9514 results about "Communication interface" patented technology

A system for communicating between members of a group is disclosed which includes a communications interface transmitting at least one of voice, video and text communications from an originating member to at least one destination member within a virtual group. The graphical communication flow module graphically depicts to each member of the virtual group the originator and target of different types of communication (text, voice or iconic) occurring simultaneously within the virtual group. The simultaneous access window allows virtual group members to engage in “real-life” group activities (like viewing a video, reviewing a document, or participating in training exercises) while at the same time transmitting, receiving, and viewing communications occurring between computer users connected to the virtual group. This system of providing group interaction over networks has unique and important applications to virtual group counseling, virtual office meetings, and group communications in the form of chat rooms over the Internet.

The present invention provides a system for operating a power line communications system that employs surface wave communications and conducted communications. The system is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, communication interface devices, backhaul devices, medium voltage transducers, distribution points, aggregation points, and others. In one embodiment, surface waves are communicated over the medium voltage power lines and the conducted communications are communicated via the low voltage power lines to and from customer premises.

A storage domain management system supports storage domains. The storage server includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A first set of communication interfaces in the plurality is adapted for connection to all kinds of users of data. A second set of communication interfaces in the plurality is adapted for connection to respective devices in a pool of storage devices for use in a storage domain. Data processing resources in the server are coupled to the plurality of communication interfaces for transferring data among the interfaces. The data processing resources comprise a plurality of driver modules and configurable logic linking driver modules into data paths. Each configured data path acts as a virtual circuit that includes a set of driver modules selected from the plurality of driver modules. A data storage transaction which is received at a communication interface is mapped to one of the configured data paths. A display and a user input device are included with data processing structures to manage images displayed on the display.

A power management system for a lighting circuit may include a grid shifting controller that includes a processor and a connection to an external power source. The power management system may also include a communication interface associated with the grid shifting controller. The grid shifting controller may be configured to provide control information to a processor of at least one grid shifting electrical fixture over the communication interface, the control information being configured to direct the at least one grid shifting electrical fixture on the use of power from the external power source and an energy storage device associated with the at least one grid shifting electrical fixture.

The system and method of the present invention provides peripheral awareness of information to a user. The information to be provided is either determined automatically, or specified by the user. Once the information to be provided is determined or specified, it is automatically tracked or watched via at least one conventional communications interface for accessing one or more conventional communications sources. Current information is then automatically dynamically provided in an interactive peripheral display which minimizes any potential distraction to the user. Determining or specifying, tracking or watching, and providing the information is accomplished using at least one customizable dynamic encapsulated object, a "ticket," that when paired with a "viewer," provides peripheral awareness of information to the user. Further, in one embodiment, the tickets are sharable among users, and may be copied, cut, pasted, saved, transmitted, dragged and dropped from web pages, etc., like any other electronic file using conventional techniques.

An RF addressable sensor network architecture is provided. The RF addressable sensor network includes one or more RF addressable sensors, one or more wireless sensor readers coupled to a communications network, and one or more end user devices coupled to the communications network. The RF addressable sensor network may also include a sensor network processor. An RF addressable sensor includes one or more sensor elements, one or more antennas for communicating with the wireless sensor reader, an RF power and communications interface, and RFID control module, and a sensor interface. The wireless sensor reader includes one or more antennas, a user interface, a controller, a network communications module, and an RF addressable sensor logic module.

A data network may include an upstream router having one or more data handling queues, a downstream router, and a policy server. In one embodiment, the policy server includes processing resources, a communication interface in communication with the processing resources, and data storage that stores a configuration manager executable by the processing resources. The configuration manager configures data handling queues of the upstream router to provide a selected bandwidth to one or more of a plurality of service classes of data flows. In addition, the configuration manager transmits to the downstream router one or more virtual pool capacities, each corresponding to a bandwidth at the upstream router for one or more associated service classes among the plurality of service classes. In one embodiment, the configuration manager configures the data handling queues on the upstream router only in response to acknowledgment that one or more virtual pool capacities transmitted to the downstream router were successfully installed.

A system is provided that includes a request module adapted to receive a request from an initiation interface initiated by a user and a user profile module adapted to associate the request with a user profile of the user. The user profile includes at least a payment plan selected by the user and an identification number of the user. The system also includes a payment interface adapted to submit a payment demand to the payment plan and a mobile communication interface adapted to transmit a confirmation to a mobile communication network for transmission to a wireless device associated with the identification number. In the system, the initiation interface may be a wireless device, a magnetic swipe reader, a wireless barcode reading device, an RFID interface, a website, and/or a web banner interface. A method of operating a server is provided. A computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a processor is provided.

