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        <title>Free Patents Online: Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or cost/price determination</title>
        <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./rssfeed/rsspat705.xml</link>
        <description>USPTO Class 705 Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or cost/price determination</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
        <lastBuildDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</lastBuildDate>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Mobile device for preventing illegal distribution of digital data contents and operating method thereof]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640596.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method, apparatus and computer programs for preventing illegal distribution of digital content data, are discussed. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a controller configured to control the apparatus to: store at least first and second program code segments; receive the digital content data from a first device, the digital content data including a copyright code segment for managing copyright infringement; check the copyright code segment by using the first program code segment for selectively reproducing the digital data contents at a second device; and control an output operation of the digital content data by using the second program code segment based on the copyright code segment, wherein the digital content data is downloaded from a digital data server to the first device through a communication network, wherein decrypting and reproduction operations of the digital content data are executed by a software program provided by the digital data server.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for enhancing computer security]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640584.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method for enhancing security of a computer system is provided. The computer system may include a plurality of microprocessors and a security management processor for managing execution of applications in isolation on the plurality of microprocessors. Each of the plurality of microprocessors is communicatively coupled to the security management processor. An operating system is installed on one of the plurality of microprocessors. An application is installed on the same microprocessors. The application and the operating system are combined into an OS/application pair (or pair). The pair is encrypted. The encrypted pair is then stored in a mass storage of the computer system. The mass storage is communicatively coupled to the security management processor. A graphic user interface of the security management processor may be used to launch the application on any of the plurality of microprocessors by loading the stored pair to that microprocessor. Data produced by the application may be encrypted and stored in the mass storage when saved. The stored data produced by the application may be not accessible by other applications without authorization.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Task based user interface]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640548.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A facility for guiding users through a series of steps or tasks, often associated with a process, is described. The facility assigns tasks or steps to users having roles identified with the task or step. The role associated with the task or step may change depending on the state of the task or step. When the role associated with a task or step changes, the facility may assign the task or step to another user. The facility guides a user through a task or step by providing instructions and other information, such as data tables and user input fields, that may be used to complete the task or step. The facility provides for the definition of processes by allowing users to specify tasks, steps and instructions relating to processes.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for allocating computing resources of a distributed computing system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640547.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In certain aspects, the invention features a system and method for (1) receiving reservations for a first subset of computing resources of a distributed computing system (DCS), wherein each of the reservations specifies a time period, (2) allocating the first subset according to the reservations, (3) receiving requests for use of at least a second subset of the DCS's computing resources, wherein each of the requests specifies a time period, (4) determining whether enough unallocated resources are available to fulfill all of the requests, wherein the unallocated resources include the DCS's resources not allocated according to the reservations, (5) allocating resources according to the requests, if there are enough unallocated resources available, and (6) allocating resources in accordance with an allocation criteria if there are not enough unallocated resources available.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Transaction manager freezing]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640545.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A transaction manager may be paused so that the transactions it manages are prevented from making transaction state changes. While the transaction manager is paused, the transactions that the transaction manager is executing may not be allowed to complete. A transaction manager may be configured to obtain permission from a transaction freeze manager in order to transition the state of a transaction. The transaction freeze manager may function as a read/write lock manager controlling locks on a transaction freeze object. In servicing a transaction state transition request, the transaction freeze manager may grant the transaction manager a read lock on the transaction freeze object. In servicing a transaction manager pause request, the transaction freeze manager may grant an administrative entity a write lock on the transaction freeze object.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[In-system reconfiguring of hardware resources]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640541.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for determining if a system is compatible with an upgrade to a hardware resource of the system, receiving instructions from a remote server to upgrade the hardware resource if the system is compatible, and programming the hardware resource based on the instructions. In one such embodiment, the hardware resource may be programmed via programmable fuses to enable circuitry of the hardware resource. Other embodiments are described and claimed.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method for transaction processing with parallel execution]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640535.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method for using available server threads to process resources and reduce the overall time of performing XA interactions in two-phase commit protocol implemented by the transaction manager. A TM processing XA interactions dispatches interaction commands for multiple resources to a thread manager, which dispatches the commands to idle server threads. In one embodiment, the TM attempts to dispatch all but one of the interaction commands to separate threads. The primary thread then processes the remaining resource command. Any commands relating to dispatch requests that were unable to be dispatched to separate threads due to unavailability are processed by the primary thread. Once the primary server has processed its interaction commands and received a signal indicating the threads receiving dispatch requests have completed their respective processing of dispatched commands, the next group of commands is processed in a similar manner.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Electronic cash controlled by non-homomorphic signatures]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640432.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method and system for establishing and managing digital cash. This method is to emit and circulate secure electronic cash that allows to use non-homomorphic signature schemes, and avoids having to use blind signature techniques. With one specific embodiment, the method provides anonymous digital cash, and comprises the steps of providing an entity with a secure coprocessor, a user establishing a secure channel to a program running on said coprocessor, and the user sending a coin to be digitally signed to the coprocessor.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Information processing apparatus, control method thereof, program, and storage medium]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640372.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[An information processing apparatus connectable to a server via a network and performing information processing. The information processing apparatus includes a managing unit configured to manage count information pertaining to the information processing, a notifying unit configured to notify the server of the count information managed by the managing unit, a receiving unit configured to receive, from a user, an instruction of deleting the count information managed by the managing unit, and a control unit configured to control the notifying unit to notify the server of the count information managed by the managing unit when the receiving unit receives the instruction.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for producing, managing, delivering, retrieving, and/or tracking permission based communications]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640322.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[New and improved methods and systems are provided for producing, managing, delivering, retrieving, and/or tracking permission communications that alleviate several of the existing problems commonly associated with existing permission communications. According to the invention, computer users can request to receive direct communications from one or more senders. When a new communication is detected, an alert is provided to the recipients, who can use the alert to view the communication in their Web browser. Similar alerts may also be provided to one or more recipients when particular Web pages are updated. Various alternative embodiments are also disclosed.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and system for managing digital content, including streaming media]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640320.