2397results about How to "High price" patented technology

A system and method for conducting a multi-person, interactive auction, in a variety of formats, without using a human auctioneer to conduct the auction. The system is preferably implemented in software. The system allows a group of bidders to interactively place bids over a computer or communications network. Those bids are recorded by the system and the bidders are updated with the current auction status information. When appropriate, the system closes the auction from further bidding and notifies the winning bidders and losers as to the auction outcome.

This invention involves a virtual environment created through the combination of technologies. The invention employs the knowledge and experience of a Personal Assistant or Host, created through Artificial Intelligence applications, which assists and guides the user of the environment to products and/or services that they will most likely be interested in purchasing or requiring. The intelligent assistant's choices are based on its experiences with the specific user. The intelligent assistant communicates with the user by means of a speech recognition and speech synthesis device. This invention is an easy to use virtual reality environment that takes advantage of existing technologies and global communications networks such as the Internet without requiring any given degree of computer literacy. This invention includes a virtual intelligent assistant for each user which adapts to its user as it provides individualized guidance. The intelligent assistant or avatar projects human-like features and behaviors appropriate to the preferences of its user and appears as a virtual person to the user.

Methods and systems are provided for dynamically pricing viewing options in a digital broadband communication network by receiving bandwidth allocation information from a bandwidth allocation manager and dynamically assigning a price criterion to each of a group of viewing options based at least in part on the bandwidth allocation information. The group of viewing options may, for example, comprise a reservation option, a normal-play option, a random access option, an on-demand random access option, and an adjust preference option. In addition, the method may optionally comprise receiving a subscriber request related to at least one viewing option selected from the group of viewing options and transmitting a price criterion for the viewing option to the subscriber in response to the subscriber request. The subscriber request may comprise, for example, a request for a price criterion for a viewing option, a request for viewing a program according to a viewing option, and/or a request for a list of available viewing options. In addition, the price criterion may be based, in part, on subscriber profile data.

A method and system for auctioning or sales of deliverable prepared food via the Internet permit customers to purchase or bid on prepared food items. A food preparation and delivery portion of the system includes a delivery vehicle, which may have a mobile kitchen for the preparation of food items en-route. The location of the delivery vehicle is determined from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver in the vehicle or via another location-finding mechanism. Food items with an estimated time of arrival (ETA) is displayed on a web page that provides an interface for purchase or bidding. Bidding may be made for the actual food item purchase or for a scheduled delivery time. Items may be re-auctioned, causing the delivery of a food item to be transferred to another bidder. Audio and/or visual communication with an ordering point and/or delivery vehicle may be provided in the user interface.

The invention provides a mobile communication network system supporting a virtual SIM card and the authentication method thereof. Based on a current mobile communication network system, function modules are arranged on a mobile terminal, an authentication center and a call center service system; a password card is introduced to support the registration, the authentication, the network use and the expense computation of a virtual SMI card; programs and functions realized by the real SIM card are realized by the mobile terminal; account information is written into the mobile terminal through a mobile communication network by the local retrofit and the program updating to mobile network equipment, and an account is not activated by selling the real SIM card. The invention realizes the reduction of roaming fees and the reduction of the consumption of the SIM card in the transnational or trans-provincial or trans-municipal application, thereby reducing the waste of the resource. The invention provides a convenient, flexible, safe mode of using mobile phones in different places. To adopt the mobile communication network system supporting the virtual SIM card contributes to the realization of new functions of the mobile terminal and the decrease of the cost, and ensures that the popularization of the new functions gets easier.

The invention modulates the air volume in foam cores of cushioning support devices and any other support apparatus using foam or similar materials. The foam core can be incrementally modulated to realize an infinite number of comfort levels as to softness and support firmness. The core consists of self-inflating open-cell flexible polyurethane foam and is completely sealed within an enclosure fitted over it, with one or more valves installed in the side walls which communicate with the outside air. Through the valves air is selectively withdrawn from the foam core, allowing the foam's density to increase. The invention uses relatively inexpensive foam, but through air volume modulation achieves a tactile feel of supreme softness for the user, without giving up the necessary firmness to support the body, as happens with very soft foam (bottoming-out or hammock-effect). When air is extracted from a self-inflating foam core, the surface of the core will soften uniformly while maintaining its support firmness. Contrary to this, when pressure is exerted on, for example, traditional coil spring core mattresses, their surface will harden. Integral part of the invention is a device using balanced springs in valve assemblies to avoid compression set, an irreversibly solid state of totally air-depleted foam.

