44th week of 2012 patent applcation highlights part 58 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20120278136 | DYNAMIC WORK ASSIGNMENT STRATEGIES BASED ON MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF AGENT PROFICIENCY - A contact center having a plurality of performance goals is provided. The contact center includes a routing agent operable, when a work item is to be routed to a servicing destination, determine, for each performance goal, a status of goal realization and a corresponding set of selection criteria for the determined statuses of goal realization and a destination selector operable to select the servicing destination based, at least in part, on the set of selection criteria. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278137 | DETERMINING COMPANION AND JOINT CARDS IN TRANSIT - Embodiments of systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for detecting potential misuse of a primary account number (PAN) associated with a first handheld media in a transit system having one or more access points. Embodiments may creating a user account and include enrolling the first handheld media for use as a fare media for a transit product, where the PAN is stored in the user account. Embodiments may further include receiving, a plurality of fare transaction records. Each fare transaction record may include the PAN associated with the first handheld media and a transaction identifier. Embodiments may additionally include determining a potential misuse of a handheld media associated with the PAN based, at least in part, on the relationship between a plurality of the transaction identifiers. In response, an action may be taken related to using the first handheld media as a fare media for the transit product. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278138 | VARIABLE ROAD TOLL PREDICATED ON INSTANTANEOUS POINT-TO-POINT TRAFFIC VOLUME CALCULATION - A method, a system and a computer program product are directed towards determination of a variable toll for a particular target vehicle using a particular point-to-point travel segment of a particular toll road. The variable toll is calculated predicated upon a deviation of an instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume for the particular target vehicle exiting the toll road in comparison with an arbitrarily determined baseline point-to-point traffic volume. The instantaneous point-to-point traffic volume includes vehicles traveling at least a portion of the same point-to-point travel segment as the target vehicle during an effective time interval when the target vehicle traveled the point-to-point travel segment. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278139 | CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR WITH TARGETED OFFERS - A dynamic incentive system is described herein that uses location data, customer demographics, and other information to make real-time targeted offers to consumers to encourage particular consumer behavior. In some embodiments, the system provides incentives to attempt to modify consumer behavior. For example, a particular type of merchant may want to reach the consumers of the merchant's competitors to try to win the consumers as customers. Thus, the system may present an offer from the merchant when consumers are detected at the location of a competitor to offer the consumers an incentive to visit the merchant's store. In this way, the dynamic incentive system provides incentives to help merchants sell products and services by reaching more consumers and reaching them in new ways that are highly relevant to the consumers' current activities and location. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278140 | ENCOURAGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR BY UNLOCKING DIGITAL CONTENT - A dynamic incentive system is described herein that uses location data, customer demographics, and other information to make real-time targeted offers to consumers to encourage particular consumer behavior. The system provides incentives for consumers to visit a particular merchant's store. The system may offer to unlock a digital content item if the consumer goes to the merchant's store. Merchants can define various offers and conditions for which the consumer can earn the incentive. Thus, the dynamic incentive system provides incentives to help merchants sell products and services by reaching more consumers and reaching them in new ways that are highly relevant to the consumers' current activities and location. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278141 | Fuel Offering and Purchase Management Sytem - The present disclosure is directed towards apparatuses, systems and methods to facilitate the pricing, sales and delivery of a commodity fuel to a Customer. In one embodiment, the disclosure teaches a Fuel Offer Generator that facilitates the purchase and management of fuel offerings. The Fuel Offer Generator allows Customers interested in securing fuel to obtain an offer for fuel at lock-in prices for various tenors. Fuel Customers can buy these fuel offers such that they may later exercise the fuel offers so their fuel costs are locked-in at desired levels (e.g., they may be set to strike prices). The Fuel Offer Generator also can establish a Premium Price that will be part of the fuel offer. The Fuel Offer Generator may generate hedges to counteract fuel related risks stemming from fuel offer purchases. Ultimately, a customer that purchases a fuel offering can exercise their fuel offering order at a specified price and redeem any difference between the market price for their purchased fuel and the price specified in their fuel offering order. While the Fuel Offer Generator may place various constraints on redemption, it will employ various consumer behavior metrics to establish the pricing of fuel offerings. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278142 | Mobile Device Content Server Method and System - Systems and Methods to deliver mobile content to consumers' mobile phone initiated by a “Call-To-Action” statement placed in non-interactive content or by a “Call-To-Action” at events or promotion campaigns. The system delivers requested content using one or more mobile communication channels. The exchange system selects additional ad content that may be of interest to consumers based on attributes of the requested content. The additional content is presented in titles form or links to mobile web pages. Tags are added to the content link and are used to trace content viewed by consumers resulting from response to the titles or links The system provides closed-loop redemption for mobile content that may contain coupons, promotions, event tickets, membership, and others. The redemption process serves as a method for collecting marketing data. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278143 | System and Method for Varying Electronic Settlements Between Buyers and Suppliers with Dynamic Discount Terms - A method of making payment. A request is received to effect payment between a buyer and a seller for a transaction having established terms. The terms include a payment amount and a settlement date. Messages are exchanged between the buyer and the seller that include an offer and acceptance of new terms for payment at other than the established terms. The new terms include an adjusted amount of payment to be made at a particular time after an event associated with the transaction. An electronic notification that the event has occurred is received, and the after the notification, payment between the buyer and seller is effected under the new terms. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278144 | IMAGING APPARATUS ELECTRONIC ASSISTANT - A method includes presenting, via a display ( | 2012-11-01 |
20120278145 | METHOD FOR PROVIDING ON-LINE SALE AND MANAGEMENT OF ADVERTISING SPACE ON SIGNS AND BILLBOARDS - A method and system for supporting e-commerce transactions directed to placement of advertising on dynamic signs by creating dynamic e-commerce Web sites for permitting consumers to select and acquire time and space on selective signs, for managing the content of a consumer message and for collecting payment for the acquired time and space. The content may be provided by the consumer by uploading it to the Web sites or by the manager of the Web site. Space and time may be auctioned over the Web sites, allowing consumers to competitively bid for specific space and time blocks. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278146 | ONLINE SOCIAL BRAND AMBASSADORS - Techniques are provided which allow users to become online ambassadors for their favorite brands and products. Methods and systems may detect if a user is associated with a particular brand or product. The user may be presented with an offer to act as an ambassador for that brand or product. If the user accepts, the system may determine if at least a portion of the user's online activities are directed to promoting the brand or product. The user may then be presented with one or more rewards based at least in part on the user's promoting of the brand. The rewards may include rewards points, cash rewards, coupons, discounts and other incentives. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278147 | Method and Apparatus for Online Marketing - An apparatus and for distributing a communication within a computer network using social media and expanding a business's email or distribution contact list in a self-perpetuating self-expanding manner. The apparatus comprising a processor element adapted to: present a user interface to a first prospective client for receiving registration data; present a user interface to a first client for receiving data indicative of contact details of one or more second prospective clients; generate a respective second communication for distributing to each of one or more second prospective clients; and award an client benefit to the first client for each of the one or more second prospective clients associated with a corresponding unique registration. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278148 | Systems, Devices, and/or Methods for Managing Consumer Finances - According to an exemplary embodiment, the My Life Cost system and method includes a budgeting and business marketing software application that detects, tracts, stores and analyzes financial transactions of a member to provide financial incentives and influence consumer spending. The My Life Cost system and method monitor the amount of money, credit or budgeted category that a member has available to spend on specific merchandise and services. Still according to other exemplary examples, the My Life Cost method and system provides marketing services to qualified businesses on a commission basis without any required upfront costs or any additional advertising fees. In further exemplary embodiments, the My Life Cost system and method includes on-line reports or notifications to a communications device that may be customized for each member and for each participating merchant or business. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278149 | Mortgage Matching System and Method - A computer-implemented method is disclosed for rewarding mortgage customers of a financial institution with a reward payment amount. The method includes providing enrollment in a mortgage matching system to eligible mortgage customers, wherein eligibility requirements include the requirement that eligible mortgage customers hold both a mortgage account and a checking account with the financial institution. The method additionally includes enabling the customer to make periodic mortgage payments from the checking account to the mortgage account and monitoring continued compliance with the eligibility requirements and submission of the periodic payments using a monitoring engine implemented by at least one computer processor. The method further includes determining a reward payment amount to be made by the financial institution to each complying mortgage customer using a fulfillment engine implemented by the at least one computer processor, wherein the reward payment amount is a predetermined percentage of principal and interest. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278150 | Method Employing Two-Sided Promotion for Uniting Clients With Businesses - A system is provided for introducing customers to local businesses using incentives such as free goods or services. The system employs a server having a database and network communications and software capable of communicating with one or a plurality of user computing devices including a desktop, laptop, pad device, and smartphone. The system also includes inducements to the customers to continually provide valuable feedback to the business by limiting and increasing the number of incentives a user may have based on the number and quality of the feedback each user provides. Because the identities of the users visiting the businesses are known, the system provides a means to insure more constructive feedback to the businesses who are aware their identity is known, as opposed to the current mode where anonymous feedback is communicated which may be less than honest or actually placed by a competitor. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278151 | INTELLIGENT DISCOUNT CARD SYSTEM - The present invention provides an intelligent discount card system for integrating with an existing bank payment network to provide for ubiquitous acceptance offered by a bank payment network while offering a real-time point of sale transaction experience, real-time discounting and financial settlement benefits typically only available through proprietary connections to retailers. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278152 | CUSTOMER TO SUPPLIER FUNDS TRANSFER - Apparatuses and methods to facilitate customer to supplier funds transfer via premium messages. In one aspect, an apparatus to electronically transfer funds from a customer to a supplier includes: a server component connected to a network; and a database coupled to the server component. The server component is configured to: transmit a plurality of premium rate mobile terminating text messages to the mobile cellular telephone to effect a payment from the customer to the supplier after the customer has placed an order with a supplier; populate the database with an identification of the telephone number of the customer; populate the database with at least one transaction record related to the premium rate text messages; and facilitate access to the transaction record by the customer via the telephone number of the customer. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278153 | ELECTRONIC COMMERCE TRANSACTIONS WITHIN A MARKETING SYSTEM THAT MAY CONTAIN A MEMBERSHIP BUYING OPPORTUNITY - The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing complete electronic commerce (“E-Commerce”) transactions and solutions for a marketing company's products via the World Wide Web, including facilities for signing up new customers and recruiting, training and supporting new Independent Business Owners through an interactive online process. In another aspect, the present invention relates to the combination of a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity using both electronic commerce and face-to-face transactions. The present invention is also directed to a system and method for combining a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity, so that Independent Business Owners participating in the marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership buying opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions based on the purchases by those members, while Members in the buying opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become Independent Business Owners. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278154 | MARKETING INVENTORY BASED ON SPOILAGE - An inventory marketing system operates to identify and market inventory items that are likely to spoil. Initially, inventory items that have a particular likelihood of spoilage may be identified. Customers to target with offers for the inventory items may be identified based on the customers' current location or expected location near a spoilage time for the inventory items. Offers for the inventory items may be provided to the targeted customers, and purchases of the inventory items by customers may be facilitated. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278155 | USING MIX-MEDIA FOR PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION - Techniques for identifying a user and authenticating payment transactions based on the identification include requesting the user to send his audio, video, and/or image from the point of sale location and comparing the received audio, video, and/or image to an audio/video/image on file to identify and authenticate the user as being the official holder of the payment device being used in the transaction. Once, the user is authenticated, the payment processing can be performed using conventional techniques. Some techniques involve use of accelerometer data associated with the user in addition to or in lieu of the audio, video, and/or image data to perform the identification and authentication of the user. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278156 | Optimal Trading in Online Loyalty Point Exchanges - A mechanism is provided for completing a loyalty program transaction. The mechanism forms a coalition of a plurality of customers, including the requesting customer. Each customer within the plurality of customers requests to exchange loyalty points for a reward in a loyalty program. Each customer within the plurality of customers participates in a plurality of loyalty programs. Combined loyalty points of the plurality of customers in the plurality of loyalty programs are sufficient to be exchanged for the rewards requested by the plurality of customers. The mechanism further completes a transaction for each customer within the plurality of customers to exchange an amount of loyalty points in a respective one of the plurality of loyalty programs for a reward, such that completing the transactions for the plurality of customers results in a number of residual points. The mechanism further distributes the number of residual points among the plurality of customers. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278157 | Discounted Deal Pricing - A system and method that facilitates e-commerce volume pricing is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, the system includes an offers and orders component that receives and aggregates orders for a product from a plurality of buyers. The system also includes a logistics component that determines a shipping price for the product for a subset of the plurality of buyers. The shipping price is determined at least in part upon the subset of buyers sharing a shipping method. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which buyers within an aggregated purchasing group may be subject to different pricing structures for the same product. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278158 | NATURAL EXPERIMENTS IN ONLINE ADVERTISING - The present invention provides techniques which can be viewed as natural experiments in online advertising. Techniques are provided in which online advertising information is used in obtaining experimental information for measuring or estimating an impact of a variable such as a user-advertisement relationship, such as advertisement targeting, on performance of an advertisement, such as may be measured using conversation rates, click through rates, or other metrics. Techniques are provided that include use of a difference-in-differences technique, including use of performance information relating to performance of two different advertisements relative to a treatment group and a control group. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278159 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE - A technique is taught that improves how an organization engages with customers. In an embodiment, keywords are discovered to optimize for, and to integrate with, advertising systems to advertise a company website. A set of advertisements is created that improve the click-through rate from users. A optimized landing page experience is created to provide a best user experience to drive issue resolution and sales. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278160 | REAL-TIME ADAPTIVE PROBABILISTIC SELECTION OF MESSAGES - A facility selects a unit of content to include in an instance of a content container. For each of a plurality of units of content, across a plurality of other instances of the content container distributed during a foregoing period of time that included the unit of content, the facility determines both an average level of success achieved by including the unit of content, and a measure of the level of variability of the level of success achieved by including the unit of content. The facility scores each unit of content by selecting a value from a probability distribution that is based on the determined average level of success and measure of the level of variability of the level of success. The facility selects one of the units of content to include in the instance of the content container based on the determined scores. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278161 | Co-Mingling System for Delivery of Advertising and Corresponding Methods | 2012-11-01 |