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Method and system for uploading, managing and delivering digital content, including streaming media. The system according to one embodiment allows receives digital content from the client ( 102 ), assigns a stream identifier (ID) to the content and stores the content. The client is given a playlist uniform resource locator (URL) for publishing on its web site ( 610 ), the URL including the stream ID. Activation of the URL by an end user ( 104 ) causes the stream to be served to the end user, without the client receiving or providing an indication of the specifics of where the content was stored. An embodiment of the present provides a system and method that permit clients to actively manage their content, including defining logical folders and subfolders containing item(s) of the content and defining logical stream groups, containing items of the content.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method, system, and program product for managing communications pursuant to an information technology (IT) migration]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640312.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Under the present invention, an initial distribution list of electronic message recipients within an organization undergoing an IT migration is generated using a personnel directory of the organization and at least one selection criterion. Once initial electronic message recipients are known, messages will be generated and sent using information from a mailing database and a designated schedule. User records for each of the initial electronic message recipients will be created in an inventory database and will include user information from the personnel directory as well as message information. Based on responses to the initial electronic message, follow-up and final electronic messages can be sent to respective distribution lists, and corresponding information stored in the user records of the inventory database.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Business intelligence data reconciliation system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640273.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A sending device sends a key and financial data to a receiver device and a reconciliation device in a business intelligence system. The receiver device verifies the key and sends the verified key and financial data to the business intelligence system. The reconciliation device selects the data sets based on the keys and thereupon compares the financial data. If the comparison reveals the data sets as being proper matches, the financial data is considered reconciled and can then be cleared. If not, the non-reconciled data in the data set may be archived for later reconciliation operations at future time intervals or may be resubmitted to the sending device for reevaluation. The inclusion of addition data and an interaction between various financial processing instruments allows for the reconciliation of business intelligence data in a business intelligence application/system.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Queued system event notification and maintenance]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640263.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Embodiments provide for a sub-pub architecture that is independent of the number of subscriptions by neither evaluating, nor storing the results of, each event against each subscription. Instead, a canonical subscription is determined a priori, which includes a superset of common property filters for similar events. Properties of events happening in a data store are evaluated against this canonical subscription and the results are stored typically once as event records. When a subscription registrar requests notification of events that match a subscription's filter criteria, only the subset of event records corresponding to the appropriate superset of common properties are evaluated against the subscription. Other embodiments also include methods, systems, and computer program products for determining the subset of event records to be compared against a subscription's filter criteria, while ensuring that out of sequence, uncommitted events are not lost.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method for predicting tire life-cycle cost]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640216.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Exemplary embodiments provide a technique for determining life cycle cost of a tire that includes combining initial purchase information and an assessment of operating costs for a customer. Determination of operating costs includes correlating roll resistance with respect to inflation pressure and vehicle imposed load of the tire, as well as usage of the tire. The inflation pressure and vehicle imposed load are acquired for a configuration of the vehicle. The roll resistance can be determined for the pressure and load of the tire at a characteristic tread depth. The fuel consumption required for overcoming the roll resistance by the vehicle can be determined from the roll resistance and a unit cost of the fuel consumption. The operating cost can be determined from the fuel consumption multiplied by the unit cost. The life cycle cost can be determined by combining the purchase cost and the operating cost of the tire.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for evaluating and enhancing source anonymity for encrypted web traffic]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640215.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method is provided for evaluating the effectiveness of data encryption for hiding the identity of the source of Web traffic. A signature is constructed from encrypted Web traffic for a Web page sent by a target Web site, and the signature is compared with archived traffic signatures obtained by accessing various Web pages of interest in advance. If the signature of the detected encrypted Web traffic matches a stored traffic signature beyond a pre-set statistical threshold, a positive match is found, and the source of the traffic is identified. Countermeasures for reducing the reliability of source identification based on traffic signature matching are provided.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Advertising terminal]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640214.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[An advertising terminal ( 12 ) and a network of advertising terminals are described. The advertising terminal may be an ATM ( 12 b ). The ATM ( 12 b ) comprises a transceiver ( 80 ) for wireless communication with portable devices ( 26,28 ) in the vicinity of the ATM ( 12 b ). The ATM ( 12 b ) is operable to create a profile of persons in the vicinity of the ATM ( 12 b ) by detecting portable devices such as PDAs ( 26 ) and cellphones ( 28 ) that have a wireless communications facility ( 26 a, 28 a ) and identifying the owners of the portable devices. The ATM is also operable to display an advertisement appropriate for the created profile of persons.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method providing rules driven subscription event processing]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640213.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing an automated and dynamically responsive infrastructure to support online subscription services. The system includes one or more components to coordinate and manage a plurality of services offered by multiple service providers. This can include automatically creating and managing billing accounts for customers subscribing to such services. At least one engine is provided to process multiple rules in response to subscription events that occur in connection with the services in order to facilitate service delivery. At least one rating processor is provided to process multiple rating rules in response to subscription events for currency and non-currency resources.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Methods and systems for executing a plurality of money transfers having a fluctuating parameter]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640212.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Systems and methods are provided for executing a plurality of money transfers, at least one term of which is dependent on the value of a fluctuating parameter, for example a currency exchange rate or the amount of a transaction service fee. The customer may stage a first money transfer at a money-transfer system and a first value of the fluctuating parameter may be determined by a host processor. The first money transfer may then be executed by the money-transfer system using the first value of the fluctuating parameter and a unique lock-in value identifier may be stored in the host processor's memory that associates the first value of the fluctuating parameter with the customer. When the customer stages a second (and any subsequent) money transfer at the money transfer system, a second value of the fluctuating parameter may be determined by the host processor. The first value of the fluctuating parameter may be retrieved from the host processor's memory using the lock-in value identifier and, in one embodiment, a determination may be made as to whether the first value or second value is more favorable to the customer for executing the second money transfer. The second money transfer may then be executed using the more favorable value of the fluctuating parameter. In one embodiment, the customer may be notified of the savings realized.  In some embodiments, the second money transfer may be made using the first value of the fluctuating parameter without making a determination as to whether it is more favorable than the second value. In other embodiments, a unique customer identifier, e.g. a loyalty program ID number, may be used to identify the customer as a repeat customer, and the customer identifier may be used to retrieve the lock-in value identifier. In another embodiment, the customer may be required by the money-transfer service provider to pay a lock-in fee or currency spread, all or a portion of which may be used to offset part of any service fees paid by customer for repeat money transfers. In still another embodiment, the risk associated with using the more favorable value of the fluctuating parameter may be hedged by the service provider.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for billing augmentation]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640211.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[System and method for providing augmented billing services. Where a billing system cannot keep pace with new services being marketed and the specialized pricing associated with such new services, a system and method are provided that generate a billing augmentation messages that are sent to the billing entity and that cause an incremental increase of a bill for the handling of a particular message type. The incremental increase is equivalent to a charge that the billing system is already configured to bill. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the message is an electronic message such as an SMS message and the billing augmentation messages are generated by and sent from an intercarrier vendor.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Financial information portal]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640210.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In a system for a financial institution or other information maintainer, has a list of its account holders that also have accounts with a portal and have agreed to link their portal account and user account with the financial institution or other information maintainer. When a user logs onto the user's portal account, the portal server can request information from the user account over a trusted link to the financial institution or other information maintainer. The portal can request data for a particular user over the trusted link or can request bulk data for all users, using portal authentication data, as opposed to user authentication data. In the preferred embodiment, the actions allowed on a user account by the portal authentication data are more restrictive than the actions allowed by the user authentication data. As an example, a brokerage house might allow the portal to read recent transaction data for the user but not to make trades on the user's account, while the brokerage house would allow the user to perform many more actions if the user logged on directly to the brokerage house's system using the user's authentication data.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Process for an inclusive automated consumer controlled mortgage system (ACCMS) containing an automated mortgage monitoring and government compliance auditing system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640209.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method completely eliminating the tasks and responsibilities of the mortgage broker, loan officer, and Federally Chartered Banks in the mortgage loan process, thus transforming the Consumer/Borrower's (Consumer) Personal Computer into a Personal Mortgage Company (PMC) establishing a consumer “do-it-yourself” mortgage process bestowing the Consumer the ability and control to complete all processes needed to complete a mortgage loan, from application to closing. Within the system is an automated mortgage monitoring environment initiated each time a Consumer enters the loan environment and for amplified consumer security and confidence; Quality Control stations which monitor and records conversations between the Consumer and the consumer service representative, plus keystroke and ID recording of any consumer service representative that intervened on a loan, and a State and Federal regulator portal which allows financial audits in complete anonymity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year remotely.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for processing orders for securities]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640208.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Trade processing system and method. Tiers are established, representing a range of values associated with a trade size and a percentage of an average daily volume of trading in a security. The tiers are associated with a price improvement. An order, associated with an order size, to trade in the security is received. The tier within which the order falls is determined based on the order size and the percentage of the average daily volume. At least a portion of the order is automatically executed with the price improvement associated with the determined tier. Depending on the manner in which the order is flagged, it may be processed in accordance with one of a plurality of workflows. Partial order fills are also supported.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for dynamically determining quantity for risk management]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640207.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method for dynamically determining quantity for risk management are described. According to one example embodiment, as a trader positions an order icon at a desired price or price-derivative value on a graphical interface, an order quantity for the order is dynamically determined based on the order price and a selected risk management formula. A trader can change the price or the price-related value for one or more orders by moving the order icons relative to a price axis on a graphical interface. In such an embodiment, the initially calculated order quantity for each order will be dynamically recalculated based on the modified orders for the trading strategy.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for event-based trading]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640206.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method for news-based trading are developed. According to one method, a trader can pre-define a trading strategy including a number of trading rules to be applied based on a comparison of one or more estimated event values to the respective actual event values to be released at some later time. The example method further includes, upon receiving one or more actual event values via a user input or directly from outside sources, executing one or more predefined trading rules selected based on the comparison of the received actual event values to the respective estimated indicator values.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for accessing reconcilement information]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640205.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Systems and methods are disclosed for assisting a check-cashing entity to efficiently and accurately locate relevant positive pay information or other reconcilement information regarding a check or other negotiable instrument that has been presented to a check-cashing entity in association with a request to cash, deposit, use as payment or other otherwise accept the check or negotiable instrument. In various embodiments, when a plurality of potentially useful sources of reconcilement information are identified for querying in association with a proposed check-cashing transaction, a decision regarding how many of the sources to query and/or how long to continue to query may be based at least in part on factors relating to the transaction, factors relating to characteristics of the information sources, and factors relating to preferences on the part of the check-cashing entity.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for collection, distribution, and use of information in connection with commercial real estate]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640204.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method for creating a unified commercial real estate data model through collection, distribution and use of information in connection with commercial real estate and for creating a web-based marketplace that facilitates the efficient and secure buying, selling, and leasing of commercial properties. The invention provides a digital marketplace in which the members of the commercial real estate and related business community can continuously interact and facilitate transactions by efficiently exchanging accurate and standardized information. An embodiment provides a system and method for providing communication and analytical tools that interface with a commercial real estate database and support commercial real estate transactions between parties. These communication and analytical tools can include: 1) a survey tool; 2) a commercial real estate transaction tool; 3) a tour scheduling tool; 4) an activity summary tool; and 5) a tool for analyzing commercial real estate data.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Accessing data from a financial prospectus]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640203.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A first portion of data is selected. The first portion of data is capable of being converted from a human-readable format to an electronically readable format. The first portion of data is capable of being stored in an optical bar code. A printed financial prospectus includes the first portion of data in the human-readable format. The first portion of data is stored on the optical bar code. The optical bar code is incorporated into the printed financial prospectus. The first portion of data is read from the optical bar code using a bar code scanner without removing the optical bar code from the printed financial prospectus.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Life insurance investment fund]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640202.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method of funding and managing at least one fund of a plurality of diverse life insurance policies issued by a plurality of investment grade carriers, the at least one fund providing enhanced risk adjusted investment return. The method performing the steps of: selecting the plurality of life insurance policies for the at least one fund without underwriting on the lives of the insured of each life insurance policy; acquiring the selected plurality of life insurance policies for the at least one fund; and managing the fund to maximize a financial risk adjusted investment rate of return that provides equity level returns with fixed income asset exposure.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Methods and systems for analytical-based multifactor Multiobjective portfolio risk optimization]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640201.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The invention provides systems and methods for determining the allocation of securities in a portfolio. The method includes providing a collection of securities in a portfolio, each security being associated with associated attributes; providing risk factor data related to the portfolio; pooling the securities into a plurality of security clusters based on the attributes associated with each security and the risk factor data, each security being assigned to an security cluster, the pooling being performed using multivariate decision tree processing; processing the security clusters using a nonlinear programming optimizer to generate optimization results; and presenting the optimization results in a risk-return space for determination of a security allocation.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Financial portfolio management system and method]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640200.