A method of selling articles of manufacture which utilizes an electronic communication system to identify a plurality of articles of manufacture, from a plurality of manufacturing entities, which are available for purchase by said plurality of potential purchasers. The steps of the method include: Identifying pricing milestones in each of (1) a manufacturing phase and (2) a distribution phase, which correspond to an increase in commercial risk. Determining a separate price for each of said pricing milestones to establish a range of prices for said selected ones of said plurality of articles of manufacture, taking into account a change in said commercial risk as said pricing milestones are experienced. Making conditional offers for sale to potential purchasers at each of the pricing milestones, with the conditional offers specifying at least a minimum number of articles which must be ordered in aggregate before the conditional offer becomes binding upon a manufacturing entity. Communicating with potential purchasers and aggregating commercial commitments from potential purchasers for each pricing milestones and thereby selling articles of manufacture. Such that each pricing milestone corresponds to a period of availability in which costs of future supply chain activities or savings related to avoidance of future supply chain activities are reflected in an offer price. The method may also include the use of a trusted intermediary, which may use a virtual exchange.

Barrier synchronization between multiprocessors is performed at high speed while reducing overhead of parallel processing without adding any special hardware mechanism. A parallel computer synchronization method is provided to synchronize threads through barrier synchronization for parallel execution of plural threads on plural processor modules. The parallel computer has plural processor modules (P0 and P1) equipped with plural processor cores (cpu0 to cpu3). The processor cores are each assigned plural threads (Th0 to Th7) to execute multithread processing. The plural threads (Th0 to Th7) are set in hierarchical groups (Gr), and barrier synchronization is performed on each group separately.

The invention provides a mobile terminal supporting a virtual SIM card and the user identity authentication method thereof. Programs and functions realized by the prior real SIM card are realized by a mobile terminal; account information is written into the mobile terminal through a mobile network by means of a password card as well as the local retrofit and the program updating to mobile network equipment; and an account is not activated by selling the real SIM card. The invention realizes that the mobile terminal supporting a virtual SIM card can simply use local mobile networks to communicate by purchasing one password card in other countries or across provinces or municipalities, thereby reducing roaming fees, reducing the consumption of the SIM card, reducing the waste of the resource, and reducing customer complaints brought by the incompatibility of the mobile terminal and the SIM card. The invention provides a convenient, flexible, safe mode of using mobile phones in different places. The mobile terminal supporting the virtual SIM card is advantageous to the realization of new functions of the mobile terminal and the decrease of the design cost, and ensures that the popularization of the new functions gets easier.

In order to effectively supply and demand electric power between an electric power supplier and a node or a group of nodes individually having an electric power generator, the present invention provides an electric power supply and demand management system capable of obtaining the difference between the total of electric power supplied from the electric power supplier to the node or group and the total of electric power consumed by the electric power loads of the node or group and capable of transmitting information for increasing/decreasing the amount of electric power supply so that the difference becomes smaller to the electric power supplier.

A method of dynamically adjusting prices of items using a processor based upon the category to which the item is assigned and sales criteria of the item relative to other items in the category is disclosed. The items are of the type that are deliverable over a network.

A method for segregating qualities of an agricultural product during processing of the product comprises the step of setting a desired range of a measurement value (2). The measurement value represents a property of the product and defines a first quality of the product for which the measurement value is inside the range and a second quality of the product for which the measurement value is outside the range. The method further comprises the step of analyzing (4) the quality of the product that is being processed. The step of analyzing comprises the steps of continuously extracting samples of the product (4a), irradiating each sample by electromagnetic radiation (4d), spatially separating electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths (4e), and detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sample (4f). The step of detecting produces intensity signals indicative of detected electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths. The step of analyzing further comprises the steps of determining a sample value of said property of the product from the intensity signals, and determining a measurement value (4g) from at least one sample value. The method further comprises the step of separating the product of said first quality from the product of said second quality on the combine.

A wind turbine may be controlled in a variety of manners to optimize operating parameters. In one arrangement, for example, the length or the pitch of a wind turbine rotor blade may be adjusted to avoid harmonic resonance frequencies. In another example, the length of a rotor blade may be modified to reduce noise or to optimize profits or both. The controls may be based on data from various types of sensors including accelerometers, sound meters, strain gauges and the like. Actuation of extendable rotor blades can rotate wind turbine rotors without wind or generator pulsing affording multiple advantages. A battery test control may also be used to determine the operational readiness of a battery useful for a variety of purposes in a turbine.

The present invention provides methods, systems, and computer program products that are useful for establishing contractual terms and agreements between health care providers and health care payors. For example, one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for predicting a person's payment of a medical debt. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for predicting a propensity of a group of one or more health care participants to pay an actual or potential medical debt.