15457 results about "Service provider" patented technology

A system, method, apparatus and computer program product for providing location based functions and mobile e-commerce comprising a central processing unit including a processor, a storage device, and programming stored in the storage device, a display device, an audio input device, an audio output device, a communications module, a commerce module, an image module, and a location module. The programming controls the operation of the present invention to provide functions based on location data, to facilitate commercial exchanges by wirelessly exchanging payment and product information with venders, to identify services such as venders meeting selection criteria, to wirelessly exchange select information with other users and systems, to restrict and/or monitor the use of the device based on authorized user parameters, selecting one of a plurality networks through which to communicate, detecting a trigger for performing an action based on a change in location and sensed data, storing a voice annotation with a computer data file, determining service providers and associated communication parameters, contemporaneously maintaining a wireless voice and data link, providing a system for selecting and delivering mobile advertisements, and many other functions and services that are described herein.

A geographic based communications service system that includes a network and a plurality of access points connected to the network and arranged at known locations in a geographic region. One or more service providers or information providers may be connected to the network to provide services or information on the network. A mobile user (MU) may use a portable computing device (PCD) to connect to the network and access information or services from the network. The PCD may be configured to transmit a signal indicating a presence of the PCD as well as identification information indicating the mobile user. Upon detection of the wireless signal by a first access point in proximity to the PCD, and upon receipt of the identification information indicating the user of the PCD, the first access point may transmit the identification information, as well as the known geographic location of the first access point, to one or more providers on the network. The known geographic location of the first access point indicates the approximate location of the PCD of the mobile user. A first information provider may receive this information and provide content information or services to the mobile user. For example, the first information provider may select content information dependent upon the known geographic location of the first access point and demographic information or past activities of the mobile user of the PCD. The first information provider may then provide the selected content information through the network and through the first access point to the PCD of the mobile user.

Methods and systems are provided for supporting electronic transactions, including transactions that are provided with per-user, per-device and per-domain security across domains of multiple service providers.

Streaming compressed digital hypervideo received upon a digital communications network is decoded (decompressed) and played in a client-computer-based "video on web VCR" software system. Scene changes, if not previously marked upstream, are automatically detected, and typically twenty-one past scenes are displayed as thumbnail images. Hyperlinks within the main video scene, and/or any thumbnail image, show as hotspots, with text annotations typically appearing upon a cursor "mouse over". All hyperlinks-as are provided and inserted by, inter alia, the upstream network service provider (the "ISP")-may be, and preferably are, full-custom dynamically-resolved to each subscriber/user/viewer ("SUV") upon volitional "click throughs" by the SUV, including retrospectively on past hypervideo scenes as appear within the thumbnail images. Hyperlinking permits (i) retrieving information and commercials, including streaming video/hypervideo, from any of local storage, a network (or Internet) service provider ("ISP"), a network content provider, and/or an advertiser network site, (ii) entering a contest of skill or a lottery of chance, (iii) gambling, (iv) buying (and less often, selling), (v) responding to a survey, and expressing an opinion, and/or (vi) sounding an alert.

A voice-enabled document system facilitates execution of service delivery operations by eliminating the need for manual or visual interaction during information retrieval by an operator. Access to voice-enabled documents can facilitate operations for mobile vendors, on-site or field-service repairs, medical service providers, food service providers, and the like. Service providers can access the voice-enabled documents by using a client device to retrieve the document, display it on a screen, and, via voice commands initiate playback of selected audio files containing information derived from text data objects selected from the document. Data structures that are components of a voice-enabled document include audio playback files and a logical association that links the audio playback files to user-selectable fields, and to a set of voice commands.

A system and method for supporting Product Lifecycle Management over a distributed service network topology that connects a hierarchy of functional domains, each domain having a service ontology and one or more service composition schemas defined by the service ontology. Each service composition schema models a business process in its domain. Descriptions of services provided to each domain are published to a service repository by providers of the services, in conformity with one of the service composition schemas. There is a business process proxy provided by the service provider for each service description, which encapsulates for public access the internal processes of the service provider. The invention makes use of an event messaging protocol that enables service collaboration and ad-hoc workflow composition. Each business process is implemented by an ad-hoc workflow comprised of one or more tasks connected by one or more business rules. For each business process there is a business flow manager that dynamically composes ad-hoc workflow prior to execution and dynamically modifies the ad-hoc workflow as the business process executes. The business flow manager uses backward-chain inferencing and then forward-chain inferencing to generate the ad-hoc workflows, based on user identification of a target task. The business flow manager is able to stop execution of the workflow and regenerate a workflow for remaining tasks in response to events received over the network from service providers, and is also able to detect conflicts in the workflows at composition time and at execution time.

