Workshop Examples from CII

1. WorkshopExamples from CII Torino, 13-14 October 2011 Edoardo Pastore Patent Examiner, Cluster Computers European Patent Office

2. PREDICTION OF FLIGHT AVAILABILITY A competitive, availability prediction system for predicting relative, competitive availability of seating on an airline flight comprises: an availability predictor that predicts seating availability on a competitive flight; an availability system that produces an actual availability response for a flight; a decision logic that compares the predicted answer from the availability predictor and the potential answer from the availability system to establish a decision with respect to actual availability.

3. ELECTRONIC SHOPPING MALL An electronic shopping mall, comprising: a shopping mall server that manages the electronic shopping mall and a shop server that manages the virtual shops; wherein the shopping mall server comprises: primary offering means for, in response to a request provided by the customer, offering a product or a service that the customer desires to purchase after being selected by the customer from the products or the services handled by the virtual shops in the electronic shopping mall together with a price of the product or the service that the customer desires to purchase; primary-discount means for, in response to a discount request provided by the customer, providing a reply on a discount to be born by the electronic shopping mall to the customer; and secondary-discount negotiation means for, in response to a further-discount over the discount to be born by the electronic shopping mall requested by the customer, carrying out a negotiation with a shop server for a discount to be born by a virtual shop managed by the shop server, and providing a result of the negotiation to the customer, wherein the shop server comprises secondary-discount means for, in response to a discount request provided by the shopping mall server, providing a reply on the discount to be born by the virtual shop managed by the shop server to the shopping mall server.

4. Online wardrobe A system comprising at least first and second wardrobe closets (200) that assist first and second users in selecting clothing, (200) comprising: a scanning means for identifying articles of clothing by reading tags attached to the articles of clothing; a selection means that compares characteristics of an article of clothing removed from the wardrobe closet to characteristics of clothing remaining in the wardrobe closet to identify articles of clothing that form coordinated outfits with the removed article of clothing; and a display means (202) for displaying coordinated outfit options to the user, wherein the at least first and second wardrobe closets are communicatively connected so as to share information about clothing that the users plan to wear to an event.

5. MEDIA MEASUREMENT using a SATELLITE POSITIONING Apparatus for determining the effectiveness of media displays, comprising: (a) a plurality of monitoring devices (200) for tracking the paths of travel followed by a plurality of respondents, each of said respondents associated with a respective one of said plurality of monitoring devices, each of said plurality of monitoring devices comprising: (i) a satellite positioning system SPS engine (245) for tracking the movement of the related respondent along the path of travel followed by the respondent and generating satellite data that represents the path of travel followed by the respondent; (ii) a processing unit (210) for processing the path of travel satellite data; and (iii) a memory (250) for storing said path of travel satellite data; (b) a server (300) for: (i) collecting (350) the path of travel satellite data from each of the monitoring devices; and (ii) analyzing (310) said collected path of travel satellite data to determine if said plurality of respondents has been exposed to one or more of a plurality of media displays by matching geo data based at least in part on said path of travel satellite data with data that represents the location of media displays to determine if the respondents came sufficiently close enough to the media display locations to be exposed to media displayed at the media display location.

6. Supply Chain: Replenishing of a Stock A method for supplying items to a plurality of dispensing units, the method comprising: (a) receiving at a servercomputer restocking information from a plurality of dispensing units, each said unit having a processor and a memory for storing a record of inventory levels of items, wherein the restocking information includes a restock quantity for items to be restocked into the dispensing units; (b) generating ordering information for the items to be restocked using the server computer based on the restocking information; (c) electronically sending the ordering information from the server computer to permit restock items to be ordered; (d) receiving at the server computer an advanced shipping notice generated by a supplier computer, the advanced shipping notice containing information on items to be shipped by a supplier; (e) transmitting information from the advanced shipping notice from the server computer to the dispensing units to apprise the dispensing units of the items and quantities to be shipped for restocking into the dispensing units; (f) restocking shipped items into the dispensing units; (g) reconciling the restocked items with the advanced shipping notice using the dispensing unit processors; and (h) electronically sending to the server computer from the dispensing units a confirmation receipt.