A system for presentation and management of energy-related information and securities, comprising a digital exchange, a client system comprising a plurality of display and input modalities, a communications interface software adapted to allow communications between the client system and the digital exchange, and a control interface within the client system adapted to drive the display and input modalities, wherein the control interface, on receiving input from a user, causes data from the digital exchange to be retrieved and displayed in one or more of the display modalities to the user, and upon receipt of a request from the user via an input modality of the client system after the user has retrieved and reviewed data from the digital exchange, an order to execute a transaction is transmitted to the digital exchange by the client system, and on receipt of an order to execute a transaction from a client system, the digital exchange combines the ordered transaction with other similar transactions from a plurality of users and thereby creates or modifies a marketable security visible to at least one other user via the digital exchange, is disclosed.

Systems, methods, and devices for conducting sales transactions are provided. Embodiments include handheld, portable, electronic, point of purchase devices configured to acquire identification information from articles to be purchased, to determine a purchase price, and to acquire payment information for the purchase price. The point of purchase devices may include one or more input devices such as a near field communication device, a camera, a scanner, and a biometric sensor for acquiring the identification information and/or the payment information. In some embodiments, the near field communication device may be detachable from the point of purchase device. The point of purchase devices also may contain communication interfaces, such as a near field communication interface, a local area network interface, a short message service interface, and a personal area network interface, for transmitting the information to an external server.

A wireless communication device comprises a user interface, a memory, a wireless communication interface, and a processing system. The wireless communication interface is configured to wirelessly receive a message. The processing system is configured to direct the memory to store the message. The processing system is configured to drive the user interface to display the message, display a message redaction indicator, and responsively receive a message redaction instruction. The processing system is configured to redact a portion of the message responsive to the message redaction instruction and direct the memory to store the redacted portion of the message. The processing system is configured to drive the user interface to display the message without the redacted portion, display a message recovery indicator, and responsively receive a message recovery instruction. The processing system is configured to recover the message responsive to the message recovery instruction and drive the user interface to display the message with the previously redacted portion.

A computer implemented online music distribution system provides for the secure delivery of audio data and related media, including text and images, over a public communications network. The online music distribution system provides security through multiple layers of encryption, and the cryptographic binding of purchased audio data to each specific purchaser. The online music distribution system also provides for previewing of audio data prior to purchase. In one embodiment, the online music distribution system is a client-server system including a content manager, a delivery server, and an HTTP server, communicating with a client system including a Web browser and a media player. The content manager provides for management of media and audio content, and processing of purchase requests. The delivery server provides delivery of the purchased media data. The Web browser and HTTP server provide a communications interface over the public network between the content manager and media players. The media player provides for encryption of user personal information, and for decryption and playback of purchased media data. Security of purchased media data is enhanced in part by the use of a personal, digital passport in each media player. The digital passport contains identifying information that identifies the purchaser, along with confidential information, such as credit card number, and encryption data, such as the media player's public and private keys. The media player encryption data is used to encrypt purchased media data, which is decrypted in real time by the media player. The media player also displays confidential information, such as the purchaser's credit card number, during playback.

A head mounted support system for a head mounted apparatus. The apparatus includes a monocular display with a wireless communications interface, a user input device, a transmitter, receiver and a controller. The controller is configured to control the transmitter for sending and receiving control signals to and from an external device via the wireless interface. The monocular display is positioned relative to the user's dominant eye to display images to the user while occluding less than half of the user's maximum viewing space, while enabling the user to send and receive audible information or music. The head mounted support system may include an ear loop, and a housing for storing one or more functional components of the apparatus.

A system for single-action energy resource scheduling and participation in energy-related securities, comprising a communications interface executing on a network-connected server and adapted to receive information from a plurality of client user interfaces and a secure action server coupled to the communications interface, wherein the secure action server, on receiving a connection from a client user interface, assigns a unique client identifier to the client user interface and associates the unique identifier with a client account, and wherein the secure action server, on receiving a request from a client user interface, determines whether the client user interface is mapped to an authorized market participant who has enabled single-action scheduling, execution order, or participation confirmation functionality for the client user interface, and passes information to the client user interface pertaining at least to a single action needed to confirm scheduling, execution order, or participation and wherein the secure action server, on receiving indication from the communications interface that a required single action has been taken, at least updates information about the market participant who took the action, is disclosed.

