What is claimed is:
1. A method of retrieving information from one or more information sources in a search space, said method comprising:
providing central program code at a central computer; said central program code being adapted for maintaining a central database of data records, for accessing information from said information sources, and for comparing said data records with said information from said information sources;
recognizing communication between said central program code and remote program code at each of a plurality of remote terminals; said remote program code being adapted for monitoring network activity at each of said plurality of remote terminals, for collecting monitored data related to said network activity and to each of said information sources accessed by any of said plurality of remote terminals, and for transmitting said monitored data to said central program code;
aggregating, at said central computer, said monitored data transmitted from said remote program code at all of said plurality of remote terminals and supplementing said data records in accordance with said monitored data;
responsive to a request for information from one of said plurality of remote terminals, identifying candidate response information from said information sources by employing said central program code at said central computer;
comparing said data records with said request and with said candidate response information by employing said central program code at said central computer; and
as a result of said identifying and said comparing, transmitting, to said remote program code at said one of said plurality of remote terminals, data concerning one or more of said information sources which contain information relevant to said request.
2. A central data aggregation system for accumulation of data related to one or more information sources in a search space, said system comprising:
remote program code at a plurality of remote terminals; said remote program code being adapted for monitoring network activity at each of said plurality of remote terminals, for collecting monitored data related to said network activity and to each of said information sources accessed by any of said plurality of remote terminals, and for transmitting said monitored data; and
a central computer having central program code capable of communicating with said remote program code and receiving said monitored data transmitted from said remote program code at all of said plurality of remote terminals; said central program code being adapted for maintaining a central database of data records and for accessing information from said information sources;
wherein said central database comprises at least one data record relating to each of said information sources accessed by at least one of said plurality of remote terminals, and wherein said central computer has additional program code adapted for aggregating said monitored data transmitted from said program code at all of said plurality of remote terminals and for supplementing said data records in accordance with said monitored data.
3. A distributed monitoring system for collection and accumulation of data related to one or more information sources in a search space, said system comprising:
a central computer having central program code adapted for maintaining a central database of data records related to said information sources; and
remote program code capable of communicating with said central program code and adapted for monitoring network activity at each of a plurality of remote terminals, for collecting monitored data related to said network activity and to each of said information sources accessed by any of said plurality of remote terminals, and for transmitting said monitored data to said central program code;
wherein said central computer has additional program code adapted for supplementing said data records in accordance with said monitored data.
4. A method of retrieving information from one or more information sources in a search space, said method comprising:
accumulating monitored data related to each of said information sources accessed by any of a plurality of remote terminals;
transmitting said monitored data from each of said plurality of remote terminals to a central computer;
aggregating, at said central computer, said monitored data transmitted by all of said plurality of remote terminals;
responsive to a request for information, accessing information from said information sources and comparing said monitored data with said request and with said information from said information sources; and
as a result of said accessing and said comparing, identifying one or more of said information sources which contain information relevant to the request.
5. A method of retrieving information from one or more information sources in a search space, said method comprising:
accumulating monitored data related to each of said information sources accessed by any of a plurality of remote terminals;
aggregating said monitored data at a central computer;
responsive to a request for information, comparing said monitored data with said request and with information from said information sources; and
identifying one or more of said information sources in accordance with said comparing.
6. An open recommendation system for retrieval of information from one or more information sources in a search space, said system comprising:
a distributed monitoring system adapted to collect monitored data related to said information sources; and
a central data aggregation system adapted to receive said monitored data from said distributed monitoring system and to store said monitored data at a central computer;
wherein said open recommendation, in response to a request for information, compares said monitored data related to said information sources with said request and then recommends information sources for which said monitored data is similar to said request.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A computer-implemented method of administering an annuity account comprising:
determining, at an account administration computing device comprising a processor and memory, a base interest rate, said base interest rate being applied to the value of the account for an initial predefined period;
determining, by the processor, a base referenced rate of interest as of an initial date;
for a subsequent predefined period after the initial date:
(A) determining, by at the processor, a current referenced rate of interest as of a second date;
(B) determining, by the processor, a total interest rate that will be applied to the value of the account during the subsequent predefined period, wherein:
(i) if the current referenced rate of interest is less than or equal to the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be equal to the base interest rate; and
(ii) if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be as much as the base interest rate and an interest enhancement; and
applying, at the processor, the total interest rate for the subsequent predefined period to the value of the account during the predefined period.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be determined based on the difference between the current referenced rate of interest and the base referenced rate of interest.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be a value equal to the base interest rate plus the interest enhancement, wherein the interest enhancement is equal to the difference between the current referenced rate of interest and the base referenced rate of interest.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the base referenced rate of interest and the current referenced rate of interest are based on a specified United States Treasury yield rate.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the base referenced rate of interest is based on the 10-year Constant Maturity United States Treasury yield as of the initial date, and wherein the current referenced rate of interest is based on the 10-year Constant Maturity United States Treasury yield as of the second date.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the interest enhancement is zero.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the total interest rate further comprises:
determining if an amount withdrawn from the annuity account during the subsequent predefined period is less than or equal to a withdrawal threshold;
if the amount withdrawn is less than or equal to the withdrawal threshold, determining a higher total interest rate for the subsequent predefined period; and
if the amount withdrawn is greater than the withdrawal threshold, determining a lower total interest rate for the subsequent predefined period.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
selecting the date corresponding to a referenced rate of interest, wherein the date is selected from a plurality of possible dates based on the value of the referenced rate of interest on the selected date.
