Abstract: The invention provides a mobile and compact enclosure that can be carried within a pocket of clothing while providing a large dear aperture for both a fingerprint scanner and a visual display contained within the apparatus. The apparatus of this invention is not limited to facilitating one or two-finger fingerprint scanning, and can incorporate a scanner capable of scanning four fingers simultaneously.

Abstract: A system and method for counting ridges in a captured print image frame is described. A pixel path through the captured print image frame is traversed. A hysteresis band for the pixel path is determined. A number of crossings of the determined hysteresis band is counted while traversing the pixel path. A number of print ridges based on the counted number of hysteresis band crossings is determined.

Abstract: System and methods for authenticating biometric data (e.g., fingerprint data, or the like) have an automatic location selection operation (i.e., a failsafe operation) or a manual location selection operation (i.e., a selectivity operation). These two operations ensure an authentication operation can always quickly and accurately take place. The automatic location selection operation is based on having main system including a local and remote authentication system. If a network link to the remote authentication system is broken, the main system detects that and switches authentication to a local authentication system. The manual location selection operation allows an operator to select, through an input device (e.g., buttons or a switch), whether to perform authentication operations locally or remotely. Even in this manual location selection mode, if remote authentication is selection, but a network link to the remote system is broken, the main system switches to local authentication.

Abstract: A system and method for counting ridges in a captured print image frame is described. A pixel path through the captured print image frame is traversed. A hysteresis band for the pixel path is determined. A number of crossings of the determined hysteresis band is counted while traversing the pixel path. A number of print ridges based on the counted number of hysteresis band crossings is determined.

Abstract: A method and system use multi-tiered authorization for securing mass transit operations. The purchase rights of a consumer to travel on a medium of mass transit are verified. In some examples this verification can involve: transmitting identity (e.g., print data, facial data, universally unique identifier (UUID) data, or the like) and financial information (e.g., credit or debit card information, or the like) to a predetermined (e.g., third party vendor) party using a wireless transceiver biometric device, comparing the identity and financial data to previously stored data, and transmitting the results of the comparison to a consumer's present location. If verified, a transaction for purchase of travel rights is initiated. Information about the consumer and the travel is transmitted to a predetermined entity (e.g., a governmental entity, a third party vendor, or the like). Traveling rights of the consumer are verified before embarkation on the medium of mass transit.

Abstract: A system and method are used to perform multi-tired authorization to enhance security during transactions. Data (e.g., biometric, print, universally unique identifier (UUID), financial, and/or other types of data) of a first entity (e.g., a consumer or the like) is captured using a wireless transceiver biometric device. The captured data is verified against previously stored data. Results from the verification are transmitted to second and third entities (e.g., insurance and financial entities, government and private entities, first and second government entities, law enforcement and administrative agency entities, or the like pairs). Data (e.g., similar to that discussed above) of a fourth entity (e.g., a retail or wholesale product or service entity) is captured using the same or another wireless transceiver biometric device. The captured data is verified against previously stored data. Results from the verification are sent to the second and third entities (e.g.

Abstract: A system and method are used bi-directional authorization as a security precaution during exchange or transactions of any kind. Identification data (e.g., biometric data, a universally unique identifier (UUID) data, or the like) is authenticated from a first object (e.g., a guardian, a requester, a consumer, a governmental official, a law enforcement official, or the like) and, if verified, then from a second object (e.g., a child, a requestee, a private citizen, a detainee, a product provider, a service provider, or the like). If both sets of identification data are authenticated, then an exchange or transaction for information, people, service, products, or things can take place. In some cases, information about the exchange or transaction is stored locally or remotely to possibly prepare a statistical analysis (e.g., if a law enforcement official is using racial profiling, or the like).

Abstract: An identification device, which can be a wireless transceiver biometric device, can be used to control access to copyrighted (e.g., entertainment) media. This is done by establishing rights to use of the media correlated to a purchaser of the media based on verifying the identity of the purchaser with the identification device. Once verified, the media can be purchased and rights correlating the purchased media to the purchaser can be stored. When a requester attempts to output the purchased media, the identity of the requestor and their rights to the purchased media can be verified through the use of the identification device. Once verified, the media can be output. Therefore, by using the identification device, a cost effective method and system can be established to control access to copyrighted media.

Abstract: A communication unit (100) for operation in a communication system (600). The communication system (600) includes a plurality of communication units (100) and a control resource (300). The communication unit (100) includes a transmitter (118) for transmitting a signal to the control resource (300) requesting programming information using a bootstrap mode of operation. The communication unit (100) also includes a receiver (106) for receiving programming information sent by the control resource (300). The communication unit (100) further includes a controller (112) coupled to the transmitter (118) and the receiver (106) for programming the communication unit (100) using the received programming information prior to receiving authorization for using the communication unit.

