Abstract: A method and system for monitoring wireless data service performance of wireless service providers. Data messages are sent from a plurality of remote and/or local monitoring probes to other monitoring probes. In general, the remote monitoring probes will be distributed throughout a service area(s) from the service provider and include both fixed probes and mobile probes, wherein each probe will include one or more wireless devices, including cellular phones, PSC phones, PDA devices, Blackberry devices, and the like. Various performance data are then measured, including message deliver latency and network accessibility. This data is then sent from the remote monitoring probes to one or more central monitoring stations, where it is stored and aggregated to generate performance reports and alerts, which are delivered to the service providers or may be accessed through a web user interface.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring a computer session between devices, such as a land-line device to a wireless device. A user launches a computer session on a first device, such as a personal computer. The user may then selectively transfer the computer session to another device, such as a wireless device, through activation of a triggering signal. In response, the context of the computer session is determined as it is being performed on the first device, including a type of the computer session. The computer session is then transferred to the second device by launching a new computer session on the second device and transferring the context of the computer session corresponding to the first device to the new computer session on the second device. Several session transfer mechanisms, including use of an online service, a proxy service, and a peer-to-peer communication link, are disclosed.

Abstract: A device for monitoring movement of an object is provided. A first module is configured to secure to the object. A second module, capable of electrically connecting to the first module, includes at least a rechargeable battery and a memory capable of storing a history of movement data. A third module, capable of electrically connecting with the second module, includes a data modem capable of connecting to a remote station, and a battery charger. When the second module is connected to the first module, the memory periodically records available location data representing a position of the device at the time of recording. When the second module is connected to the third module, the memory downloads through the data modem and the battery charger charges the battery.

Abstract: In a broadcast system in which computer data and other content are delivered from multiple content servers to multiple clients at least partly over a broadcast network, a transmission announcement system announces upcoming broadcast transmissions and instructs the clients on how to receive the broadcast transmissions. Announcement servers (which may or may not be the same as the content servers which serve the data for the broadcast transmissions) generate announcements containing information specifying how associated upcoming transmissions are to be delivered over the broadcast network. The announcement server makes the announcements available to the clients over the broadcast network or over a secondary link other than the broadcast network.

Abstract: In a broadcast system in which computer data and other content are delivered from multiple content servers to multiple clients at least partly over a broadcast network, a transmission announcement system announces upcoming broadcast transmissions and instructs the clients on how to receive the broadcast transmissions. Announcement servers (which may or may not be the same as the content servers which serve the data for the broadcast transmissions) generate announcements containing information specifying how associated upcoming transmissions are to be delivered over the broadcast network. The announcement server makes the announcements available to the clients over the broadcast network or over a secondary link other than the broadcast network.

Abstract: A method and system that enables wireless device users to send messages from their devices to other wireless devices that use a different service provider than the sending device. Generally, the method and system are enabled through use of a third party rerouting/reformatting service that appears transparent to the wireless device users and service providers. In one embodiment, the method includes converting an original SMS message into an e-mail message and routing the e-mail message to the rerouting/reformatting service, whereupon the e-mail message is reformatted into a destination message that is dispatched for delivery to a destination device selected by a user who generated the original SMS message. In another embodiment, rerouting indicia is appended to an SMS message such that it is routed to the rerouting/reformatting service, which again performs reformatting and message dispatch functions to deliver the message to a selected destination device.

Abstract: A device for monitoring movement of an object is provided. A first module is configured to secure to the object. A second module, capable of electrically connecting to the first module, includes at least a rechargeable battery and a memory capable of storing a history of movement data. A third module, capable of electrically connecting with the second module, includes a data modem capable of connecting to a remote station, and a battery charger. When the second module is connected to the first module, the memory periodically records available location data representing a position of the device at the time of recording. When the second module is connected to the third module, the memory downloads through the data modem and the battery charger charges the battery.

Abstract: A method and system for monitoring wireless data service performance of wireless service providers. Data messages are sent from a plurality of remote and/or local monitoring probes to other monitoring probes. In general, the remote monitoring probes will be distributed throughout a service area(s) from the service provider and include both fixed probes and mobile probes, wherein each probe will include one or more wireless devices, including cellular phones, PSC phones, PDA devices, Blackberry devices, and the like. Various performance data are then measured, including message deliver latency and network accessibility. This data is then sent from the remote monitoring probes to one or more central monitoring stations, where it is stored and aggregated to generate performance reports and alerts, which are delivered to the service providers or may be accessed through a web user interface.

