152results about How to "Service degradation" patented technology

An ATM with a currency dispenser includes a contactless card reader. The card reader can read data from an RFID tag of a customer's ATM card. An ATM RFID card reader can be located so as to provide additional space for another transaction component or can be used in conjunction with a magnetic stripe or other reader. Currency dispensing is enabled responsive to tag data. A housing is adapted to prevent interception of radio signals. The ATM is able to prevent dispensing of currency in situations where unauthorized detection of signals is sensed.

A novel asymmetric memory partitioning mechanism for providing resolving and reducing memory limitations when an increase in software image size is required. Two partitions are created in non-volatile memory, one smaller than the other. The smaller partition stores a degenerated version of the full-functionality software comprising only essential program code for booting the device and repeating the download and installation procedures until the full-functionality software image is successfully installed in non-volatile memory. The larger portion stores a full-functionality version of the software comprising both essential and non-essential program code. The mechanism also provides the capability of converting devices already deployed in the field. The legacy symmetrical partitioning of the memory in these devices is removed and replaced with asymmetrical partitioning, wherein the smaller partition stores the degenerated software image and the larger partition stores the full-functionality software image.

An on-line health market exchange (HME) service method and system is provided which, in addition to hosting an on-line medical services auctioning system, includes interactive tools for arranging financing of successful bids, performing on-line research of proffered services and providers, as well as participating on-line in other healthcare related negotiations and transactions. The on-line HME system provides an Internet accessible web-site that acts as a “one stop” full service on-line marketplace for use by healthcare service providers and prospective consumers / patients for negotiating and consummating transactions for proffered medical / healthcare services and products. The on-line HME service also provides Internet access to customized proprietary databases and interactive tools for obtaining credentials information and for conducting on-line research concerning prospective healthcare service providers / facilities, and for making on-line payments / arrangements for healthcare / medical service financing. A personal “healthcard” product and service, analogous to a conventional debit / credit card, is supported by the HME service and made available to eligible members / users. On-line resources for reviewing and procuring various types of insurance coverage for performed medical services are also made available.

According to example configurations, a user of a client device accesses an authentication server to retrieve configuration information. The user belongs to an organization that receives services from a third party service provider. The client device forwards the configuration information to a server controlled by the third party service provider. The server maintained by the third party service provider provides access to services, resources, data, etc., depending on the configuration information forwarded by the client device.

Access to hypermedia servers connected to networks such as the Internet can be provided through mobile devices such as wireless telephones. Unfortunately, limitations in processing power and memory space of the mobile device and limitations bandwidth of the communication channels connecting the mobile devices to the rest of the network cause long wait times for many types of requests to be serviced. In one application, a user is notified that unsolicited electronic mail has arrived in the user's mail box on a computer connected directly a network and, in response, the user requests the mail to be sent to the mobile device. The perceived latency in servicing such a request can be reduced by delivering at least a portion of the unsolicited electronic mail to mobile device before notifying the user that the mail has arrived in the mail box. In this manner, at least a portion of that mail can be presented to the user in response to a request with little delay.

A system and method for increasing the specific output of a combined cycle power plant and providing flexibility in the power plant rating, both without a commensurate increase in the plant heat rate, is disclosed. The present invention demonstrates that the process of upgrading thermal efficiencies of combined cycles can often be accomplished through the strategic use of additional fuel and / or heat input. In particular, gas turbines that exhaust into HRSGs, can be supplemental fired to obtain much higher steam turbine outputs and greater overall plant ratings, but without a penalty on efficiency. This system and method by in large defines a high efficiency combined cycle power plant that is predominantly a Rankine (bottoming) cycle. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a load driven by a topping cycle engine (TCE), powered by a topping cycle fluid (TCF) which exhausts into a heat recovery device (HRD). The HRD is fired with a supplementary fuel or provided an additional heat source to produce more energetic and / or a larger quantity of the bottoming cycle fluid (BCF) which is used to power a bottoming cycle engine, (BCE) which drives a load (potentially the same load as the topping cycle engine). Energy contained in either the TCF or BCF is used to power the TCE and BCE respectively, but these fluids, and / or their respective engine exhausts, may also be used to support a wide variety of cogeneration applications.