Abstract: A communication system (100) encodes and decodes information utilizing at least four modulation levels for transmitting the information as symbols representing symbol bits in symbol bit positions. At least one of the symbol bit positions exhibits an error rate higher than that of another of the positions. A processor (204) encodes (702) the information into an even number of code words and transmits the code words as an interleaved data stream. The processor (204) rearranges (706, 708) the transmission order of the code word bits in a predetermined way to form a modified transmission order such that the code words are transmitted (710) with substantially equal error rates. A receiver (110) receives and demodulates (712) the interleaved data stream to derive the code word bits, and then reorders (714, 716) the code word bits to undo bit modifications resulting from the modified transmission order, thereby restoring the code words. The receiver then decodes the code words to recover the information.

Abstract: A selective call messaging peripheral (100) capable of receiving at least one message and communicating it to an electronic information processing device (200) comprises a microcontroller (105) including a processor (106) for executing a microcode program that controls operation of the peripheral and a receiver (103) that operates to receive and demodulate an information signal to provide a recovered information signal including an address signal and the message. A correlator (109) compares the recovered address signal with a predetermined address and generates an address detection, indicating selection of the peripheral.

Abstract: A method, in a data communication receiver, for selectively alerting a user at specified times, wherein the data communication receiver includes an interface for transmitting data to a host computer and an annunciator for generating a sensible alert, comprises the steps of receiving (505) an alarm message, wherein the alarm message comprises information indicating a time, and storing (505) the time. The method further comprises the steps of determining (510) an interface status as being coupled to the host computer or detached from the host computer and selectively activating (520) the annunciator at the time in response to determining (510) the interface status.

Abstract: A selective call messaging peripheral (100) capable of receiving at least one message and communicating the at least one message to an electronic information processing device (200). An information signal is received and demodulated to provide a recovered information signal including an address signal and at least one message. A correlator (109) generates a detection indicating selection of the selective call messaging peripheral when the recovered address is substantially equivalent to a predetermined address. In response to selection of the selective call messaging peripheral (100), a PCMCIA communication interface (119) communicates the at least one message between the selective call messaging peripheral (100) and the electronic information processing device (200).

Abstract: A method in a communications receiver (20) for handling a selective call message comprises the steps of measuring a parameter of the selective call message (104, 116) and selecting whether to provide the selective call message to a display (118) or a communications port (106) in response to measuring the parameter of the selective call message (104, 116). The communications receiver (20) can function as either a pager or a radio frequency (RF) modem. A controller (66) determines the parameters of the message and operates the communications receiver (20) as a pager or as an RF modem in response to the parameters measured.

Abstract: A radio receiver (110) can be coupled to first and second external devices (345) for communication therewith. A method in the radio receiver (110) for processing and forwarding received messages comprises the steps of determining a number of errors included in a first message and determining that the first external device (345) is coupled to the radio receiver (110). The method further comprises the step of comparing the number of errors included in the first message to a first value associated with the first external device (345) in response to determining that the first external device (345) is coupled to the radio receiver (110). Thereafter, the first message is provided to the first external device (345) when the number of errors included in the first message is less than the first value.

Abstract: A selective call messaging peripheral (100) capable of receiving at least one message and communicating it to an electronic information processing device (200) comprises a microcontroller (105) including a processor (106) for executing a microcode program that controls operation of the peripheral and a receiver (103) that operates to receive and demodulate an information signal to provide a recovered information signal including an address signal and the message. A correlator (109) compares the recovered address signal with a predetermined address and generates an address detection indicating selection of the peripheral.

Abstract: A radio receiver (110) for receiving messages from a plurality of sources includes a message database (252) for storing the messages and sources from which the messages originate and a processing unit (220) for determining whether each source has a status of anchored or unanchored. The processing unit (220) further flags last received messages from anchored sources to indicate that the last received messages are anchored messages which are to be deleted only after deletion of unanchored messages which are not flagged as anchored messages.

Abstract: A method (200) and apparatus (100, 402) are shown for determining whether first and second data messages in a communication system are duplicates. The method comprises forming (304) from the first and second data messages a corresponding pair of first and second message identifiers (120, 126). The identifiers (120, 126) comprise bits generated from first and second message characteristic values calculated (206) from portions (118, 124) of the first and second data messages. The method further comprises comparing 316 the first and second message identifiers (120, 126) to determine whether the first and second message identifiers (120, 126) are substantially equivalent to each other, substantially equivalent identifiers (120, 126) being indicative that the first and second data messages are duplicates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a selective call receiver allow a user to receive maildrop message without losing access to previously received but unread maildrop messages in the same message slot. The selective call receiver comprises an address correlator (107) which determines whether received selective call signals comprise an individual or maildrop address assigned to the selective call receiver. A message memory (122) comprises an individual message portion (126) having an individual memory directory (127) and a maildrop message portion (128) having a maildrop memory directory (129).

Abstract: A selective call receiver (100) for transmitting information to an external electronic device (208), such as a personal computer, includes a memory (125) for storing a predetermined status menu including at least one status category associated with internal status information of the selective call receiver (108). When the selective call receiver (100) is interactively coupled to the external electronic device (208) and receives a user-initiated status command therefrom, the predetermined status menu is retrieved from the memory (125) and transmitted to the external electronic device (208).