Abstract: A portable communication device and method of use is provided. In one embodiment, the method of using a handheld mobile telephone includes capturing a plurality of images via an image input device; storing the plurality of images in a memory, receiving a first speech input, identifying command information in said first speech input; retrieving information from memory based, at least in part, on the command information. The method may further include generating a request related to an article of commerce that includes, at least in part, the information retrieved from memory, determining a destination for transmitting the request, and wirelessly transmitting said request through a mobile telephone network to the destination.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for using an agent computer system to obtain information from multiple service-provider computer systems. The method comprises, in response to receiving search criteria at the agent computer system from a client computer system, determining one or more service-provider computer systems with which to communicate to obtain information satisfying the search criteria, determining, for each of said one or more service-provider computer systems, a communication protocol to use to communicate with the service-provider computer system to obtain information satisfying the search criteria, transmitting from the agent computer system to each of said one or more service-provider computer systems, using the communication protocol determined to be used with each service-provider computer system, a request to obtain information satisfying the search criteria, and receiving at the agent computer system from each of said one or more service-provider computer systems a response to the request.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for transmitting an advertisement to a client device. The method comprises, receiving from a client device via a communication network a profile that includes information concerning a user, selecting, via a processor, an advertisement from a plurality of available advertisements based on the information concerning the user included in the profile and also based on targeting criteria associated with each of the available advertisements, and transmitting to the client device via the communication network the advertisement selected from the plurality of available advertisements so that the advertisement can be presented via the client device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for navigating an information hierarchy using a mobile communication device. The method comprises causing a plurality of selectable items to be presented on a display associated with the mobile communication device, in response to receiving, via an audio input device associated with the mobile communication device, a first voice command indicating that one of the plurality of selectable items is to be selected, causing one of the selectable items in the plurality of selectable items to be displayed differently from the other selectable items to thereby form an accentuated selectable item, and, in response to receiving, via the audio input device, a second voice command indicating that the accentuated selectable item is to be selected, causing information associated with the accentuated selectable item to be presented on the display.

Abstract: Systems and methods of using a mobile communication device to locate a product or a vender within a shopping facility. The method comprises receiving, via an input associated with the mobile communication device, a request to locate the product or the vender within the shopping facility, transmitting the request to a remote computer system, and receiving at the mobile communication device from the remote computer system an indication of whether the product or vender is located within the shopping facility, and, if the product or the vender is located within the shopping facility, an indication of the location of the product or the vender within the shopping facility. The remote computer system is configured to determine whether the product or the vender is located within the shopping facility and determine a location of the product or the vender within the shopping facility.

Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate entry into an access-controlled location using a mobile communication device. The method comprises receiving at the mobile communication device via a communication network an entry code that facilitates access to the access-controlled location, storing the entry code in a memory associated with the mobile communication device, and, in response to determining that the mobile communication device is within the predetermined distance of the access-controlled location, transmitting the entry code from the mobile communication device to an entry-control computer system, which determines whether the entry code is valid. The method may further comprise receiving at the mobile communication device an indication that the entry code is valid, and, in order to gain entry into the access-controlled location at an entrance to the access-controlled location, providing to the entry-control computer system via the mobile communication device the indication that the entry code is valid.

Abstract: Systems and methods allow users to customize content of broadcast transmissions. A parent might, for example, wish to remove or replace profanity from an audio portion of the movie or violence from audio and video portions of the movie so that it is more suitable for younger viewers. The method comprises receiving at a viewing station a broadcast transmission, performing, via the viewing station, a search to identify specified material in the broadcast transmission, and, in response to identifying the specified material in the broadcast transmission, modifying the broadcast transmission to suppress the specified material so that the broadcast transmission can be presented via the viewing station without the specified material.

Abstract: Systems and methods identify broadcast transmissions of interest to a user by comparing a user's interest profile to characteristics, such as topic phrases, associated with available broadcast transmissions. The method comprises receiving from a viewing station via a communication network an interest profile associated with a user. The interest profile includes data representing a plurality of topics of interest to the user that relate to broadcast transmissions. After receiving the interest profile, a text-based search is performed to identify available broadcast transmissions that match at least one topic of interest included in the interest profile, and a list of one or more of the available broadcast transmissions that match at least one topic of interest included in the interest profile are transmitted to the viewing station so that one or more of the available broadcast transmissions can be selected from the list and presented via the viewing station.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A portable communication device and method of use is provided. In one embodiment, the method of using a handheld mobile telephone includes capturing a plurality of images via an image input device; storing the plurality of images in a memory, receiving a first speech input, identifying command information in said first speech input; retrieving information from memory based, at least in part, on the command information. The method may further include generating a request related to an article of commerce that includes, at least in part, the information retrieved from memory, determining a destination for transmitting the request, and wirelessly transmitting said request through a mobile telephone network to the destination.

Abstract: A system, device and method for regulating the voltage at a customer premises that is supplied power via a first medium voltage power line is provided. In one embodiment, the method of using a computer system comprises determining medium voltage (MV) data comprising data of the voltage supplied to the first medium voltage power line at a plurality of times, storing the MV data for each of the plurality of times in a memory, determining current data comprising data of a current supplied to the medium voltage power line at the plurality of times, storing the current data at each of the plurality of times in memory in association with the voltage data of the same time.

Abstract: A portable communication device and method of use is provided. In one embodiment, the method of using a handheld mobile telephone includes capturing a plurality of images via an image input device; storing the plurality of images in a memory, receiving a first speech input, identifying command information in said first speech input; retrieving information from memory based, at least in part, on the command information. The method may further include generating a request related to an article of commerce that includes, at least in part, the information retrieved from memory, determining a destination for transmitting the request, and wirelessly transmitting said request through a mobile telephone network to the destination.

Abstract: A system and method for providing ratings related to a plurality of websites is provided. One embodiment of the system may include program code adapted to execute as a browser toolbar to implement a method comprising retrieving an identifier from the end user computing device, transmitting a request to a remote computer system for a rating value in response to a web page being loaded into the browser, receiving a rating value from the remote computer system, displaying the rating value in the toolbar, receiving a first user rating of the user from the remote computer system, displaying the first user rating in the toolbar, receiving a user input comprising a second user rating from the end user, transmitting the second user rating to the remote computer system, and displaying the second user rating in the toolbar. The remote computer system may store user ratings and reviews and transmit user ratings, an average rating, and a review count.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing communications between a broadcast station and a plurality of viewing stations operated by viewers that allows the viewers to customize the broadcast transmissions to remove or replace particular phrases or scenes. The broadcast station also identifies broadcast transmissions of interest to a viewer by comparing the broadcast transmission characteristics to the viewer's broadcast request. The broadcast station also receives a plurality of electronic transmissions and identifies the recipients and transmitters of the electronic transmissions to facilitate providing incentives to persons for forwarding the transmissions. The viewing station includes command software that includes a watch mode in which information that is manually provided by a user and transmitted to a web page, is stored for use with voice commands. The voice commands and stored information is used by the command software to supply web pages with appropriate data.