A system, method and computer program product provides for power line communications (PLC) over electric power lines includes a device mountable near an electrical distribution transformer (DT) to provide a high speed interface and communicates with one or multiple access devices, which provide low speed interfaces for analog signals or digital signals over RS 232, RS 485, optical, wireless and Ethernet. The device transmits data to/from these access devices over the electric lines to other repeaters over one or more wires of an electrical line or over multiple lines, and serves to strengthen and improve signal quality. Upon detecting a wire or line is having problems carrying data, the data is sent over other wires, and upon power line failures, wireless backup to mobile/GSM and WiMax networks is utilized. The device permits utilities and others to read electric meters, monitor the power quality of the distribution grid and detect power losses/failures/outages, and permits telecom service providers and others to provide a communications link to cell phone towers, WiFi Access Points and enable broadband Internet and telephony in rural, remote or sparely populated areas.

Systems and methods are provided that allow inter-working between communication networks for the delivery of service to mobile nodes. A gateway is provided that communicates with a femto cell to extend service to an area that otherwise does not receive coverage from a service provider. The femto cell is a small scale base station used to provide coverage over a small area (such as a home or business), and connect to a home or enterprise network. The femto cell provides service for a mobile node and a gateway permits communication over a broadband network. The gateway integrates the mobile nodes connecting via a femto cell into the service provider's network. The gateway also allows provisioning of services and applications, control of service levels, and provides seamless handoffs to macro base stations and other types of access technologies such as Wi-Fi.

A navigation system for a vehicle includes a vehicle-based telematics system, a vehicle-based global positioning system and a control. The telematics system is operable to receive a user input from a driver of the vehicle and to download directional information from an external service provider to the control in response to the user input and an initial geographic position of the vehicle. The directional information comprises at least two instructions with each of the instructions being coded or associated with or linked to a respective geographic location. The control is operable to provide an output corresponding to each of the instructions in response to a current actual geographic position of the vehicle. The control is operable to provide each instruction only when the then current actual geographic position of the vehicle at least generally corresponds to the particular geographic location associated with the instruction.

A speech service, including a speech-to-text engine and a text-to-speech engine, creates and maintains user profiles at a central location accessible over the Internet. A user connects to a software application over a mobile telephone and delivers a voice command. The speech service transcribes the voice command into a text command for the software application. The software application performs a service desired by the user and delivers a text result to the speech service that is converted into a speech result that is delivered to the user. A user speaks to a hardware device to perform a function. The hardware device sends the speech to the speech service over the Internet that transcribes the speech into a text command that is sent over the Internet to a device service provider. The device service provider maps the text command into a device command that is then sent back over the Internet to the hardware device to perform the function. A remote hardware device can be controlled using the software application.

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for administrating a network-based supply chain on a network. Operation of entities is monitored. Entities include server processes, disk space, memory availability, CPU utilization, access time to a server, and/or a number of connections in a network-based supply chain. Items including merchandising content, currency exchange rates, tax rates, and/or pricing in the network-based supply chain are updated at predetermined intervals. In addition, external data stored separately from the network-based supply chain is synchronized with internal data stored on the network-based supply chain. Contact information received from users of the network-based supply chain is also managed. Users include service providers and manufacturer utilizing the network-based supply chain. The items are altered based on profiles of the users of the network-based supply chain.

A system, device, and method for remote monitoring and servicing uses a gateway to collect user information, such as physiological, audio, video, and proximity information. The gateway processes the user information locally, and may send the user information or other information, such as alarms, to remote service providers through one or more head-end servers. The gateway also allows service provider information, such as audio and video information, to be conveyed from the service providers to the users. The gateway may output video information on a predetermined television channel, and may output audio information on the predetermined television channel or to a wireless remote controller with in-built speaker. The gateway may receive audio information from the user via a wireless remote controller with in-built microphone. The gateway provide for videoconferencing between the user and one or more remote service providers.

A server receives a request for a service. The server determines if a virtual machine already exists that offers the service. If so, the server returns an identifier of the virtual machine to the requesting client so that the client may access the service from the virtual machine. Otherwise, the server attempts to create an image of a virtual machine offering the service. If successful in creating the image, the image is installed as a new virtual machine in a host machine, and the server returns an identifier of the newly created virtual machine to the client.

The present invention teaches a method of creating and presenting a user interface comprising a Dynamic Mosaic Extended Electronic Programming Guide (DMXEPG) using video, audio, special applications, and service dynamic metadata. The system enables television or digital radio service subscribers to select and display of various programs including video, interactive TV applications, or any combination of audio or visual components grouped and presented in accordance with the dynamic program/show metadata, business rules and objectives of service providers, broadcasters, and/or personal subscriber choices, collectively referred to as mosaic element presentation criteria.