7. PROCESSING of PRESCRIPTIONS A system for processing prescription requests, comprising: a pharmacy prescription processing subsystem; a central fill prescription processing subsystem coupled to said pharmacy prescription processing subsystem by a transmission medium, said pharmacy prescription processing subsystem operable to: receive a plurality of prescription requests; create a queue of prescription requests from said received plurality of prescription requests, each prescription request in said queue eligible to be filled by a central fill inventory; convert said queue of prescription requests to a transmission format; transmit said converted queue of prescription requests to said central fill prescription processing subsystem by said transmission medium, said central fill prescription processing subsystem operable to: receive said converted queue of prescription requests with said transmission format; convert said queue of prescription requests from said transmission format to a processing format; fill a plurality of prescription requests in said queue of prescription requests from said central fill inventory; and dispense a plurality of drugs from said central fill inventory, said dispensed plurality of drugs associated with said plurality of filled prescription requests.

8. Spell Checking System Invention Pop Windows automatically Spell checking Typing errors Dictionary of suggested words

9. Spell Checking System-1 Claim 1 A graphical user interface for a spell checking system, characterised by: (a) a window being automatically opened near the wrongly spelled word whereby (b) this windows contains a list of suggested words (c) the user chooses, by way of a single click, from these words the correct word to replace the wrongly spelled word (d) the list of suggested words and the other of the suggested words in the list being predefined by the spell checking system. Prior art: a window may be opened automatically on screen according to a check or operation made by a processor.

10. Spell Checking System-2 Claim 2 A graphical user interface for a spell checking system, characterised by: (a) a window being automatically opened near the wrongly spelled word whereby (b) this windows contains a list of suggested words (c) the user chooses, by way of a single click, the correct to replace the wrongly spelled word from a list of suggested words (d) the order of the suggested words in the list is created by way of statistical analysis of a previous text written by the user Prior art: a window may be opened automatically on screen according to a check or operation made by a processor + well known statistical analysis of text.

11. Spell Checking System-3 List of suggestion taking into account the „user“ Today is sin Sunny Sun simple Monday Thursday List of suggestion predefined

12. Spell Checking System-3 Claim 3 A graphical user interface for a spell checking system, characterised by: (a) a window being automatically opened near the wrongly spelled word (b) the said window contains two different lists of suggested (c) the user choosing, by means of a single click, from amongst these words the correct word the correct to replace the wrongly spelled word (d) the first list of suggested words, and the order of apperance of the suggested words in the first list present in the first window being created by way of a statistical analysis of text written previosly by the user (e) The second list of suggested words and the order of the suggested words listed in the second window being predefined by the spell checking Prior art: a window may be opened automatically on screen according to a check or operation made by a processor + well known statistical analysis of text. Is the interaction user machine improved?

13. Database Invention Try later request update requested data

14. Database-1 • A method for retrieving data from a database on a central computer system which comprises a database which can be accessed simultaneosly by different users via separate computers for the purpose of either retrieving or updating data characterised in that: • when a first user sends a query to retrieve data which is simultaneosly being updated by a second user, then • the query of the first user is postponed such that the second user can, without any disturbance, continue the updating task to completion, and • the first user is sent a message, automatically generated by the central computer system, informing hin that his query has been postponed and will be carried out later on an udated data set. • Lack of disclosure or lack of inventive step

15. Invention-2 Try in 10 min. Update Estimated time 10 min. request requested data

16. Database-2 • A method for retrieving data from a database on a central computer system which comprises a database which can be accessed simultaneosly by different users via separate computers for the purpose of either retrieving or updating data characterised in that: • when a first user wants to update some data, he has first to specify which data is concerned and the time he needs to carry out the update • Then, the system will link an index in an update table which is part of the database to the data to be updated, the index including the necessary time for carrying out the update • When a second user sends a query the system will first check if the data requested by the query is linked to an index in the update table • If it is not the case, then the query will be processed and the result provided to the second user • If it is the case, the second user will automatically be informed that that his query cannot be immediately processed for updating reasons and a waiting time before the query will be processed will also given. • Index, table  depending on prior art

