Abstract: A method and apparatus for presenting enhanced video at multiple presentment devices are disclosed. The video signal is received to be displayed at a variety of presentment devices. The presentment devices that are capable of displaying the video signal are identified and the video signal is transmitted to the identified presentment devices.

Abstract: A rewards system and method are provided in which the system has a reward defining engine and a rewards earning engine that are able to define a reward and allow users to earn a reward.

Abstract: Disclosed are server features for allowing a client user to defer completion of multi-step user transaction applications (“MUTAs”) and later resume the MUTA. One disclosed feature is providing a selectable deferral action in a page implementing part of the MUTA, e.g., HTML, XML, JavaScript/ECMA Script document. If the client user selects to defer completion, a state object is created by the server and stores state information including information previously entered during the MUTA. The server provides a resumption object to the user including a resource for resuming the deferred MUTA. When the user selects the resource, state information stored in the state object is loaded and the use may complete the remainder of the MUTA. An additionally disclosed aspect is automatic state saving where sate information is stored automatically during multiple steps in the MUTA; the user then need not select deferral.

Abstract: Content browsers determine and enforce the digital rights of one piece of multimedia content to embed another. Such digital rights are encoded as data inside the content, as data in associated files, or managed by digital rights network services. In one example, Web browsers determine digital rights by comparing URLs of the embedding and embedded content, potentially with the help of digital rights Web services.

Abstract: Disclosed are server features for allowing a client user to defer completion of multi-step user transaction applications (“MUTAs”) and later resume the MUTA. One disclosed feature is providing a selectable deferral action in a page implementing part of the MUTA, e.g., HTML, XML, JavaScript/ECMA Script document. If the client user selects to defer completion, a state object is created by the server and stores state information including information previously entered during the MUTA. The server provides a resumption object to the user including a resource for resuming the deferred MUTA. When the user selects the resource, state information stored in the state object is loaded and the use may complete the remainder of the MUTA. An additionally disclosed aspect is automatic state saving where sate information is stored automatically during multiple steps in the MUTA; the user then need not select deferral.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for reducing the number of “pages”, e.g. HTML, JavaScript/ECMA Script, or XML documents or the like, in forms-based transaction applications. One disclosed method involves using dynamic contents documents such as JavaServer pages that include a list of required fields for completion of a transaction. When the transaction initiates the dynamic contents document interacts with a server process to determine if sufficient values for the required form fields are already available, for instance, from a user profile or previous transaction. If so, these values can be used. If, for one or more pages, a form field value is not available, these and only these pages are provided to the user; the others are suppressed. In another aspect, rather than having an ordered set of predetermined pages some of which can be suppressed, just in time pagination is obtained by determining which fields lack sufficient field values, a priori.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for improving server efficiency by caching intermediate states encountered in generating responses to requests. The results of a mapping from an external name for a resource to an internal name for the resource may be cached as may the response header lines, or the body of the response message. In another disclosed aspect, candidates for intermediate state caching are selected from plain and small files. When the resource involves the product of an executable, another aspect involves delaying parsing request headers until necessary and then only parsing the headers required for generating the response.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, apparatus and system for providing action selections to an image referencing a product in a video production. According to the disclosure a method for providing action selections to an image referencing a product in a video production, said method includes (1) communicating a video production to a reproducing apparatus, said video production comprising a placement zone and a trigger zone at least partially coincident with said placement zone, wherein said trigger zone comprises a trigger resource identifier, and wherein said placement zone comprises an image referencing a product; (2) communicating to said reproducing apparatus an indication that an action selection interface associated with said product is available in response to a request corresponding to said trigger; and (3) communicating to said reproducing apparatus a characterization of said action selection interface, wherein said action selection interface comprises a selectable action.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an architecture that consummates an electronic transaction between a first electronic device, such as a merchant device or an acquirer device, and a second electronic device, such as an issuer device, by establishing a communication between the first electronic device and the second electronic device via a communication linkage, such as the Internet. Payment information is transmitted, corresponding to a payment instrument of a party, such as a consumer purchasing goods or services from the merchant, from the first electronic device to the second electronic device. The second electronic device receives the payment information, evaluates the payment information based on the payment instrument, and ultimately transmits approval of the transaction from the second electronic device to the first electronic device, including settling the payment using an electronic transmission of monetary value.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for improving server efficiency by caching intermediate states encountered in generating responses to requests. The results of a mapping from an external name for a resource to an internal name for the resource may be cached as may the response header lines, or the body of the response message. In another disclosed aspect, candidates for intermediate state caching are selected from plain and small files. When the resource involves the product of an executable, another aspect involves delaying parsing request headers until necessary and then only parsing the headers required for generating the response.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for improving server efficiency by caching intermediate states encountered in generating responses to requests. The results of a mapping from an external name for a resource to an internal name for the resource may be cached as may the response header lines, or the body of the response message. In another disclosed aspect, candidates for intermediate state caching are selected from plain and small files. When the resource involves the product of an executable, another aspect involves delaying parsing request headers until necessary and then only parsing the headers required for generating the response.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method apparatus and system for providing addressed network content in connection with a video production. A disclosed method includes receiving a first request from a reproducing apparatus, for example a set-top box, the first request having been extracted from a video production communicated to the reproducing apparatus; determining a second resource identifier responsive to the first request and redirecting the first request wherein a response is provided to the reproducing apparatus. A resource identifier used in the first request is an ‘indexical’ resource identifier in that it specifies a path to be used by a server that is independent (or substantially independent) of content received in response to providing a request to the resource identifier. Determining a second resource identifier may involve creating a resource identifier that includes one or more parameter-parameter value pairs.