Abstract: A method for rerouting wireless messages to locate service providers for destination devices that use different service providers than sending devices. In one embodiment, the method begins with a request to send a wireless message from a sending device that uses a first service provider to a destination device that uses a second service provider. Based on a phone number reference in the message, potential service providers for the destination device are identified. Ping messages are then sent to each of these potential service providers, while checking for a successful response. The message is then sent to the destination device via a service provider who successfully responds to the ping message sent to it. A phone map table that maps phone numbers to message service providers may also be used to reroute messages. The phone map table is updated in response to successful ping messages.

Abstract: A visualization system for enabling a user to select a vehicle and to overlay images of various user-selected accessories onto an image of the vehicle to cause a computer to display an image of the desired combination includes a database that stores digitized images of various vehicles and accessories. The accessories can be photographed separately from the vehicle, so that it is not necessary to photograph an accessorized vehicle for each one of the potentially thousands of vehicle/accessory combinations. The database correlates accessories and colors, with prices and other data, to the relevant vehicles. An Internet user can access the database over the Internet to select a vehicle with user-defined accessories, and then a composite image of the vehicle with accessories is presented to the user.

Abstract: A method for encoding network data, such as Internet Protocol (IP) data, into a format for transmission over a satellite system is described. The network data is configured in a packet having a data block and header information. The network data packet is encoded into a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame. The MPT frame comprises a data frame to hold data and header information. The IP packet in inserted its entirety into the data frame of the MPT frame. The variable-length MTP frame is then encoded into one or more fixed-length MTP packets. Each MPT packet has a data fragment block comprising a portion of the MTP frame and associated header information to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the data fragment block. The MPT packets are sized to be embedded as a specific size payload of the satellite packet that is transmitted over a satellite network. Using this method, data received over a data network (i.e.

Abstract: A method for encoding network data, such as Internet Protocol (IP) data, into a format for transmission over a satellite system is described. The network data is configured in a packet having a data block and header information. The network data packet is encoded into a variable-length multi-packet transport (MPT) frame. The MPT frame comprises a data frame to hold data and header information. The IP packet in inserted its entirety into the data frame of the MPT frame. The variable-length MTP frame is then encoded into one or more fixed-length MTP packets. Each MPT packet has a data fragment block comprising a portion of the MTP frame and associated header information to designate what portion of the MTP frame is contained in the data fragment block. The MPT packets are sized to be embedded as a specific size payload of the satellite packet that is transmitted over a satellite network. Using this method, data received over a data network (i.e.

Abstract: In a broadcast system in which computer data and other content are delivered from multiple content servers to multiple clients at least partly over a broadcast network, a transmission announcement system announces upcoming broadcast transmissions and instructs the clients on how to receive the broadcast transmissions. Announcement servers (which may or may not be the same as the content servers which serve the data for the broadcast transmissions) generate announcements containing information specifying how associated upcoming transmissions are to be delivered over the broadcast network. The announcement server makes the announcements available to the clients over the broadcast network or over a secondary link other than the broadcast network.

Abstract: A data delivery system facilitates transmission of data packets from a content server to multiple clients over a unidirectional network. A redundancy formatter resident at the server groups multiple data packets into a redundancy group and generates at least one redundancy packet containing redundancy information derived from the data packets in the redundancy group. The data packets and redundancy packet are sent over the unidirectional network to the client. In the event that a packet is lost, a packet rebuilder resident at each client reconstructs the missing data packet from the successfully transmitted data packets in the redundancy group and the redundancy packet for the redundancy group.

Abstract: A broadcast transmission system transmits data packets from a server to a client over a unidirectional broadcast network. The system transmits both full-length data packets, which have uncompressed headers, and reduced-length data packets, which have compressed headers derived from associated uncompressed headers. The server compresses the data packets by compressing the packet header. Compressed packet headers contain fewer header fields than their associated uncompressed headers. The server transmits a series of intermixed full-length and reduced-length packets to the client. As the packets are received, the client determines whether the packets are full-length or reduced-length. If the packet is full-length, the client stores the uncompressed header in a header table. If the packet is reduced-length, the client rebuilds the compressed header from its corresponding uncompressed headers in the header table.