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention enable explicit and multilateral trust across a community of federated servers via a network. A trusted third party establishes a framework of policies and procedures governing a federation. Organizations joining the federation submit to an audit process of internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the policies and procedures of the federation. Upon successful completion of an audit, an organization may receive a digital certificate containing the digital public key of the organization and indicating approval of the trusted third party. The organization may then use the associated digital private key for signing security assertions associated with a request for resources from another federation service provider. The service provider may trust the assertion from the organization based on trust placed in trusted third party by the service provider and the trust placed in the organization by the trusted third party.

A method and application for selecting a network from one or more candidate networks is disclosed. Information is gathered from one or more database relating to each of the one or more candidate networks and is harmonized in relation to an associated network type. The harmonized information is evaluated to allocate a weight to each of the candidate networks. The weight represents the desirability of each of the candidate networks. The required resources to connect to each of the candidate networks are determined from information contained within the service-provider database, from information obtained by the end-user, and by self-adaptive learning algorithms. At least one of the candidate networks is selected based on the allocated weight of the candidate network and the application attempts to connect to the candidate network. The method and application incorporates the ability to control and integrate a plurality of services on a user device via the candidate network.

A multi-source bridge content distribution system links multiple content owners with access network operators or content distribution providers leasing space on access networks so that multi-media content can be provided from multiple content owners to consumers through a multi-source bridge or data center. Content files and associated content owner preference settings are provided from a plurality of content sources or providers to the multi-source data center. Files stored at the data center or locally at an access network are provided to subscribers through the local access network Content files are provided if the content owner preference settings are a sufficient match with service provider access network preference settings set up by the service provider using the access network to provide content to subscribers.

A method and apparatus wherein a software scheduling agent resides on a communication network and/or client device, such as location-aware wireless communication appliances, television set top boxes, or other end user client devices is disclosed. The software scheduling agent is part of a probabilistic modeling system in which the scheduler operates to perform constrained random variation with selection. Digital content is generated, organized, and stored on the communication network and/or the client devices. An electronic digital content wrapper, which holds information in the form of data and metadata related to the digital content is associated with each item of digital content. Contextual profiles for each user and each item of digital content are established by the users and the network and maintained by a service provider on the communication network. The software scheduling agent compares the contextual digital content profile for each item of digital content to the contextual user profile for each user to determine which digital content should be offered for presentation to each user. The comparison and determination of which items of digital content should be offered for presentation to which users is performed by a process of constrained random variation. After the software scheduling agent determines which items of digital content would most likely be relevant or interesting to the user, the digital content is transmitted, either in whole or in part, at predetermined times over the communication network to the appropriate client devices. The digital content is then stored, either in whole or in part, in cache memory on the client device until an appropriate time when the digital content is digitally packaged and presented to particular users over those user's client devices.

Methods and systems for dynamically generating a verification value for a transaction and for utilizing such value to verify the authenticity of the payment service application. The dynamically created verification value may be generated on a payment device, such as an integrated circuit credit card or smart card, embedded into the payment data, and transmitted to a point of sale terminal. Alternatively, payment data is sent by a payment device to a point of sale terminal, which generates a verification value and embeds it into the payment data. The embedded verification value is used by a service provider to verify the authenticity of the transaction. The methods and systems may be used in a contactless (wireless) environment or a non-wireless environment.

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for demonstrating e-commerce capabilities on a network via a simulation. Data connectivity is provided over a network between a simulated user, a simulated product distributor, a simulated product vendor, and a simulated financial service provider. An electronic catalog is displayed over a network that shows a product for sale by the simulated product vendor. The simulated user is shown browsing the electronic catalog on the network. Further, a consultation over the network, relating to the product for sale shown in the electronic catalog, is depicted between the simulated user and the simulated product distributor. Selection of the product by the simulated user is illustrated. The simulated user is portrayed to authorize payment alter an on-line review of an account of the user.

A method and system whereby two mobile units can locate each other is presented. A user connects an interface device, such as a personal digital assistance (PDA), a wireless phone, a laptop, or a pager, to a mobile unit. The mobile unit regularly obtains its location through a location-determining technology (e.g., GPS) and sends the location to a service provider computer. The service provider computer maintains a database of the current location of all the mobile units, and provides the location of mobile units to each of the mobile units. The mobile unit communicates with the service provider wirelessly through a communication network and a data network, for example the Internet.

A user of the mobile unit can send messages to other users with a location stamp, which indicates the location of the message sender's mobile unit. In addition, a user can send a request to be notified when a target mobile unit reaches a reference point. The reference point may be defined relative to the location of the requester. Alternatively, the reference point may be an address or a landmark. Upon receiving the request, the service provider computer tracks the distance between the target mobile unit and the reference point, and sends a notification to the requester when the target mobile unit reaches the reference point.