| 09th week of 2010 patent applcation highlights part 37 |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20100057488 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING MEDICAL TREATMENT VALUES WITHOUT DATA ENTRY - A method of providing patient treatment values for predetermined medical treatments without the need for treatment value calculations at the time of treatment, including the steps of providing a database provided with predetermined categories of patient selection criteria and patient condition categories, determining treatment values for patients based on the selection criteria, entering the data into a database programmed to receive the treatment values correlated to the selection criteria at a time in advance of patient treatment, and for treating a patient, determining and selecting the appropriate patient selection criteria, determining and selecting a patient condition, wherein the database returns a treatment value correlated to the patient selection criteria. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057489 | Virtual Health Care Needs Fulfillment System - A method of operating a health care needs fulfillment system, by: (a) a PBM contracting with a plurality of health care suppliers to fulfill a plurality of health care needs requests; (b) end users sending individual health care needs requests to the PBM; (c) the PBM selecting the health care suppliers to supply each of the end users' individual health care needs requests; and (d) the PBM alerting the selected health care suppliers to fulfill the end users' individual health care needs requests. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057490 | METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR EVALUATING A PATIENT IN A PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT - Methods, systems, and computer program products for evaluating a patient in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method may include collecting physiological data associated with a patient upon admission to a PICU and at least once after admission to the PICU. The physiological data may be associated with a statistical model, and a risk of mortality of the patient may be continually determined. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057491 | METHOD FOR DIRECT-TO-PATIENT MARKETING AND CLINICAL TRIALS RECRUITMENT WITH OUTCOMES TRACKING AND METHOD FOR CONFIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT BOOKING - Generally, the present invention is directed to marketing techniques and more particularly to direct-to-patient marketing for medical devices, pharmaceutical drugs, and biotechnology products. The approach presented here may also be applied to the recruitment of patients for clinical trials evaluation including tracking outcomes after treatment. An embodiment of the invention includes the steps of finding potential patients, qualifying potential patients, connecting potential patients to preferred physicians, and tracking the patient's progress through the appointment phase and tracking outcomes. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057492 | Indexed Competition Health Care Network Method - There is provided a method for producing a price competitive health care system. A website, which is hosted on a computer server, is created for establishing a health care network. Providers are solicited to join the health care network and a plurality of providers apply by sending applications, including credentials, to the website from the providers' computers via the internet. The credentials of the providers are examined. Those with appropriate credentials are approved. The approved providers send to the website a number equal to the percentage of a known index which the approved providers are willing to charge for their goods and/or services. The website is accessed by patients who may be interested in purchasing the services or the goods of one or more of the approved providers, which access is accomplished from the patients' computers via the internet. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057493 | Method for Independent Compliance Certification and Training - A system and method are provided that trains and monitors the activities of company professionals with health care providers. The system and method additionally take into account the new requirements for certification and documentation of compliance assessment, training, monitoring or reporting. Additionally, the system and method can be customized, if desired, to at least one of a particular product, a particular company and a particular field or industry. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057494 | COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE WASTE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM - A computer implemented method, apparatus and program product analyze medical waste processes by determining waste cost information for a number of waste streams. The waste cost pricing information is organized, formatted, associated or otherwise processed for presentation in a manner that facilitates waste cost analysis. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057495 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION FOR A GERIATRIC POPULATION - A method of establishing a referral network for the enrollment of individuals in a geriatric healthcare insurance plan comprising identifying an age-eligible population; developing and implementing recruiting strategies to establish a relationship with the age-eligible population; and generating potential members from the age-eligible population for enrollment in a geriatric healthcare insurance plan as senior class members; and engaging senior class members to become ambassadors that represent the geriatric healthcare insurance plan to other potential members. Retention strategies such as a points program and a referral resource network are provided to retain senior class members. The referral resource network is a network of senior class members that are available to offer services to other senior class members, including valuable special skills or knowledge or necessary services. The referral resource network may be accessible to senior class members through a global electronic network, such as the Internet. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057496 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NAVIGATION TO UNSEEN RADIOLOGY IMAGES - Certain embodiments present a system for navigating medical images of a patient file stored in an image database. An image labeler labels medical images based upon whether the images have previously been displayed on an interface. The system also provides an image search engine that searches the images based on the labels. The image search engine generates a subset of images from a larger group of medical images within a database based upon the labels. The interface includes a graphical meter that corresponds to medical images that have not previously been displayed on the interface. The graphical meter may enumerate the quantity of images that have not previously been displayed. The graphical meter may also illustrate the proportion of images that have not previously been displayed. The graphical meter may include a hyperlink that points to an image that has not previously been displayed. The graphical meter may also include a hyperlink that points to a location containing the images that have not been previously displayed. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057497 | DYNAMIC SPONSORED RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT - Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a system for dynamically displaying clinical information to a user, the system including: a table for displaying the clinical information, the table including entries; an information display subsystem for displaying the clinical information in the table; and an information collection subsystem for collecting a first portion of the clinical information at a first time, for collecting a second portion of the clinical information at a second time, and for providing the first and second portions to the information display subsystem, wherein the information display subsystem displays the first portion of the clinical information at a first display time in the table, and integrates the first and second portions of the clinical information to form an integrated data set, and displays the integrated data set in the table at a second display time such that each of at least a portion of the entries includes information from both of the first and second portions of the clinical information. In an embodiment, the user is capable of interacting with an entry at substantially the first display time. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057498 | METHOD AND COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS RECOVERY OPERATION - A method includes receiving in a computer an electronic file that represents a claim paid by an insurance company. The electronic file indicates whether the claim involves another insurance company, and whether the other company has admitted or is likely to admit liability for the claim. The computer makes a triage decision to send a demand letter to the other company and then defer action if the other insurance company is likely to admit or has admitted liability. Otherwise, the computer sends the demand letter and routes the file for immediate follow-up. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057499 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING DISTRIBUTIONS TO ASSOCIATION MEMBERS BASED ON AFFINITY PROGRAMMING - A system and method for providing distributions to members of an association based on members' purchases under affinity programs. In response to affinity program purchases by its members, the association receives a membership marketing fee or license fee which the association uses to pay a distribution to the purchasing members, payable after a holding period. The affinity program purchases may be made directly by association members, or through an intermediary who pays the royalty fee to the association based, for example, on a commission received from the supplier by the intermediary. A variety of goods and services can be provided under the affinity programs. The association also provides educational programs to its members. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057500 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEDIATING ADMISSION FO FOREIGN EDUCATION AGENCY - A domestic mediation server receives information of application for education from a user, provides offer information of domestic and foreign agents or education institutions, and is informed of at least one agent or education institution. In the case that the user selects an agent, the domestic mediation server receives a detailed information for entrance of education institutions corresponding to the application information from the agent. The detailed entrance information is ranked in order of matching with the application information and provided to the user. When the user determines to enter a specific education institution, the agent charges the user education expenses including an entrance fee of the education institution and its commission. When the user settles the education expenses, the user is provided with an insurance policy for guaranteeing safe settlement. Subsequently, when the user completes registration for entrance, the education expenses are transferred to the education institution and the agent. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057501 | IN-ROOM GUEST INTERACTIVE SYSTEM - The present invention provides a compelling new guest facing interactive system. Screens displaying a virtual desktop application that sits in rooms allowing guests to interactively browse and book services at leisure. The system carries rich content including video. It can be configured to provide traditional room services and also excursions and activities provided by external providers. It can also be integrated with mobile phone. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057502 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EMERGENCY TRACKING - An emergency tracking system and method is disclosed that determines location information of individuals based upon travel information and financial transaction information, receives crisis information related to a crisis and determines a subset of individuals potentially impacted by the crisis based on the location information. The system may also notify a third party regarding the subset of individuals and send message to the subset of individuals, wherein the message includes alternative arrangements to at least one of minimize or avoid the crisis. The system also allows an employer to enter search criteria to locate certain types of employees and view such employees on a graphical display of a map. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057503 | SECURE SYSTEM AND METHOD TO PAY FOR A SERVICE PROVIDED AT A RESERVATION - A method and system for allowing the setting of reservations and the pre-authorization of credit to purchase a desired service for which a reservation is made. A customer accesses a reservation system that is integrated with a credit authorization system. The customer may make a reservation and substantially simultaneously become pre-authorized to pay for services to be provided at the reservation by one of any number of credit providers. Pre-authorized credit and reservation information is then supplied to the service provider in advance of services being provided, expediting the overall transaction time and allowing for a secure and cardless transaction procedure. The reservation and preauthorization information are typically stored upon the reservation system and then passed to the point-of-sale systems, but other types of input/output storage devices could be used to perform this function. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057504 | FUNCTIONAL EXTENSIONS FOR BUSINESS OBJECTS - A system may include generation of extension metadata defining a functional extension associated with a business object, and generation of a runtime metadata buffer comprising enhanced metadata, the enhanced metadata based on core metadata of the business object and the extension metadata. In some aspects, a service request associated with the business object is received, it is determined whether the service request is associated with the functional extension, an extension service associated with the functional extension is provided if it is determined that the service request is associated with the functional extension, and a core service associated with core data of the business object is provided if it is determined that the service request is not associated with the functional extension. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057505 | BUSINESS PROCESS COMMUNITY INPUT - A community input method can be provided. The method can include receiving from an end user a request to access a portion of a workflow in a business process instance, prompting the end user to provide community input to community documentation for the portion of the workflow, and rendering the community documentation accessible by other end users accessing the portion of the workflow. Optionally, an interval (whether fixed or random) of a number of end users requesting access to the portion of the workflow in the business process instance can be determined, and the end user can be programmatically prompted to provide community input only if the request from the end user is received on the determined interval. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057506 | CONVERSION VALUE REPORTING USING CONVERSION VALUE PIXEL - A first web page at a first server includes a clickable advertisement. The reporting pixel is associated with a unique identification. The reporting pixel is further associated with the advertisement or with a line item or campaign that is associated with the advertisement. When a user clicks on the advertisement, the user's client browser is redirected to a second web page corresponding to the advertisement at a second server. The redirect includes context information associated with the advertisement. The second web page eventually leads the user to a conversion. The second server obtains the revenue generated from the conversion and reports the revenue to the first server. The revenue is identified by the pixel identification associated with the reporting pixel and the context information associated with the advertisement. The first server collects and aggregates the revenue for the advertisement, or line item or campaign to which the advertisement is associated. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057507 | Real-Time Manufacturing Routing Optimization Using Content and Quality Level - Dynamically generating manufacturing routings in a manufacturing environment, using content and quality level information. The content and quality level information may pertain to multiple, disparate commodities (e.g., parts and/or assemblies) which are to be processed as a group, and some of those commodities may have already undergone various processes (such as testing of various types and durations). The generated routings may reflect parameterizations pertaining to the commodities. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057518 | Constraint Programming with Efficient Ordering of Variables - A method for resource management includes associating respective variables with resource consumers, and identifying resources as values applicable to the variables. A group of the variables are identified as preferred variables. An assignment of the values to the variables that satisfies constraints applying to the allocation of the resources is found by repeatedly performing the steps of choosing a variable from the group, instantiating the chosen variable with a value, removing the chosen variable from the group, and pruning the domains of the other variables by propagation of the constraints. The resources are assigned to the resource consumers responsively to the assignment of the values to the variables. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057519 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSIGNING SERVICE REQUESTS WITH DUE DATE DEPENDENT PENALTIES - A system and method for deciding assignments for service requests includes determining a best policy, within a class of index-based policies, based upon historic data for handling previous requests. If a service request is waiting to be handled, an index for service requests is determined based upon the best policy and service requests are assigned to agents based upon the index. Service requests are preempted if a waiting service has a higher index than other service requests. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057520 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STANDARDIZING AND MANAGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS - A process for managing information technology (IT) products within an organization may include defining categories of IT products being utilized by an organization. A management structure may be assigned to each IT product category, where the management structure identifies at least one individual having responsibility for each respective IT product category. An inventory list of IT products being used by the organization may be created. The IT products may be mapped to the IT product categories and management structure. A disposition status from among a plurality of potential disposition statuses may be assigned to each of the IT products. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057521 | CONTACT CENTER SIZING AND BROADCASTING BASED ON PROBABILITIES - A contact center or enterprise communication system is provided. The system includes a first contact associated with a first task offer; one or more resources operable to accept the first task offer; and a contact center or enterprise communication system operable to determine a broadcast group of the one or more resources as a function of an acceptance factor for one or more of the resources. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057522 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A COLLABORATIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE - A system and method for a situational solution for collaborative information technology governance. The system comprises a situational environment information technology governance (SEIG) tool configured to facilitate one or more processes including: an entry process; a selection process; an authentication process; and a communication process. The method comprises entering a situation using the SEIG tool and describing the situation. The method further comprises choosing one or more applicable teams or subject matter experts and communicating with the one or more applicable teams and the subject matter experts using a collaborative technology. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057523 | METHOD FOR OPTIMIZATION OF THE DETERMINATION OF THE ACTUAL PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS FOR CREATION OF A DUTY ROSTER FOR A HOTEL, A GUESTHOUSE, AND/OR A RESTAURANT - Method for optimization of the determination of the actual personnel requirement for creation of a service plan for a hotel, a guesthouse and/or a restaurant with the aid of a data processing system having a memory, a processor, at least one input unit, at least one interface to a reservation program and a budget planning program as well as a common user interface, with the method comprising the following steps: a) storage of employee data, including individual employee characteristics, b) storage of department-specific requirements and/or event-dependent requirements, c) immediate entry of those absent, d) inclusion of data relating to current occupancy via the interface to a reservation program and to a budget planning program, e) determination of the actual or current personnel requirement, or the personnel required for a time period which can be defined, on the basis of the required employee hours per department, with the aid of department-specific formulae based on the data from the method steps a) to d) and f) display of a report on the common user interface. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057524 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING REAL ESTATE INFORMATION USING A COMPUTER NETWORK, SUCH AS THE INTERNET - The present invention provides methods and systems for providing real-estate information using a computer network, such as the Internet. A buyer information web page showing relevant buyer list information in an easy-to-read, summary format is created and displayed to a real estate agent. Buyer information provided includes summaries of various aspects of information needed by a real estate agent to effectively represent and assist a buyer. Examples of information provided include a potential buyer name, a new activity summary summarizing newly-listed properties and other activity meeting the buyer's profile, a new views summary summarizing any views of detailed property information by the buyer using an online property data search and information system provided by the agent, and a new tags summary summarizing any properties that the buyer or the agent finds of particular interest. Moreover, a comparative market analysis (CMA) list web page showing relevant CMA information in an easy-to-read, summary format is also created and displayed to the real estate agent. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057525 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CALIBRATE A CHOICE FORECASTING SYSTEM FOR USE IN MARKET SHARE FORECASTING - Methods and apparatus to calibrate a choice forecasting system for use in market share forecasting are disclosed. An example disclosed method comprises obtaining market research data to determine a plurality of choice probabilities and a plurality of segment weights, each choice probability representing a probability that a respective population segment will choose a respective alternative from a plurality of alternatives and each segment weight representing a weight of a respective population segment in an overall population, and performing a calibration procedure to calibrate the plurality of choice probabilities and plurality of segment weights, the calibration procedure configured to preserve before and after calibration relative contributions of a pair of population segments to a first choice share corresponding to a first alternative, the first choice share for the first alternative determinable from the plurality of segment weights and a subset of the plurality of choice probabilities corresponding to the first alternative. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057526 | CONTENT DISTRIBUTION PLATFORM - A system is adapted to manage the distribution of content to one or more cooperating media/substrates. The system receives data representative of environment conditions for one or more cooperating media/substrates adapted to display digital content. The media/substrates may be located in public spaces. The system compares the received data representative of environment conditions with selection criteria to identify content for distribution to the media/substrates. The selected content is distributed to the one or more cooperating media/substrates. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057527 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERSONALIZED ACTION BASED ON A COMPARISON OF DELIVERED CONTENT WITH A CONTENT FINGERPRINT DATABASE - Methods and apparatuses that include fingerprint technology on a media device with a fine level of granularity, to recognize or identify a content item based on a fingerprint or a portion of a content item based on a fingerprint unit, of a content item that is currently being viewed, and takes an action based on that identification. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057548 | TARGETED CUSTOMER OFFERS BASED ON PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS - Embodiments are directed towards enabling product and/or service providers to maximize sales of products, services, and content to their existing customers. In one embodiment, a process, apparatus, and system are directed towards optimizing a selection of offers for any customer touch-point to ensure the provider delivers the best offer to the right customer at the most appropriate time. Offers are optimized not only according to a customer's interests and preferences but also according to revenue and profitability potential using predictive analytics. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057549 | Electronic Coupon Distribution System - A method of secure electronic couponing is disclosed which includes a main server system, and a client system interconnected by a distributed computer network, such as the Internet. Coupon data and advertising data are encrypted to thereby reduce the likelihood that such data may be misused, such as by unauthorized duplication. In addition, the client system is identified by a user identification that is allocated and associated with user information collected from the user of the client system. The user information is indicative of one or more demographic characteristics of the user without being sufficiently personal to specifically identify the user, thus preserving privacy. An icon is provided which, when flashing, alerts the user to the fact that new coupons are available. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057550 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING REWARDS IN NETWORK-BASED APPLICATIONS - A reward program that includes identifying a seller from a plurality of sellers in a network-based marketplace based on a set of criteria. When a seller is identified to qualify for a reward program, one or more listings of the seller may be promoted. The set of criteria may include seller's rating information. The set of criteria may also include other information relating to volume or activities. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057551 | POINT-OF-SALE PURCHASE SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH OPTION OF PAYMENT USING LOYALTY POINTS - One representative embodiment provides for the use of frequent flyer miles awarded to a customer by an airline as currency/alternative card type at the point-of-sale. For example, a customer dining at a restaurant can be given the option of paying with frequent flyer miles in addition to other traditional payment types. In such an implementation, the merchant swipes the frequent flyer card at the point-of-sale; the ‘conversion’ of the cost of the goods/services into frequent flyer miles is displayed for the customer; and the customer has the choice of completing the payment by frequent flyer miles or other traditional payment types. Settlement then occurs between merchant and a card processor and the card processor and the airline, respectively. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057552 | Method And System For Processing Internet Payments Using The Electronic Funds Transfer Network - A system and method for effectuating Electronic Funds Transfer credit messages. The main structural components of the system include a Payment Portal Processor (PPP), an Internet Pay Anyone (IPA) Account, a Virtual Private Lockbox (VPL) and an associated Account. Reporter, the existing EFT networks, and a cash card for accessing a VPL or IP account. The PPP is a software application that provides a secure portal for accessing (linking to) either the user's Demand Deposit Account (DDA) or an IPA account and can be combined with the functionality of a traditional digital Wallet. Consumers use a PPP enhanced Wallet to fund their account, shop on the web, pay bills, pay anyone, store electronic receipts and transaction history, and check their recent PPP enhanced Wallet activity. The IPA account is a special purpose account with limited functionality for making electronic payments in the form of EFT credit messages. The VPL is a limited function receive only account for receiving electronic payments through the EFT. The Account Reporter is a portal to view transaction history and balance of IPA and VPL accounts, provide online, real-time transaction reports, and to reconciles accounts receivable/purchase records against incoming EFT payment records. A physical card can be associated with either an IPA or VPL account in order to provide PIN debit capability. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057553 | System and Method for Performing a Real Time Redemption Transaction by Leveraging a Payment Network - A method and system for performing a redemption transaction by leveraging a payment network provides a way to conduct redemption transaction without requiring changes to merchant or acquirer infrastructure. The cardholder initiates a transaction using a redemption card. An intermediary receives the transaction data, determines whether the loyalty points account associated with the redemption card has sufficient points to cover the transaction, and initiates a secondary payment transaction against a secondary payment account. Alternatively, these functions may be performed by the issuer. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057554 | Method and System for Enabling Promotion of Product(s) and/or Service(s) - At least one promotional program manager provides a plurality of merchants with a list of item identifiers for a plurality of items eligible for a promotion, and a list of device identifying numbers of payment devices associated with the promotion. A given one of the merchants identifies, during a putative purchase transaction with a given one of the payment devices, at least one of the plurality of items eligible for the promotion. The given one of the merchants, and an acquiring entity, cooperatively format and dispatch an authorization request. The authorization request is sent to an issuing entity of the given one of the payment devices, via an operator of a payment network. The authorization request includes a given one of the device identifiers associated with the given one of the prepaid payment devices, a given one of the item identifiers associated with the at least one of the plurality of items eligible for the promotion, and price data associated with the at least one of the plurality of items eligible for the promotion. The issuing entity prepares and sends an authorization request response to the authorization request. The authorization request response is sent from the issuing entity to the merchant, via the operator of the payment network and the acquiring entity. The authorization request response indicates whether the putative purchase of the at least one of the plurality of items eligible for the promotion with the given one of the prepaid payment devices is approved. The method further includes the promotional program manager applying the promotion to the given eligible item. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057555 | MEDIA OBJECT METADATA ASSOCIATION AND RANKING - Metadata may be associated with media objects by providing media objects for display, and accepting input concerning the media objects, where the input may include at least two different types of metadata. For example, metadata may be in the form of tags, comments, annotations or favorites. The media objects may be searched according to metadata, and ranked in a variety of ways. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057556 | Apparatuses, Methods And Systems To Identify, Generate, And Aggregate Qualified Sales and Marketing Leads For Distribution Via an Online Competitive Bidding System - The disclosure details the implementation of an apparatuses, methods, and systems to identify aggregate and generate bids for online sales leads. A lead facilitator may use an online lead bidding system to aggregate, and focus user leads and make them available to providers. The providers may make bids to acquire leads from users that are specific to the provider's goods and/or services. The winning bidders are then allowed to provide advertising, offers, and/or the like to the lead generators. Also, the winning bidders are provided with information submitted by the lead generators for follow-up contact, which may include: personal face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, emails, Web links (e.g., for purchasing an item), and/or the like. The lead bidding system also allows for the creation of numerous categories and campaigns, which are useful for market research as well as sales lead generation. As such, the lead bidding system efficiently facilitates commerce by providing qualified leads to providers of goods and services. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057557 | METHOD OF MANAGING A SHOPPING MALL SITE - A method of managing a shopping mall site. A variety of products are on sale over a network at the shopping mall site. The method is able to induce a buyer to purchase the product using a user created content (UCC). The method includes receiving information about a requester to register the requester as a marketer, registering the user created content with a shopping mall managing system, storing information about the marketer, the UCC, and the product when a request for product purchase is transmitted to a buyer terminal, and distributing and paying a fee of a obtained profit to the marketer. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057558 | WEB ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS MEASURING APPARATUS, WEB ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS MEASURING METHOD, AND, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR THE SAME - A web advertising effectiveness measuring apparatus measures a viewing time period of an advertisement on a web page displayed on a display device of a user terminal, the apparatus includes: a device for acquiring window information including a location and a size of a window in which the web page is displayed; an device for acquiring advertisement information including a location and a size of the advertisement; a device for acquiring a display area of the advertisement; a device for taking images of a user; an device for detecting an eye direction of the user based on the images; a device for making a determination whether the advertisement is on a visual line of the user; a device for measuring the viewing time period based on the determination; and a device for linking and storing the viewing time period and the advertisement information. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057559 | METHOD OF CHOOSING ADVERTISEMENTS TO BE SHOWN TO A SEARCH ENGINE USER - A system and method for finding relevant advertisements to a search engine user's query where said query is received by a search engine, returning one or more search results by the search engine and analyzing the search results to determine more precisely or more broadly the search engine user's objective or interest and using the analysis to determine which advertisements, stored in an advertisement database, to present to the search engine user. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057560 | Methods and Apparatus for Individualized Content Delivery - Systems and techniques for predicting customer response to content and selecting content for delivery to particular customers in accordance with the predictions. As information is delivered to and received from a plurality of customers over multiple communication channels, data streams representing communications between providers and customers are analyzed and selected data extracted therefrom. Linkages are created between data collected from the different channels and data are anonymized. The data are analyzed to create a customer response predictor for each customer that models customer behavior and predicts customer response to advertisements. As content, such as advertisements, are to be delivered to a destination, information from a predictor created using data collected from a customer associated with the destination is used to select appropriate content. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057561 | Digital Active Advertising - A complete system for the purchasing of goods or information over a computer network is presented. Merchant computers on the network maintain databases of digital advertisements that are accessed by buyer computers. In response to user inquiries, buyer computers retrieve and display digital advertisements from merchant computers. A digital advertisement can further include a program that is interpreted by a buyer's computer. The buyer computers include a means for a user to purchase the product described by a digital advertisement. If a user has not specified a means of payment at the time of purchase, it can be requested after a purchase transaction is initiated. A network payment system performs payment order authorization in a network with untrusted switching, transmission, and host components. Payment orders are backed by accounts in an external financial system network, and the payment system obtains account authorizations from this external network in real-time. Payment orders are signed with authenticators that can be based on any combination of a secret function of the payment order parameters, a single-use transaction identifier, or a specified network address. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057562 | System and method for mobile match mapping - A system and method of mobile matchmaking is provided enabling real-time management, filtering, prioritization, mapping, and interaction of and between location-based resources, such as member resources (persons), and affiliate resources (e.g., third party businesses and advertisers). Resources in the vicinity of a user are displayed on at least one of a mobile application map and a website map, providing the user with a dynamically comprehensive and detailed “matchmaking map.” Various embodiments enable prioritization, contact/interaction with, and management, in real-time, of those resources, (member and/or affiliate resources). Various icons representative of the resources are displayed on the matchmaking map, where the icons can be selected and shortened and/or detailed profiles of the resources are presented. Furthermore, various embodiments provide the ability for a user to survey the activity/matchmaking “scene” of a future destination/location to be traveled to and/or create one or more activity itineraries for future travel in advance. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057563 | DEPLOYMENT AND DISTRIBUTION MODEL FOR IMPROVED CONTENT DELIVERY - A deployment and distribution model improves content delivery with a business incentive for placement of kiosks with one or more wireless access points in public locations so that portable media players (PMPs) can receive media content (e.g., audio, video, text, haptic content, etc.). In addition, coordination between subscribing users of PMPs, vendors who provide kiosks, and a network central controller of a content distribution system allow for prepositioning of video content at the kiosks through economically desirable low data rate communication links from the network (e.g., dial-up modem, DSL, etc.); coordinated queuing of downloads (e.g., partial downloads) between kiosk to PMP, peer-to-peer (P2P) downloading between PMPs, and uploads from PMP to kiosk; billing/crediting to correspond with such participation in the distribution; and changing priority/selection of prepositioning of content at kiosks to reflect a clientele profile. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057564 | System and method for fitness motivation - A method of promoting the health of a user is provided. The method includes obtaining input from a user through the use of a website that is health related. Participation points are assigned for the user based upon the input obtained from the user. The participation points may be pooled with participation points of additional users. A participation point may be selected from the pool of participation points. The selected participation point is linked to a user such that a user is selected. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057565 | Systems and Methods for a Graphical Personal Assistant with Context-Sensitive Advertising - A system and method provides an advertiser access to a plurality of utilities that allow users to electronically manage trip items in a trip itinerary. An interactive tool allows the advertiser to create an advertisement related to the trip items. An identification of utilities in the plurality of utilities in which the advertisement will appear is received from the advertiser. The advertisement is inserted in the identified utilities. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057566 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTIPLE LAYERED PAY-PER-CLICK ADVERTISEMENTS - A system and method for providing advertisements in a web page including transmitting a message or advertisement including a sequence of a plurality of layers to the web page, each sequential layer being displayed in response to a user selection of the preceding layer. A client may be charged a fee for the advertisement when the user selects a predetermined number of sequential layers. The client may be charged a fee for the advertisement when the user selects a last one of the sequence of the plurality of layers to click through to the client web site. A user computer may send an advertisement server data relating to the web site content and the advertisement server may send the user computer advertisements related to the web site content. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057567 | REAL-TIME SYSTEM AND METHOD TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION - A system and method to disseminate information. The system ( | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057588 | System and Method for Providing Publicly Vended Content Via A Wireless Network - A system and method for vending digitized content over an Internet network path, at least a portion of which is wireless, such as an SDMA high data rate directional wireless path. Content in the form of IP packets is provided to a user terminal via a connect server in response to user requests, which can be real-time requests or which can be requests embodied in a user-defined or system-defined user profile. The user is billed using one or more of several billing paradigms, including by the content piece, by the number of IP packets sent to the user, by the length of time the user accesses the system, by the subscription, and so on. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057589 | PAYMENT SERVICE TO EFFICIENTLY ENABLE ELECTRONIC PAYMENT - A method to redirect a browser client is disclosed. The method comprises serving a first web page including a check-out option and receiving a check-out request from a consumer user of an electronic storefront web site. The check-out request is to purchase a product. In response to the check-out request the browser client is redirected to a web page hosted by a payment service web site. The payment service web site stores information that includes a return URL that corresponds to a web-based interface that is hosted by the electronic storefront web site. The redirection further includes a comparison of the return URL in the stored information to a return URL that corresponds to the web-based interface that is hosted by the electronic storefront web site. The comparison is to determine whether redirection to the web-based interface hosted by the electronic storefront web site should be performed. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057590 | System and Method for Data Acquisition and Processing - A system and method for data acquisition and processing is described which can audio data form the basis of new and improved business and consumer services. Audio datagrams such as short duration audio-recordings made from radio or television broadcasts or from a CD player or an MP3 player or the like are captured using a microphone associated with a multimedia computer or mobile phone or PDA or fixed line device and processed to create a digital audiogram dataset which may be subsequently transmitted to a data processing server which comprises a music and or audio archive. A server receives and processes the digital audiogram dataset to enhance the captured audio data and convert it into a suitable format which matches the format of the audio data stored in the server archive. A search engine processes the received digital audiogram and attempts to match the captured audio data with data stored in the archive. When a successful match is made between the audio datagram such as with a genuine piece of music by a recognised artist, a message is sent back to the device which initiated the audio capture and transmission process, or to an email address registered to the device, indicating the name of the artist and the name of the song and details where the music or recorded broadcast can be obtained. The audio datagram capture-and-search process may form part of a service profile for a mobile subscriber and it may be directly linked with a mobile payment transaction service so that the subscriber may order and buy a copy of the music or broadcast directly. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057591 | INVENTORY ITEM EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - The present invention relates to inventory item expiration and renewal in a virtual universe. A method for in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention provides at least one item in the inventory of an avatar with metadata specifying whether the item must be renewed and how often. Instructions are obtained regarding a renewal of the item and the item is renewed based on the instructions. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057592 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FREIGHT TRACKING AND MONITORING - System, methods, and computer program products are provided for enhanced freight tracking and monitoring. The system may track the location of a freight shipment within a carrier's transportation network from the time it is picked up by a carrier from a consignor until it is delivered to a consignee, provide for weight determinations and shipping re-classifications of the freight shipment during transport, and provide real-time status information and reports to the carrier, consignor, and/or consignee. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057593 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FREIGHT TRACKING AND MONITORING - System, methods, and computer program products are provided for enhanced freight tracking and monitoring. The system may track the location of a freight shipment within a carrier's transportation network from the time it is picked up by a carrier from a consignor until it is delivered to a consignee, provide for weight determinations and shipping re-classifications of the freight shipment during transport, and provide real-time status information and reports to the carrier, consignor, and/or consignee. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057594 | AUTOMATIC LOANER PART REPLACEMENT TO PREVENT SYSTEM CALLBACK - A system for automatically replacing loaner parts within a loaner system to prevent loaner system callback. In response to selecting a loaner system within loaner inventory data, it is determined whether the selected loaner system is required to be returned based on a target return date for the selected loaner system. In response to determining that the selected loaner system is not required to be returned, a notification is automatically generated and sent to a customer to return expiring loaner parts within the selected loaner system based on loaner part rules. A part replacement order is automatically generated for replacement loaner parts for each of the expiring loaner parts. Then, the replacement loaner parts are automatically shipped to the customer to replace the expiring loaner parts to prevent callback of the selected loaner system. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057595 | AUTOMATED TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEM AND APPROACH - Transaction management is facilitated using an approach involving the use of transaction characteristics to authenticate transaction information. According to an example embodiment, a computer processing system is programmed to process a shipment transaction involving a shipper and a carrier. The system is particularly suited to efficiently automate the payment of a shipment transaction and to efficiently provide access to relevant shipment information. The system includes a shipper processor that receives transaction document information such as purchase order information and assists in generating a bill of lading for the transaction. A shipper access terminal interfaces between the shipper processor and a central processor arrangement to control the quantity, quality, and timeliness of information transferred to the central processor arrangement. The central processor arrangement stores selective transaction information such as shipment information and generates reports regarding the transactions, with each transaction having particular information associated with it (e.g., shipper ID, carrier ID and other information). A carrier processor provides proof of delivery to the central processor arrangement. The central processor communicates with one or more financial institutions so that the carrier is paid and shipper billed for the relevant transaction. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057596 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING SHIPMENT OF PACKAGES - A method and apparatus for facilitating the shipment of a package or packages, each package containing one or more items, from a Sender to a Recipient, via one of a number of shippers. The apparatus includes a database for storing shipper data, a processor for processing the data in the database, a Sender's terminal for selectively receiving and sending shipment information to and from the processing system, a first communications link for selectively enabling communication between the database/processor and the Sender's terminal, a second communications link for selectively communicating between the database/processor and the shipper of the package(s), and a third communications link for selectively communicating between the database/processor and customs facilitation entities such as customs brokers. The Internet may be used as at least one of the communication links, and the database may be made available through a Web site. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057597 | Simulating The Effects Of Proposed Rule Changes On Calculated Labor Time - Systems and methods are described herein for managing labor time information. With respect to one implementation, among others, a labor time management system includes a time data storage device configured to store labor time. The labor time is related to the working time that one or more employees worked over a certain time period. The system also includes a time calculation rules engine and a rule set module. Furthermore, the system includes a simulation system configured to extract at least a portion of the labor time from the time data storage device and apply a proposed rule set on the extracted labor time. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057608 | System and methods for processing open-end mutual fund purchase and redemption orders at centralized securities exchanges and other securities trading and processing platforms - A system for processing traditional open-end mutual fund purchase and redemption orders at a server at designated Exchange(s) for receiving order messages from at least one of a plurality of Brokers and Member Firms, the server having at least one processor and memory for storing routines operable to process individual or aggregated order messages, preferably based on a prioritized set of business rules, and/or match the purchase and redemption orders, reformat the orders, and transmit the reformatted orders to at least one of a plurality of Fund/Securities Clearing Agents, Funds/Transfer Agents and Depositaries for confirmation, and clearing and settlement of issuance and redemption orders for mutual fund shares, as well as payment of mutual fund dividends. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057609 | Methods for Processing Online Loan Applications - In accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes receiving a loan application from an applicant, the loan application including information of the applicant and based at least on the received loan application, determining creditworthiness of the applicant. The method also includes providing the received information of the applicant to a prepaid card provider for instantaneous disbursement of loan proceeds via a virtual prepaid debit card to the applicant by the prepaid card provider based at least on the creditworthiness of the applicant. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057610 | Mortgage refinance notification and marketing system - A computerized mortgage loan notification and marketing system and process to enable mortgage professionals or others to provide automated notification and reports to individuals setting forth the availability of mortgage loans. The individual's desired loan parameters are obtained and calculations are made to determine whether the desired loan is available. If the desired loan becomes available, a notification is automatically presented to the individual. A system for providing mortgage professionals with automated notifications that their customers' desired loan terms are available is also disclosed. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057611 | System and method for implementing financial assistance programs - A system and method to provide food stamp benefits to recipients. The state agency responsible for distributing food stamp benefits to eligible recipients employs an issuer to produce consumer access devices for distribution to the recipients. The consumer access device is encoded with information enabling the food stamp recipients to purchase specified items from merchants. By imprinting the consumer access device with indicia identifying a commercial payment processing network and employing the commercial payment processing network to process the transactions, transaction funded by the food -stamp program will appear to be credit or debit transactions personally funded by the food stamp recipient. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057612 | KIOSK BASED PURCHASING SYSTEM - A kiosk based purchasing system coupled by a network to a payment processor and fulfillment house. The system includes a plurality of kiosks coupled to one or more servers. Each of the kiosks has an embedded computing system configured to display information related to product offerings stored in its system memory to a customer without accessing the network. Customers input orders and related payment information into the kiosks. Each order identifies at least one product and includes a shipping address. Each kiosk transmits each order and related payment information to the servers. The servers transmit the payment information to the payment processor, which either approves or rejects the payment. If the payment is approved, the server transmits the order to the fulfillment house, which ships the products identified in the order to the shipping address. Kiosks may be transported to events, and configured to sell products related to those events. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057613 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CHECK CARD FEE WAIVER - Apparatus and methods for waiving at least a portion of a service fee. The apparatus and methods may involve providing a check card to a customer and determining whether the customer is using the check card sufficiently to warrant waiving the fee or a portion of the fee. In some embodiments, the apparatus and methods may involve enrolling the customer in a check card program. The customer may select alerts regarding check card usage. The check card issuing entity may monitor the usage to reduce the risk of unauthorized use. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057614 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EFFECTING REAL-TIME FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN DELAYED-SETTLEMENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS - A system and method for effecting a substantially real-time financial transaction between at least one secure account linked to a computer device, such as a checking account that ultimately has a delayed-settlement of financial transactions, and one other financial account, such as another secure account linked to another computer device. A financial services system allows remote computer devices, such as mobile computer devices, to store access codes, such as debit card numbers, for secure accounts and the financial services system can then effect a desired transaction over an existing electronic transaction network, such as an ATM/Debit network, thereby causing the financial transaction to occur substantially in real-time between secure accounts. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057615 | Method of transferring money - A Method of Transferring Money includes the steps of: Accepting Information from a Sender, Creating a PIN (Personal Identification Number) for Sender, Accepting funds from Sender, Wiring Funds to a Central Bank Account, Accepting a PIN Number from a Recipient, Comparing PIN Number provided by Recipient with PIN Number created for Sender, Disbursing Funds to Recipient. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057616 | System and Method of Recurring Payment Transactions - A system and method for a recurring payment transaction is provided. A system of authenticating a recurring payment transaction may include an adaptive payment server that includes one or more processors configured to retrieve account information, which may include a payment date and an identification of a communication device of a payor. The adaptive payment server may initiate a communication to the communication device on or before the payment date and communicate at least a portion of the account information to the communication device. The adaptive payment server may receive, from the communication device, approval information and determine whether to initiate payment of the recurring payment transaction using the approval information. The adaptive payment server may initiate payment of the recurring payment transaction based on the determination. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057617 | FINANCIAL DOCUMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM - A system for processing deposits and/or withdrawals in a financial institution accepts a plurality of documents, including currency bills, at an input receptacle of a document-processing device, converts the image of at least some of the documents to electronic data representing the image. The currency bills are denominated by the document processing device, and the total value of the bills included in each deposit is accumulated. Whenever the total value of the bills in a deposit exceeds a prescribed value, a report may be generated containing at least an identification of the specified account, the total value of the bills in the deposit, and the serial numbers of the bills. The serial numbers may be extracted from images of the bills. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057628 | Modular Workflow Management - The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system that includes a container document, a plurality of portable program modules residing in the container document, and a repeater residing in the container document. In addition, at least one of the plurality of portable program modules may be configured to define a communication channel and to identify itself to the repeater as a publisher to the communication channel. Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of portable program modules may be configured to identify itself as a subscriber to the communications channel. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057629 | Inventive Process Documentation, Management, and Stimulation System - A system for use in an inventive process for at least one invention includes at least one of a conception module that is adapted to receive, process and communicate information associated with conception and reduction to practice of the at least one invention; an exploitation module that is adapted to receive, process and communicate information associated with deciding whether to exploit the at least one invention in a market place; a testing module that is adapted to receive, process and communicate information associated with testing of the at least one invention; and a patent application module that is adapted to receive, process and communicate information associated with preparation, filing and prosecution of the at least one invention. Each of the modules is adapted for installation and operation with one or more computer devices, and further adapted to share particular information associated with the inventive process with at least another one of the modules. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057630 | System And Method For Providing Automated Real Estate Transaction Management With Centralized Transaction Information Storage - A system and method for providing automated real estate transaction management with centralized transaction information storage is described. Transaction information is centrally maintained and includes a plurality of transaction specifications. Each such transaction specification includes one or more deadlines that provide an agent component and a client component. An agent view is presented by interactively parsing through the transaction specification for at least one client of an agent and determining sections of the transaction information relating to the agent component. A client view is displayed by generating a hierarchy of the deadlines applicable to the real estate transaction and interactively providing select parts of the transaction information relating to the client component. Completion of the real estate transaction is dependent upon the completion of the agent component and the client component. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057631 | VALIDATING E-COMMERCE TRANSACTIONS - Methods of the present invention allow for validating eCommerce transactions. An exemplary method for validating an eCommerce transaction may comprise the steps of validating a Hosting Provider, validating a Merchant using the Hosting Provider to host an eCommerce website, and validating a Customer who may purchase goods or services from the Merchant via the eCommerce website. If the Hosting Provider, Merchant, and Customer are validated, an eCommerce transaction may be approved. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057632 | Questionnaire research system - A system in which questionnaire research through the Internet communication using a mobile telephone is made and the consideration for returning the questionnaire is given to the replier, characterized in that the consideration returning method may be the one in which charge of calls by the replier equivalent to the consideration can be paid by a third person or the one in which the portion of the charge of the calls by the replier, the user of the mobile telephone, for one month equivalent to the consideration is paid by a third person and the remainder is paid by the replier. A questionnaire system is characterized by comprising auction means by means of which a questionnaire about things that a questionnaire making person feels daily is made, the answers are auctioned, and the reward obtained by the auction is returned to the questionnaire making person and replier. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057633 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROBABILITY-BASED MULTI-GENERATIONAL ESTATE PLANNING - The systems and methods described calculate ranges of wealth for an estate and for one or more recipients of multi-generational estate transfers. The calculations utilized in the systems and method considered a plurality of options for transferring wealth from a grantor to multi-generational recipients. The systems and methods also process a large number of simulations for different scenarios in the transfer of wealth. The tangible results from the processing of the options and scenarios are probabilistic distributions of total wealth for the giving estate and the receiving generations | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057634 | Data Analysis Method And Apparatus For Use In Trading Financial Instruments - A unique method and apparatus for analyzing data related to a tradable financial instrument employs a finite state decision tree as a predictive model of future trade prices for the instrument. The decision tree may be multi-layered with each layer divided into nodes representing a range of numerical values. For each layer of the decision tree, a user-selected or user-defined analytic equation/algorithm processes the data into numerical analytic values that are used to populate the nodes of the decision tree. A future price offset is determined for each node. The future price offset represents a prediction for a future price change of the financial instrument and can be used as a basis for trading the instrument. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057635 | System And Method For Optimizing Fixed Rate Whole Loan Trading - Optimizing fixed rate whole loan trading. Specifically, the invention provides computer-based systems and methods for optimally packaging a population of whole loans into bonds in either a senior/subordinate bond structure or into pools of pass through securities guaranteed by a government agency. Models for each type of bond structure are processed on the population of loans until either an optimal bond package is found or a user determines that a solution of sufficient high quality is found. Additionally, the models can account for bids for whole loans by allocating whole loans that meet requirements of the bid but are least favorable to be securitized. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057636 | System And Method For ETF Investing - A system and method for ETF investing that provides a primary exchange traded fund (PETF) that comprises a plurality of shares, wherein the primary exchange traded fund comprises investments in a plurality of secondary exchange traded funds (SETF). The system and method enable intraday, or other periodic, trading of a variable number and type of ETFs through a single ETF, based on one or more categories and factors including, but not limited to, real-time NAVs. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057637 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING AN ANONYMOUS TRADING METHOD - A system and appertaining method are provided in which a brokerage firm transmits confidential information about security trading intentions to an anonymous server that follows through on a trade only if there is a likelihood that the trade can be completed. Pricing inputs are obtained that help a price engine determine pricing information for securities. The trade itself is executed by a primary trading system. If the trade is not completed, then the confidential information is not shared with a market maker or other purchasing or selling entity. When security is low and trust is high, for speed purposes, among other things, the anonymous server may be located with a market maker. When security is high and trust is low, any or all of the anonymous server, price engine, and primary trading system can be collocated on site with the broker in a secure environment. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057638 | System and Method to Solve Dynamic Multi-Factor Models in Finance - Methods and systems for estimating time-varying factor exposures of either an individual financial instrument or a portfolio of such instruments, through the solution of a constrained multi-criteria dynamic optimization problem, providing an estimation error function and one or more transition error functions to be minimized over a period of time. The factor exposures relay the influence of the factors on the return of the instrument or portfolio. The estimation error function provides the estimation error at each time interval between the return of the asset collection and a sum of products of each factor exposure and its respective factor. Each transition error function provides a transition error of each factor exposure between time intervals. In one embodiment, the constraints can include a budget constraint and non-negativity bounds applying to some or all of the factor exposures. In other embodiments, the method and system can be applied to estimating any time-varying weight that is used in a model, to relay the influence of one or more independent variables on a dependent financial or economic variable, through the solution of a constrained multi-criteria dynamic problem, minimizing estimation error and transition error terms. In other embodiments, the solution of a multi-criteria dynamic problem can be used as part of a method and system to determine structural breakpoints for each factor, and also as part of a method and system for determining optimal parameters to weight the transition error functions and selecting the factors included in the model. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057639 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UTILIZING TIME MEASUREMENTS IN ADVERTISING PRICING - Embodiments of the present invention provides for methods, systems and computer program products for utilizing time measurement in advertising pricing. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises identifying one or more advertisements that are to be displayed in conjunction with one or more web documents. The one or more web documents are displayed in conjunction with the one or more advertisements and a time period the one or more advertisements are displayed is monitored. A monetary value for display of the one or more advertisements is determined on the basis of the time period the one or more advertisements are displayed. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057640 | Method of creating a pricing schedule for use by a pharmaceutical pricing system - A method of creating an electronic pricing schedule for use by a pharmaceutical pricing system includes the steps of determining an average wholesale price (“AWP”) for a quantity of a drug, determining a median sales price (“MSP”) for the quantity of the drug, wherein the MSP is based on historical sales data, and determining a discount rate based on the quantity of the drug. The method further includes the steps of calculating a gross profit percentage (“GP %”), wherein the GP % is based on the AWP, the MSP, and the discount rate, and generating an electronic pricing schedule, wherein the drug is associated with the GP %. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057641 | ANALYSIS OF ENERGY-RELATED FACTORS FOR SELECTING COMPUTATIONAL JOB LOCATIONS - The selection of an optimal data center location for running a computational workload is based on multiple energy criteria. The location is chosen based on multivariate and predictive analysis of total direct and indirect energy costs, and other user-defined factors. Among the direct and indirect costs are power costs and cooling costs as well as structural and other details of a given data center. Among the other factors to be considered that can have an impact on present and future costs are weather patterns, data and forecasts, availability of energy providers, and energy attributes. A forecaster factors these direct and indirect costs along with extrinsic information such as historical trends and predictive sources into a forecast which is then input to a decision engine along with user defined criteria and with anticipated compute tasks and requirements to select a final location or locations for handling the workload. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057642 | Treasure hunt' business stimulator - A method of creating an advertising campaign of the ‘Treasure Hunt’ variety which has the appearance of a sweepstakes is disclosed. The method is unique in that unlike a sweepstakes, no element of chance is involved and all participants are winners. In operation, individually identifiable entry certificates, coupons or other tokens are distributed to a target audience universe through any of several means such as direct mail, inclusion in printed periodicals or via on-line distribution. Recipients are advised that their entry form is definitely a winner at one of a number of participating business locations which are geographically proximate or otherwise accessible to the recipient. Each participating business is supplied with a list of the identification data of the distributed entry certificates which are winners at their location, and various levels of prizes may be awarded. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057643 | RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT ON A MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE - A system and a method are disclosed for implementing managing relationships between data on a mobile computing based on user creation and definition of the relationships. A mobile computing device user generates asymmetric relationships between stored entities, events, tasks and communications. These asymmetric relationships are custom-generated by the user to reflect the user's classification and evaluation of the relationships. The user also assigns a score to each relationship and stored entity, event, task and communication to represent the user's classification of the relationship, entity, event, task or communication. Hence, the user assigns a value to the relationships between data as well as the stored data to indicate which relationship or stored data is most valuable to the user. The user-defined relationships between data can be automatically displayed when the mobile communication device is used to interact with a stored entity. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057644 | INTERACTIVE DIGITAL VIDEO LIBRARY - A system for increasing user interaction with a digital video library. In response to receiving a question by an interactive digital video library server from a user regarding course material being presented from a digital video library, it is determined whether the question is in an audio format. In response to determining that the question is in an audio format, the question is converted into a text format. The course material is searched in a time sliced video index database for an answer to the question using keywords found in the text format of the question. Also, other course materials similar to the course material are searched in a video knowledge base. A weight is assigned to each search result hit found in the course material and the other course materials. Search result hits are outputted in a priority order according to assigned weight and user preference. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057645 | System and Method for Decision Support - Embodiments of the present invention use a construct referred to herein as a “choicebox” to support choice-making within a conceptual choicespace. The choicebox allows the identification of one or more options, one or more factors, and one or more perspectives for a particular choice. Each choice is associated with one or more categories. The options, factors, and perspectives are logically mapped to imagined x, y, and z axes and can be envisioned and graphically represented as a three-dimensional assessment matrix or box. Within the context of the present invention, choiceboxing is the activity of deliberating about a choice using such matrices. Choiceboxes are built and manipulated using software that renders their data into visual and interactive form. They serve as shareable places for collaborative deliberation. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057646 | Intelligent Dashboards With Heuristic Learning - An intelligent method for displaying patient data is described. Patient data may be collected from a variety of reporting systems. The method normalizes the patient data so that it may be compared to a set of rules used to define various conditions. The method identifies a medical or non-medical condition based on the patient data and set of rules. Based on the identified condition, the method then recommends a user interface for displaying patient data to a user. A user may accept or reject the recommended user interface and/or may select a different user interface. The users' selections are collected for automated analysis in order to improve the recommendations made to other users based on similar patient or user data. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057647 | ACCOMMODATING LEARNED CLAUSES IN RECONFIGURABLE HARDWARE ACCELERATOR FOR BOOLEAN SATISFIABILITY SOLVER - A hardware accelerator is provided for Boolean constraint propagation (BCP) using field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for use in solving the Boolean satisfiability problem (SAT). An inference engine may perform implications. Learned clauses may be generated during conflict analysis. Operations pertaining to learned clauses may include clause insertion and clause deletion (e.g., by invalidation) from a learned clause inference engine, and “garbage collection” in which unused or invalidated clauses may be removed from an inference engine. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057658 | REAL-TIME LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM - A method of providing a recommendation is provided. The method includes receiving user provided information at a first device from a second device. The user provided information includes user preference information and a user account authorization. User account information is requested from the first device based on the user account authorization. The requested user account information is received from a third device at the first device. The received user provided information and the received user account information is stored at a device accessible by the first device. A request for a recommendation is received from the second device. The recommendation is determined based on the stored user provided information and the stored user account information. The determined recommendation is sent from the first device to the second device. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057659 | Determining a Target Career Path and Tasks to Achieve Same - A career navigation system provides an automated way to counsel and/or coach a user on professional networking as it affects career development and/or career advancement. The career navigation system helps people both identify a path to their desired career destination and follow that path by means of various career management and network management tools and action items. A user is associated with a role model, such as a real-life person who has achieved the user's goal job. The role model's career path is customized to generate a roadmap for the user to follow in order to achieve his goal. Action items are generated and scheduled based on the roadmap, and the user is prompted to complete the items and track his progress. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057660 | OPERATION MANAGEMENT DEVICE, OPERATION MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND OPERATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - An operation management apparatus decides that newly-generated event data and previously-existing predictive event data match if the attribute values of the event data match the attribute values of the predictive event data excluding reference values. In such a case, the apparatus identifies individual filter information whose attribute values excluding reference values match the attribute values of the event data, and substitutes the attribute values of the event data for variables in each piece of individual filter information belonging to a group to which the individual filter information belongs, thereby generating predictive event data for each piece of individual filter information. The apparatus decides whether or not each piece of event data that is associated in a predictive event index with the group to which the individual filter information that matches the event data used for generating the predictive event data belongs satisfies the individual filter information of operation rule information corresponding to the group, and if satisfies, performs processing defined by the operation rule information. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057661 | SELF LEARNING METHOD AND SYSTEM TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATE OR ANCILLARY PRODUCT CHOICE IN RESPONSE TO A PRODUCT SELECTION - A system including: a memory element for storing an artificial intelligence program (AIP); an interface element for receiving, from a wireless communications device (WCD), a first portion of an order; and a processor for generating, using the AIP, an offer in response to items or services in the first portion of the order. The interface element is for transmitting the offer to the WCD and receiving, from the WCD, a second portion of the order. The processor is for modifying, using the AIP, the offer in response to items or services in the first and second portions of the order by adding or modifying items, services, or incentives. The interface element is for transmitting the modified offer to the wireless communications network for transmission to the WCD. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057662 | SYSTEM FOR REAL-TIME PROBABLISTIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - A system providing a real-time probabilistic prediction mechanism is described herein that is adapted to the address probabilistic implementations. The described mechanism provides a better balance between the tradeoffs of accuracy versus computational resources than the prior art, which makes it suitable for real-time applications, and in some cases offers a simpler path to implementation as well. In one exemplary approach, the real-time probabilistic prediction mechanism is implemented as a system for real-time resource management. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057663 | TECHNIQUES FOR MATCHING A CERTAIN CLASS OF REGULAR EXPRESSION-BASED PATTERNS IN DATA STREAMS - Techniques for detecting patterns in data streams. A pattern to be detected may be specified using a regular expression. Events received in data streams are then processed during runtime to detect occurrences of the pattern specified by the regular expression in the data stream. If the pattern to be matched belongs to a certain predetermined class of patterns, then a pattern matching technique that is customized for that class of patterns is used during the runtime events processing. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057664 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEMANTIC CONCEPT DEFINITION AND SEMANTIC CONCEPT RELATIONSHIP SYNTHESIS UTILIZING EXISTING DOMAIN DEFINITIONS - Computer-implemented systems and methods for synthesis of concept definitions and concept relationships from a domain of data, utilizing different semantic processing protocols such as formal concept analysis and faceted classification synthesis from existing domain concepts that have a confidence gradient built into them. A cognitive or an input agent provides an input of an active concept which is matched against existing domain concepts. The resultant pool of relevant domain concepts is then used to derive virtual concept definitions using a semantic processing protocol. The derivation is then overlaid with a concept of relative proximity of an attribute from another within an attribute set. An additional layer of coherence is given by the relative proximity measure. The end result is a pool of related virtual concept definitions in a tree structure. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057665 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING COMPUTER OBJECT RULES AND CATALOGS - A method, a machine-readable storage medium and a system are provided for enhancing computer rules in a computer application. In an embodiment, a rule is accessed from a set of computer rules provided by a computer application. The rule includes a number of fields, e.g., an attribute field and an enhancement type field. In response to receiving an input attribute and an input enhancement type, the rule is updated in the set of computer rules. The updated rule is implemented and operation of the updated rule in the computer application is altered based on the inputs. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057666 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING AND MERGING COMPUTER OBJECT RULES - A method, a machine-readable storage medium and a system are provided for revising content in a computer rule set. The revisions may be made by an issuer of content. In an embodiment, it is determined whether a difference exists between content data in a production table corresponding to a computer rule set and enhanced content data in an enhanced data table. If a difference is determined to exist, the content data is read from the production table and the enhanced content data is read from the enhanced data table. The enhancement data is identified as that assigned to the first issuer. Whether the rule enhanced in the computer rule set is allowed to be revised is confirmed. Based on the results of the determining and confirming, the enhanced data from the enhanced data table is incorporated into the production data table to provide a revised computer rule set. | 2010-03-04 |
| 20100057667 | DETECTION RULE-GENERATING FACILITY - An apparatus for generating event detection rules in a multiple-component computer system in accordance with embodiments of the invention may include a configuration information-extracting section for acquiring system configuration information from a multiple-component computer system. The system configuration information may include related information that describes relationships among system components. The apparatus may further include a history information-collecting section for collecting history information from the multiple-component computer system, such as log information and/or failure information output from a component upon a system failure. A candidate event-identifying section may identify candidate events that may be selected by a user to generate a detection rule based on the system configuration information and the history information. Finally, a candidate event-presenting section may present the candidate events to a user for selection. | 2010-03-04 |