Method and systems are disclosed for enabling a computer system to generate a request that includes an instruction identifying the authentication method or methods to be used when authenticating a subset of the client computer systems or users network connected to a server computer system. The subset of client computer systems or users may include as little a single computer system or user. The request is then transmitted to the server computer system. When receiving subsequent requests for service from any of the subset of client computer systems or users, the server computer system will refer to the information in the instruction to determine which authentication methods are acceptable in authenticating the client computer system or user.

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a method for reducing denial of service (DoS) attacks against dynamically generated next secure (NSEC) records. A domain name system (DNS) proxy may prevent spoofed IP addresses by forcing clients to transmit DNS queries via transmission control protocol (TCP), by replying to a user datagram protocol (UDP) DNS request with a blank or predetermined resource record with a truncation bit set to indicate that the record is too large to fit within a single UDP packet payload. Under the DNS specification, the client must re-transmit the DNS request via TCP. Upon receipt of the retransmitted request via TCP, the DNS proxy may generate fictitious neighbor addresses and a signed NSEC record and transmit the record to the client. Accordingly, the DNS Proxy need not waste time and processor cycles generating and signing records for requests from spoofed IP addresses via UDP.

Disclosed is a system and method for earning award points for distributing electronic digital content between electronic equipment. Digital content (protected and un-protected) is stored on a remote distribution server for transmission to receiving electronic equipment (e.g., portable communications devices including mobile telephones, computers, etc.). The digital content generally includes a header having one or more digital rights management fields for allowing access to the digital content based upon a content provider's preferences. Prior to the operator of the receiving electronic equipment distributing the digital content to one or more other electronic equipment, a unique identifier associated with the receiving electronic equipment is inserted in one or more of the digital rights management fields of the digital content. The digital content is then distributed containing the unique identifier. An identification associated with the digital content and the unique identifier associated with the receiving electronic equipment is transmitted to a provider upon distribution of the license for maintaining at least an awards program based on distribution of the digital content.

An automated banking machine can receive user card data from a cell phone. The phone stores the card data of several selectable cards, including electronic account number data. The machine generates and displays a random number correlated with a time period. A machine user manually inputs the displayed random number into their phone. A software application in the phone encrypts the selected card data along with the inputted random number data. The phone displays a bar code image containing the encrypted data. The banking machine includes a bar code reader which can read the displayed image. The machine causes the read data to be decrypted. The random number is used to verify the current transaction session. Thereafter, the user may provide other inputs, including PIN input. The process replaces physical insertion of a card yet allows secure input of the card data. Possible data interception from activities requiring card insertion are also reduced.

A banking system operates responsive to data read from data bearing records. The system includes an automated banking machine comprising a card reader. The card reader includes a movable read head that can read card data along a magnetic stripe of a card that was inserted long-edge first. The card reader includes a card entry gate. The gate is opened for a card that is determined to be properly oriented for data reading. The card reader can encrypt card data, including account data. The card data is usable by the machine to authorize a user to carry out a financial transfer involving the account.

A banking system operates responsive to data read from data bearing records. The system includes an automated banking machine comprising a card reader. The card reader includes a movable read head that can read card data along a magnetic stripe of a card that was inserted long-edge first. The card reader includes a card entry gate. The gate is opened for a card that is determined to be properly oriented for data reading. The card reader can encrypt card data, including account data. The machine also includes a PIN keypad. The card reader can send encrypted card data to the keypad. The keypad can decipher the encrypted card data. The keypad can encrypt both deciphered card data and a received user PIN. The card data and the PIN are usable by the machine to authorize a user to carry out a financial transfer involving the account.

A direct expansion / direct exchange (“DX”) geothermal heating / cooling system having a plurality of pin restrictors positioned in housing units at ground accessible locations. The pin restrictors are preferably located near the compressor unit and on the field side of the distributor. Refrigerant is substantially equally distributed by a distributor to substantially equally sized line sets in the DX system with multiple wells. The distributors are place in either horizontal or vertical inclinations with the pin restrictors situated on the field side of the distributor in each individual liquid refrigerant transport line. A cut-off ball valve is located within the liquid refrigerant transport line on each side of the respective pin restrictor housing units. A filter / dryer is place within the same liquid refrigerant transport line segment as the pin restrictor(s) with a refrigerant flow shut-off valve being situated on each side of the liquid line segment containing the filter / dryer and the distributor.