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A financial portfolio management system operable in a network environment can be configured to gather financial information from a plurality of sources over an electronic network and intelligently aggregate the information into a financial portfolio viewable by a client. The client can determine which accounts should be included in the portfolio. The system uses web crawling, parsing, or spidering technology to update the portfolio information. The system provides one platform that conveys financial information from a variety of accounts held at several different financial institutions.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Auditing and reconciling custodial accounts]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640199.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method, system and computer program product for auditing and reconciling custodial accounts. A tool is provided to allow a custodial agent to audit a custodial account at one or more depository institutions at which deposits are held by the custodial agent on behalf of one or more individuals and reconcile such accounts. According to one embodiment, the method includes comparing account balance data from a depository institution for a custodial account against account balance data from a second source for the custodial account, identifying discrepancies between the balance data from the depository institution and the balance data from the second source, identifying a prospective write-off in the amount of one or more of the discrepancies, and prompting the custodial agent to indicate whether the custodial agent accepts the prospective write-off. The prospective write-off may be offset against an account.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for generating and displaying indexed price modeling data]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640198.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The present invention provides a system suitable for displaying price modeling data having an indexing module that calculates indexes based on price modeling data and a display module configured display a calculated index. Other embodiments provide a data aggregation module that aggregates indexes calculated by the indexing module that may be also be displayed.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Technique for financial account information processing]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640197.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A technique for processing information associated with a financial account is provided. Multiple options for validating and/or altering financial account information exist. A priority value for each of the options is determined. The option having the highest priority value is selected. Then, the financial account information is validated and/or altered according to the selected option.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method of making capital investment decisions concerning locations for business operations and/or facilities]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640196.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The present invention relates to methods for facilitating capital investment decisions and transactions concerning development, expansion, consolidation, location, relocation, merger, acquisition, and/or disposition of business operations and/or facilities using computer interface inquiries. The inventive method allows a user to select and compare business locations based on demographic and/or economic criteria and to optionally determine financial factors associated with operating a business in selected locations. In particular, the invention is directed to a method for deciding whether, where, and to what extent to invest capital for the development, expansion, consolidation, location, or relocation of a business, business operation, or business facility. For example, the invention provides a method for selecting locations for expansion or relocation of a business operation or business facility.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and method for automatic integrated document filing when logging business transactions]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640195.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Methods and systems are provided for automatically filing records concerning business events in a computer system so that the records are accessible to a business application. An identification code is assigned to a business event having a data structure that is represented in the computer system. At least one set of input data, which is provided with a structure specific to a class of business events, is created from data concerning a business event. The at least one set of input data is transformed into a set of output data, which is accessible by at least two business applications. The set of output data is stored with the assigned identification code such that the set of output data can be fully or partly read by the at least two business applications by referring to the identification code.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Inventory controls with radio frequency identification]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640194.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Inventory control with inventory item attributes wherein the attributes describe an inventory item, the inventory item has an RFID identification tag having an RFID identification tag code, and the inventory item attributes include an RFID identification tag code field, a control value, an acceptable control value range, and an out of range action. Detecting changes in the inventory item attributes, including reading, through an RFID reader, the RFID identification code from the RFID tag associated with the inventory item, recording detected changes in inventory item attributes, comparing the control value and the acceptable control value range, and taking action in dependence upon the result of the comparing and the out of range action.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Distributed electronic commerce system with centralized virtual shopping carts]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640193.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[An electronic commerce system includes a broker that enables customers to purchase items from multiple different merchants. A customer interacts with the merchants to identify items to purchase, and the merchants send descriptions of the items to the broker. The broker maintains a virtual shopping cart that stores the items received from the different merchants. The customer can purchase the items in the shopping cart in a single purchase transaction with the broker. Further, the customer can publish a reference that identifies the shopping cart and invite other customers to purchase the items in the cart via the broker.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and computer program product for dynamic pricing]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640192.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system, method and computer program product are provided for various pricing techniques. Initially, data associated with a sale of goods or services may be received. A plurality of values associated with the sale of goods or services may then be calculated based on the received data. At least one of the values is then optionally compared to a low threshold and at least one of the values is also optionally compared to a high threshold, although any threshold may be used. Even still, the threshold may be altered based on the received data. Consequently, the price of the goods or services may also be altered based on the comparisons, wherein the price may be altered, at least in part, in a random manner. Further, the altered price may be output.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Clustered bidding and auctions in a procurement system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640191.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A purchase hub system for an enterprise may enable a purchasing agent to cluster bids from different enterprise buyer systems in the enterprise. The purchase hub system may receive purchasing requests including multiple requirements from the different enterprise buyer systems and suggest potential groupings of the requirements based on, e.g., item categories assigned to the requirements. The purchasing agent may then create a bid opportunity, e.g., a bid invitation or auction, including the clustered bids.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for transaction and information management]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640190.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Disclosed are systems and methods which utilize information communication systems for transaction and information management. According to embodiments, an automated information management engine is provided enabling and facilitating the purchase of goods and services through various payment options resulting in increased profitability and visibility safely, securely and conveniently. Embodiments utilize a telephony system, and/or other information communication system, having access terminals disposed within a controlled environment facility for use by residents thereof to conduct transactions or other desirable exchanges of information, goods, services, etcetera. Embodiments provide integration across various aspects of transaction and information management, such as prepaid account management, collect calling services, and commissary services, to thereby facilitate seamless user interaction for account deposit, account status inquiry, commissary ordering, and collect calling. Interactive systems of embodiments operate intelligently to facilitate and/or optimize use thereof, such as to identify low account status and implement interaction to solicit deposit of funds.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Combinatorial auction branch on bid searching method and apparatus]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640189.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In a multi-unit combinatorial auction, reverse auction, or exchange, a number of bids can be received, with each bid including one or more items and for each item a desired quantity thereof. Each bid also includes a price. A number of unique combinations of bids can be formed from the received bids, and the one combination of bids which represents the best value in terms of an auction setting, a reverse auction setting and/or an exchange setting can be determined. Thereafter, the bids forming this combination can be declared the winning bids of the auction, reverse auction or exchange.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method of manipulating data associated with products that are offered for sale in connection with electronic commerce via a computer network]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640188.