Key diversification is performed during a mutual authentication between a SAM integrated circuit (IC) card storing a master key, and a user IC card storing an identification number. The user IC card is connected to the SAM IC card through a communications interface. The key diversification includes deriving sub keys from the master key, and computing ciphered strings through corresponding cryptographic computations on a string obtained by an elaboration on the identification number with the sub keys. A diversification key is generated by linking together a combination of bytes of the ciphered strings.

Mechanisms and techniques operate in a computerized device to perform backup and restore operations on data portions such that if a backup server already has a copy of the content of a data portion, no client computer systems need to transfer a copy of the data portion to the backup server, even if the data portion in those clients has a different name, location, or other attributes. A backup client produces an identification of a data portion stored within a first computerized device to be backed up. The backup client conveys, to a backup server, the identification of the data portion stored within the computerized device and receives, over the communications interface, a transfer indication from the backup server. The backup client determines if the transfer indication indicates that the backup server already contains a copy of the data portion identified by the identification, and if not, the backup client transfers a copy of the data portion from the local storage device to the backup server over the communications interface.

The present invention provides a system for operating a power line communications system that is comprised of a plurality of network elements, which may take the form of repeaters, bypass devices, backhaul devices, wireless backhaul devices, enhanced bypass device, communication interface devices and others. In one embodiment, two groups of network elements in the same electrical distribution system are isolated except selected communication link.

The sensitivity of a motion sensor or detector in a security system is adjusted by a remotely-transmitted signal, such as from a user interface device in the security system. In another approach, a pet wears a transmitter on its collar that transmits a wireless signal to command the motion sensor to adjust its sensitivity, e.g., by entering a pet immune mode, when the pet is in the room that is protected by the motion sensor. In another approach, a remote monitoring site sends instructions to the motion sensor via a communication interface. The sensitivity can be adjusted by adjusting a pulse count, optical gain, or electrical or optical sensitivity of the motion sensor.

A storage server comprising: a processing unit, a bus system coupled with the processing unit, including a plurality of slots, slots in the plurality of slots including interfaces to respective data stores; a communication interface; and an operating system coupled with the processing unit the operating system including: logic controlling transfers among the plurality of slots over the bus system according to an internal format, logic for translating a storage transaction received over the communication interface into the internal format, and logic for configuring the plurality of slots according to a configuration data.

A voice-activated command interface module for interacting with a plurality of home-based electronic devices so as to allow for a remotely-located home owner to communicate with, command and control various ones of the electronic devices. The module includes a plurality of communication ports, each communication port associated with a different type of communication interface for providing communications to and from the plurality of electronic devices. The module also includes a voice network communication port for receiving the voice commands from the home owner and a data network communication port for transmitting monitoring and control information between the plurality of electronic devices and the home owner. In operation, the command interface module is responsive to voice commands received from a remote user via an incoming telephone line (either data or voice). A voice recognition unit within the command interface module is utilized to translate the received voice signal into an “action/control” signal and then perform the desired activity.

A system for electric grid utilization and optimization comprising a communications interface executing on a network-connected server and adapted to receive information from a plurality of iNodes, the plurality of iNodes comprising a source iNode, a sink iNode, a plurality of transmission or distribution iNodes, an event database coupled to the communications interface and adapted to receive events from a plurality of iNodes via the communications interface, a modeling server coupled to the communications interface, and a statistics server coupled to the event database and the modeling server, wherein the modeling server, receives a request to establish an allocation of at least one of transmission losses, distribution losses, and ancillary services to a specific sink iNode, computes at least one virtual path for electricity flow between a source iNode and the specific sink iNode, the computed path being determined based on optimization of perceived comfort of users in affected areas.

A combined peripheral and health monitoring device for use with a computer is disclosed. The device can include a sensor adapted to sense one or more medical parameters such as blood glucose levels, medical circuitry in communication with the sensor for processing the one or more sensed medical parameters, and a communications interface for transmitting and receiving data back and forth between the device and the computer.

A mobile, hand-held fingerprint scanner is recharged by a data and power communication interface. The mobile, hand-held fingerprint scanner includes a rechargeable power supply and a data and power communication interface. The rechargeable power supply powers the fingerprint scanner during mobile use. In one example, the rechargeable power supply includes at least one rechargeable battery, a charging circuit, and a voltage regulator circuit. Data and recharging power is carried over the sane interface. A separate plug for power is not needed. The fingerprint scanner can then be inserted quickly and easily in a docking station as only a single data and power communication interface need be coupled. This is particularly advantageous in law enforcement applications where mobile use is important and safety can be compromised if a mobile scanner does not couple to a docking station quickly and easily.

