| 06th week of 2014 patent applcation highlights part 66 |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20140039909 | Clinical Laboratory-Based Disease Management Program, With Automated Patient-Specific Treatment Advice - A method is provided, the method including receiving a test result data, wherein said test result data represents a result of a test on a physical specimen, associating said test result data with a standard-of-care data, wherein said standard-of-care data represents a recommended course of action for the condition represented by the test result data, and transforming said specimen data and said standard-of-care data into a human-readable form. A system including a processor is provided, a software adapted to be executed on said processor, said software comprising instructions for receiving a test result data, wherein said test result data represents a result of a test on a physical specimen, associating said test result data with a standard-of-care data, wherein said standard-of-care data represents a recommended course of action for the condition represented by the test result data, and transforming said specimen data and said standard-of-care data into a human-readable form. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039910 | Controlled Communications System for Physician-Hospital System Integration - An integrated digital communications system having HIPAA compliant text and email capability that complies with medical record maintenance requirements and facilitates physician/provider utilization of a healthcare system's resources is presented. The mobile platform capabilities include selection of physician/providers based on specialty and medical insurance plan participation, the scheduling of physician/provider referrals and medical procedures, healthcare provider to healthcare provider communications, medical billing, pharmacy formulary inquiry and ordering, reporting of physician/provider location, and provision of medical information and delivering news and alerts. The system includes a smart-device App that verifies users, encrypts and decrypts electronic messages, and transmits and receives electronic messages. Encrypted messages are securely stored, and automatically incorporated into patient healthcare records. The App provides a digital communication platform that integrates messaging capabilities with a hospital scheduling system to facilitate quick and easy scheduling of medical procedures and physician/provider consultations. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039911 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF COMPARING HEALTHCARE COSTS, FINDING PROVIDERS, AND MANAGING PRESCRIBED TREATMENTS - A medical savings management system, device, and method includes a computing device configured to manage medical savings, including drug therapies, to reduce healthcare costs. Users identify medications and other treatments, determine acceptable alternatives, and identify local health care providers. Users compare costs of the identified treatments from particular local providers based upon contracted discounts, manufacturer rebates, and the availability of lower cost clinical alternatives. Based on the identified treatments, health care providers, and costs, users select a preferred treatment and provider and reduce the cost of the treatment. Additional savings are realized by.by searching a larger radius for lower cost providers and by sharing discount cards using email, text messaging, and social media outlets. Users benefit from the savings and generate revenue for sponsors of the discount programs. The system is integrated with credit, debit and Health Flex cards to facilitate payment and reimbursement for eligible health expenses. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039912 | Controlled Communications Mobile Digital System for Physician-Healthcare System Integration - An integrated digital mobile communications management system having HIPAA compliant text, email, and image capability that complies with medical record maintenance requirements and facilitates physician/provider utilization of a healthcare system's resources is presented. The mobile platform capabilities include selection of physician/providers based on specialty, practice interests and medical insurance plan participation, the scheduling of physician/provider referrals and medical procedures, various bilateral communications between healthcare providers and healthcare systems, reporting of physician/provider location, and provision of medical information and delivering news and alerts. The management system includes a mobile digital smart-device App that verifies users, encrypts and decrypts electronic messages, and transmits and receives electronic messages. Encrypted messages are securely stored, and automatically incorporated into patients' healthcare records. The App provides a mobile digital communication management platform that integrates messaging capabilities with a hospital scheduling system to facilitate quick and easy scheduling of medical procedures and physician/provider consultations. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039913 | MEDICAL TREATMENT PLANNING VIA SEQUENTIAL GAMES - A method and system for identifying a treatment plan identifies a description of a sequential game. The game is associated with treatment of a medical condition by a course of treatment or drug design. The description may include one or more possible treatment actions that a treater can take to treat the medical condition, and one or more possible medical condition actions that the medical condition can take. The system may develop a model for the sequential game, wherein the model represents implementation of the possible treatment actions and the possible medical condition actions in one or more sequences. The system may solve the model to generate a treatment plan for the medical condition, wherein the treatment plan includes a set of possible treatment actions. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039914 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROMOTING WELLNESS - A system can administer a new medical therapy combining whole body vibration and targeted laser treatment. The system can include one or more modules to analyze a client and, based on the analysis of the client, generate a care program. The analysis can determine the client's suitability for the combined laser treatment and vibration therapy. If the client is suitable, the system provides vibration therapy with the laser treatment. Then, the system can generate a follow-up program, including reassessing the client's suitability for combined laser treatment and vibration therapy. The follow-up program can adjust the care program based on the reassessment of the client to maximize the effectiveness of the care program. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039915 | System and Method For Selecting Healthcare Management - The present invention is directed to a system and method which allows a prospective insured to make an informed decision on healthcare insurance or a specific health care management decision by using a current medical profile to assist in their selection. Based on past medical care, as obtained from payor data, a number of different plans, each having different providers, different deductibles, different maximums, different reimbursement policies, etc., a person can make an informed decision. When a family has different payors for different family members, a proper blend of payors can be more easily selected since the payors (or a single payor) has a medical profile of each family member and also has information on providers in the network, prescription policies, deductibles, maximums, etc. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039916 | SYSTEM TO DYNAMICALLY COLLECT AND SYNCHRONIZE DATA WITH MOBILE DEVICES - The invention enables bi-directional mobile communication by researchers, clinicians or counselors with their patients and study participants. An exemplary application is ecological momentary assessment of psychological and physical status related to weight management. The system may be combined with objective information to trigger a communication and enhance responses assessed on food choices, dietary intake, physical activity, exertion, mood and companions. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039917 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR UTILIZING PREDICTION MODELS IN HEALTHCARE - A method for providing decision support includes using a programmed computer to input a regression model specification, and to repeat the input a plurality of times to obtain and store a plurality of regression model specifications. The method further includes using the programmed computer to analyze selected regression model specifications to determine at least one of common variables and functions of common variables, to thereby determine a reduced-redundancy request for input of variables, when a plurality of the stored regression model specifications are selected for use. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039918 | System and Method For Implementing Program Compliance For Health-Based Rewards - A compliance process provides the ability to identify members that have completed a required activity for a Health Incentive Program (HIP) by comparing standard data such as claims, pharmacy, laboratory, biometric, health risk assessment and other pertinent internal and external data (hereafter “source data”) against established compliance criteria for that type of data for the specific HIP. If the member meets all compliance criteria within the designated timeframe, the member's achievement is recorded, resulting in the appropriate reward being granted as defined by the HIP. The compliance process solution provides an automated way for a payer to evaluate internal and/or external data including claims, pharmacy and/or biometric data to identify instances of a member completing required activities. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039919 | System and Method For Implementing Program Compliance For Health-Based Rewards - A compliance process provides the ability to identify members that have completed a required activity for a Health Incentive Program (HIP) by comparing standard data such as claims, pharmacy, laboratory, biometric, health risk assessment and other pertinent internal and external data (hereafter “source data”) against established compliance criteria for that type of data for the specific HIP. If the member meets all compliance criteria within the designated timeframe, the member's achievement is recorded, resulting in the appropriate reward being granted as defined by the HIP. The compliance process solution provides an automated way for a payer to evaluate internal and/or external data including claims, pharmacy and/or biometric data to identify instances of a member completing required activities. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039920 | METHODOLOGY, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR GENERATING ELECTRONIC INSURANCE CLAIMS OR BILLS, HAVING OPTIMIZED INSURANCE CLAIM ITEMS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE REIMBURSEMENT AND TO FACILITATE APPROVAL OF THE CLAIM(S) UPON FIRST SUBMISSION TO THE INSURANCE CARRIER - A methodology, system and computer program product for generating electronic insurance claims or bills, having optimized insurance claim items based on the insurance carrier(s) of a patient are provided. The method includes receiving insurance carrier data which identifies the patient in order to facilitate payment upon first submission to the carrier. The method includes receiving carrier data, which identifies the patient's insurance carrier(s) and patient data, which identifies the patient. The method also includes receiving treatment data, which identifies drugs administered to the patient and procedures performed on the patient on a given date of service. The treatment data is processed to generate nurse documentation, such as treatment and/or flow sheets. Electronic insurance claims or bill are automatically generated having optimized reimbursable insurance claim items, including predetermined codes based on the treatment data and the insurance carrier data to facilitate approval of the bill by the at least one insurance carrier. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039921 | DESIGN ASSISTANCE FOR CLINICAL TRIAL PROTOCOLS - Roughly described, a user instantiates protocol elements in a structured clinical trial protocol database and then draws from them in the development of one or more protocol related documents. The system helps the user select tasks to be performed during the study by reference to a historical database of tasks previously associated with similar protocols. The system automatically generates complex content from protocol elements in the database, and can render overlapping sets of protocol elements differently at different locations in the document. The system can automatically provide advisories indicating aspects of the document that still require completion or highlighting other issues that a sponsoring authority deems important for the document type. After all protocol elements are instantiated in the protocol database, it can then be used to drive the operation of most downstream aspects of the study. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039922 | METHOD OF OBTAINING DISCRETE OUTCOME DATA - A method for correlating health care interventions with a medical condition of a patient which includes ascertaining a medical condition of a patient, running diagnostic tests on the patient, diagnosing the patient based on medical data, assigning a health care intervention for the patient, displaying of information on a user interface, wherein the information includes the patient information, the health care intervention, and a plurality of outcomes, and in response to an action being performed, documenting an outcome corresponding to the health care intervention for a patient. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039923 | COMPUTER PROGRAM, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR RECEIVING AND MANAGING PATIENT DATA GATHERED DURING PATIENT TREATMENTS - A computer program for directing operation of a computer system that receives data from a portable electronic device operated by a caregiver. The computer program comprises a code segment for receiving data representative of a medical treatment to be administered to a patient (medical data); a code segment for receiving data representative of a condition of the patient before the medical treatment (pre-treatment patient data); a code segment for receiving data representative of a condition of the patient after the patient begins receiving the treatment (treatment patient data); and a code segment for correlating the medical data with the pre-treatment patient data and the treatment patient data to allow an investigator to determine an efficacy of the medical treatment. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039924 | GRAPHICAL TOOL FOR MANAGING A LONGITUDINAL PATIENT EPISODE - Systems and methods are disclosed for graphical-based management and documentation of longitudinal care episodes. As one example, a system to manage a longitudinal care episode for a patient can include a patient data aggregator, executable by a processor, to provide context data for the patient, at least a portion of the context data including patient data associated with multiple phases of the longitudinal care episode. A tool manager can translate user interactions with an associated graphical user interface (GUI) into corresponding discrete concepts. The corresponding discrete concepts can be stored in memory as part of longitudinal episode data for the patient, the longitudinal episode data being generated based on the context data and in response to user interactions with the GUI to facilitate documentation and management of the longitudinal care episode. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039925 | PRESENTING PATIENT INFORMATION BY BODY SYSTEM - Methods, computer systems, and computer storage media are provided for sorting and presenting a patient's medical information by body system. A selection of a body system filter directed to a body system is received, and the patient's medical information is accessed. The selected body system filter is applied to the patient's medical information to generate a set of body-system specific patient information. The body-system specific patient information is presented on a body system view user interface. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039926 | PRESENTING MEDICATION INFORMATION BY BODY SYSTEM - Methods, computer systems, and computer storage media are provided for sorting and presenting a patient's medication order information by body system. A selection of a body system filter directed to a body system is received, and the patient's medication order information is accessed. The selected body system filter is applied to the patient's medication order information to generate a set of body-system specific medication order information. The body-system specific medication order information is presented on a body system view user interface | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039927 | METHOD OF GENERATING USER INTERFACE AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING USER INTERFACE BY USING THE SAME - An apparatus for generating a user interface image for indicating a patient's health-related information includes an information receiver for receiving the patient's health-related information, an information arranger and classifier for arranging at least one piece of information included in the health-related information in a time sequence, and a user interface (UI) generator for generating the user interface image for displaying the at least one piece of information that is arranged in a time sequence, along a first axis, whereby a patient and a doctor may easily recognize the health-related information. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039928 | Diagnostic Image Security System - A method for restricting unauthorized access to a patient's diagnostic images is provided. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039929 | FEDERATED MASTER PATIENT INDEX FOR AUTONOMOUS HEALTHCARE ENTITIES - A method provides fully autonomous patient matching by entities of a federated healthcare system. The method includes receiving an electronically formatted query for a patient from an autonomous healthcare entity in a federation of healthcare entities. The query includes at least an identifier of the entity, a unique patient identifier of the patient generated by the entity, and demographics of the patient. The method further includes searching a federated master patient index stored in master patient index storage for an entry likely to correspond to the patient. The method further includes identifying an entry for the patient. The method further includes updating the identified entry to include at least the identifier of the entity, the unique patient identifier of the patient generated by the entity and the demographics. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039930 | SERVER, METHOD OF CONTROLLING SERVER, USER TERMINAL APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING USER TERMINAL APPARATUS - Exemplary embodiments may disclose a server including: a communicator configured to communicate with an external apparatus; a storage unit configured to store medicine prescription information about a user; and a controller configured to generate temporary medicine prescription information for providing medicine to the user based on the medicine prescription information if a medicine-taking completion message is not received, and control the communicator to transmit the temporary medicine prescription information to the external apparatus. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039931 | ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS INFORMATION SYSTEM - There is provided an apparatus for organizing a clinical observation in the form of clinical information entered by a user into memory. The apparatus includes a mechanism to receive the clinical information, which is associated with the clinical observation and has a plurality of clinical attributes. There is a mechanism for parsing the clinical information, and which identifies a clinical information data structure representative of the clinical information and which has one or more granule information data structures. Each of the granule information data structures has a collection of generic attributes. There is a mechanism to assign the clinical attributes to respective ones of the generic attributes of the one or more granule information data structures. The clinical information data structure associates the clinical attributes with respective ones of the generic attributes of each of the granule information data structures. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039932 | MEDICAL INFORMATION DEVICE AND SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE - A medical information device ( | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039933 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADVERTISING REVENUE DISTRIBUTION - The system monitors user actions in a user payment system and provides targeted advertisements to a user where the user opts-in as a participant in an advertising program. The system is further configured to track and distribute revenue from the advertising program to various parties including the user, healthcare providers, and user payment systems providers. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039934 | INSURANCE VERIFICATION SYSTEM (INSVSYS) - A method and system for verifying insurance information associated with an entity is disclosed. Insurance information is stored in an insurance information repository. An insurance information verification request from a third party computer is received. The insurance information verification request includes a parameter associated with the entity. A determination is made as to whether insurance information associated with the entity includes an insurance policy. If it is determined that the insurance information associated with the entity includes the insurance policy, a policy status of the insurance policy is determined, and a verification message verifying that the insurance information associated with the entity includes the insurance policy is transmitted to the third party computer. The verification message may include the policy status. Else, an alert message is transmitted to the third party computer. The alert message indicates that the entity does not have insurance. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039935 | INSURANCE VERIFICATION SYSTEM (INSVSYS) - A method and system for uniquely identifying an entity is disclosed. The method includes receiving information corresponding to the entity, the information corresponding to the entity including insurance data. A unique identifier of a plurality of unique identifiers is assigned to the entity. The unique identifier is associated to the information corresponding to the entity. The unique identifier is stored in association with the information corresponding to the entity for future retrieval by the entity. A confirmation of the assignment of the unique identifier is sent to the entity. A determination is made that the unique identifier is unavailable for assignment to another entity different from the entity. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039936 | MICRO-RESOURCE-POOLING SYSTEM AND CORRESPONDING METHOD THEREOF - The invention relates to a resource-pooling system and to a corresponding method for risk sharing of a variable number of risk exposure components. The risk exposure components are connected to the resource-pooling system by means of a plurality of payment receiving modules configured to receive and store payments from risk exposure components for the pooling of their risks. The total risk of the pooled risk exposure components comprises a first risk contribution associated to risk exposure in relation to loan losses, and a second risk contribution associated to risk exposure based on emergency expenses. The pooled risk is divided in a parameterizable risk part and a non-parameterizable risk part by means of an indexing module. In case of triggering a loss by means of a trigger module, the suffered loss is covered by releasing associated loans and emergency expenses of the risk exposure components. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039937 | Insurance Data Management System - A system and method for the capture, storage and usage of specific insurance underwriting and/or loss validation data includes a handheld mobile computer device containing one or more master forms in which insurance data is entered into the handheld device, normally at the location of the insured home along with an electronic signature of the insured and a geocode and time/date stamp. The data is uploaded to a secure, structured database. insurance data can also be entered, in a secure manner, via a customer portal by the insured or from third party data sources. The system includes software with the ability to pre-populate standardized underwriting forms based on the collected data. The system also manages electronic insurance quotes and bind orders as well. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039938 | Retirement Planning Application - A method includes receiving first user input indicating selection of a guaranteed income option to fund essential retirement expenses. The method further includes receiving second user input indicating selection of an investment option to fund lifestyle retirement expenses. The method also includes receiving third user input indicating selection of an unexpected liability coverage option, wherein the unexpected liability coverage option includes a long-term care funding option, an unexpected legal expense funding option, or any combination thereof. The method includes receiving fourth user input indicating selection of one or more legacy planning options. The method also includes generating a retirement plan based on the first user input, the second user input, the third user input, and the fourth user input. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039939 | Method of Purchasing a Product to Avoid Adverse Selection - A method for providing automatic purchase of products, such as insurance products, by one or more third parties acting on behalf of a purchaser and for automatic deductions from an income source to pay for the product utilizes stored data regarding the products, information provided to a purchaser from the stored data based upon inquiries from the purchaser and concluding a purchase or not along with payment for the purchaser. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039940 | RECEIPT INSURANCE SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Receipt insurance systems and methods provide protection to consumers against losses which may result from failure to possess a physical receipt or proof of purchase for retail purchase transactions. In one embodiment, a third party receipt insurer insures or guarantees consumers or purchasers of benefits associated with having possession of a receipt or other proof of purchase for a retail purchase without the need for possession of a physical or paper receipt. A receipt insurance agreement between a receipt insurance provider and a consumer protects the consumer against a loss of consumer rights or personal property insurance rights resulting from a lost receipt by electronically storing for retrieval, if necessary, an electronic record of all of the receipt information. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039941 | Systems and Methods For An On-Line Sports Wagers Marketplace - Systems and methods provide an on-line sports wagers and intermediary marketplace for exchanging physical tickets related to future sporting events. Registration at a website and maintenance of user information allow the start of on-line transactions utilizing the system. A user interface for selecting and displaying a minimum price and a maximum price for a physical ticket and a communication network for communicating among user terminals, servers, data repositories, and other computers over the Internet control the on-line system to provide a proxy for escrow accounts used in funding the transactions after legitimacy of a ticket has been verified and to complete the on-line transactions when a successful purchase of the ticket has been communicated. In one aspect, a system can deposit a net value, if any, of a ticket to a proper escrow account after outcome of the future sporting event represented by the ticket has been determined. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039942 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING MULTIPLE REFUNDS AND CHARGEBACKS - A system and a method for determining whether a refund has been issued by at least one of multiple parties having potential responsibility for issuing a refund. Issuance of multiple refunds to a claimant or claimants, or chargebacks to acquirers when a refund has been issued is prevented. The system includes an electronic storage device that has a database of data concerning transactions, including data as to whether a refund has been issued, an access path that allows access to and supplementing of data concerning a transaction, and a processor for assembling the data concerning the transaction so that access is provided to the multiple parties granted selected access to the data. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039943 | DYNAMIC AND HIERARCHICAL GENERIC DATA MAPPING FOR TRAVELER PROFILE PUBLICATION - A method, apparatus, and program product suitable for use in the travel industry utilize a dynamic and hierarchical generic data mapping model to facilitate the publication of traveler profile data from a source system, such as a profile management system, to a plurality of downstream target systems. A generic data mapping model may be utilized to dynamically build a target-specific publication data mapping, e.g., in association with the publication of a traveler profile, such that the traveler profile may be transformed into a target format using the dynamically built publication data mapping. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039944 | METHOD AND SYSTEM PROVIDING INVENTORY OPTIMIZATION FOR DISRUPTED CUSTOMERS - A computer implemented method and system is described to respond to a disruption of airline flights during a flight disruption period. The method includes detecting an occurrence of a flight disruption period and iteratively re-accommodating disrupted passengers to flights leaving after an end of the flight disruption period based on responses of disrupted passengers to re-accommodation proposals communicated to the disrupted passengers. In the method iteratively re-accommodating is performed so as to attempt to minimize a number of no-show disrupted passengers for those flights leaving after the end of the disruption period. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039945 | Customized Check-in for Event Ticket Network Systems - In one embodiment, a method includes a check-in system at an event receiving an electronic ticket from an attendee's mobile client, identifying the attendee based on the electronic ticket, accessing an associated user profile and event profile, determining customized content based on these profiles, and then transmitting the customized content to the attendee's mobile client. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039946 | Reservation system and apparatus for reserving occupancy of a communal item and method of use - A reservation system, apparatus, and method allows a user to reserve occupancy of a communal item. To do so, a reservation device which is connectable to the communal item includes an available state in which the communal item is available for use, and a reserved state in which the communal item is reserved. The reservation device includes a motion sensor which senses when the communal item is occupied. If the user vacates the communal item for a time interval, a timer starts counting off a time period. If the user does not reoccupy the communal item before the time period elapses, the reservation device changes from the reserved state to the available state. The reservation device also allows the user to make service requests. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039947 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ISSUING TICKETS - Methods and apparatus for issuing tickets for events are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes providing a ticket purchaser with both an electronic ticket and a duplicate replica ticket. The replica ticket provides the user a piece of memorabilia, without presenting the issue of having multiple tickets capable of being used for entry. In an additional embodiment, the replica ticket can also be used to gain access to the event. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039948 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RETRIEVING A BOARDING PASS - A system for retrieving and presenting a boarding pass includes a mobile computer apparatus configured to monitor incoming messages for boarding pass information from an entity issuing a boarding pass and send a request for a boarding pass to a remote server in response to detecting boarding pass information. The request includes the detected boarding pass information and a display characteristic of the mobile computer apparatus. The system further includes a remote server configured to use the boarding pass information to retrieve additional boarding pass information from the entity issuing the boarding pass, in response to receiving the request. The remote server is further configured to generate a new boarding pass formatted for presentation via the mobile computer apparatus based on the display characteristic of the mobile computer apparatus and the boarding pass retrieved from the entity issuing the boarding pass; | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039949 | DETERMINING SUPPLIER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT - A computer-implemented method for determining supplier environmental impact (EI) can include identifying a number of tiers of suppliers for an activity of an entity, mapping the activity of the entity to an economic sector and an environmental sector using data accessed from a public database, and determining an EI for each supplier in the number of tiers of suppliers for the activity based on data associated with the mapped economic sector and the mapped environmental sector, wherein the method is performed by a computing device. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039950 | AUTOMATICALLY DETECTING LOST SALES - One embodiment of a method for detecting a lost sale due to an out-of-shelf condition in a retail environment includes automatically detecting when a customer fails to purchase an expected product, based at least in part on an observation of a current behavior of the customer in the retail environment and on a purchasing history of the customer, and inferring, based on the automatically detecting, that the expected product is out-of-shelf. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039951 | AUTOMATICALLY DETECTING LOST SALES DUE TO AN OUT-OF-SHELF CONDITION IN A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT - One embodiment of a system for detecting a lost sale due to an out-of-shelf condition in a retail environment includes a plurality of sensors distributed throughout the retail environment for monitoring a current behavior of a customer in the retail environment, a database for storing a purchasing history of the customer, and a matching system for automatically detecting when the customer fails to purchase an expected product, based at least in part on the current behavior and on the purchasing history, and for inferring, based on the automatically detecting, that the expected product is out-of-shelf. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039952 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING A REAL TIME VIEW OF HETEROGENEOUS ENTERPRISE DATA - A method for providing a real time view of heterogeneous enterprise data of operational systems includes capturing streams of operational events in real time, combining the events with contextual data, and materializing a resulting view. The resulting view includes a dynamically defined view of the stream of events and provides visibility into a current state of the operational system. A view snapshot is continuously incrementally updated by a view maintenance engine as a stream of rows. The views are used to evaluate a business rule. An alert is fired when a business rule holds true. To enable the view in a view engine, a SQL string characterising the view is parsed into a parse tree, which is normalized to form a query graph. The query graph is then optimized to obtain a query plan, which is compiled into an operator graph. Queries are executed based upon the operator graph. | 2014-02-06 |
| 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. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039954 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH TASK TEMPLIFICATION AND CONCENTRATION, AND AUTOMATED PROVIDER IDENTIFICATION AND SCHEDULING - Computer-implemented methods are disclosed to enhance implementation of a project where materials and services need to be provided at multiple locations and/or at multiple times. Using computer systems and communication networks, similar tasks to be iteratively performed are concentrated or collected in a task group. Electronic request transmissions are sent to providers identified to provide the materials and services, electronic responses to the requests are elicited from the providers, and the responses are automatically reviewed to determine that providers will provide the materials as needed. Criteria may be specified and used to automatically rank suitability of the one or more providers that may be used, and one or more objectives may be specified to automatically generate a schedule including the providers to be used. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039955 | TASK ASSIGNMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A server calculates a first coefficient according to a degree of difficulty, a degree of urgency, a degree of importance of a task, and calculates an employee scope according to the first coefficient. The server selects a second list from the first list according to the employee scope, and calculates a second coefficient according to a required time and a prescribed time limit for finishing the task. The server selects a third list from the second list according to a workload of each employee in the second list and the second coefficient, and selects an employee from the third list to handle the task and notifies the employee. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039956 | Skilled Based, Staffing System Coordinated With Communication Based, Project Management Application - This dynamically active, skills collaboration system provides a comprehensive, skills-oriented posting and matching environment, an action-oriented engagement framework and an interactive project platform that supports virtual 24×7 connectivity from anywhere in the world with operational audit support. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039957 | HANDLING CONSOLIDATED TICKETS - Handling problem tickets in a computing environment, in one aspect, may comprise identifying a plurality of tickets generated in the computing environment that are candidates for consolidation. The identifying may be done based on whether the tickets have the same or similar root cause, whether they are generated from virtual machines having same configuration, and/or one or more other criteria. The tickets which are candidates for consolidation may be grouped into a bundled group, and marked as bundled. Resolving a ticket from the bundled group may potentially resolves all tickets from the bundled group. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039958 | HANDLING CONSOLIDATED TICKETS - Handling problem tickets in a computing environment, in one aspect, may comprise identifying a plurality of tickets generated in the computing environment that are candidates for consolidation. The identifying may be done based on whether the tickets have the same or similar root cause, whether they are generated from virtual machines having same configuration, and/or one or more other criteria. The tickets which are candidates for consolidation may be grouped into a bundled group, and marked as bundled. Resolving a ticket from the bundled group may potentially resolves all tickets from the bundled group. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039959 | COMPUTERIZED COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A computerized compliance management system or a computerized competency/compliance management system that facilitates the planning, management, administration and taking of assessments and delivers the results of the assessment with reference to relevant competencies for members or people working in teams or groups and particularly those working in teams or groups for large organisations. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039960 | MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS SESSION SUPPORT BY A REMOTE TECHNICIAN USING PRELIMINARY QUEUES - In a remote technical support system, a technical support controller receives an indication of a maximum number of support sessions to be serviced by a remote technician. Thereafter, the technical support controller receives a service request for a user device, which service request is classified into a category and added to a preliminary queue corresponding to the category. The technical support controller determines if handling of the service request by the remote technician would cause the number of support sessions currently being handled by the remote technician to exceed the previously-indicated maximum number of support sessions. If not, the service request is added to a work queue for the remote technician and removed from the preliminary queue. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039961 | Activities Excepted From Incrementing In Global Minimum Staffing Although Included In Satisfying Global Minimum Staffing - In each time period during which a facility is open, a difference is automatically checked for being greater than zero, between a minimum number of employees needed to open the facility and a current number of employees. The current number of employees is obtained based at least partially on workloads of activities in the facility, including normal activities whose workloads are determined based on forecasts and labor standards and at least one activity (“no-increment” activity) whose workload is to not be incremented. When the difference is greater than zero in any time period, an excess number of hours of minimum staffing are obtained based at least on the difference, and then allocated among the workloads of the normal activities, to obtain new workloads while keeping the workload of each no-increment activity unchanged. Therefore, workload of an no-increment activity is used in checking but the no-increment activity's workload is not incremented. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039962 | System and Apparatus for Generating Work Schedules - Disclosed are new approaches for scheduling workers at remote locations. Work assignments may be organized into shifts associated with one or more workers and one or more recipients. Tasks are associated with the shift and have an updatable status. Shifts may be replicated by cutting and pasting or by specifying a recurrence definition. The tasks associated with a shift may then be replicated. The status of tasks may be updated using a voice telephony system. The status of tasks may also be reported from a computer located on the recipient premise. Text and/or voice comments and the task status may be accessible by managers, clients, and concerned parties from a web portal accessible using a computing device, such as a tablet computer. Methods for automatically associating providers with shifts and adding tasks to shifts are also disclosed. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039963 | SATELLITE SCHEDULING SYSTEM - Systems and methods are provided for scheduling objects having pair-wise and cumulative constraints. The systems and methods presented can utilize a directed acyclic graph to increase or maximize a utilization function. Violation of cumulative constraints can be identified at the moment of constraint violation such that events resulting in constraint violations can be removed from the schedule while the schedule is being determined. By removing the events triggering constraint violations at the point of constraint violation, the systems and methods provided can determine optimal or near-optimal schedules in a relatively quick and efficient manner compared to systems and methods that check for violations of cumulative constraints after determining a schedule. The objects can comprise satellites in a constellation of satellites. In some implementations, the satellites are imaging satellites, and the systems and methods for scheduling can use crowd-sourced data to determine events of interest for acquisition of images. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039964 | ORDER MANAGEMENT IN LINER SHIPPING SERVICES - Method(s) and system(s) for managing orders in liner based services are described herein. The method includes receiving a request for booking a shipment order. The shipment order may include booking an empty liner slot and an empty container. The method includes determining, based on an operational plan, temporal and geographical availabilities of empty liner slots and empty containers to promise the request. The operational plan is generated by evaluating availabilities and reservations of the empty liner slots to optimize revenues. Further, the operational plan is generated by performing a configurable search over the multiple dimensions and optimal intra-regional repositioning of empty containers. The method also includes providing a response to the request, based on the determination. Further, the method includes executing the request, upon acceptance of the request and continuous gathering and updating of the status of orders, demands and supplies as well as business parameters. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039965 | Facilitating Revenue Generation From Data Shifting By Data Centers - The disclosure facilitates management data center utilization for generating energy-related revenue from energy markets. Operating schedules are generated, over a time period T, for operation of an energy management system of energy assets of data center sites. Since CPU utilization (or computing load) can be correlated to energy consumption, the operating schedules can cause the energy management system to modulate the CPU utilization (or computing load) of energy assets within a data center, or to indicate shifting of CPU utilization (or computing load) from one data center site in a certain energy market price region to another data center site in a different energy market price region. When implemented, the generated operating schedules facilitates derivation of the energy-related revenue, over a time period T, associated with operation of the energy assets according to the generated operating schedule. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039966 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ACCELERATE AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF BUSINESS PROCESSES THROUGH RESOURCE ALLOCATION - The present invention is directed to a computer-implemented method, program storage device and system to enable data-driven communications to facilitate business processes. Real-time requests for information, services, or the like can be solicited in a way that those selected to provide responses have certain attributes, and the supplier is selected for the solicitation automatically and instantaneously notified of the request based on automatic selection of those attributes. The notification is instantaneously communicated using more than one channel of communication, potentially in a mode that the potential supplier has indicated is a more likely way of actually and instantly receiving the request. The system further provides at least one mechanism by which all of the selected suppliers can instantly respond to the request, which is then communicated to the requestor. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039967 | METHOD OF PREDICTING CROP YIELD LOSS DUE TO N-DEFICIENCY - A method for determining the yield loss of a crop using remote sensor data is described. The yield loss is determined using the reflectivity of green light by the crop canopy measured from remote sensor data such as an aerial photograph that is digitized and spatially referenced to the field's longitude and latitude. Green pixel values from the aerial photograph, expressed relative to green pixel values from well-fertilized areas of the field, are transformed to yield losses using a linear transformation that was developed using empirical data. A similar method is described to determine recommended nitrogen fertilization rates for the crop fields. The yield loss data is useful for nitrogen fertilization management, as it allows a producer of crops to weigh the expense of fertilization against the loss of revenue due to yield loss. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039968 | INTEGRATION OF MODELED COLLABORATION STREAM IN BUSINESS PROCESS FLOW - In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a system and methods are provided for managing a business process flow based on business process constraints for structured business activities and collaborative process demands for unstructured business activities while maintaining a collaboration stream between the structured and unstructured business activities. The systems and methods may include integrating a collaboration business process integration model with a collaboration metadata model by aligning the business process constraints for the structured business activities with the collaborative process demands for the unstructured business activities. Further, the systems and methods may include scheduling a sequence of structured business activities based on the business process constraints for the structured business activities and the collaborative process demands for the unstructured business activities while maintaining the collaboration stream between the structured and unstructured business activities. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039969 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INITIATING A BUSINESS EXECUTION WORKFLOW - A technique for managing changes to individual entities, such as employees, in a business execution context. When a first user, such as a manager or a human resources (HR) administrator, desires to change characteristics of an individual entity, such as an employee, the first user inputs into a software application the desired characteristic changes to be made. The software application receives the input from the first user and analyzes the information. The software application then identifies and initiates a “workflow” that corresponds to the input and effects the desired changes. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039970 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING AND RELATING ASSET-TIED TRANSACTIONS - Systems and methods for tracking assets are disclosed, where such assets' data exists in disparate and independent asset data sources within and throughout an organization. Assets' data is first assembled and processed, related between asset data sources and to particular assets, and stored in a processed format that allows reporting and monitoring. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039971 | PROGRAM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR MODELING WORKFLOW - Update history information of databases is analyzed, and workflow models are automatically displayed with typical workflows and exceptional workflows separately represented. An update history information storage unit stores update history information including identification information of a data update process, and the name and updated time of an updated data set. A workflow extractor generates flow information where the names of updated data sets are arranged in chronological order of updated time, oldest first, for every data update process, and counts the number of appearances of flow information of same. Out of the workflows represented by the flow information, the workflow classification unit classifies the workflows into typical and exceptional workflows depending on the number of appearances. A workflow model display unit displays a typical workflow diagram showing the typical workflows, and in response to user input, displays an exceptional workflow diagram showing the typical and exceptional workflows. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039972 | AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHANGES IN A BUSINESS PROCESS - Systems and methods are provided for the automatic detection of different types of changes in a business process. A system includes a transformer for performing a transformation on data derived from process traces or models extracted from the processes traces to generate transformed data. The process traces are for a business process corresponding to a set of related tasks for a specified goal. Each of the models has at least a transition matrix of dimension N×N, where N is a total number of the related tasks. The system further includes a change detector for performing change detection on the transformed data to identify at least one of when a change occurs in the business process and a degree of the change. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039973 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SETTING A HOT PRODUCT ALERT ON TRANSACTION DATA - A system and a method for determining when a predetermined number of a specific product or of a type of product has been sold so that an alert can be generated when the number sold exceeds the predetermined number. Transaction rules can be set to monitor transaction data in a database to achieve this result. The transaction rules can be set for a generic product, for a specific product, or to exclude certain products. The system and the method issue an additional alert when data in a database indicates that the number of a specific product or of a type of product being sold in a selected time frame is below the selected predetermined number or another selected predetermined, for a selected period of time. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039974 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING CREDIT/DEBIT CARD TRANSACTION DATA AS A MEASURE OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH A MERCHANT - A system and a method for determining customer satisfaction with a selected merchant based on chargeback transaction data in a database of transactions. An indication, which can be a number representative of customer satisfaction, is generated by comparing the number of chargeback transactions for the selected merchant with the total number of transaction not involving chargebacks for that merchant. The comparison can be made during various time periods, such as from a month to a year. The indication representative of customer satisfaction for selected merchants may be made available to merchants and to consumers, so that comparisons may be made to other businesses to help make decisions concerning improving performance for a merchant, and for deciding from which merchant a consumer should make a purchase. The data is collected automatically as a result of the transactions, without requiring input from the consumer. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039975 | EMOTIONAL MODELING OF A SUBJECT - Systems and techniques for emotional modeling of a subject are described herein. Emotional data of a subject during exposure to a stimulus can be received. The emotional data can be interpreted to produce a result. The result can include an emotional model of the subject. The result can be presented to the user. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039976 | VIDEO INFORMATION ANALYSIS SYSTEM - A video information analysis system that objectively and instantaneously evaluates a value of broadcasting information broadcasted on television or video information distributed and provided through the Internet to make it possible to examine influences including an economic influence of the television related broadcasting information or the video information provided through the Internet on a company, an association, an individual, a commodity, a service, a brand and the like, and compares the pieces of information with various economic indicators to make it possible to consider correlation between the video information and the evaluations of the company, the association, and the like. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039977 | CONTACT CENTER DATA VISUALIZATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A data visualisation system is disclosed that includes a retrieval component, a display component, and a contour generator. The retrieval component is configured to retrieve data representing interactions between customers and the merchant, and to construct a finite set of data values from the retrieved data. The display component is configured to display a graphical representation of a merchant and a graphical representation of each of the set of data values represented as data points. The contour generator is configured to generate and display one or more contour lines at least partly around each data point to form a contoured surface, in which the areas of representation around each data point are shown in a series of contour lines, and the nature of the contour lines gradually fans away from each data point. Each data point is vertex of the contoured surface. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039978 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANALYZING FORECASTS AND RESPONSES IN COLLABORATIVE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SETTINGS - A collaborative inventory management forecast and response analysis system includes a forecast and response summary engine and a display engine. The forecast and response summary engine is to generate a summary of a plurality of standardized forecast input series using continuum canonical correlation and a user-provided parameter, generate a summary of a plurality of standardized response input series using continuum canonical correlation and the user-provided parameter, and update the summaries of the plurality of standardized forecast and response series based on a varied value of the user-provided input parameter. The display engine is to display the summaries of the plurality of standardized forecast and response series and display the updated summaries of the plurality of standardized forecast and response series. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039979 | System and Method for Demand Forecasting - A system and method for demand forecasting is provided. The system includes a computer system and a demand forecasting engine executed by the computer system. The demand forecasting engine permits inventory management and price optimization, with improved prediction accuracy. The system includes a nonlinear time series model which is able to simulate the market trend of a certain product in the past and make a demand forecast for the future. The system provides initial estimates for new products in a new season, and is self-adjusting with limited data points in the beginning of the season. In this way, the system provides solutions for demand forecasting of old and new products. Furthermore, pricing optimization solutions (e.g., Markov decision processed (MDP) based, etc.) can be built on the basis of the demand forecasting solutions. The system is applicable to many marketing-related problems and is particularly reliable for products which follow a certain cycle. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039980 | Item Data Collection Systems and Methods with Social Network Integration - Items—including gourmet products—are evaluated and rated by participants in a controlled event, which can be coordinated by software locally or at a dedicated website. Event data, including item scores and participant scores can be shared with vendors, merchants and other commercial entities associated with the products. Promotional incentives from such entities for the products (and related products) can then be directly targeted and provided to participants and other members of the public. The participant's activities can also be collected and disseminated to affiliates/friends of the participants through social networking sites, personalized web pages, etc. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039981 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTION OF SATISFICING IN SURVEYS - A system can include a satisfication detection server to receive from a network-enabled device questionnaire responses corresponding to an online questionnaire. The satisfication detection server can determine for each questionnaire response a probability that the questionnaire response represent satisficing. The satisfication detection server can also output a data file that includes results of the determining. A satisfication detection database can store the data file. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039982 | Method, License Model And System For Managing Software Licenses Amongst A Group Of Devices - An approach is provided for using a license model granting at least one license of using a software product designated for a local installation and execution on at least one device within a group of devices. The license is charged according to the actual execution time of the software on the at least one device of the group. Metrics data related to the software execution within the group are collected and a balance report for a licensor of the license is generated based on the metrics data. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039983 | LOCATION EVALUATION - Computer-implemented methods of generating values for a location, the value being associated with a use of the location, are provided. The methods comprise receiving data associated with said location, said data indicating properties of said location, receiving data associated with a plurality of training locations, and processing said data to generate ranking data. The value for the location is generated based upon the ranking data. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039984 | SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING CONTRACTS AND SUPPLIER'S PERFORMANCE - A system for analyzing and taking actions pertaining to contracts and supplier's performance in a procurement process, including: a module containing a database of contracts of suppliers; and a module adapted for measuring, analyzing and managing the performance of a supplier. The system allows the viewing of a supplier performance report corresponding to the specific contract selected, as well the viewing of contracts corresponding to the specific supplier selected. The system also allows a user to make a decision regarding the renewal or termination of the contract with a specified supplier, for example, based on the performance report of the supplier. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039985 | EVALUATING A WORKER IN PERFORMING CROWD SOURCED TASKS AND PROVIDING IN-TASK TRAINING THROUGH PROGRAMMATICALLY GENERATED TEST TASKS - Systems and methods for evaluating a worker in performing crowd sourced tasks and providing in-task training are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for selecting a job distributed through a job distribution platform for workers to work on, for use to generate a test task, the job being associated with a known correct result, associating a manipulated result, known to be an incorrect result for the job, with the job to generate the test task, and/or presenting the job with the manipulated result as the test task to a worker for evaluation of work quality of the worker. The job distribution platform crowd sources tasks online to workers to work on via their respective computing devices. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039986 | IDENTIFYING CONTRIBUTIONS TO TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SCHEDULE DEVIATION - A method and a device for identifying factors that contribute to schedule deviation in a transportation system are disclosed. The method includes collecting operating information for a vehicle along a transportation route and determining schedule deviation information for the transportation route based upon the operating information. A plurality of models is constructed, each of the plurality of models including at least one combination of factors that contribute to schedule deviation, and the models are ranked. As results sets is produced that includes at least the highest ranked model showing at least one combination of factors that most contributes to schedule deviation, The results set is presented and an operator associated with the transportation system may institute one or more changes to the system. The device includes at least a processing device and computer readable medium containing a set of instructions configured to cause the device to perform the method. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039987 | System for Controlling Vehicle Use of Parking Spaces by Use of Cameras - An apparatus for tracking the use of at least one destination location, the apparatus including multiple cameras and one or more processors configured to identify a vehicle by use of identification images captured by an identification camera, such as by processing of images of license plates, determine characteristics of the vehicle visible in the identification images, and determine usage of a destination location, such as a parking spot, based on a camera monitoring the destination location capturing images of the vehicle having characteristics corresponding to those determined for the identification images. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039988 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING TRAFFIC POLLUTION - Methods and systems for controlling traffic pollution are disclosed. An environmental score and a financial incentive based on the environmental score may be provided. A vehicle having a pollution recording unit may be provided. The pollution recording unit may be configured to provide an environmental score based on the pollution behavior of the vehicle. A financial incentive may be determined based on the environmental score at a processing device communicatively coupled to the pollution recording unit. The financial incentive may be provided to an operator of the vehicle. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039989 | RV GOLF ASSOCIATION - A system and method facilitates member registration for an RV golf association via a computing device. A membership home page is generated on a computing device. At least one link is provided from the membership home page associated with at least one user type. At least one link to an application type associated with the selected user type is provided. Registration data and payment, if required, is received from the user. The user may be prompted to register for an email club that delivers relevant updates to registered users. A search feature that allows users to conduct searches for detailed information regarding the properties available through the RV golf association may be provided. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039990 | UNIVERSAL TRANSACTION ASSOCIATING IDENTIFIER - Rewards programs in which rewards are awarded for a series of transactions using a universal transaction associating identifier to associate transactions in common within each rewards program in a reward processing system. The system includes resource providers, a rewards program rule implementer having access to a rewards program database, and an implementer processor. The implementer processor receives transaction data whenever a transaction occurs using the universal transaction associating identifier, determines when a consumer has performed the transactions satisfying rules requirements, and identifies and awards a reward, including vouchers, for the consumer. The reward processing system generates a universal transaction associating identifier from a plurality of identification sources and provides for objects containing the universal transaction associating identifier. The reward processing system issues and redeems vouchers exchangeable for rewards. The system targets consumers and transmits messages adaptive to system elements, including rules requirements and the universal transaction associating identifier. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039991 | DYNAMIC CUSTOMIZATION OF ADVERTISING CONTENT - Systems and methods for dynamic customization of advertising content are described. In some implementations, a process may include receiving at least one audio-visual core portion, receiving at least one advertising content portion receiving at least one advertising content portion, receiving at least one selection signal indicative of a viewer preference, modifying at least one of the audio-visual core portion or the at least one advertising content portion in accordance with the at least one selection signal to create a dynamically customized audio-visual content, and outputting the dynamically-customized audio-visual content. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039992 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF PROVIDING COLLABORATIVE CONSUMER-CONTROLLED ADVERTISING ENVIRONMENTS - Targeted or other advertising may comprise one or more advertisements presented to multiple users in a virtual world environment such that participating users can interact with one another and/or with executed advertisements. Groups of users may be invited to participate in collaborative virtual world environments based on consumer contact lists or profiles establishing matching preferences for such groups. Synchronized data may be narrowcasted or broadcasted to invited users. Such data may define one or more virtual world environments as well as traditional and/or virtual world advertisements for execution in the shared environment(s). Advertisements may be selected based on one or more consumer preferences associated with one or more of the users participating in the shared virtual world environment. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039993 | GAME SERVER DEVICE, MANAGEMENT METHOD AND TICKET ISSUING SYSTEM - A game server device used in a ticket issuing system for issuing identification information or a ticket based on the identification information and connected, via a network, to a portable terminal for providing a user with a game in which an item is acquired. The game server device generates identification information in accordance with a seed value assigned to a predetermined specific item, and transmits, in association with the specific item, the identification information generated in accordance with the seed value of the specific item to the terminal of the user who has acquired the specific item. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039994 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RANKING INFORMATION ITEMS FOR DISPLAY - A method of displaying information items, the method comprising: determining a ranking score for each of a plurality of information items based on a history of votes received for each of the information items, the determining comprising: assigning a value to the information item for each vote received in respect of that information item, assigning a weight to each value as a function of the recency of the vote, and calculating a score for each information item, the score being calculated as a first sum across all votes of the product of the value of each vote with its assigned weight, divided by a second sum of the weights across all votes; determining, responsive to a first serve request and based on at least one criterion, at least one of the information items to be displayed at a client device; and transmitting to the client device code executable by a browser application to display the at least one information item based on the ranking score. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039995 | System and Method of Customer Acquisition Leveraging Social Media and Automating Billing Reflecting Rewards for Customer Acquisition - A system and method of acquiring new customer is provided. A first user activates a UI component such that a custom-created content is disseminated to a social media platform. The custom-created content contains content referring a featured service of a service provider and a referral instrument. A second user activates the referral instrument via the social media platform. The activation directs the second user to initiate a sign-up process with a backend system of the service provider and enables the backend system to capture information identifying the first user as a referrer at the start of the referee's sign-up process. The backend system provides referral credits to the first user following the signing-up of the second user. A billing module of the backend system automatically generates a bill for the second user reflecting referral credits awarded to the first user for the referral of the second user. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039996 | ELECTRONIC NETWORK MARKETING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING DIGITAL CONTENT OVER AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK - A system comprising at least processor and computer executable instructions readable by the at least one processor and operative to distribute a piece of content to a first user of a social network, allow the first user to endorse the piece of content on his or her user profile, allow a second user of the social network to access the first user's profile, allow the second user to purchase rights to access the piece of content through the first user's profile, distribute a commission to the first user if the second user purchased the piece of content based on the first user's endorsement, and allow the second user to endorse the piece of content on his or her user profile. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039997 | System and Method for Funding a Collective Account - A system and method for funding a collective account such as a charitable account includes issuing a plurality of financial instruments, linking the financial instruments to the collective account, aggregating individual financial instrument usage, calculating a bonus or other reward based on the aggregate financial instrument usage and funding or distributing the reward to the collective account. According to the invention, members of a civic, charitable, political or other entity may generate collective rewards or other benefits which may be attributed to the designated organization. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039998 | ON DEMAND KIOSK COMMERCE SYSTEM AND METHOD - Described herein are an on demand kiosk commerce system and method. The on demand kiosk commerce system and method may include a Package Delivery Kiosk (PDK), associated front end and back end package delivery management systems, portals for the consumer and the retailer, portals for the common carrier, sender, and recipient, a package inventory management system, integrated retailer access, a real and automated retailer bidding system and a kiosk for distribution. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140039999 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MERCHANTS TO CHARGE FEES TO BUYERS FOR CREDIT CARD AND DEBIT CARD TRANSACTIONS - System and method for calculating and applying surcharges or payment type fees to payment transactions. A calculation device receives pricing and payment information for a transaction, such as a credit or debit card transaction, and calculates a surcharge or payment type fee based upon the transaction costs that will apply if the transaction is completed. The transaction costs may be estimated by the calculation device or received from a payment network. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040000 | SERVER APPARATUS AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A server apparatus includes an entry detection unit that detects an entry by a user from a terminal device; an entry condition determining unit that determines whether the entry satisfies a predetermined entry condition; an entry history storing unit that stores at least a history of the entry that satisfies the predetermined entry condition; a predetermined entry data providing unit that stores data indicating that the entry satisfies the predetermined entry condition as the history in the entry history storing unit; an editing unit that accepts an edition to the history under a condition that a predetermined counter value by the user is accepted; a prize condition determining unit that determines, in a current condition, whether the history satisfies the prize condition; and a prize providing unit that provides a prize to the user when, in the current condition, the history satisfies the prize condition. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040001 | System and Method for Managing Merchant-Consumer Interactions - A system for combining a payment mechanism with an offer to a consumer is described. The system includes a virtual payment account number generation engine to generate virtual payment account numbers that can be used by a consumer in a payment transaction at a merchant, the virtual payment account number generation service also operable to take a portion of the virtual payment account number and send it as a checkout code to a consumer using the consumer's mobile device, and an offer generation engine used to set rules for an offer to be sent to consumers, create a fund for the offer, and determine individual consumer's eligibility for the offer. The offer is associated with the checkout code such that the offer is processed as part of the payment during the payment transaction using the virtual payment account number. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040002 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING TRANSFERABLE ITEM PRICES - Systems and methods are provided to associate a transferable item price with a first consumer and to determine that a second consumer is entitled to purchase an item in exchange for payment of an amount based on the transferable item price. In one embodiment, the first consumer arranges to purchase an item at a first price. The merchant transmits a transferable item price code to the first consumer. The first consumer sends the transferable item price code to the second consumer, such as by including the transferable item price code in an e-mail message. The second consumer transmits the transferable item price code to the merchant to establish that he or she is entitled to purchase the item at the first price. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040003 | PAYMENT METHOD DECISION ENGINE - A computerized system and method that enables identifying the best payment currency for a product or service is disclosed. Payment currencies include cash, reward programs and the unit or currency in which reward programs are denominated, and combinations thereof. A single product search request initiates searches of multiple payment currencies. Availability, discounts, prices, comparable costs, net values and relative values are determined and/or calculated per each payment currency. Comparable cost, relative value, or other criteria, may be used to determine the best payment method, that is, the lowest cost in a common currency, such as cash. Determination of the best payment currency is accomplished in “real-time” and has an advantage of leveraging quantitative and qualitative analysis in its determination. In addition, the search may be personalized by adding information unique to each user. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040004 | IDENTIFYING A DEAL IN SHOPPING RESULTS - A shopping system can employ a computer-implemented method to determine whether an offer is a deal. The method comprises associating offers received for a product with the product in a database; associating a time for each of the offers noting when each particular offer was effective; receiving a current offer for the product; identifying the offers for the product in the database that are within a configured time period of the current offer; comparing the offers for the product in the database with the current offer for the product based on a set of parameters; identifying the current offer as a deal in response to a determination that the current offer satisfies all parameters compared to the offers for the product in the database. Various sets of parameters may be used to determine if the current offer is a deal with respect to previous offers. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040005 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING VIRTUAL BOUNCE BACK COUPONS - A system for providing virtual coupons to a customer illustratively includes a database having a plurality of virtual coupons stored therein, a virtual coupon repository associated with the customer, and a virtual coupon module to transfer a sequence of selected ones of the plurality of virtual coupons stored in the database to the virtual coupon repository, and to sequentially activate for redemption by the customer each successive virtual coupon in the sequence after a preceding virtual coupon in the sequence has been redeemed by the customer. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040006 | POPULATING PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION LIST - A computer-implemented method for populating a product recommendation list can include identifying a first set of products using customer data and a second set of products using social network data, identifying a third set of products, wherein the third set of products includes products in the second set of products and not in the first set of products, calculating a product score for each product in the second set of products, and populating the product recommendation list of the customer with a subset of the first set of products and a subset of the third set of products based on the calculated product scores. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040007 | PROMOTION CREATOR AND MANAGER - A device may receive information that identifies a design item associated with a promotion, where the design item relates to an appearance of the promotion, may receive information that identifies a promotion characteristic associated with the promotion, where the promotion characteristic identifies at least one of a product or a service associated with the promotion, may receive distribution information associated with the promotion, where the distribution information identifies a customer device to which the promotion is to be sent, and may receive scheduling information associated with the promotion, where the scheduling information identifies a time period during which the promotion is active. The device may also provide the promotion to the customer device based on the design item, the promotion characteristic, the distribution information, and the scheduling information. | 2014-02-06 |
| 20140040008 | INTER-CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT - Techniques are provided for adapting an advertising campaign based on real-time analysis of campaign metrics for a concurrent advertising campaign. As one advertising campaign runs, parameters of the campaign are updated to incorporate insights from another advertising campaign. In one embodiment, parameters of the campaign are updated to boost performance of a portion of the advertising campaign determined to be particularly responsive based on the campaign metrics from another campaign. The campaign metrics may be measured using real-time, single-question surveys across segmented portions of the target audience and may be used to generate correlations between the target audience and marketing objectives sought. | 2014-02-06 |
