17362 results about "Data bank" patented technology

A portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system and method for selecting, requesting, downloading, and playing audio and/or video data content files from an Internet-based database server. The wireless link is preferably implemented in accordance with the WiFi protocol, which allows connectivity to the Internet by being in proximity with a local base station or WiFi hotspot (i.e., publicly available local wireless access hub connected to the Internet). The portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system preferably include a security means for monitoring and blocking unauthorized use of the player apparatus and system. The player apparatus further preferably has the capability to communicate with other neighboring player apparatus for the purpose of exchanging content data files, playlists and personal messages.

A method for enabling users to exchange group electronic mail by establishing individual profiles and criteria, for determining personalized subsets within a group. Users establish subscriptions to an electronic mailing list by specifying user profile data and acceptance criteria data to screen other users. When a user subscribes, a web server establishes and stores an individualized recipient list including each matching subscriber and their degree of one-way or mutual match with the user. When the user then sends a message to the mailing list, an email server retrieves 100% her matches and then optionally filters her recipient list down to a message distribution list using each recipient's message criteria. The message is then distributed to matching users. Additionally, email archives and information contributions from users are stored in a database. A web server creates an individualized set of web pages for a user from the database, containing contributions only from users in his recipient list. In other embodiments, users apply one-way or mutual criteria matching and message profile criteria to other group forums, such as web-based discussion boards, chat, online clubs, USENET newsgroups, voicemail, instant messaging, web browsing side channel communities, and online gaming rendezvous.

Methods and systems that record the location of a user and transmit targeted content to a user based upon their current and past location information. A network is configured to include a server programmed with a database of targeted content, a database of location information, a database of user information, a database searching algorithm, and a wireless communication system capable of communicating with the user's mobile device. The location of the mobile device is ascertained and recorded. The location information is analyzed to determine the routes taken by the user, businesses visited by the user, and other behaviors of the user. Targeted content is sent to the mobile device of the user and whether the user visits the physical locations associated with the targeted content is monitored. Payment systems, phone exchange systems, and other features may also be integrated to provide detailed conversion tracking to producers of targeted content and business owners.

A system and method are disclosed for providing ubiquitous public network access to wireless, mobile terminals using private networks having private network access points and connections with the public network. The wireless, mobile terminals are permitted to use wireless, radio frequency communication devices comprising private network access points. A network access server (NAS) is associated with each wireless, radio frequency communication device and provides an interface between the wireless, mobile terminals and the private network. The NAS controls registration of wireless, mobile terminals as subscribers, and provides public network access to the mobile terminals through the private network's access point and public network connection. The NAS also restricts access by the mobile terminals to the private network, meters network useage by the mobile terminals, and controls use of bandwidth by the mobile terminals. The NAS also interfaces with integration operator distributed services over the public network. The integration operator services include databases and servers for storing and providing subscriber and network provider information for subscriber registration, network access and useage control, and accounting purposes. The NAS may be provided as a standalone element embodied in a computer, or may be integrated with the wireless radio frequency device and/or a network adaptor device for the private network.

A method is disclosed for automatically updating the status of customers' orders and shipments via electronic mail without using a human attendant to create and send the electronic mail messages. Preferably implemented in software, the updating method allows a large set of customers to be periodically updated over a computer or communications network via electronic mail. The method utilizes a database for maintaining order and shipping status and other relevant information.

System and methods for querying digital image archives containing digital photographs and/or videos (collectively, "digital images"). The digital images are indexed in accordance with a plurality of recorded parameters including time, date and geographic location data (altitude and longitude), as well as image data such as lens focal length, auto focus distance, shutter speed, exposure duration, aperture setting, frame number, image quality, flash status and light meter readings, which are used for searching a database consisting of the digital images. These images are preferably generated by an image capturing system which is capable of measuring and recording a plurality of parameters with each captured digital image. The image retrieval system allows a querying user to search the image archive by formulating one or more of a plurality of query types which are based on the recorded parameters, and then retrieve and display those images having the specified parameters.

