43rd week of 2012 patent applcation highlights part 54 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20120271660 | CLOUD SERVICE FACILITATOR APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS - The CLOUD SERVICE FACILITATOR APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“CSF”) transforms user purchase requests, refund requests, and product/service replacement requests via CSF components into transaction records, refunds, and replacement products/services outputs. The CSF may receive a consumer purchase request for a cloud service from a merchant. In response to the request, the CSF may generate a unique record key for the purchase and may transmit the unique record key to the merchant. The CSF may further receive additional transaction information and the unique record key from the merchant. In response to the received information and the unique key, the CSF may provide additional service to the merchant or the consumer. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271661 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING DATA RELATED TO LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES ISSUED PRIOR TO UNDERWRITING - A computer system for administering applications for life insurance has a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive data indicative of an application and an initial premium payment from a proposed insured for life insurance; based on the received data, determine whether the proposed insured is uninsurable; responsive to a determination that the proposed insured is not uninsurable, generate an output signal having data indicative of a decision to respond to the application by issuing a policy and commencing a comprehensive underwriting process; receive data indicative of a result of the comprehensive underwriting process; based on the result of the comprehensive underwriting process, determine a rating of the proposed insured; and, based on the rating, provide an output signal indicative of a same or changed premium for the policy. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271662 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING LONGEVITY INSURANCE WITH OR WITHOUT AN ASSET BASED PREMIUM - The present invention provides methods and systems for providing longevity insurance by obtaining information useful for issuing a longevity insurance contract for an individual, and determining a premium or an income payment for the individual that are computed based at least in part on an individual's age at a predetermined date that income payments are deferred to. The longevity insurance contract generally provides deferred income payments for a period of time, such as for the life of the individual, beginning at a predetermined date that is after an individual's anticipated retirement, or at a predetermined date that is after the individual's life expectancy, or on or after a specified birthday of the individual. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271663 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INCREASING CAPACITY IN AN INSURANCE SYSTEM THROUGH CAPITAL MARKET PARTICIPATION IN CELL COMPANY BASED ALTERNATIVE RISK TRANSFER STRUCTURE - The invention relates, in various aspects to systems, methods, and computer readable media suited for implementing a commonly administered, quota share-based multi-insurer primary insurance system. Among other embodiments, at least one insurance entity is associated with a funding entity, and portions of a claim liability or a received premium associated with at least one insurance policy are allocated among at least two insurance entities and the funding entity according to the stored quota share rates associated with the at least one insurance policy. Other embodiments are disclosed and encompassed herein. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271664 | ACCOUNT LEVEL PARTICIPATION FOR UNDERWRITING COMPONENTS - An account management system has been developed that enables customer or client-related information to be stored, viewed and manipulated in a manner that reflects the relationship among different customers. The account management system includes an account data structure that defines accounts and relates customers to accounts so that the accounts include a group of related customers. In addition, a method of managing an underwriting account for an insurance policy has been developed. In particular, a method comprises the steps of establishing a plurality of participants, assigning each participant of the plurality of participants to an account, establishing business rules at an account level, and providing an underwriting decision for an account based upon the business rules. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271665 | PROVIDING TARGETED CONSIDERATION AND INCENTIVE GENERATION OF A TICKETED ITEM IN A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT - Systems and methods of tracking a further reservation of a ticketed item to a first user when a second user provides payment of the ticketed item to a payment portal are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the method also includes automatically generating a discount, a discounted price for the ticketed item and/or a refund of the ticket price to the first user based on a value for a promotional success of the first user. The method further includes analyzing at least one of a number of further reservations achieved through a unique identification data associated with the first user and the number of visits through the unique identification data associated with the first user to calculate the promotional success of the first user. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271666 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING CONTEXTUAL SERVICES - Provided are systems and methods for contextually providing services via a portable computer at a selected location. According to some embodiments, the systems and methods include processes for determining location-specific information about the selected location, determining status information about a user of the portable computer interface, and displaying an available service to the user on a display screen of the portable computer, the available service being selected based on the location-specific information and the status information, configuring a portable computer for transient use by a plurality of guests at a selected location. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271667 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE REDEMPTION OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES - The invention disclosed herein is directed to a system and method of facilitating a user's redemption of goods, services and/or promotional materials comprising a user interface into which the user may input data from a bar code or other data associated with an event admissions ticket. The system and method may then identify the bar code or other data, and allow the user to access the goods, services or promotional materials. The event admissions ticket may be from a concert, sporting event, convention or other activity. Certain embodiments of the invention, after entering the bar code from the event admissions ticket, users of the system and method may download from the Internet or other communications network, or otherwise gain access to product, services or other promotional materials such as audio products, video products, or coupons including, but not limited to, music, music videos, movies, games and/or discount coupons. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271668 | Open Date Ticketing Method and System - A system and method is disclosed for selling open date ticket packages to selected events of a season of sporting or other events. A package of tickets is purchased in advance of the season with a predetermined number of open date tickets for a selected section or sections of the stadium. The tickets in the package are not date specific and not limited as to how many tickets of the package can be redeemed for attendance at a single event. During a window before each eligible event of the season, open date ticket holders may redeem tickets online for the upcoming event. One or all of the tickets of the package, or any number in between, can be redeemed for any specific event. Each redeemed ticket is assigned a seat and provided with the right to attend the event for which the open date ticket was redeemed. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271669 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A SUSTAINABILITY METRIC - An electronically implemented method of determining and managing a sustainability metric of one or more inventory groups is disclosed. Each group comprises one or more operational units. The method receives at least one of consumption data and one or more inventory parameters associated with each of the one or more inventory groups. A factual sustainability metric of the one or more inventory groups is determined, based on the received at least one of consumption data and one or more inventory parameters. A model sustainability metric of the one or more inventory groups in at least one model scenario, is also determined. The model scenario comprising modifying at least one of received consumption data and a received inventory parameter, to assess the effect of the modification on the factual sustainability metric. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271670 | METHODS, TECHNOLOGY, AND SYSTEMS FOR QUICKLY ENHANCING THE OPERATING AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF ENERGY SYSTEMS AT LARGE FACILITIES, INTERPRETING USUAL AND UNUSUAL PATTERNS IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION, IDENTIFYING, QUANTIFYING, AND MONETIZING HIDDEN OPERATING AND FINANCIAL WASTE, AND ACCURATELY MEASURING THE RESULTS OF IMPLEMENTED ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, IN THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME WITH MINIMAL COST AND EFFORT - Certain examples relate to computer implemented methods and systems including at least three modules whose combined functionality provides for interpretation and optimization of usual and unusual patterns in energy consumption; the identification, quantification, and monetization of hidden operating and financial waste and the accurate measurement of the results of implemented energy management solutions. The first, “Expert Module”, provides information that assists with the accurate interpretation of the information provided in the Operations module. The second, “Costs Module”, allows users to modify consumption and price components and derive the resulting operating costs based on the facility's applied or available rate structures. The third, “Operations Module”, charts and evaluates the current operating performance of a facility down to 15-minute intervals in comparison to the operating performance of a pre-selected “base year”. Comparisons are synchronized over intervals in a manner that allows users to compare and comment on individual graphs interactively. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271671 | METHODS, TECHNOLOGY, AND SYSTEMS FOR QUICKLY ENHANCING THE OPERATING AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF ENERGY SYSTEMS AT LARGE FACILITIES; INTERPRETING USUAL AND UNUSUAL PATTERNS IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION; IDENTIFYING, QUANTIFYING, AND MONETIZING HIDDEN OPERATING AND FINANCIAL WASTE; AND ACCURATELY MEASURING THE RESULTS OF IMPLEMENTED ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS- IN THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME WITH MINIMAL COST AND EFFORT - Certain examples relate to computer implemented methods and systems including at least three modules whose combined functionality provides for interpretation and optimization of usual and unusual patterns in energy consumption; the identification, quantification, and monetization of hidden operating and financial waste and the accurate measurement of the results of implemented energy management solutions. The first, “Expert Module”, provides information that assists with the accurate interpretation of the information provided in the Operations module. The second, “Costs Module”, allows users to modify consumption and price components and derive the resulting operating costs based on the facility's applied or available rate structures. The third, “Operations Module”, charts and evaluates the current operating performance of a facility down to 15-minute intervals in comparison to the operating performance of a pre-selected “base year”. Comparisons are synchronized over intervals in a manner that allows users to compare and comment on individual graphs interactively. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271672 | SOFTWARE/HARDWARE RANKING - A ranking method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing system, business requirements and associated weighting factors. The computing system receives a list of software/hardware products and associated assessment data. The business requirements are associated with product features of the software/hardware products. The computing system calculates total requirement weighting factors for the product features. The computing system stores the total requirement weighting factors. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271673 | Systems and Methods for Facility Management and Maintenance Tracking - Systems and methods are utilized by facility managers for facility management and maintenance tracking. Specifically, systems and methods provide facility managers with the ability to manage one or more facilities in an organization or a company. More specifically, systems and methods of the present invention provide facility managers the ability to manage facilities and track information relating to the facilities, manage service required at the facilities, and manage bids from vendors for capital projects to the facilities. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271674 | Method and Apparatus for Identifying and Contacting Customers Who Are Due for a Visit But Have Not Scheduled an Appointment - A management database is queried to determine which customers have failed to respond to recall notices. The resulting list of customers may be sorted or filtered so that some customers are preferentially contacted first, based on expected value or office preferences. The list may also be sorted or filtered to fill specific providers' schedules first. Customer names and contact information are then presented to schedulers so that customers may be contacted. The time and date of each contact is automatically recorded along with the outcome of the contact. A customer name is presented to a scheduler only if the same name is not being simultaneously presented to other schedulers and that customer was not too recently contacted, so that redundant or too frequent contacts are avoided. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271675 | DYNAMIC CANDIDATE ORGANIZATION SYSTEM - One embodiment includes a dynamic candidate queuing system. The dynamic candidate queuing system includes a network comprising a server communicatively coupleable with one or more other computers. The server includes a processor and a storage device coupled to the processor. The server is configured to receive data entered at the one or more other computers by candidates and store the data in the storage device. Further, the processor generates a queue listing of candidates in the storage device and the queue listing is organized according to a score given to the data. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271676 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN INTELLIGENT PERSONAL TIMELINE ASSISTANT - The present disclosure provides methods and systems for assisting a user in managing a timeline of appointments in which at least one appointment is associated with an event, and the appointment has associated appointment information that describes aspects of the appointment and/or event, including receiving free-form scheduling information from an electronic notification, inferring that at least a portion of the free-form scheduling information relates to an existing appointment and/or associated event, the existing appointment having presently associated appointment information that describes aspects of the appointment and/or associated event, selecting an appointment for modification, and modifying the selected appointment based on (a) the portion of the free-form scheduling information inferred to relate to the existing appointment and/or associated event, and at least one of the appointment information presently associated with the existing appointment, and a user preference signature representing prior actions performed by and/or content preferences learned about the user. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271677 | Tracking, Accounting, and Reporting Machine - Feedstock of an agricultural biomass is tracked through a first supply chain. Residue of the agricultural biomass is tracked through a second supply chain. A quantity of fuel, produced from the feedstock, having a carbon intensity value is determined based on utilization of the residue in the second supply chain. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271678 | CHARGEBACK REDUCTION PLANNING FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT - Minimizing cost chargeback in an information technology (IT) computing environment including multiple resources. One implementation involves determining time-based usage patterns and allocation statistics for a plurality of resources and associated resource workloads. Using a regression function for determining a correlation of response time with resource usages and outstanding input/output instructions for the plurality of resources. Based on the time-based usage patterns, allocation statistics and the correlation, deriving an interpolation using positive and negative integrals to minimize a difference between allocated resource values and average allocation values. Determining service level objectives (SLOs) and resource allocation for minimizing cost chargeback for the resource workloads based on the derived interpolation. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271679 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIMULATING THE DEVELOPMENT OVER TIME OF BOOKINGS SITUATIONS - A method for simulating the development over time of bookings situations for flights. It is proposed that a first number of hard parameters which include at least one flight schedule between at least two departure and arrival points, and a second number of soft parameters which include at least one fare for a flight between the at least two departure and arrival points, are provided, as well as a virtual environment which constitutes a representation of a real environment in which virtual passengers book flights under conditions defined in each case by the parameters. The pattern over time of the totality of all bookings is recorded and can be displayed on a display device and wherein a user influences the respective bookings situations by prior adjustment of at least one of the soft parameters. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271680 | System and Method for Researching Virtual Markets and Optimizing Product Placements and Displays - A system and method for researching virtual markets and using the research to optimize product placements and displays. The system includes a monitoring engine configured to monitor information about user reactions and/or at least one product. The system also includes a recommendation engine configured to recommend a location within a virtual universe to display the at least one product based on the information monitored by the monitoring engine and a display engine configured to display the at least one product at a recommended location. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271681 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCT OPTIMIZATION ON THE BASIS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SERIAL MEASUREMENT DATA - The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for product optimization taking into consideration national and/or international anthropometric or socio-demographic population characteristics, wherein the country specific data ( | 2012-10-25 |