20120278162 | CONDUCTING AN AUCTION OF SERVICES RESPONSIVE TO POSITIONAL SELECTION - Various technologies pertaining to provision of graphical data to a client computing device responsive to receipt of a positional selection on a web page by a user of a client computing device are described herein. A computer-executable application executing on the client computing device detects that the user has selected a certain position on the web page, wherein this application is not called by code of the web page. The position is transmitted to an ad server, which conducts an auction for display space on the client computing device based at least in part upon the detection of the certain position. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278163 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SEMANTICALLY MANAGING OFFERS AND REQUESTS OVER A NETWORK - Among other disclosure, a knowledge network and semcards enabling intelligent matching of offers and requests, involving all types of information and knowledge, including information such as classified ads, data about products and services, or knowledge, expertise, ideas, suggestions, opinions, and other forms of tacit knowledge is described. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278164 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECOMMENDING ADVERTISEMENT PLACEMENT BASED ON IN NETWORK AND CROSS NETWORK ONLINE ACTIVITY ANALYSIS - Systems and methods for recommending advertisement placement based on in network and cross network online activity analysis are disclosed. In one aspect, a method for recommending advertisement placement for an advertiser based on trends identified from activities occurring in or across networks, which can be implemented on a system includes, identifying, from the activities occurring in or across networks, commonly or frequently occurring topics and recommending placement of the advertisement at a timing when the trends or the emerging trends deem it suitable. The statistical attributes for the commonly or frequently occurring topics detected from the activities can be computed to identify trends and emerging trends. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278165 | PRESENTING OFFERS TO CONSUMERS BASED ON NEED - A dynamic incentive system is described herein that uses location data, customer demographics, and other information to make real-time targeted offers to consumers to encourage a consumer to respond to one or more calls to action. The system receives information about the consumer, such as the consumer's schedule, past purchase history, demographic information, needs, and so forth. The system also collects needs of merchants, such as unfilled appointment times. If the merchant has submitted an offer with a schedule that matches the consumer's, the system may offer the consumer an incentive to visit the merchant. The incentive may include a coupon for a discount on the merchant's services, an offer to unlock digital content, or any other incentive. Thus, the dynamic incentive system provides incentives to help merchants sell products and services by reaching more consumers and reaching them in new ways that are highly relevant to the consumers' current activities and location. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278166 | Cognitive Relevance Targeting in a Social Networking System - A social networking system infers a user's present interests based on the user's recent actions and/or the recent actions of the user's connections in the social networking system. The social networking system also determines a set of concepts associated with each of a set of information items, such as advertisements. By matching the user's present interests with the concepts associated with the information items, the social networking system selects one or more of the information items that are likely to be of present interest to the user. The social networking system then presents the selected information items for display to the user, thereby providing information based on an inferred temporal relevance of that information to the user. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278167 | ALERT PROVISIONING SYSTEM AND METHOD - An alert method and system permits an alert to be provided to a subscriber. Such alerts may comprise icons or graphical advertising units that may be navigated by the subscriber to trigger and initiate corresponding and dynamically updatable communications and communication links. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278168 | TARGETED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROMOTERS AND CONSUMERS - Techniques for distributing messages to consumers on behalf of promoters. In some embodiments, once a message is provided to a message distribution system to be distributed to consumers on behalf of promoters, the message distribution system may determine the consumers to which to distribute the message based on the personal interest identifiers for the consumers that identify personal interests of the consumers. In particular, in some embodiments, a message distribution system may determine a topic for a message and personal interest identifiers for the message that correspond to personal interest identifiers input by consumers. Once the set of personal interest identifiers for the message has been identified, a set of consumers who have input one or more of those personal interest identifiers is identified. The message may then be made available to the identified set of consumers. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278169 | TECHNIQUES FOR RENDERING ADVERTISEMENTS WITH RICH MEDIA - In one embodiment, an advertisement is matched to subject matter in a portion of rich media content, such as a digital video, Flash™ animation, etc. For example, during the playing of rich media content, it may be determined by audio recognition techniques that the content's subject matter matches or correlates with an advertisement. Rendering preferences associated with the advertisement are then determined. The rendering preferences may be used to determine how the advertisement should be rendered (i.e., displayed in association with the content). The advertisement is then served to a device. The advertisement is served such that it can be rendered relative to a time that the portion of media is being displayed on the device. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278170 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE AGGREGATION PLATFORM AND PROVIDING ADVERTISING CONTENT TO MOBILE COMMUNICATION - A management system for managing a short message service (SMS) aggregation platform and providing advertising content to mobile communication device customers. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278171 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING INFORMATION BASED ON STREET ADDRESS - A system and method is provided that, in at least one aspect, associates a search term with a building that occupies more than one street address by selecting the term based on all of the listings located at all of the street addresses occupied by the building. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278172 | DELIVERING LOCATION-BASED OFFERS BASED ON CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS - A dynamic incentive system is described herein that uses location data, customer demographics, and other information to make real-time targeted offers to consumers to encourage particular consumer behavior. In some embodiments, the dynamic incentive system attempts to reach consumers that are already at a location to perform some behavior. For example, a store in a mall may want to reach out to visitors to the mall to let them know about a particular sale or product for which the store has excess inventory. Upon detecting that a matching consumer is at the location, the system may present an offer to the consumer informing the consumer of the merchant's offer. Thus, the dynamic incentive system provides incentives to help merchants sell products and services by reaching more consumers and reaching them in new ways that are highly relevant to the consumers' current activities and location. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278173 | ADVERTISEMENT STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL - Architecture for finding and browsing advertisements presented to a user. In general, the user is able to save advertisements, distribute/share saved advertisements and/or advertisements in the user history, and distribute/share advertisements via existing communication modalities (e.g., email, SMS (short message service), social networks, messaging, etc.). The architecture provides a website the user can access to view the user history of advertisements, coupons, and offers that were presented to the user. Saved advertisements can be made available only for the duration of that particular campaign, beyond which the advertisements can be grayed out and purged with user consent. Additionally, all the advertisements can be published via one or more websites, store advertisements locally on a device, store advertisements in the cloud, and synchronize advertisements across different devices. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278174 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYNG AN ADVERTISEMENT IN AN IDLE SPACE UPON THE NOTIFICATION OF THE ARRIVAL OF A RECEIVED MESSAGE - According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for displaying an advertisement comprises the following steps: when a message arrival notification signal for notifying of the arrival of a message is received in a portable terminal, outputting advertisement content in an idle space of a message arrival notification window intended for the notification of the arrival of the message; when a receiver clicks a button for reading the message, shifting, from the message arrival notification window in which the advertisement content is being outputted, to a message window for reading the received message, and continuously outputting the advertisement content in the idle space of the message window; and, when the receiver has completed the reading of the message and closes the message window, canceling the output of the advertisement content and simultaneously shifting to a website of an advertiser, wherein the advertisement content is preemptively downloaded from an advertisement server and stored in a memory of the portable terminal, or received by means of streaming from the advertisement server simultaneously with the reception of the message. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278175 | METHODS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR MONETIZING TELECOM APP-STORES THROUGH NETWORK API USAGE - Methods and arrangements for monetizing telecom application. Advertising input is accepted, as well as contractual input relating to advertisement dissemination. An advertisement is associated with a telecom customer based on matchmaking criteria, and the advertisement is output to the customer based on the contractual input. This outputting includes propagating the advertisement selectively via at least one of: an in-application channel, wherein the advertisement is associated with a telecom application used by the customer; and an out-of-application channel, wherein the advertisement is propagated directly to the customer. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278176 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS UTILIZING FACIAL RECOGNITION AND SOCIAL NETWORK INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS - According to some embodiments, an online connection may be established with a remote potential customer. Image information, including the potential customer's face, may be captured and used to obtain a social network identifier associated with the potential customer. Social network information may then be collected, and an offer to be provided to the potential customer may be automatically identified based at least in part on the collected social network information. According to some embodiments, customer relationship management information may also be used to identify to offer. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278177 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SPEND ANALYSIS - Various systems and methods for financial analysis are provided herein in various embodiments. A method is provided comprising building a consumer data cohort based upon first consumer data, wherein the consumer data cohort comprises internal data, deriving derived data based upon the consumer data cohort and determining a consumer data cohort attribute based upon the derived data. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278178 | Method for Delivering Highly Relevant Advertisements in a Friendly Way through Personal Robots - A method for delivering highly relevant advertisements in a friendly way through personal robots is disclosed. Internet has become ubiquitous and delivering advertisements through internet in the form of emails and Web contents is common. However, unsolicited advertisements are often considered annoying and ignored. Delivering highly relevant advertisements that users have a good chance of responding to them positively is challenging. Many personal robots are able to recognize the users through face recognition techniques and speech recognition techniques. Personal robots through frequent interactions with users gather data and preferences about users. The information gathered helps identifying the relevant advertisements specific to users. Also, the personal robots are able to deliver the advertisements in a friendly way that users may perceive positively. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278179 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DEDUCING USER INFORMATION FROM INPUT DEVICE BEHAVIOR - User selections entered in the media application or any user input device behavior with user devices may be recorded as clickstream data. The clickstream data may be used to deduce information about the user or a media item being consumed. A user may be profiled based on his or her input device behavior using a plurality of time-stamped indicators. A degree of user interest may be determined based on a time period between the time-stamped indicators, the number of time-stamped indicators within a period of time, and/or a type of user action. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278180 | METHODS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR IMPROVING MONETIZATION OF TELECOM APP-STORES VIA COMBINATORIAL BIDDING ON TELECOM PARAMETERS - Methods and arrangements for facilitating the promotion of telecom applications. Promotion filter criteria is accepted, and bids on telecom information elements relating to promotion dissemination are accepted. A promotion is associated with a telecom customer based on matchmaking between the promotion and the customer, based on the filter criteria and on the bids on telecom information elements. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278181 | Advertising System and Method - An advertising system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: an advertising selection unit that receives submission of an advertising bid including a reserved bid price and a desired ranking from each of the plurality of advertiser terminals and selects exposure candidate advertisements from the received bid submission advertisements; and a ranking determination unit that selects advertisements to be exposed, excluding the lowest ranking advertisement, from the exposure candidate advertisements, and determines an exposure ranking of the advertisements to be exposed. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278182 | GENERATING AN ADVERTISEMENT MESSAGE - Implementations disclosed herein relate to generating an advertisement message. In one embodiment, a processor generates an advertisement message that includes an offer and a method for accepting the offer. An acceptance to the offer in the generated advertisement message may be tracked to identify the potential customer accepting the offer. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278183 | SCRIPTING LANGUAGE, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING PLATFORM-INDEPENDENT DYNAMICALLY INTERPRETED AND RENDERED INTERACTIVE CONTENT, AND FOR MEASURING THE DEGREE AND NATURE OF USER INTERACTION THEREWITH - Exemplary embodiments provide a scripting language, method and system for delivering platform-independent dynamically interpreted and rendered interactive content, and for measuring the degree and nature of user interaction therewith. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278184 | Combination of Social Networking Data With Other Data Sets for Estimation of Viewership Statistics - Embodiments of the invention combine information from different data sets, such as social networks, advertising networks, and/or panels, each data set comprising statistics about past viewership of content (e.g., advertisements). The result of the combination is a model that, when applied to statistics about viewing of particular content, produces viewing statistics about the particular content that are more accurate than the data of any given one of the different data sets when taken in isolation. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278185 | METHOD TO ADAPT ADS RENDERED IN A MOBILE DEVICE BASED ON EXISTENCE OF OTHER MOBILE APPLICATIONS - A method, apparatus and computer-readable storage medium for adapting alternative documents associated with content to be rendered in a mobile device is disclosed. A method, apparatus and computer-readable storage medium for adapting content, such as ads, based on presence or absence of certain mobile applications is disclosed. The mobile device performs receiving a group of contents together with condition code for each respective content. The mobile device checks a condition code, which includes examining the set of mobile applications contained in the mobile device, selecting and showing the content whose condition code specifying presence or absence of a set of mobile applications is met. A server computer is disclosed for serving a requested content based on checking a condition code. A client front-end is disclosed that enables specifying an ordered sequence of alternative documents or specifying conditions to be met in order to show respective content from a group. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278186 | METHOD OF TRACKING SOFTWARE APPLICATION INTERNET DOWNLOADS - A method of tracking software application downloads over the internet in which clicking on a web advertisement for a software application causes a user's device web browser to link to a tracking server which creates a unique identifier which is stored by the user's device browser, and also on the tracking server together with an indication of the web page including the advertisement. The user's device web browser then downloads the desired software application which includes executable code which, upon first execution, suspends the downloaded application and starts the browser, directing it to the tracking server and sending the unique identifier to the tracking server together with identification of the device and downloaded software application. The tracking server then uses the unique identifier to correlate the information on the downloaded application with the information originally stored at the time of clicking on the web advertisement. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278187 | Method and System for Processing Published Content on the Internet - Disclosed is a method for processing content published on-line so as to identify each item in a unique manner. In some implementations, an RSS feed is received from a publisher and a unique identifier is identified for each item in the feed. Each item then has third party content or advertisements associated with the item based on the unique identifier. The feed is then stored and, when appropriate, updated. The augmented feed, which contains the third party content and the items in the feed, is provided to user devices. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278188 | CARRYING OUT AN ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT VIA A USER EQUIPMENT OVER A WIRELESS NETWORK AT A POINT OF SALE WITHOUT ALTERING THE POINT OF SALE - A system for carrying out an alternative payment via user equipment (UE) over a wireless network at a point of sale (POS) without altering the POS is provided herein. The system includes a third party server and a plurality of preregistered UEs. Each UE is configured to: receive a visual identifier associated with a magnetic card at the POS and transmit to the server a unique identifier of the POS/card and the unique identifier of the customer. The server is configured to: obtain financial details regarding the primary transaction generated by the POS, receive the unique identifier of the POS and the unique identifier of the customer from the UE, approve the primary transaction if financial settlement means associated with the customer are sufficient, and establish a secondary financial transaction between the customer and the third party, for settling the debt of the customer to the third party. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278189 | DIGITAL CURRENCY CARD SALE, REDEMPTION AND ACTIVATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and method that facilitates an activation/redemption process for a digital currency card (DCC), e-PINs and bulk PIN activations/redemptions are disclosed. In the method, a sale process, an online user action with a PIN process and the simultaneous activation and redemption process occur. During this process the DCC is simultaneously activated and redeemed and the customer receives the face-value of the DCC for the stated virtual goods or currency from that redeeming company. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278190 | SHELF LIFE EXPIRATION DATE MANAGEMENT - Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for shelf life expiration date management for smart refrigerators. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for shelf life expiration date management for smart refrigerators is provided. The method includes identifying a consumer during a point of sale transaction for purchasing different food items by a point of sale computer system, for example by scanning a bar code or reading a magnetic strip of a loyalty program card or reading a radio frequency identification (RFID) dongle. A list of the different food items can be provided to the smart refrigerator, for example from storage in the loyalty program card or RFID dongle, or as transmitted from the point of sale computer system to the smart refrigerator over a computer communications network. Finally, expiration dates can be determined for the food items in the list and stored in the smart refrigerator. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278191 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SELLING AND BUYING TICKETS - Methods and systems for the sale of tickets to a particular event by a ticket source to buyers who can purchase a ticket to the event based upon the participation of a particular individual or team by making periodic payments towards such purchase for so long as the particular individual or team can still qualify to participate in the event. If the particular individual or team is eliminated from the possibility of participating in the event, the buyer's obligation to make any subsequent periodic payments to the ticket source lapses and the ticket source's obligation to deliver a ticket to the buyer for the event lapses. If the particular individual or team qualifies, and the buyer has made all the requisite payments to the ticket source, the buyer ends up “scoring” a ticket to the event from the ticket source. Others can bid to acquire a buyer's right to purchase a ticket from the ticket source. Methods and systems including a database having stored therein information pertaining to ticket rights available for acquisition, the price at which available ticket rights may be acquired, and the remaining number and amount of payments that have to be made to the ticket source in order to complete the purchase. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278192 | DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF WIRELESSLY DELIVERING CONTENT - Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wirelessly delivering content. For example, a method may include receiving at a first wireless communication device a request from a second wireless communication device via a first communication link of a first wireless communication protocol having a first coverage range, the request indicating requested content to be transferred from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; transmitting over the first communication link a session-handoff message from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, the session-handoff message including one or more link-related parameters defining a second wireless communication link of a second wireless communication protocol having a second coverage range, which is greater than the first coverage range; and transmitting the requested content from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device over the second wireless communication link. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278193 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONDUCTING PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS - A method of eliminating the need to wait in line to conduct a payment transaction in a retail establishment includes initiating a network-based electronic payment transaction with a communications device in a retail establishment. A shopper initiates the network-based electronic payment transaction. Moreover, the method includes entering a machine readable code from at least one good with the communications device, determining a price of the at least one good and a total payment transaction cost, and displaying the total payment transaction cost on a screen of the communications device. Furthermore, the method includes determining whether to approve payment for the electronic payment transaction, authenticating the shopper, completing the electronic payment transaction in the retail establishment, and transmitting a transaction complete message to the communications device when the shopper is authenticated. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278194 | USING FEEDBACK REPORTS TO DETERMINE PERFORMANCE OF AN APPLICATION IN A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for ranking applications. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, from a computing device, a feedback report related to an application configured to run on the computing device, the feedback report including information indicative of an error with the application, and a geographic location of the computing device at a time when the application encountered the error; generating, based on the feedback report, one or more metrics indicative of a performance of the application in the geographic location; retrieving information indicative of other applications associated with metrics indicative of a performance of the other applications in the geographic location; and ranking the applications in accordance with the metrics indicative of the performance of the applications in the geographic location. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278195 | METHOD FOR LOCATING A PROVIDER AND A PROVIDER LOCATING SYSTEM - A method for locating a provider based on, among other things, proximity to a user requesting the provider. Providers that are available to respond to the request are determined and data regarding one or more of the available providers is sent to the user. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278196 | System And Method For Evaluation of Literary Submissions - A system and method are provided for evaluation of literary submissions involving writers, readers, and editors/publishers. The method includes receiving registration data from writers, readers, and editors/publishers, and receiving a plurality of submissions of literary works produced by the writers. The readers are provided access to the submissions; votes are received from the readers regarding the submissions in a first round of voting. Finalist submissions and finalist writers are determined in accordance with the voting by the readers. The editors/publishers are provided access to the submissions, and auction bids are received from the editors/publishers in an auction with regard to the finalist submissions. At the conclusion of the auction, the winning editor/publisher for each of the finalist submissions is determined, so that each of the finalist submissions is published first as an E-book and at a later point, if desired, in paperback or hardcover. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278197 | METHOD FOR SALE OF GOODS AND SERVICES OVER A NETWORK - Among other things, techniques, systems, apparatus, methods and computer readable storage medium with executable instructions for carrying out online auctions are described. Features of the invention pertain to facilitating the sale of goods and services through an auction, offering bidders the potential for purchasing goods and services at huge discounts from retail pricing, providing bidders compelling reasons for purchasing goods by enabling winning bidders to optionally make a potential profit on goods or services they have purchased at substantial savings by re-auctioning the items, and providing losing bidders with the potential to become qualified to participate in prospective profits from subsequent auctions for products similar to the items they did not win. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278198 | EFFICIENT CHOICE SELECTION FOR MULTI-ELEMENT PRODUCTS - A method for efficiently specifying a plurality of product specifications includes providing product element specifications having multiple selection choices for product elements, presenting user-interactive pages to select a choice for each product element, receiving a selected choice for each product element to specify a first product specification, presenting a last user-interactive page following the user-interactive pages, the last user-interactive page including a user-interactive graphic element that when selected presents a repeated one of the user-interactive pages, receiving a selected choice for the product element corresponding to the repeated user-interactive page in a second product specification that is different from the product element selection choice in the first product specification, and automatically selecting unspecified product element choices in the second product specification that are the same as in the first product specification, thereby producing a second product specification different from the first product specification. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278199 | PATRON SERVICE SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method of using a wireless patron unit within a venue, and within a vicinity of the venue, includes providing at least one patron with a wireless patron unit having a touch-screen display, which has stored therein at least one venue specific application program. The method also includes connecting the wireless patron unit to a server, entering patron-related into the wireless patron unit, and displaying patron-related information on the patron unit. The method further includes entering a patron order for at least one item or service provided by the venue, displaying the patron order and a location of the wireless patron unit, and providing a current status of the patron order on the touch-screen display of the wireless patron unit. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278200 | Value Banking System And Technique Utilizing Complementary Value Currency - A new physical currency and any electronic token thereof is exchangeable for tangible goods or intangible services and has a value that is stabilized by an underlying stock portfolio or other asset having intrinsic value, the short term market value of which is arbitrated directly or indirectly by a central value bank. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278201 | Location transaction processing system - A system for identifying the location of a user and presenting the user with the location of nearby merchants that accept payment from a payment system associated with the user's mobile communication device. Upon opening an application associated with the system within the mobile communication device, the user is presented with a map of the user's location, including tags of nearby merchants that accept the payment system. The user may choose a particular merchant by selecting the tag on the map associated with that merchant. The user may input a personal identification number and a payment amount, which authorizes the transfer of funds from a user account to the merchant account via the mobile communication device. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278202 | VIRTUAL PIGGYBANK HAVING QUICK CONNECT - A computer-implemented method of establishing an online account for a prospective user, comprising the steps of presenting to a first user a merchant system through a network; receiving from the first user a product selected from the merchant system for purchase; presenting an online account icon for a banking system to the first user to initiate payment for the selected product; once the icon is selected by the first user, determining if the user has an account with the banking system, and if not, prompting the first user to enter a second user's contact information; contacting the second user by electronic messaging with a request to approve the first user's purchase; and upon receiving the approval, creating the online account for the first user. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278203 | Buy First - BUYFIRST is a clickable button that appears on the website and or websites within the network for shopping. The BUYFIRST button was designed in red and blue. The BUYFIRST button has been designed and programmed into the shopping system platform to enable a purchaser of products and services to use as a check out button to a computer enabled shopping platform network. Buyers are using their desired methods of payments or choices of payments our network provides to use the BUYFIRST button to make a final purchase of goods. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278204 | DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING GOODS DELIVERY SCHEDULE COORDINATION AND METHOD OF SUPPORTING GOODS DELIVERY SCHEDULE COORDINATION - A device for supporting goods delivery schedule coordination includes: a storage unit retaining information of a delivery schedule and transportation lead time; a computation unit having a transportation lead-time converting unit which calculates the shipment date in the delivery schedule and stores that as an updated delivery schedule; an output unit which outputs by a screen the information of the updated delivery schedule based on two types of timing of arrival-date basis and shipment-date basis; and a control unit having a schedule-coordination-information receiving unit which receives information of the delivery schedule requested to be coordinated and stores that as a coordination-requested schedule. The computation unit further has a schedule-coordinatable-period calculating unit which stores the delivery schedule included in the coordinatable period as a coordinatable period. The output unit distinguishably displays a range about the coordinatable period. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278205 | Vertical Network Computing Integration, Analytics, And Automation - Embodiments of the invention can relate to methods, systems, apparatuses directed to integration of computing networks, especially within supply chains, and use of information from these integrated networks to generate analytics. To generate such analytics, an analysis computer or payment processing network may receive purchase data. In various embodiments the purchase data may include a product identifier that is associated with a product or service that is involved in the purchase. Once the purchase transaction with the product identifier is received, consumption of inventory at the merchant or supplier may be tracked. Tracking the consumption of inventory may involve storing and using a relationship between the product identifier and the inventory. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278206 | PRODUCT ALLOCATION INTERFACE - A computer-implemented framework and method for maintaining product allocation data objects comprising a plurality of product allocation data objects, a plurality of software modules, an interface for the software modules, and a plurality of computer-applications, wherein the product allocation data objects are representative of product allocations for several participants within an e-business system, wherein a product allocation data object is processed by at least one of the plurality of computer-applications, the software modules providing access to the product allocation data objects, and the interface provides concurrent access to the software modules for online collaboration, wherein a collaborative planning process of the product allocation data objects is executed by the software modules and controlled by the applications. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278207 | Transporting Currency - A method of handling currency includes receiving currency into a safe at an origination location. The safe is configured to count and store currency. The method further includes receiving a withdrawal request for an amount of currency stored in the safe. In response to the withdrawal request, the safe deposits the requested amount of currency into a container, associates information with the container, seals the container, and after sealing the container, allows retrieval of the container (e.g., from the safe). The method includes retrieving the sealed container, transporting the sealed container to a destination location, and receiving the sealed container in a secure deposit system at the destination location. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278208 | Transporting Currency - A method of handling currency includes receiving currency into a safe at a first location. The safe is configured to count and store currency. The method further includes receiving a withdrawal request for an amount of currency stored in the safe. In response to the withdrawal request, the safe deposits the requested amount of currency into a container, associates information with the container, seals the container, and after sealing the container, allows retrieval of the container (e.g., from the safe). The method includes retrieving the sealed container, transporting the sealed container to a second location, and receiving the sealed container in a secure deposit system at the second location. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278209 | MICRO-APP DYNAMIC REVENUE SHARING - In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided comprising: displaying full-app content using a full-app on a first device, wherein the full-app is associated with a full-app partner and was downloaded from an app store; running a micro-app simultaneously with the full-app content playing on the first device, wherein the micro-app is associated with a micro-app partner; performing a revenue generating event on the first device; retrieving current context information; dynamically assigning a percentage of shared revenue associated with the revenue generating event to each of the app store, the full-app partner, and the micro-app partner, based upon the current context information; and causing revenue associated with the revenue generating event to be shared among the app store, the full-app partner, and the micro-app partner based on the dynamically assigned percentages. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278210 | Automated Stock Donation System - A computer system is provided for donating securities to an organization. The method of carrying out the donation process comprises the steps of (a) receiving transaction authorization from a donor, (b) generating a securities management account for an organization, wherein said account comprises information for accessing the organization's financial institution, (c) receiving authorization from a donor to donate securities to said organization, wherein said authorization comprises quantity of a particular security and donor's financial institution information, (d) communicating with donor's financial institution, (e) receiving securities from donor's financial institution; and (f) liquidating said securities on a securities market. The system can comprise one or more processors arranged to carry out the steps. Also, the system can comprise one or more computer-readable mediums encoded with executable code for carrying out the steps. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278211 | METHODS, APPARATUSES AND SYSTEMS FOR VERIFYING TIME AND ATTENDANCE BY WORKERS AT REMOTE WORKSITES - Systems, apparatuses and methods for remotely keeping track of, or monitoring, one or more individuals' work activities employ mobile phones or other mobile tracking devices used by the individuals. The mobile tracking devices convey verifiable time and location information to a central controller to confirm each individual's attendance at an assigned worksite at a scheduled time. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278212 | ENTERPRISE COMPENSATION APPLICATION SUPPORTING A LARGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES - An enterprise compensation application enables different users to create corresponding sets of custom filters of interest, and then stores in a non-volatile storage, data indicating the corresponding custom filters created by each user. In response to receiving a request from a user for information related to a set of employees, the application identifies the set of custom filter created by the user (by examining the stored data), presents information related to the requested set of employees and also makes available the identified set of custom filters. On receiving an input indicating that the user has selected a custom filter from the set, the application determines a subset of employee as limited by the selected custom filter and then presents the information related to the subset to the user. Thus, the enterprise compensation application simplifies/supports compensation management for a large number of employees. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278213 | Deduction Information Repository - A method of creating a deduction information repository. In one embodiment, the method includes creating a plurality of templates, wherein a payroll procedure consists of a plurality of payroll tasks, wherein each of the templates is an abstract representation of one of the payroll tasks. Each of the payroll tasks comprises at least one of a plurality of payroll operations. The templates are stored in a single repository. The single repository is configured to maintain the payroll tasks of the payroll procedure. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278214 | METHODS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIRD PARTY CHARGING AUTHORIZATION FOR MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS - Methods and arrangements for handling web-based purchase requests. A customer request for content of a third party content provider is received at a charging service provider. An authorization code on behalf of the content provider is generated and returned to the customer via a channel other than a channel which links the customer with the third party content provider. The authorization code is accepted from the third party content provider as received by the third party content provider from the customer, the authorization code is verified, and charging for the requested content is executed. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278215 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CHARGING BATTERY - A method and device of charging a battery is provided. A charging device transmits a charging initiation request including a charging identifier for identifying a user to an electric meter and receives a charging initiation response from the electricity meter. The charging device performs charging by connecting the charging station with the battery after receiving the charging initiation response. The charging device receives charging information indicating billing information according to the charging of the battery from the electricity meter. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278216 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING A SELF-CREATED ACCOUNT FOR STORING ASSETS - An approach is provided for sharing a self-created account for storing assets. An asset sharing platform determines at least one account for storing a representation of one or more associated assets. The at least one account is a self-created account associated with at least one device. The asset sharing platform further causes at least in part, a sharing of the at least one account with at least one other device to enable collective access to the at least one account by the at least one device and the at least one other device with substantially equal rights. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278217 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVING PREDICTION OF FUTURE CREDIT RISK PERFORMANCES - Systems and methods are provided for improving prediction of credit risk performances of a plurality of consumers, each consumer having a standard credit data file and score. According to a particular aspect, a method determines changes in credit data files of the plurality of consumers during a predetermined period of time, and combines change data with standard credit data. The method determines a set of credit elements that are predictive of credit risk performances of the plurality of customers by processing the combined change data and standard credit data, and identifies an incremental risk value for each of the plurality of consumers by supplementing the corresponding credit data file with the predictive set of credit elements. The method further generates a flag indicative of the identified incremental risk value for each of the plurality of consumers. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278218 | Ascertaining market value through a competitive valuation process - System and method are provided for analyzing the value of a subject. This is accomplished through a competitive environment wherein Sources of Valuation are compensated according to the proximity of each provided valuation to a central valuation computed from the estimates of the group. From these Valuations a value is computed for the specific subject. The compensation motivates the Sources of Valuation, to compete in giving valuations which will be closest to the center of what a group of professional Sources of Valuations might provide. These sources will likely find that this is accomplished by competing to be more accurate than their competitors. This competition towards centrality finds synergy in creating an altogether more accurate system of valuing assets, liabilities, or other subjects, than that of tradition or computer perceived methods. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278219 | ARCHITECTURE AND METHOD FOR COMBINING COST DATA IN AUTOMATED MISSION PLANNERS - A system and method for combining cost maps including a multiplicity of cost service components for converting raw planning factors into standardized cost factors. A cost combiner component combines cost factors according to a cost configuration to generate a combined cost map | 2012-11-01 |
20120278220 | FORWARD-LOOKING TRANSACTIVE PRICING SCHEMES FOR USE IN A MARKET-BASED RESOURCE ALLOCATION SYSTEM - Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for distributing a resource (such as electricity) using a resource allocation system. One of the disclosed embodiments is a method for generating a bid value for purchasing electricity in a market-based resource allocation system. In this embodiment, a desired performance value indicative of a user's desired performance level for an electrical device is received. Price information from an electricity futures market is received. A bid value for purchasing electricity from a local resource allocation market sufficient to operate the electrical device at the desired performance level is computed. In this embodiment, the computing is performed based at least in part on the desired performance value and based at least in part on the price information from the electricity futures market. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278221 | PREVENTING CONFLICTS AMONG BID CURVES USED WITH TRANSACTIVE CONTROLLERS IN A MARKET-BASED RESOURCE ALLOCATION SYSTEM - Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for distributing a resource (such as electricity) using a resource allocation system. One of the disclosed embodiments is a method for operating a transactive thermostatic controller configured to submit bids to a market-based resource allocation system. According to the exemplary method, a first bid curve is determined, the first bid curve indicating a first set of bid prices for corresponding temperatures and being associated with a cooling mode of operation for a heating and cooling system. A second bid curve is also determined, the second bid curve indicating a second set of bid prices for corresponding temperatures and being associated with a heating mode of operation for a heating and cooling system. In this embodiment, the first bid curve, the second bid curve, or both the first bid curve and the second bid curve are modified to prevent overlap of any portion of the first bid curve and the second bid curve. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278222 | Fuel Offering and Purchase Management System - The present disclosure is directed to facilitating pricing, sales and delivery of a commodity. In one embodiment, a Fuel Offer Generator that facilitates the purchase and management of fuel offerings. The Fuel Offer Generator allows Customers interested in securing fuel to obtain an offer for fuel at lock-in prices for various tenors. Fuel Customers may later exercise the fuel offers so their fuel costs are locked-in at desired levels. The Fuel Offer Generator may generate hedges to counteract fuel related risks stemming from fuel offer purchases. A customer that purchases a fuel offering can exercise their fuel offering order at a specified price and redeem any difference between the market price for their purchased fuel and the price specified in their fuel offering order. The Fuel Offer Generator determines which metrics are relevant to pricing the fuel offering and then employs those determined metrics to establish the pricing of fuel offerings. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278223 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROTECTING AGAINST ERRONEOUS PRICE ENTRIES IN THE ELECTRONIC TRADING OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS - The invention relates to systems and methods that provide a user interface for use with an electronic trading system. The interface notifies the user that the price at which he or she may have attempted to trade has changed and presents the user with the opportunity to submit, modify or cancel the trade command. The user may configure the trading system to enable such a notification based on the time span for the price change, the number of increments of the price change, a combination thereof or any other appropriate consideration for protecting against the occurrence of erroneous price entries. Subsequent trade commands, such as those entered by third parties, may be used to validate prices and execute trades at these prices. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278224 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIMULATING AN ELECTRONIC TRADING ENVIRONMENT - Market data is recorded from a real live exchange. The recording data can be played back in real time or delayed, in any manner, to simulate the recorded market. Moreover, one or more users can participate in the simulated market just as if they were participating in a real-live market. The system provides a realistic trading environment without the associated risks of trading in a live-market such as losing money and the cost of making trades. The system may be used for training purposes and for purposes of testing and analyzing various trading strategies. Software developers and testers may also utilize the realistic environment to develop trading products or applications. Additionally, the system provides a means for demonstrating trading application products. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278225 | Time Market Grid Interface - A system and method are provided for trading a tradable object. One example apparatus includes a microprocessor, a graphical user comprising a first screen region having a plurality of locations in the first screen region, each location corresponding to a price level along a first axis and a time along a second axis. The apparatus also comprises a user input device for sending a command to initiate placement of a timed trade order, and an indicator being dynamically displayed in one of the plurality locations of the first screen region and corresponding to the timed order. In one example embodiment, the indicator dynamically moves over time relative to the second axis indicating a time until the order will be automatically sent to a computerized matching process. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278226 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING DATA METRICS FOR CREDIT SCORE ANALYSIS - Embodiments of the present invention may provide systems and methods for receiving a request for an individual's credit report; identifying the individual's one or more credit entries from the individual's credit report; accessing a credit model; calculating a credit score with the credit model using aspects derived from the individual's credit report; accessing a data metrics model; calculating a data metrics score for the individual's one or more credit entries; preparing a credit report combining the results of the credit score and the data metrics score; and sending the credit report. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278227 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING DATA METRICS FOR CREDIT SCORE ANALYSIS - Embodiments of the present invention may provide systems and methods for receiving a request for an anticipatory credit score for an individual; identifying one or more credit entries for the individual; accessing a data metrics model for determining anticipatory credit scores; determining, if applicable, one or more timed credit entries in the one or more credit entries; calculating the anticipatory credit score for the individual for a set time in the future using, if applicable, the one or more timed credit entries; and sending the anticipatory credit score. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278228 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACCURATE AND SECURE PRODUCT DISPENSING - A system and apparatus for accurate and secure dispensing of products using an automated dispensing machine, and transmission, processing and analysis of data concerning items dispensed. In one embodiment the system provides the possibility of combined pharmaceutical supply chain management and medication treatment compliance management and may be applied to controlled dispensing of medications, enabling incentives to encourage higher compliance, recording and processing of patient and health care data. The system allows for automatic replenishment of medications to the RFID equipped medication storage enclosure at the healthcare site. It also allows for complete logging of data relating to which patient has received the correct dosage at what time, by whom this medication was administered, and correlation with other possible RFID tagged documents. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278229 | Methods and Systems for Providing Subsidized Access to Network Content - An exemplary method includes a content delivery system 1) detecting a request provided by an access device associated with a user to access network content by way of a network provided by a network service provider, the network content associated with a content provider and maintained by a content provider subsystem, 2) determining that a data usage charge for access by the user to the network content by way of the network is subsidized by the content provider in accordance with a subsidized access arrangement between the content provider and the network service provider, and 3) providing the user with subsidized access to the network content in accordance with a rule set associated with the subsidized access arrangement. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278230 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM AND STORAGE MEDIUM - Provided is an information processing device which enables a user to always and easily recognize an amount to be paid by the user, which results in a reduction of the burden imposed on the user. A debit requesting module ( | 2012-11-01 |
20120278231 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HEDGING CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS - An unspecified, variable bonus amount of phone card time (or some other product whose delivered value can be varied) is provided with a with a topup, where the topup amount has a fixed delivered amount in local currency and the topup is sold in other territories where foreign exchange rate fluctuations provide for a fluctuating cost of the fixed topup amount. The bonus amount may be applied to a bonus, such as a bonus phone card, that provides a hedge against exchange rate fluctuations by being a variable amount of bonus phone card time, for example, associated with the topup. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278232 | PAYMENT SYSTEM AND METHODS - Disclosed are payment system and methods. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278233 | VIRTUAL PIGGYBANK HAVING DASHBOARD AND DEBIT CARD - A computer-implemented method of establishing an online account for a prospective user, the method comprising the steps of establishing a first account through direct deposit, the settings of the first account being stored in a database; establishing a second account, the settings of the second account being stored in the database, wherein the second account includes a debit card associated with the direct deposit account; linking the first and second accounts such that control settings of the second account are determined through the first account; and making a purchase from the second account using the debit card consistent with the control settings of the second account. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278234 | FAST CASH AT ATM - Apparatus and methods for an enhanced cash withdrawal transaction option are provided. The enhanced cash withdrawal transaction option may include using an ATM to display an initial ATM display. The initial ATM display may display multiple transaction options, the multiple transaction options including at least one cash withdrawal amount. Apparatus and methods for an additional enhanced cash withdrawal transaction are provided. The additional enhanced cash withdrawal transaction may enable a user to type an ATM PIN in an ATM keypad followed by a cash withdrawal amount. Apparatus and methods for an enhanced ATM customer display are also provided. The enhanced ATM customer display according to the systems and methods of the invention may customize an ordered ATM customer flow based on historical customer usage data. | 2012-11-01 |
20120278235 | Electronic Envelope Budget Planning and Control System - Described herein is a method of implementing an electronic envelope budget planning and control system. Such a system includes establishing sub-accounts which have criteria limiting consumer spending of such sub-accounts substantially simultaneously with purchasing transactions by requiring funding of a transaction to meet budgeting criteria and funding limits before such a transaction can be funded at the point of sale. | 2012-11-01 |