A method of and system for finding and serving consumer product-related information on the Internet comprising a database serving subsystem which stores: a plurality of manufacturer identification numbers (MINs) assigned to a plurality of manufacturers of consumer products; a plurality of home-page specifying URLs symbolically linked to the plurality of MINs; a plurality of universal product numbers (UPN) assigned to a plurality of consumer products made by the plurality of manufacturers; and a plurality of product-information specifying URLs symbolically linked to the plurality of UPNs. During operation, a client subsystem transmits to the database serving subsystem, a request for information which includes the UPN assigned to the consumer product on which product-related information is being sought. The database serving subsystem automatically compares the UPN against the stored plurality of MINs, and automatically returns to the client subsystem, one or more of URLs symbolically linked to the UPN, if URLs have been symbolically linked to the UPN within the database serving subsystem. However, if no URLs have been symbolically linked to the UPN, then the database serving subsystem automatically returns the home-page specifying URL symbolically linked to the MIN contained within the UPN in the request. By virtue of this novel MIN-based search mechanism embodied within the database serving subsystem, client subsystems are automatically provided with the home-page of the manufacturer's World Wide Web (WWW) site in situations where product-information specifying URLs have not yet been symbolically linked with the UPN on any one of the manufacturer's products.

Computer dating is applied to instant messaging, in a novel, systematic and flexible way. This system and method enable the user to search and find instantly compatible dates in instant messaging networks on the basis of attribute search or 1-way compatibility search or 2-way compatibility search, and to search either for potential dates that are currently Online or also for dates that are currently Offline. Many additional features are described, and especially for example features that are based on improved integration between computer dating and instant messaging. Important features include for example: a. Integration of the dating environment with the contactee list (buddy list). b. Generating a list of compatible dates with different markings for people that are online or offline or a list divided into sub-lists or separate lists according to this. c. Applying a reverse variation by adding Instant messaging features to an Online dating site. d. Automatic instant notification when a new highly compatible date is available, instead of only periodical reports. e. Using a database of systematic pictures to which the users relate in defining their own appearance and the appearance of the desired date. f. Automatic finding of duplicate records. g. Addition of “OR” and/or “IF” relationships between questions instead of only the usual “AND”.

Portable computing apparatus for aiding a user in the monitoring of the consumption of consumable items, such as food items or prescribed medicaments, and reordering such items includes a common database for use in monitoring the items as consumed, and for preparing the reorder list at the proper time. The apparatus preferably includes an imaging device for recording the image of the item to be consumed, and recognition circuitry for utilizing the recorded image to identify the item and also to provide information concerning its nutritional content in a weight management program. The consumable item may also be identified in other manners, such as by a barcode reader, or a voice-recognition circuit.

An electronic program guide (EPG) organizes and presents programming information to the viewer and allows for creation of queries to facilitate both simple and complex searches of the programming information. According to one aspect, the EPG is configured to automatically identify programs that a viewer is likely to prefer. The EPG collects viewing preferences of a viewer and, based upon the these viewing preferences, automatically develops queries for identifying programs that the viewer is likely to want to watch. The EPG further enables multiple viewers to merge their individual queries into one composite query or to run queries in background to periodically check for programs and notify the viewer when a program is identified. Queries are saved in an EPG database in a hierarchic structure with directories and sub-directories to make it easy for a viewer to organize and retrieve queries. Another aspect concerns creating queries for a channel, network name or program name using a 10-key keypad. The viewer enters digits in the number or name, one digit at a time. With each entry, the viewer might intend to enter a number or letter. The EPG is configured to interpret the data as representing all possible choices, including the number and letters associated with the key. For instance, when a viewer depresses the key with number “5,” the EPG interprets that data to mean “5” or “j” or “k” or “1.” The EPG identifies all programs, channels, and networks which begin with the number or letters. As the viewer continues to enter data, the list of programs, channel, and networks dynamically narrows so that after a few button presses, the viewer is presented with a short list of possible choices.

The present invention discloses a central certificate management system for thin client devices in data networks and has particular applications to systems having a large number of the thin clients serviced by a proxy server through which the thin clients communicate with a plurality of secure server computers over a data network. According to one aspect, the present invention provides a certificate management module that causes the server device to manage digital certificates for each of the thin client devices. To minimize the latency of obtaining certificates for each of the thin client devices, the certificate management module reserves a fixed number of free certificates signed by a certificate authority and their respective private keys in a certificate database and frequently updates the free certificate according to a certificate updating message. Whenever a user account is created for a thin client device, the certificate management module fetches one or more free certificates from the certificate database and associate the fetched certificates to the created account and meanwhile the certificate management module creates new free certificates with the certificate authority to fill in the certificate database. Apart from the tradition of obtaining certificates locally in client devices that normally have sufficient computing power, the present invention uses the computing resources in a server device to carry out the task of obtaining and maintaining certificates asynchronously in the proxy server and further. These and other features in the present invention dramatically minimize the demands for computing power and memory in thin client devices like mobile devices, cellular phones, landline telephones or Internet appliance controllers.