A computing platform is provided which is adapted to enable optimizing operation of a cellular network, wherein the computing platform is operative to: (a) probe for information exchanged between a mobile access network and a core network; (b) retrieve statistical KPIs generated from a plurality of network elements belonging to the cellular network; (c) generate a predictive Key Performance Indicator (pKPI) by correlating the probed information with the retrieved statistical KPIs, thereby enabling to predict a trend characterizing future performance of network elements such as cells; and (d) trigger changes in the operation of the cellular network based on the predicted trend, and wherein the probing for information exchanged between a mobile access network and a core network is carried out at a rate which is substantially higher than a rate of retrieving statistical KPIs generated from the plurality of network elements.

A healthcare data management system includes a central processor and a database accessible by the processor that contains an electronic personal health journal. The journal includes a plurality of fields of information relating to a patient, including health status. A software program installed on the processor is adapted to establish secure communication between a user and the processor to interact with an information field of the journal subject to a predetermined permission level, which is established on the basis of a relationship between the user and the patient and on the basis of user entity and is determinative of the information fields to which the user is permitted access and of the information fields that are amendable by the user. Methods are provided for accessing and maintaining health data, increasing patient compliance, and decreasing duplication of services, healthcare costs, and iatrogenic pharmaceutical interactions.

The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for purifying the intake air of a gas turbine of solid particles and liquid droplets. According to the invention air is taken into the system of intake air passages (1, 2, 4) of the gas turbine and the particles contained in the intake air are collected by means of at least one plate filter (3) to which a collection voltage has been connected. In order to enable and enhance collection, the air is taken into at least one charging chamber (2) arranged at a distance prior to the plate filters (3) in the flow direction of the air, where an electric field is formed between at least two electrodes (5, 7) by connecting a voltage between the electrodes which exceeds the collection voltage, whereby powerful charging of the particles and at least partial removal of the water contained in the air are effected.

An ATM with a currency dispenser includes both a magnetic stripe card reader and an RFID tag reader. A user card includes both magnetic stripe data and RFID tag data. The ATM can read both the magnetic stripe data and the RFID tag data from the user card. The magnetic stripe data and the RFID tag data have a predetermined relationship. The ATM can use the RFID tag data in conjunction with the magnetic stripe data to verify the card user as an authorized card user.

A male coaxial connector is rotatably tightened onto a female coaxial connector to a recommended torque specification by visually observing relative positions of indicators of both connectors, beginning at a pre-torque relationship and continuing tightening with a wrench.

Provided is a scalable transmitting / receiving apparatus and method for improving availability of a broadcasting service, which can allow a reception party to select an optimum video according to an attenuation degree of a broadcasting signal by scalably encoding video data and transmitting it by a different transmission scheme for each layer. The scalable transmitting apparatus for improving availability of a broadcasting service includes: a scalable video encoder for scalably encoding video data to generate scalable video elementary streams having logical layers; a multiplexer for multiplexing the multiple scalable video elementary stream, a compressed audio elementary stream, and program specification information to generate a transport stream; and a scalable transmitter for separating the transport stream into multiple TS packet streams according to pre-given priority information, and transmitting the packet streams by a different transmission scheme for each layer. down-sampler

A banking system operates responsive to data read from data bearing records. The system includes an automated banking machine comprising a card reader. The card reader includes a movable read head that can read card data along a magnetic stripe of a card that was inserted long-edge first. The card reader includes a card entry gate. The gate is opened for a card that is determined to be properly oriented for data reading. The card reader can encrypt card data, including account data. The machine also includes a PIN keypad. The card reader can send encrypted card data to the keypad. The keypad can decipher the encrypted card data. The keypad can encrypt both deciphered card data and a received user PIN. The card data and the PIN are usable by the machine to authorize a user to carry out a financial transfer involving the account.

If a user 101 clicks a link to a specific URL (step 501), a terminal 102 transmits a content request to a content server 201 (step 502), and in parallel, starts a location measurement processing (step 203). Upon completion of the location measurement processing (step 204), the location measurement result thereof is maintained in a memory of the terminal 102 (step 503). If a link with a location measurement result request is clicked by the user 101 (step 202), the terminal 102 gets a position of the terminal itself, and transmits a content request with location based information to the content server 201. Waiting time which the user feels when a location based information service is provided is thus reduced.