20120271682 | ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS OF A USER - A method, operable on a processing device, for assessment of skills of a user may include receiving, by the processing device, an error message reporting an error associated with the user. The method may also include determining, by the processing device, a categorization of the error. Determining the categorization of the error may include assigning one of a plurality of predetermined skill ratings to the user. Each predetermined skill rating may be associated with a predefined condition. The method may additionally include generating, by the processing device, a report for assessment of the skills of the user. The report may include an identification of the user, the error, identification of a system if a system associated error, identification of a product if a product associated error, the categorization of the error and the predetermined skill rating assigned to the user. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271683 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS - A method of establishing wireless communications between an interrogator and individual ones of multiple wireless identification devices, the method comprising combining tree search and Aloha methods to establish communications between the interrogator and individual ones of the multiple wireless identification devices without collision. A system comprising an interrogator, and a plurality of wireless identification devices configured to communicate with the interrogator In a wireless fashion, the respective wireless identification devices having a unique identification number, the interrogator being configured to employ tree search and Aloha techniques to determine the unique identification numbers of the different wireless identification devices so as to be able to establish communications between the interrogator identification and individual devices without ones of the multiple wireless collision by multiple wireless identification devices attempting to respond to the interrogator at the same time. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271684 | Method and System for Providing Location Targeted Advertisements - A method of providing advertisements to mobile devices is disclosed. A position of a first mobile device is obtained and one of the advertisements from an advertisement database is identified based on the position of the first mobile device. At least one friend of a first user of the first mobile device is identified, wherein the friend is associated with a second mobile device. The identified advertisement is provided to the first mobile device and the second mobile device, wherein the advertisement includes an incentive for both a first user of the first mobile device and a user of the second mobile device to visit together a point of interest associated with the identified advertisement. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271685 | Fuel Offering and Purchase Management System - 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. The Fuel Offer Generator allows for the management of regional fuel price offerings and allows for fuel offering redemption based on fuel pump prices. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271686 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE MORE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION AND CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND WATER RESOURCES - A method of and system for providing an incentive program for conserving a consumable resource such as electricity, natural gas, oil, air or water. The present invention monitors utilization of the resource at a location, and then determines a type and quantity of variable resource points to be provided to an account associated with the location or with a participant by analyzing the monitored resource utilization with respect to a plurality of varying conditions (time-variant, location-variant, cost-variant etc.). These conditions may be independent or interdependent; these relationships will be incorporated into the calculations resulting in the award of the type and quantity of resource points determined by the Program. The resource points are then stored in an account associated with the location or with a participant for future use. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271687 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING CONSUMERS WITH ONE OR MORE PRODUCT OR SERVICE PROVIDERS - A method and apparatus that for matching consumers with product or service providers is disclosed. The method may include establishing one or more profiles from one or more product or service providers, establishing one or more profiles from one or more consumers, receiving a consumer's subject matter request, matching the consumer with one or more products or service providers based on at least one of the consumer's profile and subject matter request, and providing the consumer's contact information to the matched one or more products or service providers. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271688 | METHOD OF SWITCHING MEDIA CONTENT FOR A MOBILE APPARATUS - The present invention relates to a method of switching media content for a mobile apparatus comprising a player and a selector. It is characterized in that it comprises the steps of: receiving an http streaming request from said player for playing a first media content on said player (RX_REQ1 (C1)); sending to said player first http messages related to said http streaming request comprising first files corresponding to said first media content, said first media content being segmented within some of said first files (TX_MSG1 (C1.F1; C1.F2)); receiving an http switching media content request from said selector for playing a second media content on said player (RX_REQ2 (C2)); replacing within said first http messages said first files by second files corresponding to said second media content (RPL_C); and sending to said player first http messages related to said http streaming request comprising said second files, said second media content being segmented within some of said second files (TX MSG1 (C2.F1; C2.F2)). | 2012-10-25 |
20120271689 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING AND AFFECTING A CHANGE IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271690 | Redeeming Affinity Rewards as Contributions - Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the redemption of affinity reward points as contributions are disclosed. In an aspect, “points” or “miles” created through various existing affinity programs prevalent in the credit card and airline industries can be redeemed as (nonprofit) donations. Typically, such reward, award or bonus “points” or “miles” have been redeemed for free or discounted rewards such as airline tickets, hotel room stays, restaurant vouchers or other goods and services. However, millions of vested affinity points or miles are left unused (i.e., unredeemed). The present invention allows a consumer who holds such points or miles to link to a nonprofit organization allowing excess points to be converted into cash donations to such organizations. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271691 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROVIDE OFFER COMMUNICATIONS TO USERS VIA SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES - Systems and methods to integrate offer processing in a social networking environment. A computing apparatus includes: a data warehouse configured to store data associating a social networking account of a user with a financial payment account of the user; a portal configured to provide an offer to the user of the social networking account and to store data associating the offer with the financial payment account; a transaction handler configured to monitor transactions in the financial payment account of the user and detect a transaction that satisfies a set of requirements of the offer, when an authorization request for the transaction is being processed by the transaction handler; a message broker configured to generate a message in response to the transaction being detected; and a media controller coupled with the message broker to communicate the message to a social networking site. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271692 | Method and System for Smart Phone Based Virtual Card - The present invention discloses Virtual Card Mobile App (VCMA) as a medium for replacing real world commercial wallet cards. VCMA furnishes a consumer with a UVC service, which enables a consumer to easily obtain, manage and use Vendor Virtual Cards (VVC) that are offered by vendors. VCMA allows users to carry unlimited number of virtual cards from unlimited number of vendors. VCMA makes it much easier and more secure for a user to sign up, carry, manage and use a card. It also enables user to perform many functions, such as checking balances, checking rewards, searching specials, checking product info, ordering products, and making payments. User can not perform these functions using traditional physical cards. In the present invention, VCMA and virtual card services are managed by a central card management system (CCMS). CCMS also provides virtual card operation services to vendors, so that vendors can issue virtual cards, provide card services, and administer card services. Moreover, CCMS serves as a broker between a user and a vendor. Credential and private information, such as address, phone, age, password, pin and payment account number, are stored in CCMS, not with the vendor. When a transaction is performed, the credential information never goes through a vendor's equipment. Therefore, the system provides better security and privacy. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271693 | System and Method for Marketing and Promoting Products and Services Over the Internet - The present invention provides a marketing system and method that incentivizes marketing of goods and services to buyers through networks, such as social networks. In the present invention, agents are given incentives to locate merchants and to market products and services from those merchants over the Internet, while an operator manages the transactions. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271694 | REWARD POINTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A reward points management system and a method for reward points management provide a user with rewards points for transactions between the user and an advertiser. The reward points management system includes a maximum reward points determination unit to determine a maximum amount of reward points based on advertising expense for a specified period of an advertiser allowed to provide reward points; and a reward points determination unit to determine reward points for each user based on a payment remunerated by the user on a product or service of the advertiser and the maximum amount of reward points allotted. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271695 | Management Device for Point Circulation Between Constituent Members, System and Method for Point Circulation Between Constituent Members - To grant a point according to an action contributed to a community to make it possible to receive discount by the point when trading a product between members of the community. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271696 | Personalized Coupon Delivery System, Web Interface and Method of Use - Disclosed is an electronic coupon delivery and redemption system that utilizes an online interface to bring customers targeted coupons related to the user's demographics, location and interests, and allow the customer to choose a set of coupons for which to load onto their profile. The profile is accessed at the merchant location utilizing a user-specific, magnetic strip card that contains the user's information and pings the online database storing the customer coupons. The coupons are then redeemed and the transaction is adjusted based on the savings from the utilized coupons. Vendors upload coupons and incentives to the online database, which enables targeted messages and incentives to be sent to users. The user chooses a set of coupons to load onto the card for use at a specific merchant location. Consumer trends and targeted sales for venders are facilitated through a completely online and paperless process. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271697 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OFFER AND DYNAMIC GIFT VERIFICATION AND REDEMPTION - Methods and systems are disclosed for using a financial transaction card number system of a payment processing network as part of offer and gift distribution, verification and redemption systems. In an embodiment, a method receives indication of acceptance of an offer from a consumer and initiates processing of consumer payment using a financial transaction card number associated with the consumer. The method sends an intelligent transaction card (ITC) number to be used with a redemption code to purchase products or services contained in the offer. In another embodiment, a system generates and redeems a dynamic gift by requesting a gift code based on controls for the gift. Upon receiving indication that the gift has been redeemed, the system receives the gift code and authorization from a merchant and checks validity of the gift based on the controls. The system approves the gift redemption if the redemption is within the controls. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271698 | Single Order Method For Independent Sales Representative As Used In The Party Plan Direct Marketing Method Of Selling Products - A business method and system for executing the method that involves gathering merchandise orders at a show in the home of a hostess. The method compiles the merchandise orders while maintaining a relationship between each individual order and information pertaining to the guest making the order. The guest information maintains an association with the order throughout the method such that each order made at the show may be individually packaged and labeled, obviating the need for the hostess to sort the ordered items upon receiving them from a warehouse. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271699 | PROVIDING ADVANCED REWARDS IN A LOYALTY PROGRAM BASED ON HISTORICAL PURCHASING PERFORMANCE - Embodiments of the invention provide for allocating loyalty rewards to a customer in advance of the customer earning the reward based at least in part on historical purchasing performance. For example, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, the customer/participant is rewarded (e.g., provided rewards points or bestowed another reward) at the onset of a year based on the previous year's purchasing behavior/program participation, and as the customer/participant transacts throughout the ensuing year the purchases/transactions are decremented against the reward. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271700 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DATA RECIPIENT STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OF DATA USING A NETWORK COMMUNICATION DEVICE - A system and method for data recipient invoked electronic commerce allowing data subjects to provide and data recipients to receive information over a network relating to the needs of a data subject such as purchases, distribution of application information and the like. The system includes a server having software which gathers the information from a data subject to complete a transaction. The system has a data subject data structure that stores information for registered data subjects. The software can access the data subject data structure and enter the data subject's information during subsequent transactions. Having the software obtain and enter the data subject's purchasing information, the data subject does not have to enter the same information every time the data subject desires to effect a transaction over the network. In alternate embodiments, the same technology can be applied to other arenas where a user enters the same repetitive information. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271701 | INTERNET-BASED SYSTEM AND METHOD TO COMPENSATE FULL VALUE OF NON-COMMERCIAL USER ACTIONS - An internet-based method for compensating non-commercial user actions, the method comprising the steps of: receiving from a seller a description of its product offering, and parameters of its offering including the percentage of seller's profit to be realized from the sale of the product during a preset sale period, which seller agrees to share with users who indicate interest in the seller's product; displaying at least a portion of the description of the seller's product offering on a document of a web platform; facilitating at least one indication of interest in the seller's product by users, including recording at least one of user's indication of interest; providing data to seller regarding the interest indicated by users in the seller's offering; receiving payment from seller, the payment including said percentage of seller's profit; and, distributing to users their share of the payment received from seller. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271702 | ELECTRONIC COMMERCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method for managing a promotional campaign in an electronic commerce system is provided. The method comprises, at an electronic commerce server receiving a virtual coupon use request including a multiple-user virtual coupon code from the user of the client program executed on a client device, detecting a distinguishing identifier associated with the virtual coupon use request from the user of the client program, determining eligibility criteria and at least one virtual coupon benefit corresponding to the virtual coupon code. The method further comprises at the electronic commerce server determining if the user of the client program from which the virtual coupon code was received is eligible to receive the virtual coupon benefit based on the distinguishing identifier and the eligibility criteria and if the user of the client program is eligible, providing the virtual coupon benefit to the user of the client program. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271703 | PORTABLE HAND-HELD MULTI-FUNCTION DEVICE FOR STORING, MANAGING AND COMBINING REWARDS - A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns reward points from a plurality of independent reward points issuing entities, with each tracking the user's earned reward points in a user reward point account stored on a multi-function card (such as a frequent flyer account or a credit card loyalty account). The multi-function card is adapted to aggregate some or all of the user's earned reward points from the reward accounts and credit the aggregated points into a single reward exchange account on the multi-function card. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated reward points from the multi-function card. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the reward points from the multi-function card. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271704 | PROVIDING DIFFERENTIATED EARN RATE REWARDS IN A LOYALTY PROGRAM BASED ON THE VALUE OF THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT - Embodiments of the invention provide for a loyalty rewards program that provides differentiated earn rate rewards based on participant/customer segmentation. In specific embodiments the segmentation is based on the value of the participant/customer as determined by the rewards program provider. Additionally further details are described below for methods, apparatus and computer-program products that provide for a rewards program that implements reverse auction type reward procurement. Such embodiments of the invention, offer differentiated rewards redemption based on the value of the participant to the program provider and the value that the participant/customer places on the reward. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271705 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIMULTANEOUS AWARDING AND REDEEMING OF REWARD POINTS AT THE POINT OF SALE - A method and system for providing a purchase discount to a consumer. The system includes an exchange computer, a merchant computer associated with a merchant and interconnected with the exchange computer via a computer network, and an issuer computer associated with an issuer and interconnected with the exchange computer via the computer network. A consumer presents to the merchant computer an item for purchase at a regular purchase price. The merchant computer applies a discount to the regular purchase price to generate a discounted purchase price, the discount obtained by a computer-implemented process of simultaneous awarding and redeeming instant reward points with the issuer computer via an exchange computer. The merchant computer then completes the purchase transaction for the item with the consumer by using the discounted purchase price. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271706 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ONLINE PROMOTIONS THROUGH A SOCIAL NETWORK-BASED PLATFORM - Systems and methods for providing online promotions integrated with social network-based platforms are disclosed. Promotion details such as rules, offered prizes, incentives and descriptions, survey questions, display banners, terms and conditions, privacy policy, and social networks to integrate the promotion with, are provided by the sponsoring organization to a server. The server generates a custom promotion application and/or widget for integrating with the organization's social network webpage and/or webpages external to social networks. A participant enters the promotion through these webpages or other links and lists friends in the social network to receive an invitation to enter the promotion. Viral features such as friend invite features, newsfeeds, minifeeds, other features that display online activities of users and people in the users' social network, notifications, requests, and other social network-based platform features to deliver messages to members of the one or more social network-based platforms further spread the word about the organization's promotion. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271707 | PAYMENT VIA FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDER USING NETWORK-BASED DEVICE - A system includes an interface to receive a request associated with a third party at a financial service provider from a network-based device associated with a user. The request includes an identifier that identifies an offer. The system further includes a revenue share application configured to determine whether the transaction involves a plurality of third parties and to determine a payment share for each party of the plurality of third parties based on the transaction involving the plurality of third parties. A payment transfer module transfers the payment share from an account of the user to each account associated with each party of the plurality of third parties. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271708 | INTEGRATED AND COMPREHENSIVE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN SELECTION AND IMPLEMENTATION - Techniques are provided for integrated and comprehensive advertising campaign management and optimization. Techniques are provided in which advertisers, including large-budget advertisers such as Chief Marketing Officers, can easily, efficiently and optimally define, manage and implement advertising budgets and campaigns, from high to granular levels, across a variety of online and offline channels. Techniques are provided, for example, in which advertisers, with a single selection, can select, for implementation, all of or a portion of an advertising campaign. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271709 | INTEGRATED AND COMPREHENSIVE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN VISUALIZATION - Techniques are provided for integrated and comprehensive advertising campaign management and optimization. Techniques are provided in which advertisers, including large-budget advertisers such as Chief Marketing Officers, can easily, efficiently and optimally define, manage and implement advertising budgets and campaigns, from high to granular levels, across a variety of online and offline channels. Techniques are provided, for example, in which a visualization tool is provided to advertisers, through which visualization displays can be caused to be generated, which displays provide visual analytics that can be used in assessing aspects of performance of an advertising campaign. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271710 | System and Method for Researching Virtual Markets and Optimizing Product Placements and Displays - A system and method for researching virtual markets and using the research to optimize product placements and displays. The system includes a monitoring engine configured to monitor information about user reactions and/or at least one product. The system also includes a recommendation engine configured to recommend a location within a virtual universe to display the at least one product based on the information monitored by the monitoring engine and a display engine configured to display the at least one product at a recommended location. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271711 | OVERLAY DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD - Systems and methods according to exemplary embodiments provide for overlaying graphics onto a received video content and generating a composite output. The method for overlaying graphics by a first device on top of a video content includes: receiving the video content; overlaying a first graphics on top of the video content; creating a composite output of the video content and the overlaid first graphics; and transmitting the composite output to a television (TV). | 2012-10-25 |
20120271712 | IN-PERSON ONE-TAP PURCHASING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS - Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for transforming product code snapshots into real-time, offer-driven electronic purchase transaction notifications that minimize fraud. In one embodiment, a smart phone scans a product identifier from a product package, a server accesses a products database for product purchase offers associated with the product identifier, a user authorizes a credit card from his or her wallet to charge, and then product purchase offers or other credit card offers (for loyalty points or otherwise) are provided to the user mobile device. After a user has purchased an item while in the aisle of the store, the user's smart phone displays a barcoded electronic receipt that can be scanned by the exit so that the consumer can walk out with the produce. In some embodiments, a video chat is requested by a customer service representative and a transaction risk score is lowered based on acceptance of the video chat. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271713 | METHOD OF USING GPS AND/OR VEHICLE SENSOR DATA FOR DETECTING USER INTERESTS AND BENEFITS, AND FOR ADVERTISEMENT TARGETING - The present invention provides techniques for use in providing advertisers and other entities with information relating to target audiences. Techniques are provided in which real-time travel information may be obtained from users' GPS devices to determine one or more potential interests of users. The potential interests may then be used to generate or select advertisements that may be relevant to the users. The advertisements may be transmitted to the GPS devices for presentation on the GPS devices. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271714 | RETARGETING RELATED TECHNIQUES AND OFFERINGS - The present invention provides techniques including determining or providing guaranteed delivery advertising offers or products based at least in part on advertisement retargeting related information, such as predicted, forecasted, or assessed advertisement retargeting serving opportunities over a period of time. Historical user online activity information may be obtained, patterns leading to retargeting opportunities may be determined, and, based at least on the determined patterns, a prediction or assessment may be made of future retargeting opportunity availability. Guaranteed delivery advertising offers or products, or parameters thereof, may be determined based at least in part on the prediction or assessment. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271715 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE AUTOMATIC DELIVERY OF ADVERTISING CONTENT TO A CONSUMER BASED ON THE CONSUMER'S INDICATION OF INTEREST IN AN ITEM OR SERVICE AVAILABLE IN A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT - A system and method provides targeted advertising content to a consumer based on implicit or explicit indications of interest by the consumer regarding products or services available in a retail environment. The retail environment is divided into a number of detection regions, with each detection region containing one or more display devices. The system can detect the location of a marker associated with a customer within the detection region. The system uses location information, as well as other customer information, to estimate a customer's goals for a particular shopping trip. The estimate may be determined based on the customer's time spent at a particular location, speed, basket size, etc. The system then presents advertisements to the customer based on the estimated goals. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271716 | MULTI-SEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTING ADVERTISING & INTERNET SEARCH TERM REUSE - A system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption provides customers making online purchases to automatically retrieve and redeem all applicable rebates and coupons during an online purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system makes purchases from merchants or manufacturers using all applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system automatically retrieves coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site and to retrieve manufacturer's and merchant's coupons prior to an online purchasing activity for subsequent submission to an online merchant during a subsequent purchasing activity. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271717 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING LOCATION BASED PURCHASE INCENTIVES BASED ON PREDICTED ROUTE OF TRAVEL - Providing a purchase incentive to a mobile device based for example the user's location, predicted route of travel, and prior transactions. A tracking server computer determines a number of locations of a mobile device as it travels along a route and an associated timeframe when it is at each of the locations. The tracking server computer records the locations and associated timeframes in a location log and analyzes the location log to predict a subsequent location and associated timeframe that the mobile device will be at that location. The tracking server computer then determines a merchant proximate to the predicted subsequent location of the mobile device and generates a purchase incentive for use at the merchant and delivers the purchase incentive to the mobile device. In the alternative, the incentive may be generated by a merchant computer or the mobile device. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271718 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING BACKGROUND ADVERTISEMENT OF VIRTUAL KEY INPUT DEVICE - Provided is a method for providing a background advertisement of a virtual key input device, which provides a background advertisement to a virtual key input device on an information communication terminal supporting a touch user interface (UTI). The method includes: generating a virtual key input unit; providing an advertisement contents skin as a background image of the virtual key input unit; and offering a reward in compensation for user's reading an advertisement. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271719 | TARGETING ADVERTISING BASED ON TRACKING CONTENT SHARING - A facility for populating an advertising segment is described. For distinguished content, the facility accesses a data structure that, for each of two or more users, relates an instance of sharing of the distinguished content to the user with one or more instances of sharing the distinguished content from the user. The facility accesses a segment definition that specifies a test that, for each of the users, is either satisfied or not satisfied based upon the contents of the data structure. The facility selects the users for whom the test is satisfies, and constructs a list of identifiers identifying the selected users. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271720 | COMPETITIVE ADVERTISING AND SALES INFRASTRUCTURE - A system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption provides customers making online purchases to automatically retrieve and redeem all applicable rebates and coupons during an online purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system makes purchases from merchants or manufacturers using all applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system automatically retrieves coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site and to retrieve manufacturer's and merchant's coupons prior to an online purchasing activity for subsequent submission to an online merchant during a subsequent purchasing activity. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271721 | Sharing affiliate revenue with user browsing website - Presented herein is a web browser. The web browser has a small window for showing affiliate programs. Advertisers will be able to pay on a “by the action” basis, because the advertisers will know precisely what activities were completed by user. The publisher can maintain the browser/browser extension and transmit relevant affiliate programs based on user data, behavior and the website user is visiting. The publisher can share part of the revenue generated from advertiser's affiliate programs with the users. The software/browser extension can help users to share links with other users and get more revenue. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271722 | Top Friend Prediction for Users in a Social Networking System - A social networking system predicts a user's top friends among the user's connections in a social networking system. A top friend prediction model receives static data and statistics related to the historical interactions of the connection and the user as input singles. The model may be trained using a training set of data associated with the connections of users, where users have explicitly indicated that other users are or are not their top (or “best” or “closest”) friends. The trained model outputs a score for each of a particular user's connections, and the score is used to predict whether the connection is a top friend of that user. Whether a user's connection is one of that user's top friends thus indicates a closeness of that relationship in the real world, which may differ from how likely the users are to interact with each other within the social networking system. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271723 | ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) RANGE EXTENDING CHARGE SYSTEMS, DISTRIBUTED NETWORKS OF CHARGE KIOSKS, AND CHARGE LOCATING MOBILE APPS - Systems and method are provided for providing auxiliary charge to a main battery of an electric vehicle. One system includes an auxiliary battery for holding a plurality of charge units, the auxiliary battery being connectable to the main battery of the electric vehicle, the plurality of charge units being rechargeable and being replaceable from within the auxiliary battery, such that replacing particular ones of the plurality of charge units with charge units with more charge increases a total charge of the auxiliary battery. Kiosks for storing a plurality of charge units. A display in the kiosk for an interface for enabling transactions to provide or receive charge units to customers, and a central processing center that communicates with a plurality of said kiosk over a network and a plurality of vehicles, The plurality of vehicles are provided with access to availability information of charge units at each of said kiosks. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271724 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENCRYPTING DATA IN A MAGNETIC STRIPE READER - A magnetic stripe reader assembly for a point of sale terminal is provided. The magnetic stripe reader reads the account data from a card and may encrypt it within the magnetic head. An encrypted representation of the account data may be provided to a host processor in the terminal for carrying out a financial transaction, such as a payment for goods or services. The account data is typically recorded on the magnetic stripe on the card in a magnetic flux pattern that is sensed and then converted to an analog signal. Such sensing and conversion and other processing of the account data to produce the encrypted representation of the account data typically involves one or more parameters, and may include at least one parameter that is adjustable. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271725 | Electronic Transaction Record Distribution System - A point-of-sale (POS) receipt management system has a computerized appliance at the POS executing first software (SW) from a non-transitory physical medium, and a peripheral device coupled to the computerized appliance, the peripheral device enabled to transmit data wirelessly to a portable communication device in close proximity to the peripheral device, the portable communication device in possession of a consumer. Upon the consumer completing a transaction at the POS, the POS computerized appliance prepares transaction data, which is transmitted to the peripheral device, and hence wirelessly to the portable communication device in possession of the consumer. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271726 | SALES CHAIN WITH COMPETITIVE AND CHAIN INTELLIGENCE - A sales system supports sales between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a communication network. A sales server has a seller interface used by both a first seller and a second seller respectively via a first seller's computer and a second seller's computer to register availability for sale of a first product and a second product. The sales server, based upon received buyer input from an identified buyer via a buyer computer that includes buyer orders for the first product and the second product dispenses a first sales order to the first seller's computer for the first product and a second sales order to the second seller's computer for the second product. The sales server provides instructions to the first seller's computer for fulfillment of the first sales order and to the second sales computer for the fulfillment of the second sales order. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271727 | SYSTEM AND/OR METHOD FOR HANDLING RETURNS INVOLVING PRODUCTS TIED TO POST-PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS/SERVICES - The exemplary embodiments described herein relate to the field of electronic registration (ER) of purchased products and, more particularly, to an improved electronic registration system that enables unique item-level tracking from an initial point-of-sale (POS) transaction involving a post-paid service/subscription and related device or product, to any cancellations in service and returns to the store or service provider. Certain exemplary embodiments thus advantageously “close the gap” between retailers and service providers, e.g., in connection with subscriptions/post-paid service agreements and related devices or products. In certain exemplary embodiments, an “interest” may be taken and charged in the event that the customer does not return the device when or after an associated service has been cancelled. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271728 | Method and System for Conducting an Auction Over a Network - A method and system for enabling a user or bidder to purchase an option on auction merchandise or services in an online auction are provided, thus allowing the option winner to purchase the merchandise in the event the original auction bidder (i.e., the highest bidder for the merchandise) defaults on his purchase. The method and system also provides an incentive to the users purchasing the option(s), e.g., bid optionees, by partially distributing the option pool of monies collected to the user who purchases the option at the price closest to the final auction price. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271729 | Method and System for Managing Sourcing Program Requests - A method for managing sourcing requests. The method utilizes a computer interface to collect the sourcing request and present that sourcing request to a sourcing agent. The method also utilizes a computer interface to allow the sourcing agent to initiate and conduct a sourcing protocol that provides a list of results from which the sourcing agent can select the most appropriate sourcing solution for an organization. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer medium with instructions to collect sourcing request data, determine whether the sourcing program needs modification and modifying the sourcing program. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271730 | ELECTRONIC QUOTES AND PROPOSALS INCLUDING ITEM FEEDBACK - A system includes a proposal engine configured to present quotes and/or proposals including a plurality of selections to customers at a network site. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271731 | Method and System for Image Discovery via Navigation of Dimensions - Method and system for discovering artistic preferences by using a graphical user interface (GUI) tool to navigate through a collection of art images based on one or more dimensions within an art image. The GUI tool allows a user to display one or more selectable dimensions of a first image that, when selected, are used as a query to locate and display other images that have a dimension that is equal or similar to the one or more selected dimensions. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271732 | ONLINE PERSONALIZED GIFTING SYSTEM - An online personalized gifting system for providing gift card related packaging formats to enhance the customer experience relating to online gift card sales. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271733 | SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT TO ISSUE A RETAIL PREPAID CARD INCLUDING A USER-DESIGNED EXTERNAL FACE USING A CHIT AND RELATED COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED METHODS - Embodiments of systems, computer program product, and related computer implemented methods to issue a closed-loop retail prepaid card including a user-designed external face using a chit, the chit being defined by an identification mechanism representing a financial commitment to issue a closed-loop retail prepaid card in an amount associated with a value paid for the chit, are provided. Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide a service that enables a consumer to purchase, at the storefront of a retail establishment, a chit card that the consumer can subsequently redeem through a graphical user interface of an Internet website for a closed-loop retail prepaid card with a user-designed external face. The user-designed closed-loop retail prepaid card, for example, can be subsequently printed and delivered to an intended recipient. Advantageously, such a service can be made available to any retail establishment that uses a point-of-sale system. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271734 | System and method for executing consumer-definable events triggered by the purchasing of a code with a non-tangible computer generated product attached that is assigned to a geographic location coordinate - A method and system that is initiated by the producer of a computer generated interactive program that offers non-tangible computer generated product ( | 2012-10-25 |
20120271735 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AN ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PLATFORM - Apparatuses, systems, and methods of electronic commerce on a computer-implemented electronic marketplace platform. One embodiment includes receiving, through an electronically implemented listing module of the electronic marketplace platform, electronic information regarding an item to be listed for sale; categorizing, through an electronically implemented categorization module of the electronic marketplace platform, the item to be listed for sale base at least in part on the received information; and receiving, through an electronically implemented query module of the electronic marketplace platform, an electronic query regarding an item to be purchased. The electronic information is generated by a user of the electronic marketplace platform with the assistance of a customer service representative and said electronic information is received into the listing module without a fee being charged to the user. Further, the user is provided an additional service, for a fee, in connection with the electronic marketplace platform. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271736 | COMPONENT SALES SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STORE PROVIDING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A component sales system sells, a plurality of components that constitutes each of a plurality of mechanisms constituting a machine at an electronic store. The component sales system includes an electronic store providing device that provides the electronic store through a communication line to a customer terminal used by a customer. The electronic store providing device includes a selected component data receiving unit, a maintenance type specifying unit, a dismounted component specifying unit, a replacement component specifying unit, a sales page generating unit, and a web page transmitting unit. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271737 | Navigation Device - A navigation device includes: a data storage unit that stores map data including information relating to a map, and information relating to positions and usage fees of facilities; a budget range determination unit that determines a range of budget desired by a user; a facility search unit that searches the facilities under a predetermined search condition; and a display unit that displays a facility list that lists up a facility, for which the usage fee complies with the range of budget, out of the searched facilities searched by the facility search unit is indicated with emphasis. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271738 | Online Marketplace Portal for Content Publishers and Content Creators - An online marketplace portal enables the exchange of content and payments for content between content publishers and content creators, such as organizations and professional freelancers, respectively. The online portal allows publishers and creators to exchange exclusive content concepts and completed works through a closed platform. Users can negotiate terms relating to access and rights to publish content, manage distribution of content, and process payment through the online portal. Content publishers can use the online marketplace portal to purchase syndicated content and manage relationships with freelancers. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271739 | Methods, Devices, and Computer Program Products for Tracking Product Inventory - Product inventory is tracked from a raw product form through sale/disposal in association with a specific consumer. Procession of a specific product is monitored, in association with the specific consumer, from a raw form of the product through processing and distribution. Disposal of at least one of a portion of the raw form of the specific product and a portion of the product resulting from processing the specific product is tracked in association with the specific consumer. Inventory of the specific product is updated based on the disposal of at least one of the portion of the specific product and the portion of the product resulting from processing the specific product. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271740 | MANAGING FRESH-PRODUCT INVENTORY - Freshness inventory control problem may be formulated as a stochastic dynamic program. In one aspect, a stochastic dynamic programming formulation takes as input inventory status, stochastic demand forecast and cost information associated with on-hand inventory. The stochastic dynamic programming formulation is maximized to determine order quantity and depletion quantity of the product per period. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271741 | INVENTORY PRICE OPTIMIZATION WITH KEY PRICE LIST - Generating one or more secondary price lists from a key price list is disclosed. A first selection of the key price list is received via a user interface. The key price list is stored on a catalog database and includes a plurality of initial key prices associated with corresponding inventory stock keeping units (SKUs). A second selection of a first one of the secondary price lists is received via the user interface, followed by a first price adjustment rate for the first one of the secondary price lists. The first price adjustment rate is applied to each of the initial key prices in the key price list, and a first set of secondary prices is derived thereby. The first set of secondary prices are stored together in association with the corresponding inventory SKUs in the first one of the secondary price lists. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271742 | INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM PROCESS - The inventory control system process includes storing product information in a database. Location information is also accepted and stored in the database in association with the product information. The system receives a command associated with the database and analyzes the command for an instruction and one or more keywords. Next, the database is searched for one or more products associated with the one or more keywords. A list of products related to the one or more keywords is then displayed. The system then accesses, modifies, retrieves, or deletes database information in response to the instruction. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271743 | Global Risk Administration Method and System - Embodiments of a Global Risk Administration (GRA) method and system include a GRA tool that assists an institution with various decision making processes by enabling the institution to customize the GRA tool to generate decisions based on information input by the institution or a customer of the institution. In an embodiment, the institution is a financial institution (FI), and customizing the GRA tool involves an FI user assigning attribution rules using, wherein attribution rules comprise characteristics of applicants for financial accounts. The user further creates one or more decision classes using the UI, wherein one or more attribution rules place an applicant in a decision class; and the user creates business rules, wherein a business rule determines a manner in which the GRA module interprets data from the third party data sources. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271744 | INDUSTRY SIZE OF WALLET - Consumer spend by industry is modeled based on the industry sizes of wallet of consumers having a high share of wallet with a financial institution. A size of wallet is calculated for each consumer in a plurality of consumers. A share of wallet for each consumer is also calculated. A subset of the plurality of consumers whose share of wallet is above a given percentage of their size of wallet is then determined. For each consumer in the subset, an industry size of wallet is determined. A correlation between the industry size of wallet of a given consumer and one or more characteristics of the given consumer is then derived using the industry size of wallet for the consumers in the subset. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271745 | Indicators that Represent Quantity of Unmatched Bids or Offers - Some embodiments relate to intelligently selecting one or more sets of indicators to optimally represent the overall quantity of bids or offers at a price level. The various sets of indicators may be selected based on the other sets of indicators that are displayed at that price level. By intelligently selecting the set of indicators, the trading device may reduce the time needed for a user to determine or estimate the exact quantity of bids or offers at that price level. For example, the trading device may select a set of indicators that has the least number of indicators in a set or may select a set of indicators that is most easily understood by the trader. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271746 | AUTOMATE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREATING TRADEABLE HEDGE FUND INDICIES - An automated method and system for creating tradable hedge fund indices. One or more sets of hedge fund trading information is obtained on a application on a target device. The application creates one or more sets of tradable indices representing hedge fund performance from the received one or more sets of hedge fund trading information. The application displays the created one or more sets of tradable hedge fund indices in one more windows on a multi-windowed graphical user interface (GUI) The one or more sets of tradable hedge fund indices include, but are not limited to, equal weighted, asset weighted and/or aggregated hybrid tradable indices. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271747 | Methods, Apparatus, and Systems for a Global Equity Exchange - Systems, software, financial exchanges, and methods for a new global finical exchange are described. In one aspect, the present invention provides an exchange that lists sector, country, regional, and world electronically traded electronic representations of instruments on a set of representative global equity indices based on a single source, on an electronic exchange, open nearly 24-hours every business day, in one base currency, with periodic (annual) normalized index prices, utilizing a unique share-sized derivatives instrument as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/074,687, having cross margining, yearly expirations, associated options, and realized volatility instruments. All of these features combined into one comprehensive package will attract market participants because of a better-designed product, utilizing capital in the most efficient way possible, with features not found, or not commonly found, on any exchange, and with many cost-saving elements. The present invention could be the first credible threat to the dominance of the handful of mega exchanges in the U.S. and Europe. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271748 | ENGINEERING PROCESS FOR A REAL-TIME USER-DEFINED DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND OPTIMIZATION TOOL (DOT) - A method, system, process, and computer program that receives, collects, displays, and optimizes user-defined data. The collection, analysis, and optimization process is applicable to a wide variety of industries for both real-time and historical data. Some sample industries that will benefit from this invention include: securities trading, vehicular traffic optimization, medical image scanning, wireless communications, and aircraft routing. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271749 | Publish and Subscribe System Including Buffer - Systems and methods for delivering a plurality of trading data messages to a server in connection with the monitoring the trading of financial instruments are provided. A listener subscribes to a subset of the plurality of trading data messages generated by market participants or components within the trading platform. A buffer receives the subset of the plurality of trading data messages and stores the subset of the plurality of trading data messages. A server, such as a live alerts server, receives the subset of the plurality of trading data messages stored from the buffer and analyzes the subset of the plurality of trading data. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271750 | System and Method for Improved Order Entry Using Market Depth - Market depth information pertaining to the hedging side is utilized to intelligently break a non-hedging order into multiple orders, such that the orders rest at cascading price levels. This way, the trader can benefit from sweeps in the book and still properly account for the market depth on the hedging side. Further, there is a greater probability of receiving “partials” on the spread order. In addition, hedge orders may be sent at multiple price levels, or sent to the market in pieces over time. By applying a more intelligent process to hedge orders (as opposed to “fire and forget”) an alternative beyond limit orders that can be logged or market orders is provided. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271751 | METHOD OF COMPUTERIZED MONITORING OF INVESTMENT TRADING AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEM - A method of computerized monitoring of investment trading includes providing historic trading data for a specific trader, selecting a plurality of trading parameters for the specific trader and obtaining current information regarding the selected parameters, and/or providing historic trading data and applying rules to the current information and/or historic trading data to determine if a rules violation has occurred. The system may be employed to monitor whether market timing of mutual fund investments has occurred. A corresponding computerized system is disclosed. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271752 | System and Method for Integrating a Dark Trading Facility and a Securities Exchange - A system and method are described for the providing securities exchange members increased liquidity for affecting trades. Securities exchange members will have access to both a Dark Trading Facility and securities exchange for trading. When trading on the security exchange, these members will be able to access the Dark Trading Facility using the security exchange infrastructure. Further, when such members enter orders onto the Dark Trading Facility, they will have access to the security exchange display book from the dark pool of the Dark Trading Facility. The trading transactions executed in the Dark Trading Facility or initiated by the Dark Trading Facility, preferably, are automatic and anonymous. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271753 | Automated Securities Trade Execution System And Method - An automated securities order execution system includes order entering means for a client to enter an order and at least one filtering means for determining whether the order can be automatically executed. Routing means are used for routing the order to a destination based upon the determination made by each of the filtering means. After the order has been properly routed, the order is executed and the result of the order execution is reported to the client. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271754 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING A SPREAD VALUE - An estimated spread value is computed that represents a price at which a trader might have been able to buy or sell a spread given the current market conditions of the legs. In particular, when an event occurs in one of the legs, price information is gathered from each of the other legs based on the spread definition, in addition to the defined event, and is used in estimating the value of a spread. According to one feature, the computations may be triggered by any predefined event. According to another feature, the computation may be programmed by a user to tailor the estimation process according to the type of spread being traded. The estimated spread value may be used to analyze spreads, it may be fed to other trading related software tools, or it may be used in charting. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271755 | Ratio Spreads for Contracts of Different Sizes in Implied Market Trading - A method for matching orders is provided. The method includes receiving a first order for a product, the first order specifying a first volume, receiving a second order for the product, the second order specifying a second volume, wherein the first volume is different than the second volume, generating an implied order based on a ratio spread defined between the first order and the second order, and matching a third order with the implied order. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271756 | SEGMENTATION PROCESS AND DECISION MATRIX - Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for a segmentation decision engine to import and analyze asset data, comprising gathering asset and borrower related data for a selected asset from an asset contact, analyzing the asset and borrower related data for the asset, using proprietary modeling to predict a plurality of possible strategies based on the data, and selecting an optimal strategy from the plurality of possible strategies. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271757 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING ACCOUNTS PAYABLE - A computer-implemented method for generating a first accounts payable financial product that is configured to be used for one or more payment transactions. The method includes receiving a selection of a core account for providing financial backing for the first accounts payable financial product; receiving a selection of a first recipient payee to which the first accounts payable financial product is to be distributed; generating the first accounts payable financial product based on one or more control parameters that define use restrictions for the first accounts payable financial product; and causing the first accounts payable financial product to be distributed to the first recipient payee. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271758 | REAL-TIME SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING, LOCATING AND RECHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN TRANSIT - The present invention provides computer-controlled electric battery charging systems and methods for charging a battery of a roaming electric vehicle, the system comprising an electric vehicle comprising at least one battery, a master charger vehicle comprising a master battery module and a control system in communication with the at least one electric vehicle and the master charger vehicle to enable the master charger vehicles to reach the electric vehicle, wherein the master battery module is adapted to charge the at least one battery. | 2012-10-25 |
20120271759 | Online Membership Incentive System & Method - An incentive system for members of an online community to contribute quality content based on members voting for content with a virtual token system. Acquisition of virtual tokens by contributing members of the online community is used by the online community computer system to calculate and distribute shares of online community revenue to contributing members. A method to prevent revenue sharing fraud by community members may also be implemented. | 2012-10-25 |