9. An account administration computing device, comprising:
one or more processors; and
at least one memory unit storing one or more annuity account administration applications comprising computer-executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the account administration computing device to:
receive a base interest rate corresponding to an annuity account;
determine a base referenced rate of interest as of an initial date;
for a subsequent predefined period after the initial date:
(A) determine a current referenced rate of interest as of a second date;
(B) determine a total interest rate that will be applied to the value of the annuity account during the subsequent predefined period, wherein:
(i) if the current referenced rate of interest is less than or equal to the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be equal to the base interest rate; and
(ii) if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be greater than or equal to the base interest rate; and
apply the total interest rate for the subsequent predefined period to the value of the annuity account during the predefined period.
10. The account administration computing device of claim 9, wherein if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be determined based on the difference between the current referenced rate of interest and the base referenced rate of interest.
11. The account administration computing device of claim 10, wherein if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be a value equal to the base interest rate plus an interest enhancement, wherein the interest enhancement is equal to the difference between the current referenced rate of interest and the base referenced rate of interest.
12. The account administration computing device of claim 9, wherein the base referenced rate of interest and the current referenced rate of interest are based on a specified United States Treasury yield rate.
13. The account administration computing device of claim 12, wherein the base referenced rate of interest is based on the 10-year Constant Maturity United States Treasury yield as of the initial date, and wherein the current referenced rate of interest is based on the 10-year Constant Maturity United States Treasury yield as of the second date.
14. The account administration computing device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors comprise components employed to determine the total interest rate and the components are electronically stored.
15. The account administration computing device of claim 14, wherein determining the total interest rate further comprises:
determining if an amount withdrawn from the annuity account during the subsequent predefined period is less than or equal to a withdrawal threshold;
if the amount withdrawn is less than or equal to the withdrawal threshold, determining a higher total interest rate for the subsequent predefined period; and
if the amount withdrawn is greater than the withdrawal threshold, determining a lower total interest rate for the subsequent predefined period.
16. The account administration computing device of claim 9, comprising further computer-executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the account administration computing device to:
select the date corresponding to a referenced rate of interest, wherein the date is selected from a plurality of possible dates based on the value of the referenced rate of interest on the selected date.
17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to:
determine, at the computing device, a base interest rate corresponding to an annuity account;
determine, by a processor of the computing device, a base referenced rate of interest as of an initial date;
for a subsequent predefined period after the initial date:
(A) determine, by the processor, a current referenced rate of interest as of a second date;
(B) determine, by the processor, a total interest rate that will be applied to the value of the annuity account during the subsequent predefined period, wherein:
(i) if the current referenced rate of interest is less than or equal to the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be equal to the base interest rate; and
(ii) if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be at least as much as the base interest rate; and
apply the total interest rate for the subsequent predefined period to the value of the annuity account during the predefined period.
18. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein if the current referenced rate of interest is greater than the base referenced rate of interest, the total interest rate will be a value equal to the base interest rate plus an interest enhancement, wherein the interest enhancement is equal to the difference between the current referenced rate of interest and the base referenced rate of interest.
19. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the base referenced rate of interest is based on the 10-year Constant Maturity United States Treasury yield as of the initial date, and wherein the current referenced rate of interest is based on the 10-year Constant Maturity United States Treasury yield as of the second date.
20. The computer-readable media of claim 17, storing further computer-executable instructions, that when executed on the computing device, cause the computing device to:
select the date corresponding to a referenced rate of interest, wherein the date is selected from a plurality of possible dates based on the value of the referenced rate of interest on the selected date.