An article inventory control system for articles, such as books, uses RFID tags attached to each article. Each tag has a unique identification or serial number for identifying the individual article. An inventory database tracks all of the tagged articles and maintains circulation status information for each article. Articles are checked out of the library using a patron self-checkout system. Checked out articles are returned to the library via patron self-check in devices. The shelves are periodically scanned with a mobile RFID scanner for updating inventory status.

An iterative process is provided for interacting with a voice information service. Such a service may permit, for example, a user to search one or more databases and may provide one or more search results to the user. Such a service may be suitable, for example, for searching for a desired entity or object within the database(s) using speech as an input and navigational tool. Applications of such a service may include, for instance, speech-enabled searching services such as a directory assistance service or any other service or application involving a search of information. In one example implementation, an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system is provided that performs a speech recognition and database search in an iterative fashion. With each iteration, feedback may be provided to the user presenting potentially relevant results. In one specific ASR system, a user desiring to locate information relating to a particular entity or object provides an utterance to the ASR. Upon receiving the utterance, the ASR determines a recognition set of potentially relevant search results related to the utterance and presents to the user recognition set information in an interface of the ASR. The recognition set information includes, for instance, reference information stored internally at the ASR for a plurality of potentially relevant recognition results. The recognition set information may be used as input to the ASR providing a feedback mechanism. In one example implementation, the recognition set information may be used to determine a restricted grammar for performing a further recognition.

Embodiments of a location-based social network manager process are described. The process is executed on a server computer coupled to a plurality of location-aware mobile communication devices over a wireless network. The process determines the geographic location of a mobile communication device operated by a user within an area, displays a map representation of the area around the mobile communication device on a graphical user interface of the mobile communication device, and superimposes on the map the respective locations of one or more other users of mobile communication devices coupled to the mobile communication device over the network. The process establishes communication links between the user and the plurality of acquaintances through respective location aware mobile communication devices through a network protocol. The process facilitates the sharing information about places of interest among a plurality of users. The system stores location information for a place of interest in a region in a database along with information related to the place of interest. The location of the place of interest is displayed on each user's mobile communication device as an icon superimposed on the map shown on the display. The location of the users can be established with respect to their distance relative to a place of interest. Users can define their own places of interest as well as provide a quantitative or qualitative ranking for places of interest within a region. This information can then be shared with other users in the network.

A method and apparatus for obtaining information about an object through interaction between a mobile station (MS) and a computer network such as the Internet, and communicating the information to the MS. A digital camera obtains an image of an object, such as a geographic region proximate the MS, which is then transmitted through the mobile communications system to the computer network. A converter server such as an Optical Character Reader (OCR) server interfaced with the global computer network converts the digital image to a text format which is then compared, along with a general location identifier of the MS to geographic data stored in a location database connected to the global computer network. Based on a comparison of the converted text data and the general location identifier of the MS to the geographic data stored in the location server, a precise location of the MS is determined and transmitted to the MS.

In a broadcasting system, an electronic program guide (EPG) is used to determine what broadcast program is on a given channel at a given time in a given location. With the particular determined broadcast program as an input, timing offset objects defining interactive content related to the determined broadcast program can be retrieved from a timing offsets database. Each timing offset object specifies a time from the beginning of the program, an act to perform at the time, and a reference to interactive content on which to perform the act at the time. With the reference to the interactive content as an input, an interactive application or other interactive content can be retrieved from an interactive content database. The EPG, the timing offsets database, and the interactive content database may be located logically or physically together or separately, and they may be cached locally or referenced from an external source.

A method and system is described which allows users to identify (pre-recorded) sounds such as music, radio broadcast, commercials, and other audio signals in almost any environment. The audio signal (or sound) must be a recording represented in a database of recordings. The service can quickly identify the signal from just a few seconds of excerption, while tolerating high noise and distortion. Once the signal is identified to the user, the user may perform transactions interactively in real-time or offline using the identification information.