17. Invention-3 If the requested information is under update estimate the time X Try in X min. update request requested data

18. Database-3 • A method for retrieving data from a database on a central computer system which comprises a database which can be accessed simultaneosly by different users via separate computers for the purpose of either retrieving or updating data characterised in that: • when a first user wants to update some data, he has first to specify which data is concerned and the time he needs to carry out the upodate • upon such specification, the system will link an index in an update table which is part of the database to the data to be updated; the index including the necessary time for carrying out the update • upon receipt of a query by a second user sends a query, the system will first check if the data requested by the query is linked to an index in the update table • if the result of (c) is that it is not the case, then the query will be processed and the result provided to the second user without delay • if the result of (c) is that it is the case, the second user will automatically be informed that that his query cannot be immediately processed due to the reason of ongoing updating, and in addition the lenght of the delay until processing of the query can occur, will be given • where by the method is characterised in that, • (f) during the check of the query in step (c), the act of checking is extended to ensure that all data, which is directly and indirectly request by query is recognized.

19. Database-3 • And this recognition is achieved by features • (g) table... • (h) a comparison is made between ....... • the list is looked up and ...... •  Depending on prior art

20. Directory Service Using telecom data to enhance web interaction Directory service and click-to-call; search query entered; search results are returned to requester; call establishment between two parties; IDEA: search takes account of contextual information related to the caller or called (such as his location) in order to refine the search results; also used for targeted marketing;

21. Call forwarding profiles Method and system for forwarding calls based on predefined profiles The present invention provides a method for forwarding calls placed to a primary destination comprising receiving at least one call forwarding profiles (110), each call forwarding profile having a predefined duration and at least one call forwarding destination, receiving an instruction to activate one call forwarding profile (120) and forwarding calls placed to the telecommunications destination according to the activated profile (140). COMMENTS: Claims 1-5 describe Call-Fwd profiles of increasing complexity and novel, but merely corresponding to specific user requirements without any technical character. In this case, the profiles have been adapted to the needs of shift-workers

22. Selection of ringback tone indicative of an emotional state defined by the user of a called communication device Selection of ringback tone indicative of an emotional state defined by the user of a called communication device PRIOR ART: Ringback tone -customized by called party. PROBLEM: The ringback tone replacement does not allow the user to create ringback tone selection criteria based on subjective factors. The architecture is based on a mobile network and an IN whereby an SCP is triggered to provide RBT through an Intelligent Peripheral -IP. SOLUTION: The subscriber profile information contains fields associated with the RBT service such as the emotional state, eg happy or sad, of the subscriber. The subscriber defines then the RBTs corresponding to each emotional state. EMBODIMENTS: random list of RBTs associated with each emotional state, RBT dependent on caller, time of day, emotional state overriding criteria, comparison between called and caller emotional state, different ringtones repositories each one associated with an emotional state.

23. Sex / age detector Problem of screening calls based on detected age (non-technically motivated); given solution is the use of a device which is not disclosed in the description. Even if the prior-art renders this device known (no objection under Art.83), would the use of the known device for solving an essentially non-technical problem

24. Charging, Billing COMMENTS: Claims 1-3 clearly not technical (Art. 52(2)(3)?). Claims 4-5 have to be assessed for Art.56 normally, taking non-technical features into account. Classical example of a business method.

25. Dialect translator COMMENTS: non-technically motivated problem of adjusting agent's dialect to that of customer; technical solution to the problem is rendered trivial by the prior-art Method of modifying speech of a call center agent such that it possesses a dialect Substitution of words of a message that is spoken from an agent to a target person Disadv: target persons and agents use different words for the same meaning Solution: speech of agent is filtered, call-associated information (for incoming: ANI, DNIS for outgoing: called party number) OR speech recognition is used to determine the dialect of a human target; dialect incl. word content/choice, word rate, inflection/dominant frequency ; spoken message to the human target is modified based upon the determined dialect, i.e. a recognized word is substituted by a synthesized word, e.g. because some words have different meanings in different locals (e.g. license plate and tag).

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