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The present invention comprises a software based method and apparatus for organizing, presenting and manipulating packages and bundles in electronic retailing that greatly reduces the number of SKUs an electronic retailer needs to assign and track in order to sell packages and bundles. This is accomplished by defining the relationships of sellable objects to each other at the product level, rather than the item level. In accordance with the invention, a parent SKU number is assigned for each bundle or package that an e-tailer defines. A plurality of interrelated tables or databases are maintained in which the individual products that comprise bundles and packages are defined at the product level, rather than the item level. The definitions are recursive in that a product may simultaneously be for sale individually as well as part of one or more packages and/or bundles. When any product is manipulated (e.g., added or deleted from the shopping cart), the tables are consulted to determine if that product is part of a package or bundle and what other products comprise that bundle so that any such other products are manipulated accordingly.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Anonymous shopping transactions on a network through information broker services]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640187.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method for enabling a user to transact an anonymous on-line transaction, wherein a form of on-line payment is requested at a transaction interface is disclosed. The method may include providing an anonymous user interface that enables a user to initiate an on-line payment, accessing a first profile comprising user data when the user activates the form of on-line payment, generating a second profile linked to the first profile wherein, the second profile comprises anonymous data, and communicating the anonymous data from the second profile to the transaction interface to enable completion of the transaction.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for reselling electronic merchandise]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640186.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A service is provided that verifies, repairs, and provides a resale mechanism for electronic merchandise over the Internet. A reseller sends in a request to sell electronic merchandise. The service provider may verify the authenticity of the merchandise. Next, depending on the reseller's requests, the service provider may verify the electronic merchandise and repair the electronic merchandise if the data is faulty. When the electronic merchandise is ready, the service provider may advertise the merchandise using a method specified by the reseller. Once there is a buyer, the service provider may notify the reseller, a transaction may occur, and the electronic merchandise and copyrights may be transferred from reseller to buyer.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Dispensing system and method with radio frequency customer identification]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640185.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method for providing a fuel dispenser with radio frequency customer identification capabilities. The system and method determines whether a transponder containing customer identification data is within range of a dispenser, the dispenser requiring activation by the customer to initiate a transaction and including a reader associated therewith for emitting radio frequency signals within the dispenser range, and for receiving customer identification data from the transponder responsive to the emitted radio frequency signals received by the transponder. When the transponder is within range of the dispenser, an in-range indication is provided to the customer. A determination is made whether the dispenser has been activated by the customer following a determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range. Upon activation of the dispenser following the determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range, the customer identification data received by the reader is associated with a transaction at the activated dispenser, whereupon the transaction at the activated dispenser is permitted and charged to the customer according to the customer identification data. The system easily retrofits onto an existing, conventional fuel dispenser.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and system for processing published content on the internet]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640184.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The invention is a method for processing content published on-line so as to identify each item in a unique manner. The invention includes software that receives and reads an RSS feed from a publisher. The software then identifies each item of content in the feed and creates a unique identifier for each item. Each item then has third party content or advertisements associated with the item based on the unique identifier. The entire feed is then stored and, when appropriate, updated. The publisher then receives the augmented feed which contains permanent associations between the third party advertising content and the items in the feed so that as the feed is modified or extended, the permanent relationships between the third party content and previously existing feed items are retained and readers of the publisher's feed do not receive a false indication of new content each time the third party advertising content is rotated on an item.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Electronic coupon processing system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640183.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A system and method for the electronic processing of discount coupons are described. The present invention comprises a coupon database containing coupon information that is associated with a specific consumer. The coupon database is operated in conjunction with a system for recording product information that is sold to a consumer at any particular store. The information from the register system is reconciled with information from the coupon database in order to give the consumer any credit for coupons that are attributed to his or her account. The coupon database is subsequently updated to reflect the transactions and the discounts given to the consumer. The consumer information, including both the information relating to coupons and the information relating to other products purchased, can be added to a database for marketing analysis. The store information relating to redeemed coupons is forwarded electronically to the manufacturers for rebate to the store.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and apparatus for corporate voting]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640182.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A proxy voting system enables an investor with a large number of investments to efficiently manage and vote proxies. A shareholder enters preferences regarding how to vote his or her proxies into a computer system, which then screens the received proxies, automatically enters the shareholder's preferences onto the proxy card and returns the completed proxy card to the appropriate election authority at the proper time. The system includes a central controller, a user interface for each investor, a proxy server and a manual entry subsystem, which provides an interface for those corporations that are not equipped to handle electronic formatted proxies.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Distributed network voting system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640181.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A secure election system provides a downloadable ballot viewer object for the casting of ballots. The ballot viewer object authenticates the user, permits user interaction in the casting of ballots, seals the cast ballot image by encryption, and transmits the cast ballot to election headquarters. The ballot viewer object may be used to perform secure voting on the Internet.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Demand planning using exchange balances]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640180.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method for demand planning includes determining a demand value representing a demand quantity of an end product that a manufacturer is to produce. Production of the demand quantity of the end product includes production of a quantity of an intermediate product using a raw material. The intermediate product is to be further processed to produce the end product. The method also includes determining an additional quantity value representing an additional quantity of the intermediate product that the manufacturer can produce in addition to the quantity of the intermediate product used to produce the end product. At least one of the demand value and the additional quantity value is based at least partially on an exchange balance associated with at least one of the raw material, the intermediate product, and the end product. The method further includes making the additional quantity value for the intermediate product available for use in generating additional demand for the intermediate product.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[User interface and method to facilitate analysis and/or planning of business operation]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640179.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A user interface and method are disclosed for facilitating analysis and/or planning of business operations. The user interface includes may include a plurality of user interface elements, at least some of which characterize associated components that may be employed to compute data. Stored account data is processed to generate base data for one or more selected accounts. The base data may be further processed by components associated with the user interface elements, such as by a method, key results area data, action plan data, and/or calendar data, to provide an impact value that results in the base data being adjusted accordingly.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[System and method for selecting and reserving seats using a touch screen device]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640178.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The present invention relates to a system and method for selecting and reserving seats using a touch screen device. The system or method transmits first data to an application running on a personal computing device, the first data including information descriptive of available individual seats at the venue, the first data processed by the application to generate a graphical user interface on the personal computing device that comprises an interactive seating map representing individual seats at the venue. The system or method also receives from the personal computing device second data representing one or more seats selected by a touch screen input. In addition, the system or method receives over the network from the personal computing device third data representing payment information.