The interactive delivery of voice serve messages communicating financial, personal or other news telecasts can be accessed at a subscriber's convenience on an inbound telephone, network enabled or other call. A voice service bureau may generate voice messages for individual subscribers according to their natural language queries. For instance, a subscriber may inquire “What was the closing Dow today” and the system converts the request to digital form, discriminates search terms, interrogates a database and annunciates to the call “The closing Dow was 11,000 today”. Responses to those or other inquiries may be delivered in real time or substantially real time.

A system and method for providing users with granular control over arbitrary information that allows for selective, real-time information sharing in a communications network such as the Internet is provided. In a network including a plurality of network devices operated by a plurality of users, a real-time information exchange system for sharing user profile information between respective users includes a database management system connected to the network. The database management system, which may be distributed across the network, stores the user profile information for a plurality of registered users of the information exchange system The user profile information includes a plurality of data elements, each data element having an associated one of the plurality of registered users. Each data element has an associated group of users to whom access to the data element has been granted, and users not included in the associated group of users are denied access to the data element. Each registered user may selectively control the granting and denying of access to each of its associated data elements by other respective user, on an element-by-element, and user-by-user basis. Further, each registered user may dynamically create its own data fields.

A system for selecting, erasing or reproducing program recordings using marking and descriptive data which is transmitted to a client location from a remote processing location. A database of identification signals specifying the characteristics of a known programming is maintained at a remote processing location. In a first embodiment, selected identification signals are downloaded from the database to the client location and are used by a processor at the client location to identify desired programming within a locally stored collection of previously received broadcast programming signals. In a second arrangement, locally stored programming signals are processed to extract identification data which is uploaded from the client location to the remote processing location for comparison to the database, and information describing the content of the matching programs is returned to the client location for use as a program guide, facilitating the selection, permanent storage, or playback of desired program records and/or the erasure of undesired programming. To conserve local storage space, identified program records may be uploaded and stored at the remote processing location, or shared program records in a central library may be made available for remote playback after an the identity of equivalent locally stored programming is confirmed.

A system and a corresponding method are described for providing a notification of a pending transaction request and obtaining an authorization from a cardholder. The system maintains a database of account records, each of the account records including a phone number of a mobile device assigned to receive authorization request messages for the respective account. When a transaction request is received, the system determines a phone number of a mobile device assigned to receive authorization request messages for the account requesting the transaction by searching the database. The system generates and transmits an authorization request message to the phone number of the mobile device assigned to the account requesting the transaction. In response to the authorization request message, a reply message is returned from the mobile device, which explicitly indicates if a user of the mobile device approves or denies the transaction.

An electronic translator translates input speech into multiple streams of data that are simultaneously delivered to the user, such as a hearing impaired individual. Preferably, the data is delivered in audible, visual and text formats. These multiple data streams are delivered to the hearing-impaired individual in a synchronized fashion, thereby creating a cognitive response. Preferably, the system of the present invention converts the input speech to a text format, and then translates the text to any of three other forms, including sign language, animation and computer generated speech. The sign language and animation translations are preferably implemented by using the medium of digital movies in which videos of a person signing words, phrase and finger spelled words, and of animations corresponding to the words, are selectively accessed from databases and displayed. Additionally the received speech is converted to computer-generated speech for input to various hearing enhancement devices used by the deaf or hearing-impaired, such as cochlear implants and hearing aids, or other output devices such as speakers, etc. The data streams are synchronized utilizing a high-speed personal computer to facilitate sufficiently fast processing that the text, video signing and audible streams can be generated simultaneously in real time. Once synchronized the data streams are presented to the subject concurrently in a method that allows the process of mental comprehension to occur. The electronic translator can also be interfaced to other communications devices, such as telephones. Preferably, the hearing-impaired person is also able to use the system's keyboard or mouse to converse or respond.

A method and system for providing flexible access to Internet sites is described. The system includes a database of Internet sites that have been categorized so that the system determines the category of information that a user is accessing on the Internet. The system is also programmed so users are only allowed to access sites within a particular category a limited number of times. Moreover, users can requested a postponed access, wherein the site they are requesting is stored to a server, and available to the user at a later time. In addition, if a user chooses to access a site that is within certain predefined categories, they are presented with the option of retrieving the page, but notified that their access will be logged to a file.