Abstract: A system for management of communications bandwidth utilization is disclosed in which delays are deliberately introduced when responding to requests for resources. Appropriately introducing delays can disperse the peak bandwidth consumption event over a longer period, however peak bandwidth utilization is decreased when responding to numerous substantially simultaneous requests. The deliberately introduced delays can be generated in a range bounded above by an acceptable response time (“ART”). The ART may be communicated to a server as part of the request, for instance in the ‘port’ or ‘path’ portion of a URI.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an architecture that consummates an electronic transaction between a first electronic device, such as an acquirer device, a second electronic device, such as an issuer device, and a plurality of electronic terminals, such as merchant terminals, by establishing a communication between the plurality of devices and terminals and accumulating transactions that are approved by the second electronic device. Then, periodically the plurality of transactions are settled using a transfer of monetary value between the first electronic device and the second electronic device. For example, the present invention uses electronic cash transfer to replace conventional settlement, which requires the use of a third-party settlement service.

Abstract: Secure transmission of data is provided between a plurality of computer systems over a public communication system, such as the Internet. Secure transmission of data is provided from a customer computer system to a merchant computer system, and for the further secure transmission of payment information regarding a payment instrument from the merchant computer system to a payment gateway computer system. The payment gateway system evaluates the payment information and returns a level of authorization of credit via a secure transmission to the merchant which is communicated to the customer by the merchant. The merchant can then determine whether to accept the payment instrument tendered or deny credit and require another payment instrument. An architecture that provides support for additional message types that are not SET compliant is provided by a preferred embodiment of the invention. A server communicating bidirectionally with a gateway is disclosed.

Abstract: A server communicates bidirectionally with a gateway over a first communication link, over which service requests flow to the server for one or more merchants and/or consumers. Service requests are associated with a particular merchant based on storefront visited by a consumer or credentials presented by a merchant. Service requests result in merchant specific transactions that are transmitted to the gateway for further processing on existing host applications.

Abstract: Secure transmission of data is provided between a plurality of computer systems over a public communication system, such as the Internet. For example, secure transmission of data is provided between a merchant server and an acquirer gateway using Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) compliant messages. However, gateway-initiated messages are not SET compliant. Accordingly, secure transmission of data using additional messages that are not SET compliant is provided in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, a method for virtual point of sale processing using gateway-initiated messages, includes establishing a first communication link (e.g., operating under the Internet Protocol) between an acquirer gateway and a merchant server, the first communication link being initiated by the acquirer gateway, and transmitting a gateway-initiated message (e.g.

Abstract: An architecture for processing a plurality of transactions from a single point of initiation is disclosed. The initiating computer selects a terminal identification token, and associates the token with a transaction request, thereby ensuring the association of the transaction with a unique terminal identification despite being originated by the same terminal. The tokens are obtained from a token table, which contains a row for each token defined to the system. The table includes a column for the token, a column that identifies a system with which the token may be used, and a column that identifies a date and time field indicating when a particular token was selected for use. A null value in the date-time field indicates that the token for that row is not in use. A query operation selects a token with a null date-time value, and a set operation sets the date-time value to the then-current time to mark it in use.

Abstract: An architecture that provides a server that communicates bidirectionally with a client over a first communication link, over which service requests flow to the server for one or more merchants and/or consumers is disclosed. Service requests are associated with a particular merchant based on storefront visited by a consumer or credentials presented by a merchant. Service requests result in merchant specific transactions that are transmitted to the gateway for further processing on existing host applications. By presenting the appropriate credentials, the merchant could utilize any other computer attached to the Internet utilizing a SSL or SET protocol to query the server remotely and obtain capture information, payment administration information, inventory control information, audit information and process customer satisfaction information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for improving server efficiency by caching intermediate states encountered in generating responses to requests. The results of a mapping from an external name for a resource to an internal name for the resource may be cached as may the response header lines, or the body of the response message. In another disclosed aspect, candidates for intermediate state caching are selected from plain and small files. When the resource involves the product of an executable, another aspect involves delaying parsing request headers until necessary and then only parsing the headers required for generating the response.