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and apparatus for determining an optimal sharing mix in a shared prescription savings plan]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640177.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method for determining an optimal sharing mix in a shared savings prescription plan, the method includes identifying a first drug group and a second drug group, wherein the first drug group and the second drug group are formulary equivalents of each other and each include one or more prescriptions, determining a total cost to the first entity for the first drug group and an estimated total cost to the first entity for the second drug group, determining a savings rate associated with utilizing the second drug group versus the first drug group, determining a distribution amount as a function of the savings rate and the total cost to the first entity for the first drug group, and distributing the distribution amount to at least one of a first entity, a second entity, and a third entity based upon one or more predetermined percentages.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Insurance agent contact system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640176.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[An online insurance information system comprises an insurance quoting system, an agent contact system, agent systems, and customer systems. The agent contact system comprises a customer interfacing subsystem, a create contact engine, an agent interfacing subsystem, and a process contact engine. The customer interfacing subsystem is coupled to the quoting system and to a given one of the customer systems for receiving an online indication by a given customer of a desire to pursue a policy with a given agent. The given customer comprises a given contact. The create contact engine identifies the given agent system and saves in a database local to the agent contact system a personal insurance profile and contact information corresponding to the given customer. The agent interfacing subsystem coupled to the given agent system receives an online indication by the given agent of a desire to view, print, or modify the contact information. The process contact engine contacts the given agent system with information regarding the given contact, and accesses and modifies the contact information in accordance with online indications made by the agent.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method for high-risk member identification]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640175.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method for using claims data to identify high-risk members of a healthcare plan is disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention includes searching the plurality of claims of members selected by a filtering criteria to identify the presence of an intervention flag, to identify factors influencing care intervention, and identifying a medical episode driving the member's cost. In one embodiment, the intervention flag the medical episode are displayed in association with an identification of the member. In another embodiment, the member selection criteria includes selection based on the member's predicted future health care utilization.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and system for gainsharing of physician services]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640174.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The invention relates to a method and system of physician economic performance evaluation in which the relative medical difficulty associated with patients admitted by a particular physician is determined and, given that measurement, judgments made concerning the relative amount of inpatient resources that the physician required. Also, one application of the present invention relates to a method for gainsharing of physician services using a surplus allocation methodology for rewarding physicians in relation to their performance. An incentive pool is determined from previous patient claims and payments made to physicians in advance, such as in a base year. Best practice norms are established for a plurality of classified diagnosis groups. In one embodiment of the present invention, the classified diagnosis related groups are adjusted for severity of illness to compensate for actual clinical challenges faced by individual physicians. The best practice norms can be used in the surplus allocation method for determining physician performance. The incentive is established proportional to the relationship between a physician's individual performance and the best practice norm.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and system for evaluating a physician's economic performance and gainsharing of physician services]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640173.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The invention relates to a method and system of physician economic performance evaluation in which the relative medical difficulty associated with patients admitted by a particular physician is determined and, given that measurement, judgments made concerning the relative amount of inpatient resources that the physician required. Also, one application of the present invention relates to a method for gainsharing of physician services using a surplus allocation methodology for rewarding physicians in relation to their performance. An incentive pool is determined from previous patient claims and payments made to physicians in advance, such as in a base year. Best practice norms are established for a plurality of classified diagnosis groups. In one embodiment of the present invention, the classified diagnosis related groups are adjusted for severity of illness to compensate for actual clinical challenges faced by individual physicians. The best practice norms can be used in the surplus allocation method for determining physician performance. The incentive is established proportional to the relationship between a physician's individual performance and the best practice norm.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Device to make expert knowledge accessible for the operation of medical examination devices]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640172.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A device to make expert knowledge available to a user (doctor) of a medical examination device is provided, with a transmission device in order to transcribe at this examination device a handbook procedure of an outside expert in the form of pulse sequences, protocols, parameter sets or the like for the examination device, coordinated with precise medical diagnoses by the inquiring user with an external (if necessary, decentralized) databank which stores settings for a plurality of clinical cases from patient parameters, as well as a computer (expert system) that searches for appropriate suggestions in the databank upon request, and the user submits one or more suggestions according to the result, in that, on a correspondingly expanded user interface of the user examination device, the respective providers are indicated and parallel and offered to be selected.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Asset communication format within a computer network]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640171.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A communication format and protocol is described for routing and storage “asset” within a computer network. The assets conform to a format in which a first data structure that stores asset meta information to control routing of the asset through a medical imaging network. A second data structure that stores medical imaging information received from a medical imaging modality. A third data structure that stores pixel data received from the medical imaging modality. A fourth data structure that stores patch data that includes modifications to the medical imaging information. A fifth data structure that stores error detection and correction information.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and apparatus for processing pharmaceutical orders to determine whether a buyer of pharmaceuticals qualifies for an ���own use��� discount]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640170.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Disclosed is a method and apparatus for processing pharmaceutical orders to determine whether a buyer of pharmaceuticals qualifies for an “own use” discount. “Own use” discounts on pharmaceuticals are available for a limited class of buyers under 35 U.S.C. §13c. Under one method, an auditor receives an order for a quantity of pharmaceuticals, receives a report associated with the order containing sufficient information therein to perform an audit on the order, and compares the information found in the order with the information found in the associated report to make a status determination as to whether a buyer qualifies for an “own use” discount. Preferably a second report containing additional audit information is received as well. The auditor can also audit the order by comparing the order to this additional information. If these comparisons result in a determination that the buyer does in fact qualify for an “own use” discount, the auditor can then place the order with a pharmaceutical seller for a discounted price. Also disclosed is a pharmaceutical order auditing system that uses a computer to perform the above-described audit.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for providing a digital image and disposition of a good damaged during transit]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640169.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Systems and methods are disclosed for determining the disposition of a shipped good, such as a car, damaged during transit. After the damage is detected, a digital image of the is obtained. The image is uploaded to a server typically along with the vehicle identification number and/or other identification data. The server determines the appropriate individual(s) to be contacted, and generates a notification message, typically including the URL of a web site where further information can be obtained. The appropriate individual (“user”) logs onto the server to view the digital images and provides input regarding the disposition of the good. The user may direct the damaged car to a repair shop, a dealer, or another destination. Alternatively, the user may indicate delivery of the car as originally planned. The server may notify other systems of the disposition as well. Other embodiments apply to the disposition of delivered packages.