When a terminal is moved to an area covered by a different switching node RNC of a radio access network, degradation of speech quality is prevented by returning a transcoder insertion connection to a transcoder-free-operation connection. When the terminal is moved and the switching node RNC of the radio access network is changed, a relocation is performed by inserting the transcoder, re-confirmation of parameter information of a bandwidth-compression coding system is requested for a local side switching node RNC and a remote side switching node RNC and, when the transcoder can be bypassed according to the confirmation, the transcoder is removed to return to the transcoder-free-operation connection mode.

Systems and methods for transferring information are described herein. Some of the systems include one or more wireless access points providing access to a network for wireless client devices. In addition, the systems can include a modem coupling the wireless access point(s) to a network that includes a central gateway operable to authorize access to the network via the wireless access point. In some cases, the wireless access point is located at a customer premises. Various methods are also described for transferring information over a wireless network. Such methods can include receiving a request from a wireless client device at a central gateway via a wireless access point located at a customer premises, and authorizing access to a network associated with the central gateway. Other methods can include receiving multiple requests from the same wireless client device via different access points as the wireless client device moves from location to location.

Various systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for accessing a storage device are described. In certain example embodiments, an active / active fault-tolerant storage device comprising two or more controllers may be implemented. In one aspect, each controller may have two or more processing entities for distributing the processing of the I / O requests. In one embodiment, the configuration of the components, modules and the controller board may be arranged in a manner to enhance heat dissipation, reduce power consumption, spread the power and work load, and reduce latency. In one embodiment, each controller may be coupled to the non-volatile memory (NVM) blades comprising the non-volatile memory (NVM) storage medium. In one example implementation, a standardized protocol, such as the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express protocol may be used for communicating amongst the various components of the controller and also the NVM storage medium.

A media delivery scheme distributes a stream of media files to a group of users while allowing individual users to request specific media files. In one embodiment, a media server maintains a playlist of media files to broadcast, and requests for media must satisfy certain restrictive criteria to be added to the playlist. In another aspect of a preferred embodiment, the media server schedules requested media so as to comply with provisions of the DMCA.

A method and apparatus are provided for providing notification of a network access technology switching event. A method may include determining, at a communication device having an established connection to a network via a first network access technology and serving as a gateway to the network for a served device, that the connection between the communication device and the network is to be switched from the first network access technology to a second network access technology. The method may further include, responsive to the determination, causing a notification indicating that the served device will experience a network service disconnection to be provided prior to the connection between the communication device and the network being switched from the first network access technology to a second network access technology. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.

The present invention relates to a method and system for allocating resources of a network portion through which service-related data flows are routed in a transparent manner, wherein the resource allocation is performed based on a service behavior classification information indicating the behavior of the service-related data flow during its lifetime and being forwarded to said network portion. Thereby, capacity and performance requirements during transparent transmission can be estimated more reliable.

A communication system comprises: mobile user equipment; and a communication network adapted to communicate with the user equipment, the communication network comprising: a first base station adapted to communicate with the user equipment using radio signals and according to a first defined radio frame format comprising a first sequence of radio frames each having the same length and each being allocated a respective first system frame number (SFN) such that the radio frames of the first sequence are sequentially numbered; and a second base station adapted to communicate with the user equipment using radio signals and according to a second defined radio frame format comprising a second sequence of radio frames each having said same length and each being allocated a respective second SFN such that the radio frames of the second sequence are sequentially numbered, the user equipment being adapted to receive radio signals from the first base station and to use said received signals to synchronise with the first sequence of numbered radio frames, such that the user equipment can transmit radio signals to the first base station in accordance with the first defined radio frame format, and determine the first SFN of a frame of the first sequence at a particular time, the communication network being further adapted to transmit a radio signal to the user equipment, the radio signal comprising first information indicative of a difference between the first and second SFNs at a particular time and second information usable with said first information to determine unambiguously at least a least significant bit of the SFN in binary form of a frame of the second sequence at a particular time from a knowledge of the SFN of a frame of the first sequence at a particular time, the user equipment being further adapted to receive said radio signal and, when synchronised with said first sequence, to use the first and second information to synchronise with the second sequence, such that the user equipment can transmit radio signals to the second base station in accordance with the second defined radio frame format. A corresponding communication method is provided.