapt new treatment for him, to prescribe the associated monitoring to him and to the visiting nurse, to execute a tele-monitoring using sensor devices communicating signals to measurement and event log databases, to assess these logs in consultation with experts, to evaluate deviations from expected outcome and their cause and to propose corrective action and adapted treatment to the caregiver and his patient, searched from this ‘knowledge base’. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238434 | MEDICAL e-TEMPLATES - The present application relates to a method and system for providing medical personnel with medical treatment protocols for treating a disease or medical condition of interest. The method includes transmitting a medical treatment protocol template to a user upon receiving a request for a medical treatment protocol related to a particular medical condition. The medical treatment protocol template may include treatment parameters data and sample case data. The method and system also allow for the treatment parameters data from the medical treatment protocol template to be applied to patient data to create a patient-specific treatment plan to allow a clinician to apply the medical treatment protocol embodied by the template to a particular patient. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238435 | ADAPTIVE COMMUNICATION METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FACILITATING THE GATHERING, DISTRIBUTION AND DELIVERY OF INFORMATION RELATED TO MEDICAL CARE - Automated methods and systems are disclosed for persistently facilitating the timely gathering, monitoring, distribution and delivery of information related to medical care where such may include: (1) finding a communications channel for effectively attempting a message delivery to a specific target person at a specified time; (2) deliverable message content to limitations of a chosen communications channel; adaptively finding a targeted recipient even if the latter is highly mobile and/or has travel patterns or communications-channel preferences that change over time; (3) verifying that a targeted recipient has actually received an attempted delivery within an applicable time limit; (4) automatically recognizing that an urgent message delivery-attempt was not timely completed and adaptively alerting responsible entities of the in completion; and (5) automatically recognizing that an urgent change or non change of condition has occurred by virtue of information gathered during an automated or manually-conducted Interview where physician expected positive progress prior to Interview and adaptively alerting responsible entities of the changed or unchanged condition based on the urgency of the change or non-change. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238436 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROVIDING COMPENSATED STAFF DATA - The present invention relates to a method, device and a computer program product for compensated staff data for one or more care units which are related to a plurality of care unit observations. The method comprises receiving staff data, receiving patient data relating to a plurality of care need parameters, determining a care need for each of a plurality of patients based on the patient data, receiving care unit data, and generating compensated staff data for the one or more care units based on the care need, the staff data and the care unit data, and transmitting the compensated staff data. By using the invention, compensated staff data may be provided in an efficient and reliable manner. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238437 | Systems and Methods for Creating a Form for Receiving Data Relating to a Health Care Incident - Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for creating a form for receiving data relating to a health care incident. A dictionary of field objects is provided in a metabase, where a field object defines attributes, and an instance of a field object is a form field. A request to create a user-defined field object is received and it is determined that the user-defined field object is not in the dictionary of field objects in the metabase. The user-defined field object is generated by defining attributes for the user-defined field object, where at least one attribute is a presentation attribute for a form field within a form. The user-defined field object is added to the dictionary of field objects in the metabase and the user-defined field object is linked to a data location in a persistent store. The form is generated, where the form is an ordered collection of form fields, where at least one form field is an instance of the user-defined field object and is displayed according to the at least one presentation attribute. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238438 | AUTOMATED METHOD OF GRAPHICALLY DISPLAYING PREDICTED PATIENT ENROLLMENT IN A CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY - An automated method is provided of graphically displaying predicted patient enrollment in a clinical trial study. The study has a plurality of clinical sites for enrolling patients in the study. A database is provided that includes a patient enrollment rate for each clinical site and a date of initial patient enrollment for each clinical site. Clinical site launch data is entered into a user interface display screen, including a target number of patients to be enrolled in the study, and a target date for completing the enrollment of the target number of patients. A graphical display is then generated of a running total number of patients predicted to be enrolled in the study for a succession of time periods from the data that is provided and entered via the user interface display screen. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238439 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING VOLATILITY IN MEDICAL DATA - A system and method for evaluating the effectiveness of a medical treatment and predicting future medical issues is provided. A digital set of biometric data comprising a plurality of biometric data points is received and stored in a digital database. The digital set of biometric data is analyzed to determine its relative volatility. The relative volatility is then evaluated to help determine the effectiveness of a medical treatment and predict future medical issues. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238440 | Intelligent Particle Beam Allocation System and Related Method for Treatment in Multi-Room Medical Centers - A computer-implemented system and method for controlling work flow management to improve the operational efficiency of a multi-room particle therapy medical center are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a monitoring system configured through an active connection to receive real-time information about the current actions of the people, hardware and software at the center, an analysis system configured through an active connection to synthesize the information attained through the monitoring system, and a control system configured through an active connection that uses information acquired by the monitoring system to continuously update information made available through a set of user interfaces to an end user. Features also are provided to automatically synchronize, obtain, and update status information on the shared resources in the particle therapy medical center. Various ways of handling the data aggregation issues associated with compiling status data are also described. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238441 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTELLIGENT MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL CARE - A computerized medical care system provides validation of a diagnosis of a medical condition and requested medical services for treating the medical condition. The medial care system invokes multiple filters to determine the appropriateness of the diagnosis and medical service. Real time feedback is provided based on the determination. If the medical care cannot be validated, the feedback includes the reasons for the failure to validate, and any supporting materials for the lack of validation. The feedback may also prompt the requesting entity to provide additional information to help support the medical provider's position as to why the requested medical care is appropriate. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238442 | System And Method For Customizing Workflow Using Standard Formats For Information Transfer - Embodiments of the present system and method relate generally to standardized electronic communications in a healthcare setting. Certain embodiments of the system include a healthcare information acquisition and management system capable of using information that conforms to an industry standard format for information transfer, an order scheduling system capable of managing information flow within the healthcare setting, and a gateway system interconnecting the healthcare information acquisition and management system and the order scheduling system. In certain embodiments, the gateway system provides for a transfer of nonconforming information between the order scheduling system and the healthcare information acquisition and management system. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238443 | COMPUTERIZED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INFERRING GENETIC FINDINGS FOR A PATIENT - A method and system in a computing environment for inferring genetic findings for a patient is provided. The method includes receiving a request for genetic findings for a person from another application or a user. The method further includes inquiring as to whether the person has the genetic findings. If not, the method automatically provides inferred genetic findings for the person. The inferred genetic findings are calculated using genetic findings for family members of the patient, linkage analysis, haplotype analysis, semantic test results for the person and/or population genetics information. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238444 | SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING MEDICAL RECORDINGS PLUS METHOD - A system is disclosed, in at least one embodiment, for processing medical recordings including at least one device for receiving at least one current medical recording of a patient from a medical imaging system as well as at least one device for receiving from a memory at least one medical recording or study which was taken during a previous examination and assigned to the patient. Furthermore, at least one device is provided for comparing the current medical recording to the medical recording or study taken during the previous examination as well as at least one device for determining an estimated figure for the probability with which both recordings originate from the same patient. At least one embodiment of the inventive system for processing medical recordings further has at least one device for issuing a warning message to the imaging medical system which is displayed there to an operator of the imaging medical system if the estimated probability figure undershoots a threshold value. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238445 | STUDY-CONNECT METHODS AND SYSTEMS - Medical tests are entered and automatically tracked through. A health care provider (HCP) can enter an order for a patient's medical test. A back office assistant (BOA) can review or amend an order already entered into a data processing system or can process the order to thereby enter it into the computer. The order is automatically passed to a testing facility where it is scheduled. The test time can be communicated the BOA, HCP, or patient. The BOA can be alerted when the test time approaches such that pretest instructions can be communicated with the patient. The BOA can obtain the test results, store them in a database, and inform the HCP that the test results are ready for review. The HCP can then review the test results, decide what further action is required, and report the results back to the patient or the referring HCP. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238446 | MEDICAL RECORD ENTRY SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Recording systems and methods efficiently record observations made during a clinical encounter. An exemplary recording system can comprise a graphical user interface having an imaging region, a details region, and an observation region. In the imaging region, the user can choose a body area as an active body area. When an active body area is chosen, the details region can dynamically update to display a set of details that are relevant to the active body area. In the details region, the user can choose a detail as an active detail. The observation region can then dynamically update to include an observation that includes the active body area being modified by the active detail. Accordingly, the observation region can include various observations made during the clinical encounter. Other embodiments of the recording systems and methods are also disclosed herein. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238447 | INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR GENERATION AND RETENTION OF MEDICAL RECORDS - A system for populating patient records by use of evidence-based relational database, which compares the medical practitioners diagnoses to predetermined responses, to produce accurate patient chart notes and the integration of stored and generated data into clinical and administrative medical record keeping and billing. Episodic encounters are developed into cases for a specific patient under the care of a practitioner. The subjective symptoms from the patient and the objective observations of the care provider concurrent with the episode are used to form a diagnosis which presents a treatment regimen from an evidence-based relational database and populates medical and administrative templates. Patient history and updated information are retained in the database. “Best practice” treatment plans are continually placed in the relational database from practice guides and experts in the field. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238448 | METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING A PERMISSION-BASED WORKFLOW PROCESS FOR TRANSFERRING MEDICAL FILES - The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238449 | METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND DEVICES FOR MANAGING MEDICAL FILES - The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238450 | METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND DEVICES FOR TRANSFERRING MEDICAL FILES FROM A SOURCE FACILITY TO A DESTINATION FACILITY - The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238451 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING AND AUTHENTICATING AN INSURANCE ELGIBILITY TRANSACTION - The disclosure presents a system, method, and computer readable medium for execution on a computer processor, for authenticating and enhancing an insurance eligibility transaction, such as a 270/271 healthcare system transaction. In a particular embodiment, an insurance eligibility transaction request, such as a 270 transaction, is received/intercepted by the system prior to being received by the payor and data from one or more sources, such as a credit bureau database containing credit file data, is used to enhance, verify and correct the accuracy of data fields particular to the insurance eligibility transaction. The payor's database(s) can also be enhanced accordingly. The system also has capability to, among other things, identify fraud-related issues, charity qualification, and patient payment estimation as part of the transaction. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238452 | APPARATUSES, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING A RISK SCORING ENGINE USER INTERFACE - The present disclosure describes an approach to constructing and implementing risk rating products that provides a number of advantages. Instead of hard-coding attributes of a risk rating scheme, which requires the assistance of a trained programming specialist for any modifications, adjustments, or new products, the present invention provides a set of modular tools that assist non-specialists in on-the-fly generation and implementation of risk rating products. The modularity of this approach facilitates the modification and/or updating of a system component without affecting the operation of other components. Described herein are embodiments of system tools configured to read a risk rating scheme data-structure and generate a user interface whereby a user may enter information characteristic of an insurable risk and receive risk assessments, evaluations, and/or financial metrics associated with a candidate insurable risk. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238453 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING DATA RELATED TO A LIFE INSURANCE POLICY HAVING AN ACCELERATED BENEFIT - Disclosed is a novel insurance product that provides an accelerated death benefit to the insured individual. The insurance product contains a lifeaccess accelerated benefit feature that allows the insured individual to file a claim and receive benefits under a life insurance product if the insured individual becomes chronically or terminally ill. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238454 | Entertainment Event Ticket Purchase and Exchange System - An electronic ticket exchange system has a market-making system by which patrons submit bids over a limited time period for seats of different quality. A trading system provides for a secondary market in which patrons who have purchased tickets for an event can sell them to other patrons. All of the rights associated with a ticket, such as entry into the venue, are stored in electronic form. An electronic venue entry control system verifies that a person owns an electronic ticket property right, and authorizes the privileges associated with the ticket, such as entry to the venue. A seating system is employed to determine an optimal seating configuration based upon patron-specific preferences, after the initial sale of tickets and prior to entry into the venue. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238455 | ANALYZING MARKETPLACE LISTING STRATEGIES - A method and system analyze marketplace listing strategies. In some embodiments, the method accesses data associated with multiple marketplace listings. Each marketplace listing is associated with a product category. A state-action model, associated with the product category, is created based on the data associated with the multiple marketplace listings. The state-action model is then analyzed to identify a marketplace listing strategy associated with the product category. | 2011-09-29 |
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. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238457 | 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. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238458 | DYNAMICALLY OPTIMIZED DISTRIBUTED 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. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238459 | PRODUCT ASSORTMENT PLANNING SYSTEM - The system includes a comparison unit that identifies products in an initial assortment of products, a desired assortment of products and the performance metric for each product. The comparison unit compares the initial assortment of products and the desired assortment of products to determine kept products, added product and deleted products. The system includes an interaction unit simulating the interaction of the kept products, the added products and the deleted products based on the performance metric. The system generates simulation results identifying the interactions between the kept products, the added products and the deleted products. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238460 | Dynamic Pricing of a Resource - A method of dynamic pricing of a resource is presented. For example, the method includes determining a set of anticipated demands for one or more users to acquire the resource according to uncertainty of the one or more users in preferring one or more certain time periods of a plurality of time periods for acquiring the resource. Prices for the resource differ between at least two of the plurality of time periods. Each anticipated demand of the set is associated with a different one of the plurality of time periods. The method further includes setting prices for the resource during each of the plurality of time periods according to the determined set of anticipated demands. The determining of the set of anticipated demands and/or the setting of prices are implemented as instruction code executed on a processor device. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238461 | COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR SALES FORECASTING AND ADJUSTING A SALES FORECAST - A computer program product and method for sales forecasting and adjusting a sales forecast for an enterprise in a configurable region having one or more clusters of stores. The method includes periodically receiving a sales forecast for an enterprise over a configurable period of time, periodically receiving actual sales information, sales anomalies and anticipated events within the at least one of the clusters of stores over a computer network, determining positive and negative deviations from the anticipated sales of the sales forecast based on the sales information, determining whether one or more trends are occurring or have occurred using a pre-defined mathematical expression based on the sales information, the positive and negative deviations, and the sales anomalies, adjusting the anticipated sales of the sales forecast based on the sales anomalies, the trends and the anticipated events, and outputting the adjusted sales forecast to a user. The sales forecast includes anticipated sales for a plurality of items within at least one of the clusters of stores. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238462 | SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS AND MANAGEMENT THEREOF - Method and apparatus for service level agreement formation and management is described. More particularly, a service level agreement (SLA) manager is described. This SLA manager comprises an admission controller, a specification module and a performance measurement module. Such SLA manager is interposed between one or more client computer systems and a service provider computer system. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238463 | ELECTRONIC VOTE PRODUCING AN AUTHENTICATABLE RESULT - Method of authenticating and counting through a secure electronic voting system and electronic voting system implementing such a method. The object of the present invention is to allow: all voters to authenticate, anonymously, their vote or votes through the listing of the votes counted for the electoral result; all third parties: to count the votes through the listing of the votes counted for the electoral result and to verify the voting rights through the electoral list. The invention proposes that a unique and confidential validation code be generated for each voter of an electoral list (FIG. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238464 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECORDING PARKING SPACE INFORMATION - A system and method for recording data associated with a parking space. The data may be received a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone. The data may be received from a computer readable medium associated with the parking space, such as a bar code. The data may also be received from a wireless signal associated with the parking space, such as a Bluetooth wireless signal. The data may contain such information as the location of the parking space within the parking area. Other information may be included in the data, such as parking rate information for the parking space. A feature may included wherein the data may be transmitted to a server wherein the data may be stored in a storage device. The system and method may also allow payment for the parking space using the personal electronic device and the server. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238465 | System for Controlling Card Transactions - A system of controlling money through a card, where at least one allocating individual can determine what goods and services the card user may purchase, and what vendors the card user may patronize. The at least one allocating individual accesses a database that is secure and limited to use by the at least one allocating individual. The database permits the at least one allocating individual to select what goods, services and vendors will be accepted and what will be denied when the card is used. These selections are then transmitted to the card company's network, which will accept or decline a purchase request from a vendor. In an additional embodiment, the selections may be transmitted directly to a strip or chip within the card via a card reader or access port such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) located on the card. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238466 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SOFT LIMITS FOR ADVERTISEMENT SERVING - An approach is provided for caching advertisements on a device according to soft limits. Caching of an advertisement is caused, at least in part at the device. It is determined that a soft limit associated with the advertisement has been met. The soft limit specifies when to request one or more other advertisements to be downloaded to the cache. Presentation of the advertisement, the other advertisements, or a combination thereof is caused, at least in part, based on validity information associated with the advertisement. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238467 | Caddie Apparatus with Display Capabilities - A system is disclosed for conveying information to patrons in an establishment. The system comprises one or more caddies implemented in one or more zones within the establishment, wherein each of the one or more caddies comprises a display unit and one or more compartments for storing items for use by the patrons. The system further comprises a content server located in the establishment, the content server configured to transmit information to each of the one or more caddies to be displayed on the display units for the patrons to view, the content server being communicatively coupled to the one or more caddies via a local area network (LAN) implemented within the establishment, wherein the content server transmits information to each of the one or more caddies according to the one or more zones in which the one or more caddies are implemented. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238468 | PREDICTING FUTURE QUERIES FROM LOG DATA - A system, media, and method for selecting future queries are provided. The selected future queries are used to transmit appropriate online advertising to a user that issues queries to a search engine. The search engine is coupled to a prediction component that predicts what subject the user is going to be interested in and when the user will be interested in the subject. The prediction component returns a future query using statistical language models representing a query history of the user and aggregate query histories for a community of users. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238469 | Method and Systems for Providing Digital Incentives Using Post-Transaction Data - Systems and methods for automatically providing digital incentives post-settlement or post-transaction for electronic payment card accounts at the financial institution level. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238470 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A DISCOUNT - In particular, systems and methods are provided for delivering a discount using a virtual currency. Inventive systems and methods offer a high perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. Further, systems and methods for providing a discount are described which impose little or no cost on the service or product provider. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with an amount payable in virtual currency by an end-user of an inventive system. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the virtual currency since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238471 | Generic Universal Rewards Loyalty Card - A method and system for enabling a customer to participate in a plurality of rewards programs, operated by a plurality of retailers, using the same generic loyalty card. The customer submits registration information, and is issued a card which may be used to participate in rewards programs with any of a plurality of retailers. The generic loyalty card may be used for rewards programs in either an in-store visit or an online transaction with the retailer. Additional registration information may be submitted using a customer mobile device. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238472 | STRATEGIC MARKETING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Exemplary strategic marketing systems and methods are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes a strategic marketing subsystem receiving, from an advertiser subsystem, data representative of an offer for sale of a product, the offer specifying a price discount conditioned on a participation requirement, delivering the offer to a plurality of users, receiving one or more orders for the product by one or more of the users, grouping the one or more users into a group based on the one or more orders and on at least one of the price discount and the participation requirement, determining whether the group satisfies the participation requirement, and sending data representative of the group to the advertiser subsystem for use in fulfillment of the one or more orders in response to a determination that the group satisfies the participation requirement. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238473 | ALTERNATE MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICE - A system and method are described for an alternate mobile payment service. The system includes a server computer for enrolling and storing user account information. The server computer is also capable of generating a unique one-time-use identifier for use during a transaction. The one-time-use identifier is returned to user as an electronic coupon which may be in the form of a two-dimensional barcode. The coupon may be used at a merchant location to complete a transaction. When the barcode is scanned, it may processed similar to a credit/debit/prepaid card payment. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238474 | Converged Web-identity and Mobile Device Based Shopping - Techniques for providing information to a user of a mobile device based on an online or web-identity of the user and a geolocation of the mobile device are described herein. The user may be notified when a nearby merchant has a good or service for sale that matches a good or service in a list, such as a wish list, associated with the web-identity of the user. The users may also be provided access to a coupon within an electronic document when a mobile device storing the electronic document is located at a particular merchant. This convergence of geographical location of the user, as determined by the geolocation of his or her mobile device, with his or her web-identity can bring the online and off-line worlds closer together to provide relevant information for the user and improved marketing opportunities for merchants. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238475 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MOBILE COMMERCE - A system and method for facilitating the purchase of goods and/or services between the holder of a wireless communications device and a commerce system is disclosed. The system enables consumers who wish to participate in promotional sales offers to register with a mobile commerce system. Consumers may further define the types of items that they are interested in purchasing. Prior to the start of a promotion, the system sends a text message alert to registered consumers, giving them an opportunity to opt-in via text message from a wireless communications device. When the promotion is activated, the opted-in consumers are alerted via text message and are given an opportunity to send a text message back to the system indicative of a desire to purchase the promotional item. If defined conditions are met, the consumer's financial account is debited in the amount of the purchase and the consumer is instructed as to how to acquire their purchase. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238476 | Location-based Coupons and Mobile Devices - Techniques for providing electronic coupons to users of mobile devices are described herein. The coupons may be redeemable at certain merchant locations and at certain times. Users may actively select coupons they wish to access from a mobile device. Alternatively, the users may opt in to a system that automatically presents potentially relevant coupons. The relevance of the coupons may be determined based on the distance of the mobile device from a merchant location and/or a time period during which the coupon is valid. The users may activate coupons by logging into a remote computing system from their respective mobile devices. Activated coupons may be transmitted as an electronic signal from a mobile device to a merchant computing device. Alternatively, a display screen of a mobile device may show a barcode or image of the coupon that is read by a machine or employee of the merchant. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238477 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING CONSUMERS WITH ONE OR MORE PRODUCT OR SERVICE PROVIDERS - A method and apparatus that for matching consumers with product or service providers is disclosed. The method may include establishing one or more profiles from one or more product or service providers, establishing one or more profiles from one or more consumers, receiving a consumer's subject matter request, matching the consumer with one or more products or service providers based on at least one of the consumer's profile and subject matter request, and providing the consumer's contact information to the matched one or more products or service providers. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238478 | Method for Providing Information and Recommendations Based on User Activity - A method for providing recommendations to a user based on user activity. A plurality of activity data tracking a plurality of activities of a user is obtained. The activity data may be obtained over a wide area network such as the internet or downloaded from a data card which stores activity data whenever the user participates in an activity. The activity data is either stored on the data card or transmitted over the network whenever the user uses a card when participating in any activity such as when making a purchase of goods, paying for services, watching television, etc. The activity data is processed to identify a plurality of user patterns. The user patterns are used to form a user profile and may include user habit data. Recommendations specific to the user based on the user patterns are then created for and provided to the user. The recommendations are provided to a user when the user logs onto a computer network such as the internet. The recommendations may also be provided by electronic mail, electronic pager or other methods. The recommendations are provided by various data analysis techniques including rule based inference engines and other forms of artificial intelligence. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238479 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFICATION-BASES DIGITAL COUPON REDEMPTION - Techniques for identifier-based redemption of coupons is disclosed. A server receives, via a user device, input from a user that selects a coupon offer. The server stores in association with a user identifier for the user, such as a store loyalty card or coupon card, data that indicates that the user has selected the coupon offer. The server provides, to a retailer, over a network, coupon availability data indicating that the coupon offer is available for use in a transaction in which the user identifier is presented to the retailer. A retail server receives a user identifier in association with a transaction. The retail server identifies coupon offer(s) that have been stored for use in association with the user identifier. The retail server determines that the transaction involves a particular product that is eligible for a particular offer. The retail server applies the particular offer to the transaction. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238480 | System and Method for Inverted Promotions - A method of extending promotional discounts and special prices on items for sale to identified consumers. After the identification of a consumer by a unique identifier; a selected item is promoted with a discount or special price to the identified consumer. The discount or special price is granted upon a purchase of the item by the identified consumer prior to the withdrawal or termination of the promotion to the identified consumer. The withdrawal or termination of the promotion is held in abeyance upon an acknowledgment of the promotion by the identified consumer. In other words, the identified consumer must take specific action to prevent a promotional discount from being withdrawn. This inverted promotion provides for greater incentives for the consumer to provide information about his or her purchasing habits | 2011-09-29 |
20110238481 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION TO A MOBILE HANDSET - A method and apparatus for providing digital content to a mobile handset is provided. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238482 | Digital Profile System of Personal Attributes, Tendencies, Recommended Actions, and Historical Events with Privacy Preserving Controls - Embodiments of the invention provide a digital profile system for a user and a method for capturing, storing, and updating information about a user's attributes in a personal genome database. The system interacts with a third-party application which provides an assessment tool for execution by the user. The system includes the personal genome database, a server processor which executes computer-readable instructions of an advanced competency model, a unique pass code system, and at least one privacy filter, and a user processor which executes computer-readable instructions of a client manager. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238483 | Systems and Methods to Distribute and Redeem Offers - In one aspect, a system includes an interchange with a data storage facility to store data associating an offer with a phone number. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the common format processor in a common format and to communicate with the controllers in different formats. The common format processor is configured to use one of the converters to communicate with a mobile phone at the phone number to process a payment to a merchant, to determine, for the payment, whether the offer is applicable based on the data associating the offer with the phone number, and to apply a benefit of the offer towards the payment if the offer is applicable. | 2011-09-29 |
20110238484 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED ON-LINE SHOPPING AND/OR MANUFACTURING - A system and method for providing a customized on-line shopping interface and/or manufacturing is disclosed. The system uses customer's computer, location, URL, IP address, email domain, embedded promotion code, or other predetermined criteria to provide special product offerings and pricing for a particular class or subclass of customers. If an unauthorized user attempts to access the system, a series of screens containing non-customized pricing is presented to the intruder so as not to alert the intruder that he or she has reached the restricted content. Based on the authentication information, automated manufacturing processes and equipment may be utilized to produce the customized products. | 2011-09-29 |