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and computer program product for enabling customers to adjust the level of service provided by service providers]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640168.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Systems, methods, and computer program products for providing services, and for enabling changes in the services, are described herein. The services are, for example, continuous, recurring, and/or periodic, and include utility service, periodical delivery service, insurance, etc., and combinations thereof. Customers can issue instructions to service providers (over the Internet, for example) to modify services being provided to the customer. Upon receipt of those instructions, a corresponding service provider takes appropriate action to adjust the service in accordance with the instructions. Customers may also define Service Adjustment Triggers, which specify one or more conditions and one or more changes to the service. Occurrence of the conditions results in implementation of the changes.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Self-service sales management system and method, and its program]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640167.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A skill authentication server publicizes a home page for test question creation over a communication network. The skill authentication server transmits a home page for a test question creation information input screen to a shop terminal, upon an access from the shop terminal, and receives the screen input information from the shop terminal to create a home page for skill authentication test questions. The shop terminal generates the skill authentication result that becomes the content of an ID card of the customer on the basis of the test answer information from a customer terminal that is input into the home page for skill authentication test questions, and transmits it to a card company server and the shop terminal. The customer inserts the ID card including the skill authentication result into the shop terminal and accepts a guidance suitable for the skill authentication result.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method for charging on-line directory assistance services]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640166.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[An approach for providing an on-line directory assistance service system for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network is disclosed. The system includes a server that tracks the number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device (e.g., non-PC devices) and to prepare billing information based upon the number of directory listings. The system also includes a database that is coupled to the server and that stores the directory listings.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Web based methods and systems for managing compliance assurance information]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640165.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method for managing, storing, and disseminating compliance assurance (CA) information using a web-based system is provided. The system employs a server system coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system. The method includes receiving CA information from a client system, storing CA information into a centralized database, cross-referencing CA information, updating the centralized database periodically to maintain CA information, providing CA information in response to an inquiry; and notifying users electronically of CA tasks and CA deadlines.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for verification of a verifiable device]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640130.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Systems and methods for effectuating verification and certification of verifiable devices. Preferably, but not necessarily, such certification occurs or is communicated remotely. A verifiable device may be directly or indirectly connected to an appropriate regulatory agency through a communication mechanism. One or more tests may be performed on the verifiable device to verify that the device is functioning properly. The test results are directly or indirectly transmitted to the regulatory agency. If the tests were passed then the verifiable device may be approved for use. When self-certification or remote certification is provided for, the need for in-person verification and certification procedures by agency personnel may be eliminated.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Directory assistance with multi-modal messaging]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7640006.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A information assistance application is disclosed for use in a wireless communication environment. A requestor terminal is operable to generate a request for an information record associated with a subscriber terminal. The request is transmitted from the requestor terminal to an information assistance application server. The information assistance application server processes the request to determine the identity of the person for whom information has been requested and to determine how to contact the subscriber terminal. A message is generated and sent to the subscriber terminal requesting permission to provide the requester terminal with the requested information. If the subscriber terminal replies with an indication that the information may be provided, then the information application server generates a message that includes the information being requested and transmits it to the requestor terminal.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Digital rights management scheme for an on-demand distributed streaming system]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7639805.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A DRM scheme that may be optionally invoked by the owner. With the DRM protection turned on, the media is encrypted before it is distributed in a P2P network, and is decrypted prior to its use (play back). The peers may still efficiently distribute and serve without authorization from the owner. Nevertheless, when the media is used (played back), the client node must seek proper authorization from the owner. The invention further provides a hierarchical DRM scheme wherein each packet of the media is associated with a different protection level. In the hierarchical DRM scheme of the invention there is usually an order of the protection level. As a result, in one embodiment of the invention, the decryption key of a lower protection layer is the hash of the decryption key at the higher protection level. That way, a user granted access to the high protection layer may simply hold a single license of that layer, and obtain decryption keys of that layer and below. The invention further provides for a process for managing digital rights to a scalable media file wherein a different encryption/decryption key is used to encrypt each truncatable media packet with a base layer without requiring additional storage space to store the key.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Allocating processing resources for multiple instances of a software component]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7639671.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Methods and corresponding systems for allocating processing resources for a number of instances (N) of a software component include determining an average processing cost (μ) and a variance (σ 2 ) for the software component. Then a processing cost for the software component is estimated as a function of N, the average processing cost (μ), and the variance (σ 2 ), and processing resources are allocated in response to the estimated processing cost. The software component can be partitioned into a number of blocks (L), wherein the L blocks include a required block and one or more optional blocks. In some embodiments in response to a total estimated processing cost exceeding an available processing value, selected optional blocks can be disabled to reduce the total estimated processing cost to a value equal to or less than the available processing value. The optional blocks can be prioritized and disabled in order of priority.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Automated creation of printed works having customized and/or personalized content]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7639386.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A facility for generating printed works containing customized or personalized content is described. The facility may electronically provide users with access to information about a collection of content that is available for incorporation into the printed works. The facility may receive content selection instructions from the user for selecting items of content from the collection of content to generate a customized or personalized printed work. In some cases, the instructions may facilitate an automatic content selection process to generate a personalized printed work. Based on the instructions, the facility may select and retrieve the desired items of content and then aggregate them into an electronic document. Prior to generating the customized or personalized printed work, the facility may reformat the items of content within the electronic document based on user formatting instructions. The facility may then arrange for delivery of the printed work to the user.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for order-picking]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7639142.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In one exemplary embodiment in accordance with the invention, an order-picking system includes a picking cart having a radio frequency (RF) antenna arranged above an object-stacking surface of the picking cart. The order-picking system further includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader coupled to the RF antenna. The RFID tag reader is configured to identify a first RFID tag attached to a first tagged object placed on the picking cart and further configured to eliminate identification of a second RFID tag attached to a second tagged object located outside a perimeter of the object-stacking surface of the picking cart.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Systems and methods for providing a player's ticket]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637809.