A dynamic pricing system for complex energy securities, comprising a communications interface executing on a network-connected server and adapted to receive information from a plurality of iNodes, an event database coupled to the communications interface and adapted to receive events from a plurality of iNodes via the communications interface, a pricing server coupled to the communications interface, and a statistics server coupled to the event database and the pricing server, is disclosed. According to the invention, the pricing server, on receiving a request to establish a price for an energy security, requests at least one statistical indicia of risk from the statistics server, the statistical indicia of risk being computed by the statistics server based on a plurality of historical data obtained from the event database, and the pricing server computes a price for the security based at least in part on the statistical indicia of risk.

A wireless communication device comprises a processing system, a user interface, and a wireless communication interface. The processing system is configured to receive a first email auto-reply instruction through the user interface, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the first email auto-reply instruction for delivery to an email server, convert the first email auto-reply instruction into a voice mail greeting, and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a first voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to a voice mail server. The processing system is further configured to receive a second voice mail greeting instruction through the user interface, direct the wireless communication interface to transfer the second voice mail greeting instruction for delivery to the voice mail server, convert the second voice mail greeting instruction into an email auto-reply, and direct the wireless communication interface to transfer a second email auto-reply instruction for delivery to the email server.

A weld production knowledge system for processing welding data collected from one of a plurality of welding systems, the weld production knowledge system comprising a communication interface communicatively coupled with a plurality of welding systems situated at one or more physical locations. The communication interface may be configured to receive, from one of said plurality of welding systems, welding data associated with a weld. The weld production knowledge system may comprise an analytics computing platform operatively coupled with the communication interface and a weld data store. The weld data store employs a dataset comprising (1) welding process data associated with said one or more physical locations, and/or (2) weld quality data associated with said one or more physical locations. The analytics computing platform may employ a weld production knowledge machine learning algorithm to analyze the welding data vis-à-vis the weld data store to identify a defect in said weld.

An in-vehicle device data communicates with Internet based data processing resources for the purpose of transacting e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business. The in-vehicle device and the Internet based data processing resources can effectuate a wide variety of e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business including accessing auto part databases, warranty, customer, and other remote databases. In addition, e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business transactions can include vehicle security and vehicle service management, data communicating Internet based radio, audio, MP3, MPEG, video, and other types of data. Furthermore, e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business transactions can include interactive advertising, promotional offers, coupons, and supporting other remote data communications.

The in-vehicle device can also include functionality for remote monitoring of vehicle performance, data communicating and accessing remote Internet based content and data, and effectuating adjustments and control of vehicle operation. Remote monitoring and control of vehicle operation can be by way of an Internet based data processing resource and can include engine control system programming and setting adjustment, vehicle monitoring, and transmission of vehicle telemetry and metric data. Vehicle telemetry and metric data can include global positioning system (GPS) data, vehicle operational data, engine performance data, and other vehicle data.

The in-vehicle device can also wirelessly data communicate with a communication interface device (COM device) or an Internet appliance. Such COM devices or Internet appliances can data communicate wirelessly with an in-vehicle device and simultaneously data communicate in a wired or wireless mode of operation to Internet based data processing resources, and to other data processing resources.

A method and system is described herein for messaging on a computer using a communications interface. The communications interface includes a section which displays graphics representing receivers and senders of messages. The communications interface also includes a section which facilitates the user to create, send, receive, and archive messages. Messages are created from audio or typed inputs from the user. A user communicates with other users over a network, such as the Internet.

A wireless power transmission system includes, a transmit antenna which in operation produces a wireless field, an amplifier coupled to the transmit antenna, a load sensing circuit coupled to the amplifier and a controller coupled to the load sensing circuit. A monitoring device has one or more sensors and a unique user ID. The one or more sensors acquire user information selected from of at least one of, a user's activities, behaviors and habit information. The monitoring device includes an ID circuitry. A communication interface receives information about the unique user ID when the load sensing circuit indicates the monitoring device is within the wireless field. The indication is created using at least a change in power consumption.

A mobile information network browser device with audio feedback capability that is capable of transmitting a request for information via a wireless communication interface from one or more servers in an information network. The browser device further includes an audio interface capable of receiving data from the wireless communication interface that is responsive to the request for information. The browser device interfaces with a wireless communication network so that it may be used in a mobile vehicle, such as an automobile. Receiving the requested information in audio format relieves the user from having to view an output display screen to receive the information while trying to operate the mobile vehicle.