08th week of 2012 patent applcation highlights part 46 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20120046937 | SEMANTIC CLASSIFICATION OF VARIABLE DATA CAMPAIGN INFORMATION - A method and system for semantically classifying variable data campaign information. The method and system include loading, by a processing device, a variable data campaign from a computer readable storage medium operably connected to the processing device; extracting, by the processing device, variable data from the campaign; semantically classifying, by the processing device, the variable data to produce semantically classified variable data; building, by the processing device, a variable data campaign model based upon the semantically classified variable data; and storing, by the processing device, the variable data campaign model in the computer readable storage medium. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046938 | LARGE-SCALE SENTIMENT ANALYSIS - A method for determining a sentiment associated with an entity includes inputting a plurality of texts associated with the entity, labeling seed words in the plurality of texts as positive or negative, determining a score estimate for the plurality of words based on the labeling, re-enumerating paths of the plurality of words and determining a number of sentiment alternations, determining a final score for the plurality of words using only paths whose number of alternations is within a threshold, converting the final scores to corresponding z-scores for each of the plurality of words, and outputting the sentiment associated with the entity. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046939 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING WEIGHTED FINITE-STATE AUTOMATA REPRESENTING GRAMMARS - A context-free grammar can be represented by a weighted finite-state transducer. This representation can be used to efficiently compile that grammar into a weighted finite-state automaton that accepts the strings allowed by the grammar with the corresponding weights. The rules of a context-free grammar are input. A finite-state automaton is generated from the input rules. Strongly connected components of the finite-state automaton are identified. An automaton is generated for each strongly connected component. A topology that defines a number of states, and that uses active ones of the non-terminal symbols of the context-free grammar as the labels between those states, is defined. The topology is expanded by replacing a transition, and its beginning and end states, with the automaton that includes, as a state, the symbol used as the label on that transition. The topology can be fully expanded or dynamically expanded as required to recognize a particular input string. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046940 | METHOD FOR PROCESSING MULTICHANNEL ACOUSTIC SIGNAL, SYSTEM THEREOF, AND PROGRAM - A method for processing multichannel acoustic signals, whereby input signals of a plurality of channels including the voices of a plurality of speaking persons are processed. The method is characterized by comprising: calculating the first feature quantity of the input signals of the multichannels for each channel; calculating similarity of the first feature quantity of each channel between the channels; selecting channels having high similarity; separating signals using the input signals of the selected channels; inputting the input signals of the channels having low similarity and the signals after the signal separation; and detecting a voice section of each speaking person or each channel. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046941 | DIGITAL VOICE COMMUNICATION CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD - A digital audio communication control apparatus includes a first mixing unit that mixes a voice input from a voice input unit and uttered by a specific speaker with a voice input from a digital audio packet receiving unit and uttered by at least one speaker except for the specific speaker, and a second mixing unit that mixes the voices mixed by the first mixing unit with the voice of the specific speaker. The voices mixed by the second mixing unit are fed back to the specific speaker. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046942 | TERMINAL TO PROVIDE USER INTERFACE AND METHOD - A terminal and method to determine surrounding circumstances using received sound signals and to automatically control various user interfaces according to the surrounding circumstances. The terminal divides the received sound signals into voice and non-voice signals, analyzes the divide sound signals based on frequencies and determines the circumstances based on the analyzed sound signals. The terminal may further control a user interface based on the determined surrounding circumstances. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046943 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATION QUALITY IN MOBILE TERMINAL - An apparatus and a method for voice communication of a mobile terminal are provided. More particularly, an apparatus and a method for clearly receiving a counterpart user's voice signal in a mobile terminal positioned at a place where a noise occurs are provided. The apparatus includes an input unit, an extension signal generator, and an adder. The input unit receives a voice signal. The extension signal generator generates, based on a voice signal received via the input unit, a harmonics signal corresponding to a frequency band that represents a reaction sensitive to a sense of hearing. The adder merges the generated harmonics signal with the received voice signal. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046944 | ENVIRONMENT RECOGNITION OF AUDIO INPUT - The present disclosure introduces a new technique for environmental recognition of audio input using feature selection. In one embodiment, audio data may be identified using feature selection. A plurality of audio descriptors may be ranked by calculating a Fisher's discriminant ratio for each audio descriptor. Next, a configurable number of highest ranking audio descriptors based on the Fisher's discriminant ratio of each audio descriptor are selected to obtain a selected feature set. The selected feature set is then applied to audio data. Other embodiments are also described. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046945 | MULTIMODAL AGGREGATING UNIT - In a voice processing system, a multimodal request is received from a plurality of modality input devices, and the requested application is run to provide a user with the feedback of the multimodal request. In the voice processing system, a multimodal aggregating unit is provided which receives a multimodal input from a plurality of modality input devices, and provides an aggregated result to an application control based on the interpretation of the interaction ergonomics of the multimodal input within the temporal constraints of the multimodal input. Thus, the multimodal input from the user is recognized within a temporal window. Interpretation of the interaction ergonomics of the multimodal input include interpretation of interaction biometrics and interaction mechani-metrics, wherein the interaction input of at least one modality may be used to bring meaning to at least one other input of another modality. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046946 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MERGING AUDIO DATA STREAMS FOR USE IN SPEECH RECOGNITION APPLICATIONS - A system and method for merging audio data streams receive audio data streams from separate inputs, independently transform each data stream from the time to the frequency domain, and generate separate feature data sets for the transformed data streams. Feature data from each of the separate feature data sets is selected to form a merged feature data set that is output to a decoder for recognition purposes. The separate inputs can include an ear microphone and a mouth microphone. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046947 | Assisted Reader - An electronic reading device for reading ebooks and other digital media items combines a touch surface electronic reading device with accessibility technology to provide a visually impaired user more control over his or her reading experience. In some implementations, the reading device can be configured to operate in at least two modes: a continuous reading mode and an enhanced reading mode. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046948 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND DISTRIBUTING CUSTOM VOICE RECORDINGS OF PRINTED TEXT - A speech analysis module compares a subject text to the voice of a subject person reciting the text, and generates a personal voice library of the subject's voice. The library includes audio files of actual words spoken by the subject person, as well as morphological, syntactical and grammatical considerations affecting the pronunciation of words and pauses. Words not actually spoken by the subject can be artificially synthesized by an analysis of the subject's speech and pronunciation, and utilizing sounds and portions of words spoken by the subject. Upon request for an audio recording of an object text in the voice of the subject, an integration module retrieves discrete audio files from the personal voice library and artificially generates a voice recording of the object text in the voice of the subject. The generation and transmission of custom audio files can be part of a commercial transaction. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046949 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND DISTRIBUTING A HYBRID VOICE RECORDING DERIVED FROM VOCAL ATTRIBUTES OF A REFERENCE VOICE AND A SUBJECT VOICE - A first person narrates a selected written text to generate a reference audio file including one or more parameters are selected from the sounds of the reference audio file, including the duration of a sound, the duration of a pause, the rise and fall of frequency relative to a reference frequency, and/or volume differential between select sounds. A voice profile library contains a phonetic library of sounds spoken by a subject speaker. An integration module generates a preliminary audio file of the selected text in the voice of the subject speaker and then modifies individual sounds by the parameters from the reference file, forming a hybrid audio file. The hybrid audio file retains the tonality of the subject voice, but incorporates the rhythm, cadence and inflections of the reference voice. The reference audio file, and/or the hybrid audio file are licensed or sold as part of a commercial transaction. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046950 | RETRIEVAL AND PRESENTATION OF NETWORK SERVICE RESULTS FOR MOBILE DEVICE USING A MULTIMODAL BROWSER - A method of obtaining information using a mobile device can include receiving a request including speech data from the mobile device, and querying a network service using query information extracted from the speech data, whereby search results are received from the network service. The search results can be formatted for presentation on a display of the mobile device. The search results further can be sent, along with a voice grammar generated from the search results, to the mobile device. The mobile device then can render the search results. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046951 | NUMERIC WEIGHTING OF ERROR RECOVERY PROMPTS FOR TRANSFER TO A HUMAN AGENT FROM AN AUTOMATED SPEECH RESPONSE SYSTEM - A method for a speech response system to automatically transfer users to human agents. The method can establish an interactive dialog session between a user and an automated speech response system. An error score can be established when the interactive dialog session is initiated. During the interactive dialog session, responses to dialog prompts can be received. Error weights can be assigned to receive responses determined to be non-valid responses. Different non-valid responses can be assigned different error weights. For each non-valid response, the assigned error weight can be added to the error score. When a value of the error score exceeds a previously established error threshold, a user can be automatically transferred from the automated speech response system to a human agent. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046952 | REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD - A remote control system includes a receiving and recognition module, a converting module, and a control interface module. The receiving and recognition is used for receiving a signal from a user and recognizing the signal as a user command associated with an electronic device. The converting module is used for converting the user command into a control command identifiable by the electronic device. The control interface module is used for sending the control command to the electronic device to control the electronic device. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046953 | ESTABLISHING A MULTIMODAL PERSONALITY FOR A MULTIMODAL APPLICATION - Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for establishing a multimodal personality for a multimodal application that include selecting, by the multimodal application, matching vocal and visual demeanors and incorporating, by the multimodal application, the matching vocal and visual demeanors as a multimodal personality into the multimodal application. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046954 | EFFICIENT BEAT-MATCHED CROSSFADING - Methods and devices to enable efficient beat-matched, DJ-style crossfading are provided. For example, such a method may involve determining beat locations of a first audio stream and a second audio stream and crossfading the first audio stream and the second audio stream such that the beat locations of the first audio stream are substantially aligned with the beat locations of the second audio stream. The beat locations of the first audio stream or the second audio stream may be determined based at least in part on an analysis of frequency data unpacked from one or more compressed audio files. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046955 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIA FOR NOISE INJECTION - A scheme for injecting noise at uncoded elements of a spectrum is controlled according to a measure of a distribution of energy of the original spectrum among the locations of the uncoded elements. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046956 | UNIVERSAL CONTAINER FOR AUDIO DATA - Storing audio data encoded in any of a plurality of different audio encoding formats is enabled by parametrically defining the underlying format in which the audio data is encoded, in audio format and packet table chunks. A flag can be used to manage storage of the size of the audio data portion of the file, such that premature termination of an audio recording session does not result in an unreadable corrupted file. This capability can be enabled by initially setting the flag to a value that does not correspond to a valid audio data size and that indicates that the last chunk in the file contains the audio data. State information for the audio data, to effectively denote a version of the file, and a dependency indicator for dependent metadata, may be maintained, where the dependency indicator indicates the state of the audio data on which the metadata is dependent. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046957 | PROVIDING LICENSED CONTENT TO A USER - When a user requests licensed content, a dynamic licensing mechanism automatically requests and receives licenses for the licensed content when one or more criterion in a licensing policy is satisfied by license information relating to the content, without the user providing any further input to acquire the licenses. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046958 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A MULTI-CHANNEL RETAIL LAYAWAY SERVICE - Multi-channel layaway services are provided whereby a customer may use an online retail channel or a physical retail channel to form a layaway contract to purchase one or more ordered items and then use the online retail channel and/or the physical retail channel to make payments on, view, or otherwise manage the formed layaway contract. Upon completion of the terms of the formed layaway contract the customer is able to receive the ordered items. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046959 | Modeling Customer Behaviors - A computer system determines a model for a solicited offering based on selected variables that characterize a target population. A data set may be generated with a subset of variables from a set of variables. The set of variables may be representative of variables of data of customers associated with an entity, and the subset of variables may include at least 450 variables. A macro for determining a plurality of statistical characteristics about the subset of variables in the data set may be accessed, the plurality of statistical characteristics about the subset of variables in the data set may be determined based upon a number of observances of each respective variable of the subset of variables. A report of the determined plurality of statistical characteristics may be generated and outputted to a user device. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046960 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SOCIALIZING AFFILIATE MARKETING - Embodiments consistent with the invention provide systems and methods for accepting a web merchant link from a user who is not an affiliate of the web merchant, and returning a substitute link that links to an intermediary website. When a person uses the substitute link, for example through on-line socialization, the intermediary website directs them to the web merchant's website in a manner that provides affiliate marketing credit to the affiliate represented by the intermediary website. The affiliate keeps track of the association between the redirected person and the user who created the substitute link, and credits affiliate marketing benefits earned in conjunction with the activities of the redirected person (e.g. commission) to the user who created the substitute link. The benefits may also be credited to a person or organization designated by the user. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046961 | INTERACTIVE NETWORKING SYSTEMS - A networking system may comprise a web site serviced by a web server assembly. The web site may generally comprise a combination of the following components: a crediting system, a chat bidding system, a performance bidding system, a telephony switching system, a media interaction system, a display system, a photo management system, and a messaging system. An exemplary embodiment of the chat bidding system may comprise a plurality of common user accounts, a queue, and a featured user account. Common users of the common user accounts may pose tasks to the featured user, and may make a pledge for each task. The tasks may be stored in, and sorted by, the queue based on their pledges. A featured user of the featured user account may be presented with a highest ranked task in the queue, and may choose to respond to the task or to skip the task. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046962 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GLUCOSE MONITORING AND ANALYSIS - Methods, systems, and computer program products for analyzing glucose levels are disclosed. In an aspect, a method for analyzing glucose levels includes receiving a plurality of glucose levels, selecting a subset of glucose levels from among the plurality of received glucose levels that is associated with at least a first healthcare unit of a first healthcare provider, and analyzing the selected subset of glucose levels. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046963 | METHOD, EVALUATION UNIT AND MEDICAL EXPANSION APPARATUS TO DETERMINE AND INVOICE THE USE OF THE MEDICAL EXPANSION APPARATUS - In a method to determine and invoice the use of a medical expansion apparatus provided to a user (in particular a service provider) by an owner (in particular a referring physician), the medical expansion apparatus expanding the functionality of a primary medical apparatus, the following steps can be implemented automatically by an evaluation unit. Data describing the usage of the expansion apparatus and/or measurement signals from which the usage data are derived are received from the expansion apparatus and/or the primary apparatus. The usage data are evaluated to create an invoice, in particular a cost calculation. The invoice is sent to the owner and/or the user, in particular to processing devices and/or program means associated with the user and/or the owner. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046964 | METHOD OF COORDINATING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES - A method of doing business is practiced by a group of independent professionals to meet the varied but related needs of an individual. The method uses a centralized computer system to coordinate professional services to an individual. Professional entities, such as attorneys, physicians, pharmacists, realtors, architects, financial institutions and advisors, insurance agents, bondsman, psychologists, enter into a coalition agreement. The coalition agreement defines a standard infrastructure comprising documentation, modes of communication, and administrative case management, all of which are operable and accessible through the centralized computer system. The professional entities form facilitator groups directed to particular multi-disciplinary problems, which individuals face. The standard infrastructure coordinates the activities of the professional entities. Individuals benefit by having a coordinated approach to their problems and convenience of an apparent single provider through a single user interface. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046965 | READMISSION RISK ASSESMENT - Readmission risk of patients admitted to a healthcare facility are determined using a generic readmission risk algorithm. The readmission risk assessment of patients may be based on portions of a patient's profile and may be performed before, during, and after their index admission. Based on the readmission risk assessment of patients, those patients that are at a greater risk for readmission may be identified. A readmission prevention worklist may be provide that identifies those patients and facilitates managing the risk of readmission for those patients. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046966 | Health Management Application Development and Deployment Framework - Techniques are disclosed for developing health management applications and managing health issues associated with one or more individuals or subjects. For example, a health management system includes the following modules. A health data transformation and routing module converts raw health data to at least one common format and routes the common format health data to one or more other modules that at least one of process and store the common format health data. A health monitoring module receives at least a portion of the common format health data, processes the received data, and provides one or more notifications based on processing results. A health analytics module receives data from one or more other modules and generates health knowledge based on the received data. A health data and knowledge storage module stores data from one or more other modules. Each of the health data transformation and routing module, the health monitoring module, and the health analytics module include one or more application programming interfaces for use in at least one of adding and editing logic associated with the respective module. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046967 | Managing the Distribution of Drug Samples - Computer-based method and system that helps track and manage drug sample distribution, helps ensure drug samples are dispensed and used in a safe and efficient manner, and helps capture information about how drug samples are being distributed and used. The method includes storing inventory information for one or more drug samples received at a prescriber's office, presenting a user-selectable list of drugs available in the inventoried samples and, in response to a user's selection of one of the listed drugs, presenting patient-specific information regarding the selected drug's suitability for dispensing as a sample. The method also includes automatically updating the stored inventory information for the selected drug in response to an indication from the user that a quantity of the selected drug is being dispensed to a patient as a sample. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046968 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A STEM CELL BANK - Methods, computer systems, and computer program products for maintaining a stem cell registry comprising information about a plurality of stem cell units. A donor is enrolled in the stem cell registry. A stem cell unit from the donor is characterized. Information about the stem cell unit, obtained by the characterizing, is recorded in the stem cell registry. Computer readable media comprising a plurality of data records. One or more respective data records in the plurality of data records comprises (i) a collection identifier number that uniquely corresponds to a stem cell donation, (ii) a cord blood cell count associated with the stem cell donation, and (iii) a placenta blood cell count associated with the stem cell donation. Additional computer readable media comprising a plurality of data records. One or more respective data records in the plurality of data records comprises (i) a cord blood cell count associated with a stem cell donation, (ii) a placenta blood cell count associated with the stem cell donation, and (iii) an indication of at least two stem cell transplant units in the stem cell donation. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046969 | Converting Medical Data to a Data Format for Exportation from a Brokerage System - A computer-implemented method includes retrieving, by a computer included in a brokerage system for determining real-time availability of medical service providers for consultations with consumers of medical services, medical data records of a consumer requesting a consultation with one of the medical service providers, with the medical data records retrieved from an source external to the brokerage system and formatted in accordance with a first data format; converting by the computer the medical data records retrieved from the source external to the brokerage system from the first data format to a second, different data format for medical data records used in the brokerage system; and exporting, by the computer system, the medical data to a medical data system used by the one medical service provider. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046970 | CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - A controlled substance distribution system may include a controlling entity having a database. The database may include data associated with a patient, an amount of a controlled substance that the patient is authorized to receive, and an amount of the controlled substance that the patient has already received during a time period. The system may include a token having a unique identifier. The data may include data that is associated with the unique identifier. The system may include a dispensing center having a computing device in communication with the controlling entity. The computing device may be configured to obtain the unique identifier from the token, transmit the unique identifier and a request for the controlled substance to the controlling entity, receive an indication of whether or not the request is allowed, and authorize a dispensing event in response to the request if the indication indicates that the request is allowed. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046971 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMAGING PATIENTS WITH A PERSONAL MEDICAL DEVICE - A method and system are provided for detecting the presence of a personal medical device within a patient. A method and system are provided for determining the location and type of the personal medical device as well as other characteristics of the device. A method and system are provided for adapting or customizing a medical imaging procedure to avoid interfering with a personal medical device or to diminish the risk of device interference or malfunction. A method and system are provided for interfacing with health record databases, regulatory databases, medical device databases, or other types of databases to gather information regarding a particular patient's personal medical device and to update said databases with additional information regarding the personal medical device if any is gathered. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046972 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING AND DISPLAYING MEDICAL DATA - The invention relates to a medical data management method and system wherein medical data ( | 2012-02-23 |
20120046974 | Unemployment Insurance Underwriting System - Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products that provide for a unique unemployment insurance underwriting system. In one embodiment of the invention, the unemployment insurance underwriting system receives a request to enroll in the unemployment insurance from a user. The system then receives data associated with the user from a financial institution. The system then determines the benefits to be paid to the user based, in some cases, on the data received from the financial institution. The system then determines whether the user qualifies to enroll in the unemployment insurance based on the benefits and the user data. In an embodiment of the invention, the unemployment insurance provides benefits for monthly expenses to users that have become involuntarily unemployed. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046975 | Rapid Insurance Market Segmentation and Savings Test - A computer method and system for quickly determining the competitive costs of a plurality of insurance companies for a consumer. The present invention provides the user with the means to input informational elements relating to their insurance profile. The insurance profile is then matched to a market segment with a plurality of insurance companies. The plurality of insurance companies within the market segment provides the needs most suitable for the matched insurance profile. An analysis of each insurance company's pricing is made in order to match a consumer insurance profile with an insurance company. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046976 | METHOD FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM PRE-TAX SPENDING ACCOUNTS - A payment system for spending accounts is provided. The payment system includes a qualified vendor system, such as a point of sale system at a doctor's office, that generates purchase data and point of sale data, such as a co-pay amount, a credit card number, and a point of sale device identifier. An account management system receives the purchase data and point of sale data and generates authorized purchase data, such as by determining whether payment of co-pay can be automatically authorized based on pre-qualification of the doctor's office as an authorized source. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046977 | Automated Ticket Selling System Having a Maximum Price Setting - A buyer may submit a listing containing a description of an item desired to be purchased, such as an airline ticket, to an operator of an automated selling system. The automated selling system may be accessible via a computer network. The listing may contain a maximum price at which the buyer is willing to purchase the item. Sellers designate listings for which they submit bids to the operator. The floor price applicable to a given listing may be determined from the highest floor price submitted by the eligible sellers for that listing. If only one seller submits a bid, and the bid is less than or equal to the price submitted by the buyer, that seller is selected to make the sale and provide the item. If there are multiple eligible sellers, the sale is awarded to a seller after applying predefined system rules. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046978 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CAPTURING, MANAGING, SHARING, AND VISUALISING ASSET INFORMATION OF AN ORGANIZATION - A system for semantically modeling relationships and dependencies between groups, enclosures, assets, and support entities according to an industry specific manner. An exemplary system includes a user interface device, a relational database and a processor. The processor receives relationship information and receives attributes with associated measurements for the groups, enclosures, assets, and support entities for the corporation from the user interface device. The attributes with associated measurements are formatted according the specific industry of the corporation. The processor generates a three dimensional (3D) visualization of the groups, enclosures, assets, and support entities and allows a virtual walkthrough of the 3D visualization as presented on the display device based on user entered commands from the user input device. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046979 | USING COMMERCIAL SHARE OF WALLET TO RATE BUSINESS PROSPECTS - Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Research analysts can use CSoW/CSoSW to provide a comprehensive and robust indication of the business prospects of a rated company. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046980 | CONSOLIDATING PROCESSES FOR MULTIPLE VARIATIONS - Harmonizing business process tasks comprehends comparing descriptors associated with each of a plurality of business process tasks in response to a process variation input and identifying tasks as a candidate task pair for consolidation. Input and output attributes of the candidate pair tasks are compared and consolidation confirmed if the compared input and output attributes are similar. Consolidating the confirmed candidate pair tasks includes merging the confirmed candidate pair into a new merged task or replacing one with the other, and an output from the consolidated candidate pair is generated as a common harmonized output for the first and second tasks. Identifying the candidate task pairs for consolidation may be a function of similarity of task descriptors, of input/output business process relationships to other candidate task pairs, and also of both. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046981 | FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A system comprises a materials handling vehicle, an information linking device and a wireless transceiver. The materials handling vehicle comprises a controller area network (CAN) bus and at least one native control module coupled to the CAN bus that generates and sends the vehicle-related data over the CAN bus. The information linking device comprises a CAN-bus interface coupled to the CAN bus of the materials handling vehicle, which extracts the vehicle-related data off of the CAN bus, a memory device coupled to the CAN-bus interface, which stores the vehicle-related data extracted off of the CAN bus and an output interface coupled to the memory device. The wireless transceiver is coupled to the output interface of the information linking device. The wireless transceiver wirelessly sends and receives across a wireless network environment. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046982 | FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A method of implementing an automated diagnostic checklist for materials handling vehicles comprises detecting, by a processor on a materials handling vehicle, an error in operation of the materials handling vehicle and initiating an automated diagnostic check of a component of the materials handling vehicle in response to detecting the error. The method also comprises obtaining error event information by the processor, from across a vehicle controller area network (CAN) bus, where the obtained error event information is related to at least one condition of the materials handling vehicle and wirelessly transmitting the obtained error event information to a server having software thereon for specifically monitoring materials handling vehicles. The error in operation of the materials handling vehicle is repaired in response to receiving the wirelessly transmitted error event information obtained automatically from the CAN bus. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046983 | PLANNING SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUS OPERATION - A planning system ( | 2012-02-23 |
20120046984 | RESOURCE USAGE CALCULATION FOR PROCESS SIMULATION - Resource usage calculation for process simulation (such as business process simulation). For each resource used by a simulated process, a usage counter object (or similar data structure) is used. In one embodiment, the usage counter object for each resource includes a list of time slots sorted by start times, and another list of time slots sorted by end times, to keep track of currently-scheduled time slots for this particular resource. In another embodiment, the usage counter object for each resource includes a list of time slots, sorted by start times and having associated end times, to keep track of the currently-scheduled time slots for this particular resource. The usage counter objects also store a count of how many units of this resource are currently in use, and a count of how many users are currently using the resource. These counters are updated using the sorted time slot lists. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046985 | METHOD FOR THE SECURE LOGGING OF CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTIFICATION THEREOF - Systems and methods are disclosed that create a secure electronically recorded log utilizable in the field of emergency response material spill remediation. The system can receive information regarding a spill incident, wherein the information includes an approximate location of the spill incident or a description of a material spilt, populate the secure electronically recorded log with a geolocation code associated with the spill incident, wherein the geolocation code is ascertained as a function of the approximate location of the spill incident, and communicate a notification to a Project Manager assigned to oversee remediation of the spill incident or a representative of a client that supplied the information regarding the spill incident. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046986 | OPTIMIZING ORGANIZATION AND DISPLAY OF SCHEDULING CLASSES - A scheduling method, computer-readable medium, system, and an apparatus are provided. In this scheduling method, a user request is received, order of classes for each day in the user request is calculated and an organizer is populated with the calculated order of classes for each day of the week specified in the user request and provides a schedule in a predetermined output format or in a format specified by the user. The calculation of the schedule may include for said each day in the user request determining corresponding day in a scheduling cycle, and calculating the order of classes for said corresponding day based on a stored pattern or a table. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046987 | Mobile Paint Matching Service - A mobile paint matching service employs at least one vehicle to perform on-site color matching. The vehicle is equipped with at least one portable spectrophotometer; a paint analysis system to determine recommended paint formulas; a plurality of spill-resistant containers, including containers holding a paint component (including paint bases and a variety of colorants) and others that are empty; and a paint mixer. A computerized scheduling system is used to schedule the vehicle for arrival at a plurality of job sites. At each job site, the color characteristics of painted surfaces are obtained using the portable spectrophotometer. Preferably, a recommended paint formula is determined using the paint analysis system based at least in part on averaging several different spectrophotometer readings. The paint mixer is used to mix selected paint components according to a specified paint formula. The customer can then purchase the paint to be used on the job directly at the job site after testing it to ensure that it matches. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046988 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING ACCURATE LOW SUPPLY LEVELS IN CONSUMABLES USED IN AN IMAGE PRODUCTION DEVICE - A method and apparatus for determining accurate low supply levels in consumables used in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include determining an average volume used per day of the consumable, determining an average delivery time for the consumable, determining an average installation time for the consumable, determining a low level threshold of the consumable based on average volume used per day of a consumable, average delivery time for the consumable, and average installation time for the consumable, determining if the fill level of the consumable is less than the determined low level threshold, wherein if it is determined that the fill level of the consumable is less than the determined low level threshold, ordering a replacement consumable. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046989 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING RISK OUTLIERS AND PERFORMING ASSOCIATED RISK REVIEWS - Embodiments of the invention relate to risk review assessments and, more particularly to determining risk review candidates by identifying two or more community categories, determining risk scores for each user/employee across risk categories, normalizing the risk scores based on community averages and community standard deviations and determining risk review candidates by comparing the normalized risk scores to predetermined thresholds. In additional embodiments, an outlier reinforcement score for each user/employee by summing all of the positive-valued normalized risk scores across the two or more communities and comparing the outlier reinforcement score to a predetermined threshold. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046990 | PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR CREATING A COMPATIBILITY RATING USED BY ENTREPRENEURS TO ALLOW THEM TO SELECT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY PROVIDERS - The present invention generally relates to computer implemented methods for providing a compatibility rating. In particular, the present invention relates to a process that is computer implemented in which an entrepreneur obtains a score (e.g., a numerical expression) of their probability of having a prosperous and profitable experience with a business opportunity, franchise, direct sales company, or independent business idea provider (hereinafter referred as a ‘business opportunity provider”) based on shared compatibility. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046991 | COMPETING SIMULATOR IN MULTI-CHANNEL RETAILING ENVIRONMENT AMONG MULTIPLE RETAILERS - A system, method and computer program product for providing the ability for retailers to devise a current channel strategy (e.g., adaptive price setting) that considers competitors in a dynamic competing environment, and that enables computing a competitive advantage of a channel. To estimate a price for selling a product j in a commerce channel comprises: a) receiving, at a processor device, real market data including sales and price history data of a product j sold by one or more retailers over one or alternate sales channels t; generating, by the processor device, a competitive advantage parameter value based on the sales and price history data; and, computing, utilizing the competitive advantage parameter value, an optimum price for a particular product to be marketed in one of the one or alternate sales channel. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046992 | ENTERPRISE-TO-MARKET NETWORK ANALYSIS FOR SALES ENABLEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING - There are provided a system, a method and a computer program product for increasing of productivity of sales force in a first entity. The system locates or constructs at least one enterprise social network in the first entity. The system constructs at least one market social network. The system creates at least one connection between the enterprise social network and the market social network. Sales representative in the first entity expands new sales operations and/or identify new markets via the connected social networks. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046993 | METHOD AND REPORT ASSESSING CONSUMER REACTION TO A STIMULUS BY MATCHING EYE POSITION WITH FACIAL CODING - A method of reporting consumer reaction to a stimulus and resultant report generated by (i) recording facial expressions and eye positions of a human subject while exposed to a stimulus throughout a time period, (ii) coding recorded facial expressions to emotions, and (iii) reporting recorded eye positions and coded emotions, along with an identification of the stimulus. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046994 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, AGGREGATING AND PROVIDING POST-SALE MARKET DATA FOR AN ITEM - A sale of a product or service may trigger a third party, such as a payment provider, to arrange for the collection of individual post-sale market data from the customer. Alternatively, such post-sale market data may be directly provided by smart devices and the like. Dependent upon the type of product or service involved, a schedule for continuously submitting post-sale market data for the product or service may be provided and the consumer may be encouraged to submit post-sale market data in accordance therewith through a variety of incentives. The received, individual, post-sale market data may be aggregated by one or more sources to determine aggregate post-sale market data for the product or service. The submitted individual data and/or the determined aggregate post-sale market data may then be provided to consumers in order to assist them in making purchasing decisions. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046995 | ANONYMOUS CROWD COMPARISON - Systems and methods are disclosed for anonymously comparing user groups, such as but not limited to crowds, to determine a degree of user overlap. In general, a hash value is obtained for a first user group, where the hash value includes a hash value component for a number of two-user permutations within the first user group. Similarly, a hash value is obtained for a second user group, where the hash value includes a hash value component for a number of two-user permutations within the second user group. Thereafter, a degree of user overlap between the first and second user groups is determined based on a comparison of the hash value for the first user group and the hash value for the second user group. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046996 | UNIFIED DATA MANAGEMENT PLATFORM - A unified data management platform creates audience segments by combining proprietary and third party data, assists in determining what data to buy and how to manage all aspects of third party purchased data, controls data permissions by client, tracks data utilization, and attributes and reports data cost. The platform provides solutions that address how to leverage custom audience segments across multiple demand side platforms (DSPs) and multiple media channels, such as display, video, mobile, digital TV, and digital-out-of-home, and provides approaches that allow management of all aspects of Internet advertising from a custom domain. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046997 | BUSINESS PERFORMANCE SEGMENTATION MODEL - A customer trending analysis and reporting system that enables business users to augment their internally focused accounting measurement systems with an outward, customer-focused measurement so as to simply define and quantify historic performance implications of customer satisfaction and retention, while concurrently clarifying forward opportunity ongoing, around which the organization at large will naturally align to purposefully and more efficiently improve the business's growth performance. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046998 | SYSTEM FOR ON-LINE MERCHANT PRICE SETTING - A method for setting a price for a product sold online by a subject merchant is provided. The method comprises accessing price information of at least one other merchant of the same product by applying a shopping robot to two or more shopping sites, including at least one price comparison site, with other offerings of the same product by other merchants; accessing pricing rules for the subject merchant that cover sales originating from the comparison site; applying the pricing rules to adjust the current product price at which the subject merchant offers the product on the two or more shopping sites to be more competitive; and responsive to a price adjustment that would reduce the product price so as to violate a specified profitability goal, increasing the shipping charges with which the merchant offers the product with the price adjustment on the two or more shopping sites. | 2012-02-23 |
20120046999 | Managing and Monitoring Continuous Improvement in Information Technology Services - A method for managing performance of an IT service delivery process to ensure the changes meet service performance objectives. Key performance metrics (KPIs) of a service delivery process are collected in a continuous manner at defined time intervals, both before a change to improve performance is applied to the process (baseline measurements) and after a change is applied to the process (post-change measurements). A process behavior graph is generated comprising each baseline and post-change performance measurement at the time interval collected, the time interval at which the change was applied to the process, and the performance objectives for the process. The graph is displayed to a user to enable the user to determine the impact the change has on the service delivery process in view of differences between the baseline and post-change performance measurements, and to determine whether the process meets performance objectives in view of the performance objectives. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047000 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADMINISTERING WORK ENVIRONMENT INDEX - Employees of an organization are surveyed concerning their opinions about the work environment provided by the organization. A computer system that includes a survey question storage module, a survey administration component, a survey results storage module, and a survey analysis component is used to administer the survey and to analyze the survey results. The computer system generates work environment index (WEI) scores for the managers in the organization to summarize the results of the survey as to employees who are within the managers' departments. The WEI scores are made the subject of performance goals for the managers and are displayed to the managers via their personal computers. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047001 | Valet Parking Management System - A method of maintaining a valet parking database in a distributed computing system that includes a plurality of work stations each connected via a packet switched network to a computing device that accesses the valet parking database including information associated with vehicles that are valet parked, comprises assigning a uniquely associated tracking code to a vehicle to be valet parked. A record in the valet parking database associated with the tracking code is created, and a parking timer associated with the tracking code is automatically activated to indicate the elapsed time since the vehicle to be valet parked has been assigned the tracking code but is not yet parked. A warning message is automatically issued if the parking timer exceeds a first value indicating that the vehicle to be valet parked has not yet been parked. The record is updated to indicate that the vehicle has been parked and the parking timer is deactivated when the vehicle to be valet parked has been parked. When a retrieve vehicle request associated with the tracking code is received the record from the valet parking database associated with the tracking code is retrieved, and a key timer associated with the retrieved record is activated to indicate the elapsed time since the record has been automatically retrieved in response to the retrieve vehicle request. A missing key warning message is automatically generated if the key timer exceeds a second value indicating that the vehicle key has not yet been retrieved. The record is updated and the key timer is deactivated when the key associated with the vehicle to be valet parked has been located. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047002 | PROVIDING OFFERS BASED ON LOCATIONS WITHIN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AND/OR THE REAL WORLD - Incentivized offers may be provided to users of a virtual environment. More specifically, a virtual environment may be provided to users such that the users participate in the virtual environment by performing one or more actions within the virtual environment. Information may be determined that relates to the physical locations in the real world of individual users of the virtual environment. Offers of goods and/or services may be determined that should be presented to individual users. The offers may be determined based on one or more of the physical locations in the real world of the individual users, virtual environment criteria representing one or more aspects of the users involvement in the virtual environment, and/or other factors. The determined offers may be transmitted to the users. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047003 | VIRAL OFFERS - Embodiments can relate to systems and methods involving viral offers. In one embodiment, a viral offer is sent to a communication device associated with a first user enrolled with a viral offer program operated by a viral offer server computer. After the viral offer is sent, an authorization request message for a transaction conducted by a second user is received. After receiving the authorization request message, a viral offer record associated with the viral offer is accessed. The viral offer record includes a velocity limit, and if the velocity limit has not been met, the velocity limit is updated. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047004 | SEQUENCED VIDEO OVERLAY ADVERTISEMENTS, INCLUDING USER-INTERACTIVE PUZZLES - The present invention provides methods and systems for advertising in connection with a video segment. Methods are provided in which a time-spaced sequence of video overlay advertisements are displayed. Advertisements of the sequence may be user-interactive and may relate to subject matter of the video segment displayed during display of the advertisements. Advertisements of the sequence may be user-interactive, and may provide pieces of a puzzle. A final advertisement may provide a reward, which may include, for example, a completed puzzle or an opportunity to complete the puzzle, and possibly other content or rewards. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047005 | Real Time Audience Forecasting - A system, method, apparatus and processor readable media are described for real-time prediction of an advertising audience volume through analysis of historical audience data, and tuning of the predicted audience volume. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query for audience volume prediction. Such a query may be a Boolean combination of various audience categories. A time range may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to make the audience volume prediction in real time. Employing the user-specified query, an audience volume prediction may be provided for a future time period, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time range. Embodiments may also enable a user to tune the predicted audience volume through modification of the query through one or more iterations. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047006 | Advertisement Management And Display System - An advertisement management and display system includes marketing management software, a client advertisements database communicating with the marketing management software, at least one table and at least one content display device carried by the at least one table and communicating with the marketing management software. The client advertisements database is adapted to store at least one advertisement, the marketing management software is adapted to receive the at least one advertisement from the client advertisements database and the at least one content display device is adapted to receive the at least one advertisement from the marketing management software and display the at least one advertisement. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047007 | Method and apparatus for charging fee to customer - A method and an apparatus for charging all or a portion of the credit card discount fee or debit card discount fee (or other type of card, e.g., smart card, discount fee) to the consumer, customer, end user, credit card owner, or debit card owner, thereby reducing or eliminating the cost of the discount fee to the merchant upon a transaction initiated at the merchant location, are disclosed herein. With the cost of the discount fee to the merchant reduced or eliminated, embodiments disclosed herein allow the merchant to choose to optionally provide benefits, incentives, prizes, discounts (e.g., on services or goods), and/or a game of chance where the consumer, customer, end user, credit card owner, or debit card owner is capable of winning prizes, benefits, incentives, and/or discounts for the consumer, customer, end user, credit card owner, or debit card owner with any portion or all of the discount rate amount saved by the merchant. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047008 | Selective Distribution Of Rewards - A computer implemented method and system for selectively distributing rewards to a user is provided. A rewards management platform is provided for managing the rewards of the user. The rewards management platform compensates the user with the rewards based on one or more activities, for example, confirming viewing of multimedia content, referring the multimedia content to other users, etc., performed by the user on the rewards management platform. The user selects one or more of multiple deposit accounts associated with the user via a graphical user interface for allocating one or more of the rewards. Each of the deposit accounts is associated with a conversion rate. The rewards management platform establishes an electronic connection to each of the selected deposit accounts via a communication network. The rewards management platform distributes the allocated rewards to the selected deposit accounts based on the conversion rate via the established electronic connection. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047009 | Methods And Systems For Implementing A Loyalty Program Utilizing Customizable Rules - A method and system for making a donation to a third party includes storing, via a storage device, a user preference in a user account; receiving, via a receiver, information regarding a purchase transaction at a merchant; accessing, via a processor, the user preference from the user account; dynamically selecting, via the processor, a percentage discount to be allocated to the purchase transaction; donating, via the processor, a monetary value of the percentage discount to the third-party according to the user preference, where the user account is associated with a user, and includes rules for allocating the percentage discount to the third-party. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047010 | TARGETED ADVERTISING FOR STREAMING MEDIA - A method for providing targeted advertising to a consumer, the method comprising the steps of: soliciting consumer preference information from a subscriber; acquiring authorization from the subscriber to collect information regarding the subscriber's consumer activity; creating a consumer preference database from the subscriber's consumer preference information; creating a consumer purchase database comprising the subscriber's consumer activity information; creating a consumer advertising profile for the subscriber based on the consumer preference and consumer purchase databases; accessing an advertising database and selecting at least one targeted advertisement based on the consumer advertising profile; detecting access by the subscriber to a streaming media environment; and delivering the targeted advertisement to the subscriber via the subscriber's streaming media environment. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047011 | Systems and Methods for Delivering Proximity-Based Marketing Content to Mobile Devices - Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for delivering proximity-based marketing content to mobile devices. According to one embodiment, companies or marketers generate content (e.g., advertising content) to be distributed to mobile devices of consumers as those consumers become geographically proximate to physical locations associated with the companies or marketers. According to one embodiment, a central application server is used for purposes of generating and managing marketing content, and that content is transmitted to various client devices, routers, and/or servers (e.g., “plug” computers) for further distribution to mobile devices within a proximate range of the client devices. In one aspect, the client devices identify consumer mobile devices within a predetermined geographic area that is proximate to the client devices (e.g., based on a media access control (MAC) address associated with the mobile device), and push marketing content to those mobile devices for display to the consumers. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047012 | Targeted Publishing System Based on Profile Mashups - A targeted publishing system based on profile mashups improves on traditional methods for identifying and delivering targeted content to specific end users by using data from sources related to one or more addresses (including physical addresses) for the end user in order to understand more clearly what targeted content to deliver to such specific end user. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047013 | Real Time Statistics Extraction From Arbitrary Advertising Audiences - A system, method, apparatus, and processor readable storage media are described for real-time computation of statistics between audiences including, but not limited to, correlations, comparative metrics, and/or other statistical analysis for the audiences. Embodiments enable a user to specify a query that defines a specific audience for analysis in real-time. A past time period may be determined that indicates the amount of historical data that is to be analyzed to generate the statistical comparisons and/or correlations. Employing the user-specified query, statistical comparisons and/or correlation may be provided, based on an analysis of retrieved historical audience data for the time period. Embodiments may also enable a user to generate new statistics in real-time through modification of the audience in one or more iterations. Embodiments may also enable a user to filter, sort, and search through audiences by setting desired statistical boundaries for the resulting audience set. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047014 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING EMAIL RECEIPTS FOR TARGETED ADVERTISING - Techniques for performing user classification based on email are provided. Emails stored in an email store may be analyzed to classify users. Information included in the stored emails may be extracted, and users may be classified into categories according to the extracted information. The extracted information may be analyzed in a manner so as to protect the personal information of the users according to any applicable privacy standards. Any number of types of emails may be analyzed to classify users in any number of ways. For instance, a plurality of commercial emails stored in the email store may be determined The commercial emails may be counted as conversions for an advertising campaign. The commercial emails may be parsed to extract commercial information. The commercial information may be parsed to generate user classification data. The user classification data may be used in various ways, including for targeting users with advertisements. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047015 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERY OF TARGETED COMMERCIAL MESSAGES - A method for delivery of targeted commercial messages. The method comprises assembling a plurality of potential purchaser profiles in an electronic file for presentation to at least one potential advertiser of goods or services applicable to a substantial portion of the plurality of potential purchasers, developing commercial message selection criteria for selecting from the potential purchasers those suited to receive a specified commercial message contained in a set of commercial messages, applying the commercial message selection criteria to the purchaser profiles to identify the potential purchasers suited to receive specified commercial messages, and presenting over a data network to a potential purchaser identified as suited, the specified commercial messages. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047016 | USER CONTROL BASED ADVERTISING SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF - Disclosed are a user control-based advertising system and a method thereof. The user control-based advertising system provides an advertisement display region and an advertisement control region by discriminating the two regions from each other, and comprises: an advertisement region setup unit that sets up the advertisement display region for selectively displaying plural advertisements and the advertisement control region for controlling advertisements displayed therein by discriminating advertisement display and control regions from each other; a communication unit that receives a user command through the advertisement control region and communicates with the advertisement display region according to the received command; and an advertisement control unit that controls the animation function of the advertisement displayed in the advertisement display region according to the user command or controls the movement and selection of other advertisements displayed in the advertisement display region. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047017 | IN-GAME ADVERTISING - Disclosed is a platform that provides innovative advertising space to businesses by engaging gamers to create viral loops for brands. The platform features unique components including: 1) game developers have real-time control over advertising content and 2) gamers will associate an actual gaming accomplishment with a positive brand interaction (e.g. when a gamer achieves a high score, they will see a message that associates the accomplishment with an advertiser). The platform may be expanded on a global scale through offers of software development kits that allow other game developers to integrate the platform into their own mobile and Web games. Gamers, game developers, and advertisers will be able to track user data produced by the system if each gamer and developer agrees to do so. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047018 | IMMEDIATE UPDATING OF GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) GENERATED AREA MAPS ON WIRELESS COMPUTER CONTROLLED DISPLAYS - Immediate changes and updates in a Global Positioning System (GPS) providing wireless communication display devices with displayed maps of a defined areas with traffic and objects of interest information are implemented through broadcasting short range RF information relative to an object from an object located within the defined area. When this broadcast information is received by the transceiver of any wireless display device within RF broadcast range, the receiving device obtains the position of the object from a GPS satellite based upon the information received by the wireless display device and the object and the information are displayed. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047019 | APPARATUS, METHOD, AND ADVERTISING SERVER FOR PROVIDING MOBILE ADVERTISING THROUGH MOBILE BROADCASTING NETWORK - Disclosed is a method for providing a mobile advertising service using a mobile broadcasting network. The method includes the steps of: creating and providing, by a BCAST server, a service guide to which advertisement information is applied to a BCAST client when a MobAd server (Ad Server) provides the advertisement information to the BCAST Server which handles a broadcast service; and requesting, by an advertising engine (Ad engine), the BCAST client to provide a desired advertisement when the Ad server notifies the Ad engine of an object advertisement, and receiving the requested advertisement from the BCAST client. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047020 | Contextual advertising with user features - Disclosed are apparatus and methods for apparatus and methods for facilitating contextual selection of advertisements for displaying online via a computer network. In general, user features in the form of text are provided in conjunction with web page content for contextual advertisement matching. In one embodiment, a request for an advertisement to be displayed in a current web page that has been requested by a current user is received. The current user is associated with one or more current user characteristics from a plurality of different user characteristics, and the current web page has an associated content. A mapping model and the one or more current user characteristics are used to obtain a plurality of user-relevant terms for each of the one or more current user characteristics. A combination of the content of the current web page and obtained user-relevant terms are provided for selecting an advertisement for displaying with the current web page based on such combination. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047021 | System and method for marketing business leads with white papers - A system for promoting business leads for authors of literature to a consumer by a document service provider (DSP) that stores and manages the literature via the Internet, where the consumer has a computer device for accessing product information via the Internet at a website of a product service provider (PSP). The system includes at least one computer device operable to receive, via the Internet, profile information of the consumer from the PSP while the consumer is reviewing product information from the website of the PSP; identify, at the DSP, a corresponding document associated with a product being viewed at the website of the PSP by the consumer; present, on the consumer computer device, a lead promotional web page that includes an offer by the DSP to the consumer for the corresponding document; and deliver the corresponding document to the consumer in response to receiving an acceptance of the offer. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047022 | Providing Individualized Advertisement Based on Collaboratively Collected User Information - A collaborative advertising computer system and method for providing targeted advertisements to user client devices. The collaborative advertising computer system receives user activity reports, including browsing and purchasing data, from merchant computing systems. These user activity reports are used to infer the purchasing intentions of the users operating the user client devices. Based on these purchasing intentions, targeted advertisements are generated, and the advertisements are placed on content web pages displayed on the user client devices. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047023 | DISPLAY MANAGEMENT - Technologies are generally described for managing display of data on a display. In some examples, the display includes a display area. In some examples, a method for managing display of data on the display includes receiving a first request from a first user, to display first data in the display area. In some examples, the method includes determining a first price for the first user, to display the first data in a first display sub-area in the display area and allocating in a memory the first data to the first display sub-area. In some examples, the method includes receiving a second request from a second user, to display second data in the display area. In some examples, the method includes determining a second price for the second user, to display the second data in a second display sub-area in the display area and allocating in the memory the second data to the second display sub-area. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047024 | DIGITAL SIGNAGE SYSTEM - A method of operating a digital signage system. The method includes creating at least one user account, creating or retrieving a display content to be displayed on a display device, searching for a display location and at least one display device associated with the display location, and sending a request to display the content on at least one selected display device. The method further includes automatically downloading the content to be displayed on the selected display device, automatically processing a payment from a first user account to a second user account that is associated with the display device, and displaying the content on the selected display device. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047025 | QUERY STEM ADVERTISING - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for serving advertisements responsive to partial queries. In an aspect, a method includes receiving stem bids for words stems, each stem bid being a bid for a corresponding word stem and corresponding to a price an advertiser pays for display of an advertisement targeted to the corresponding word stem, and wherein the targeting to the corresponding word stem is independent of keyword targeting; receiving a query stem from a client device; in response to receiving the query stem: identifying word stems that match the query stem, providing the corresponding stem bids of the matching word stems as bids to an advertisement auction for advertisement slots for displaying advertisements, and receiving selected advertisements that are determined to have won an advertisement slot in the auction; and providing the selected advertisements for display in the advertisement slots on the client device. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047026 | System and Method for Recruiting, Analyzing and Promoting Creative Submission - A cross-service development and distribution system for presenting a creative brief to a user comprises at least one instance of a server based fan machine, the fan machine comprising a database structure and an interface between the database structure and a social network platform, at least one instance of a server based agency machine, the agency machine comprising a database structure and an interface between the agency machine database structure and the fan machine database structure, and a partner dashboard, the partner dashboard comprising a database structure and an interface between the partner dashboard database structure and the fan machine database structure and an interface between the partner dashboard database structure and the agency machine database structure. Accordance with some aspects the interface between the partner dashboard database structure and the fan machine database structure is initiated through the fan machine by an authorization command from the agency machine. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047027 | System and method of information fulfillment - With the popularity of computers and micro-processor based entertainment and communication equipments, information gathering once took place in the library and marketplace is replaced with computer searches gathering needed information from around the globe. Understanding this new trend of information gathering by the masses, many commercialized information distributors resort to elaborate methods and systems of information distribution. However, despite of this proliferation of new technology, many commercialized information distributors are unknowingly imposing the limitations of information distribution of previous generations on the new technology. This invention removes these limitations and implements a system and method to more fully utilize the potentials of the new technology. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047028 | METHODS IN ADVERTISING SYSTEMS - The present invention relates to methods in server applications providing releasing an ad, updating ad information of an ad for a dedicated ad space of a web site and maintaining that ad information of a release of an ad is kept updated. The methods provide numerous advantages of enabling up-dating an ad in essentially real-time, easiness to update of an ad being presented, to mention a few only. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047029 | Customizing an application - A system is configured to perform a method of customizing an application. The method includes receiving a connection from a client machine that is executing an application configurable by configuration information. The method also includes determining that the application has not been customized by the configuration information. The method further includes transmitting the configuration information to the client machine in response to the determining that the application has not been customized by the configuration information. In response to the transmitting of the configuration information, the application is configured to include a category structure for the application. In some example embodiments, the configuration information includes a software module upgrade of the application. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047030 | SEQUENCED VIDEO OVERLAY ADVERTISEMENTS, INCLUDING GUIDANCE STEPS - The present invention provides methods and systems for advertising in connection with a video segment. Methods are provided in which a time-spaced sequence of video overlay advertisements are displayed. Advertisements of the sequence may be user-interactive and may relate to subject matter of the video segment displayed during display of the advertisements. Advertisements of the sequence may be user-interactive, and may include “how-to” guidance steps relating to a topic, such as a recipe. A final advertisement may provide a reward, which may include, for example, a complete set of “how-to” guidance steps, such as a complete recipe. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047031 | SEQUENCED VIDEO OVERLAY ADVERTISEMENTS, INCLUDING QUIZ GAMES - The present invention provides methods and systems for advertising in connection with a video segment. Methods are provided in which a time-spaced sequence of video overlay advertisements are displayed. Advertisements of the sequence may be user-interactive and may relate to subject matter of the video segment displayed during display of the advertisements. Advertisements of the sequence may be user-interactive, and may include quiz or trivia questions that are part of a quiz or trivia game. A final advertisement may provide a reward for participation in or completion of the quiz or trivia game. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047032 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUCTION VARIATION - A method of marketing items comprising: publicizing an on-line auction to sell at least one item for a fixed price; preselecting at least one statistical rule; preselecting a number; receiving, at a data processing system, the at least one preselected statistical rule and the number; receiving at a data processing system, at least said preselected number of bids for at least one item, the number of bids being equal to or greater than the number; calculating, at the data processing system, the result of at least one statistical rule performed on said bids; applying, at a data processing system, at least one cancellation rule to selectively cancel zero or more received bids; and selecting, at the data processing system, one or more remaining bids to receive at least one item, according to a selection rule based on the result of the statistical calculation. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047033 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR PLACING ADVERTISEMENTS INTO WEB PAGES - Selection of web page advertisements for placement into a web page may use attention data that ranks the elements of the web page according to the attention the elements receive from users during interactions with the web page. The content of ads can be matched to the content of the most highly ranked elements of the web page rather than the web page as a whole. Alternatively, ads can be selected that historically produce a preferred pattern of behavior such as an attention shift from a highly ranked element of the web page to the ad. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047034 | AUTOMATED SALES TAX PAYMENT SYSTEM - A computer-implemented transaction processing system includes a card reader and a plurality of modules each comprising code that executes in the processor. The card reader transfers credit card data from a credit card of a customer to a memory of the computer. A check presentation module is operative to calculate a sales tax associated with a price of a product sold to the customer. An approval module is operative to obtain an approval against the credit card data in the memory for at least the price of the product and the sales tax and thereby define an approved sale transaction. A revenue settlement module and a tax settlement module are operative to settle respective portions of the sales transaction(s) to different accounts, such that a revenue portion goes to a first account free of any sales tax, and a sales tax portion goes to the other account. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047035 | CENTRAL SAVINGS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A central savings management system and method is provided. A central savings management system is comprised of a data storage device with a storage medium associated with a customer, a point of sale device for receiving currency in at least a first transaction associated with at least one commercial environment from the customer, the point of sale device operatively coupled with the data storage device, wherein the point of sale device displays an option to retain a portion of the currency from the at least a first transaction, and a management system operatively coupled to the point of sale device, configured to receive the portion of the currency from the at least a first transaction, the management system including a processor, a memory, a server, a customer database communicatively linked with the at least one commercial environment storing the portion of the currency from the at least a first transaction, and a web module for displaying portions from a plurality of commercial environments to the customer. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047036 | TRANSACTION SYSTEM WHICH COMBINES VEHICLE BATTERY CHARGING WITH OTHER SERVICES - A transaction system which combines vehicle battery charging with other services. The transaction system includes a vehicle battery charging system, a display, an input device, a payment peripheral, and a self-service computer for displaying choices for a battery charging service and at least one other service via the display, for recording a user selection of the battery charging service and the at least one other service via the input device, for obtaining payment for the battery charging service via the payment peripheral, for operating the vehicle battery charging system to apply charging current to a vehicle battery, and for facilitating completion of the at least one other service. | 2012-02-23 |
20120047037 | STORE SYSTEM AND SALES REGISTRATION METHOD - According to one embodiment, a store system includes: an image output section configured to output an image picked up by an image pickup section; an object recognizing section configured to recognize a specific object by reading a feature value of the output image; a similarity determining section configured to calculate similarity indicating to which degree the recognized object is similar to a reference image of the object determined in advance and determine whether the calculated similarity exceeds a threshold set in advance; and a defective informing section configured to inform, if the similarity determining section determines that the calculated similarity does not exceed the threshold set in advance, that the object is not recognized as a regular commodity. | 2012-02-23 |