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Ticketing systems and methods are provided specifically relating to a player's ticket. A player's ticket references at least one player and allows the player's ticket holder to attend all sporting events played in by the at least one player referenced on the player's ticket. Information about a tournament, including the players, the tournament draw, and historical data, is acquired and used to determine the probabilities of players winning matches in the tournament. Different possible allocations of admissions (e.g., seats) for player's tickets to matches of the tournament are determined based on the tournament draw and how many player's tickets are provided for the matches. One of the allocations of seats of the possible allocations is chosen based on the probabilities of players winning matches in the tournament which aids in determining the likelihood of accommodating all player's ticket holders for each match.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method to analyze economics of asset management solutions for nuclear steam generators]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637653.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method to determine corrective actions of a nuclear steam generator, having the steps of modeling of steam generator tube and deposit heat transfer characteristics by analytically deriving specific deposit characteristics and descriptive model parameters, wherein the modeling uses historical thermodynamic data for an operating plant under evaluation, identifying a set of one of preventive and corrective maintenance alternatives to accomplish steam generator deposit objectives, determining through the modeling a power production impact of each of the set of one of preventative and corrective maintenance alternatives to determine an economic cost for each of the set of preventative and corrective maintenance alternatives, and initiating a maintenance alternative with a lowest economic cost as compared to the maintenance evaluation alternatives with higher economic costs.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Registering a biometric for radio frequency transactions]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637434.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method for registering biometric information for use in a transponder-reader system is disclosed. The method includes steps of detecting, verifying and storing a proffered biometric sample. During detecting, a sensor detects a proffered biometric to obtain a biometric sample. During the verifying step, the biometric sample is compared with other stored samples and/or other information. During the storing step, the biometric sample is stored on a database, for use by the transponder-reader system in authorizing transactions.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Electronic voting system and associated method]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637429.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[An electronic voting system includes a vote security device (VSD), a user interface for presenting a ballot to a voter, and an audit trail printer operatively coupled to the VSD. The printer prints an audit trail ballot only in response to verifying encrypted and/or digitally signed messages received from the VSD that indicates the voter's ballot selections. The printer is structured to allow the voter to view but not access the audit trail ballot. The voter is able to accept or reject the audit trail ballot using the user interface. If the ballot is rejected, the VSD causes the printer to print a rejection indicator on the ballot, and if the voter accepts the ballot, the VSD causes the printer to print an acceptance indicator on the ballot. A digitally signed record of the voter's ballot selections is generated and stored.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Shared financial service systems and methods]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637427.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A computer system is configured to execute software, where the software may include a communication application capable of sending a communication from at least one party to a financial or accounting transaction. The software may also include an accounting control application capable of modifying the communication before sending it to another party by utilizing the communication application. The accounting control application may also be capable of tracking the status of the transaction. A method includes sharing financial services where a first party initiates a financial or accounting transaction and sends information related to that transaction through a communication channel to an accounting control module. The accounting control module modifies the information and tracks the status of the transaction. It then sends the modified information to a second party through the communication channel.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and system for finding an alternative grouping of selected items]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637426.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method and system are provided for finding items for grouping items according to sorting characteristics. For example, a price comparison engine is described that obtains the original total purchase price for all items placed in the customer's shopping cart and compares the original total purchase price to further generated total purchase price options to determine if any cost savings can be achieved. Those further total purchase price options are generated by computing the total purchase price resulting from each possible combination of sellers and items in the shopping cart. In some embodiments, heuristics may be used by the price engine to reduce the number of seller combinations and purchase price options generated, limit the price variations upon which the total purchase price options are computed, and/or filter or sort the purchase price options to be displayed.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method and system for wireless and credit card transactions]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637425.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method ( 10 ) and system ( 50  or  200 ) of using a credit card media type ( 54 ) integrated with a wireless communication device ( 52 ) can include determining ( 12 ) that the wireless communication device is inoperable for use in a commercial transaction and enabling ( 14 ) the use and authorization of the credit card media type with a predetermined restriction profile that is more restrictive than when the credit card media type is used with the wireless communication device when operable. The method can lower ( 16 ) the payment authorization amount or limit a type of item that is purchased to a predefined type based on a remote network being unable to communicate with the wireless communication device. The method can also remove ( 18 ) the credit card media type from the communication device and enable the use and authorization of the credit card media type with the predetermined restriction profile.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method of processing a check depositing transaction between a bank customer and a bank teller]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637423.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method of providing receipts to depositors of bank checks. People often deposit a group of bank checks at once. All checks in the group are listed on a deposit slip which the person prepared. Sometimes, at the last minute, a person removes a check from the group, and does not deposit the removed check. However, if the person misplaces that removed check, the person can develop the false memory that he actually deposited the check, when, in fact, he did not. This false memory can lead to a dispute with the bank. In one form of the invention, the bank creates a deposit slip which contains a picture of each check which was deposited, and also a picture of each check which was removed from the deposit process. This deposit slip creates a historical record of events occurring at the deposit event, and allows one to trace all checks involved.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Automated teller machine capable of depositing cheques]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637422.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A automated teller machine (ATM) verifies the authenticity of the cheque based on image information acquired by a CIS unit and magnetic character information acquired by a MICR unit. The ATM further includes a plural cheque leaves determining unit for determining the presence of plural cheque leaves using the image information, the magnetic character information, and thickness information of the cheque.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Self-service terminal]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637420.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A self-service terminal, such as an ATM (Automated Teller Machine). The ATM has a communication port for interfacing with a user's portable electronic device. The ATM is operable to receive a transaction authorization from the user's portable electronic device, to examine the transaction authorization, and to dispense an item to fulfil a requested transaction associated with the transaction authorization, without the terminal preparing an authorization request to a remote computer.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Method for identifying duplicated pharmaceutical product packaging]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637419.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A method of determining a possible duplication of pharmaceutical product packaging, the packaging having disposed thereon or therein, coded data including a number of coded data portions. Each coded data portion is indicative of the identity the pharmaceutical product. The method includes using a computer system that receives indicating data from a sensing device, the sensing device being responsive to sensing of the coded data to generate the indicating data. The computer system determines the identity from the indicating data and uses this to access tracking data relating to the pharmaceutical product. The tracking data is indicative of the location of the pharmaceutical product allowing the computer system to determine if the pharmaceutical product is a possible duplicate.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Car wash with responsive bonus function]]></title>
            <link>http://www.freepatentsonline.com./7637365.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A car wash includes a controller having an input element and an output element. The input element is configured to receive an input representing a payment. The output element is in operative communication with the input element, and is configured to assign an output comprising a bonus value of a product or service to be dispensed if the payment is of a preferred form.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate>
        </item>
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