Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for enabling a virtual personalized network. Communications are established with a personal digital gateway to control access, sharing, security, and/or management of up-to-date personalized data exchanged between or among a plurality of associated communications devices and/or communications networks. The associated communications devices are owned, operated, and/or accessed by a common user.

Abstract: Data concerning post-consumption items is collected from RF tags. RF tags applied to goods and materials that have been consumed or used and/or discarded or stored for recycling are read by a reader. The reader collects data from the tag and stores the data and/or transmits the collected data to a computing device such as a building management or host computer. A computing device associated with the reader may also retrieve data associated with the RF tag from one or more datastores of information concerning the post-consumption item. Additional processing may be performed to determine the composition and other attributes of the item or material. Based upon the data retrieved from the RF tag, and optionally, data in the datastore(s), and/or processing occurring within the associated computing device, characteristics including the composition and nature of the post-consumption items, location of the items and other characteristics and associated information are determined.

Abstract: A centralized agent of an organization receives a request for the resource from at least one of the entities thereof, and reviews each request for the resource. A vendor capable of supplying the resource is then selected. The agent designates an organization individual to work with the vendor, and the agent and individual produce a qualified request to be submitted to the vendor. Agreement is then obtained with the vendor regarding terms, and the agent reviews and approves same. The selected vendor thereafter develops and supplies the resource. The agent reviews vendor progress according to the agreement.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing advanced unified messaging are described. The subscriber specifies preferences based on message type, access device type, the subscriber's schedule, and other information. A message server utilizes this information to extract keywords and develop abstracts of particular messages. Subsequently, when the subscriber requests access to a message, the message server has the capability of tailoring delivery of messages to the subscriber on a specific access device.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is a method for providing services to a user. The method includes receiving a request from a user for content and obtaining a user preference defining at least one of a modality preference, a paradigm preference and a service preference. Content is accessed including markup tags associating said content with the user preference. Processes identified with a process markup tag associating said processes with said user preference are executed and the order of processes is dependent on the user preference. Content having markup tags corresponding to the user preference is retrieved and provided to the user.

Abstract: A proxy server identifies data items on a data server that are infrequently changed. The proxy server receives the infrequently changed data items and stores the data item. The proxy server forwards a copy of the data item to other proxy servers. When a request for the data item is received at the proxy server, a message indicating the request has been received is forwarded to the data server. The proxy server communicates instructions to one of the proxy servers to forward the data item to the requesting machine.

Abstract: Data items that are retrieved in response to a data request are compared to previously retrieved copies of the same data items. Portions of a data item that have not changed relative to the previous version may be specially designated as a virtual-edge-side-asset. The data items are modified to replace portions corresponding to VESA's with references to those VESA's. The modified version of the data item is communicated across the network. At a computing system closer in network proximity to the requesting machine, the data item is again modified to replace references to VESA's with the actual portion of the data item that was removed.

Abstract: A user may initiate a video conference session by dialing a predefined code on their telephone and thereafter dialing the telephone number of the party with whom it is desired to establish the video conference. An AIN network retrieves pre-stored information regarding the characteristics of the computing systems to be included in the video conference. Thereafter, the network automatically establishes communication between the computing devices.

Abstract: A user may initiate a video conference session by dialing a predefined code on their telephone and thereafter dialing the telephone number of the party with whom it is desired to establish the video conference. An AIN network retrieves pre-stored information regarding the characteristics of the computing systems to be included in the video conference. Thereafter, the network automatically establishes communication between the computing devices.

Abstract: Data concerning post-consumption items is collected from RF tags. RF tags applied to goods and materials that have been consumed or used and/or discarded or stored for recycling are read by a reader. The reader collects data from the tag and stores the data and/or transmits the collected data to a computing device such as a building management or host computer. A computing device associated with the reader may also retrieve data associated with the RF tag from one or more datastores of information concerning the post-consumption item. Additional processing may be performed to determine the composition and other attributes of the item or material. Based upon the data retrieved from the RF tag, and optionally, data in the datastore(s), and/or processing occurring within the associated computing device, characteristics including the composition and nature of the post-consumption items, location of the items and other characteristics and associated information are determined.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of selectively sorting post-consumption items that are associated with radio-frequency tags based on data received from the RF tag. One embodiment includes a conveyor, a picker arm, and an RF reader. Another embodiment includes an RF reader and a receptacle for selectively holding post-consumption items based on data retrieved from the associated RF tag.

Abstract: System and methods are disclosed that enable the detection and management of network assets. Such systems in accordance with the present invention include one or more asset detection systems and one or more asset repositories. Asset detection systems and asset repositories in accordance with the present invention each have an interface for exchanging information. For example, such an interface may enable asset registration information to be detected at an asset detection system and automatically sent to asset repository. Furthermore, for example, such an interface may enable asset registration information to be verified at an asset repository, and enable a verification to be sent to an asset detection system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing telecommunications services are described. An embodiment of the present invention includes a construct, such as an extensible markup language (XML) construct, containing a telecommunications service model. The model is a semantic representation of the logic necessary to perform the service. A component executing within a computing environment reads the XML construct and changes its behavior based on the model contained in the construct. An interface between the computing environment and the telecommunications network provides the conduit through which services are delivered.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for enabling a virtual personalized network. Communications are established with a personal digital gateway to control access, sharing, security, and/or management of up-to-date personalized data exchanged between or among a plurality of associated communications devices and/or communications networks. The associated communications devices are owned, operated, and/or accessed by a common user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for enabling a virtual personalized network. Communications are established with a personal digital gateway to control access, sharing, security, and/or management of up-to-date personalized data exchanged between Or among a plurality of associated communications devices and/or communications networks. The associated communications devices are owned, operated, and/or accessed by a common user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for enabling a virtual personalized network. Communications are established with a personal digital gateway to control access, sharing, security, and/or management of up-to-date personalized data exchanged between or among a plurality of associated communications devices and/or communications networks. The associated communications devices are owned, operated, and/or accessed by a common user.

Abstract: A method for providing platform independent business rules include encoding business rules in extensible style language translator (“XSLT”), thereby creating a platform independent XSLT business rule component, is provided. The XSLT business rule component is loaded into or coupled with a platform dependent business engine, which results in a platform dependent business engine whose behavior is based on the platform independent business rules. In particular, the method provides a way to produce or obtain a number of platform dependent business engines whose core behavior can be based on the same platform independent business rules. In addition, when the business rules change, the platform dependent business engines can be updated by encoding the changed business rules in XSLT. Similarly, XSLT encoded business rules can be used drive the core behavior of a common business service (“CBS”) unit.