Counterfeit financial card fraud is detected based on the premise that the fraudulent activity will reflect itself in clustered groups of suspicious transactions. A system for detecting financial card fraud uses a computer database comprising financial card transaction data reported from a plurality of financial institutions. The transactions are scored by assigning weights to individual transactions to identify suspicious transactions. The geographic region where the transactions took place as well as the time of the transactions are recorded. An event building process then identifies cards involved in suspicious transactions in a same geographic region during a common time period to determine clustered groups of suspicious activity suggesting an organized counterfeit card operation which would otherwise be impossible for the individual financial institutions to detect.

A system for monitoring a patient's vital signs that features a vital-sign monitor including sensors for measuring from the patient at least one of the following vital-sign data: O₂ saturation, blood pressure, electro-cardiogram, respirator rate, and blood glucose level. The system also includes a global positioning system that determines location-based data. A wireless transmitter, in electrical contact with the vital-sign monitor and global positioning system, receives the vital-sign and location-based data and wirelessly transmits these data through a conventional wireless network. A gateway software piece receives and processes the data from the wireless network and stores these data in a computer memory associated with a database software piece. The system also includes an Internet-based user interface that displays the vital sign data for both individual patients and care-providers.

Exception event recorders and analysis systems include: vehicle mounted sensors arranged as a vehicle event recorder to capture both discrete and non-discrete data; a discretization facility; a database; and an analysis server all coupled together as a computer network. Motor vehicles with video cameras and onboard diagnostic systems capture data when the vehicle is involved in a crash or other anomaly (an ‘event’). In station where interpretation of non-discrete data is rendered, i.e. a discretization facility, captured data is used as a basis for production of supplemental discrete data to further characterize the event. Such interpreted data is joined to captured data and inserted into a database in a structure which is searchable and which supports logical or mathematical analysis by automated machines. A coupled analysis server is arranged to test stored data for prescribed conditions and upon finding such, to initiate further actions appropriate for the detected condition.

A multimedia data distributing system comprising an ID issuing center side device and a multimedia data distributor side device for distributing multimedia data as electronic data to a purchaser of the multimedia data. The multimedia data distributor device includes: an attribute information transmitting unit that transmits attribute information of the electronic data indicating the multimedia data to be distributed, to the ID issuing center side device; a watermark information embedding unit that embeds information specifying the ID number transmitted from the ID issuing center side device in response to the attribute information transmitted to the attribute information transmitting unit, as an watermark information in the electronic data indicating the multimedia data to be distributed; and a distribution unit that distributes the electronic data indicating the multimedia data, in which the information specifying the ID number is embedded as the watermark information by the watermark information embedding unit, to the purchaser of the multimedia data. The ID issuing center side device includes: an ID number generating unit that generates a unique ID number and registering the generated ID number in a database in a manner to correspond to the attribute information transmitted by the distributor of the multimedia data; and an ID number transmitting unit that transmits the information specifying the generated ID number to the multimedia data distributor device.

A secure end-to-end communications system includes a vault controller based registration application for managing the issuance and administration of digital certificates for use in conducting electronic commerce in the system. The system includes an end user terminal and a registration authority terminal coupled to a vault controller through the system. A registration application executable in the controller utilizes SSL and dedicated vaults to process requests for digital certificates from end users on an automated or manual basis. The registration application includes an enrollment module which implements the process of applying for and receiving certificates; an RA desk top module which allows an administrator to review certificate requests and manage certificates; a master Registration Authority (RA) module which conducts the processing of requests and the generation of certificates; and an RA (Registration Authority) database serves as a repository of information about applicants, certificate requests, and their processing history.

A navigation device includes a predictive traffic data database to store predictive traffic data at a plurality of times and a map database to store mapping data. A mapping module calculates a route and an estimated time of traversal for a route between a beginning geographic location and an ending geographic location based on the predictive traffic data and the mapping data. A start time modification module monitors for a modification of a start time for the route, with the mapping module re-calculating the estimated time of traversal in response to the modification of the start time for the route.

Gaming establishment patrons may be categorized and responsive services and features presented whether or not the patrons (or their companions) are known. Gaming and non-gaming activities of a patron may be identified and tracked. Information from various private and/or public databases accessible by a gaming establishment, may be used for patron ranking and to determine offers, goods and services that may be targeted to a patron.