Abstract: A method of creating a transaction usage record is provided. An input signal is received. A transaction usage record is created in response to the input signal. An event jacket is created. The event jacket is associated with the transaction usage record. A request to perform a transaction is received. A confirmation signal is received after the transaction has been performed. Finally, a transaction leg jacket is created. The transaction leg jacket includes at least one record. The at least one record includes information relating to the transaction.

Abstract: A method of creating an email usage record is provided. An input signal is received. An email usage record is created in response to the received input signal. An event jacket is created. The event jacket is associated with the email usage record. A command to send an email message is received. A confirmation signal is received after the email message has been sent. Finally, an email leg jacket is created. The email leg jacket includes at least one record. The at least one record includes information relating to the email message.

Abstract: A method of creating a page usage record is provided. An input signal is received. A page usage record is created in response to the input signal. An event jacket is created. The event jacket is associated with the page usage record. A request to send a page is received. A confirmation signal is received after the page has been sent. Finally, a page leg jacket is created. The page leg jacket includes at least one record. The at least one record includes information relating to the page.

Abstract: A method of creating a call detail record is provided. An input signal is received. An account identification record is created in response to the input signal. An event jacket is created. The event jacket is associated with the account identification record. A command signal to store account identification information is received. A confirmation signal is received after the account identification information has been stored. Finally, a call detail leg jacket is created. The call detail leg jacket includes at least one record. Each record includes information relating to the stored account identification information.

Abstract: A method for generating a bill includes a communication node including an address book. A determination is made as to whether a phone number called by the user matches a stored number in the address book. A bill including a name and a location associated with the stored number is generated.

Abstract: A method of operation of a server (102) interacting with users (104, 106) to provide personalized content to each of the users. Personalized content is sent to a first user by communicating first audio or other content associated with a broadcast to a first user location. Second content is selected and a first signal is communicated to the first user location dependent on the user profile. The second content can include second audio content selected in dependence upon the first user profile, in which case playback of the second audio content is synchronized with respect to playback of the first audio content.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a markup language to provide interactive services. A markup language document in accordance with the present invention includes a dialog element including a plurality of markup language elements. Each of the plurality of markup language elements is identifiable by at least one markup tag. A step element is contained within the dialog element to define a state within the dialog element. The step element includes a prompt element and an input element. The prompt element includes an announcement to be read to the user. The input element includes at least one input that corresponds to a user input. A method in accordance with the present invention includes the steps of creating a markup language document having a plurality of elements, selecting a prompt element, and defining a voice communication in the prompt element to be read to the user. The method further includes the steps of selecting an input element and defining an input variable to store data inputted by the user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a markup language document stored on a computer-readable medium to provide interactive services and methods thereof. The markup language comprises a dialog element and a step element. The dialog element includes markup language elements in which each markup language element is identifiable by one or more markup tags. The step element is contained within the dialog element and defines a state within the dialog element. The step element includes a prompt element, an input element, and a first attribute. The prompt element includes an announcement to be read to the user, and the input element includes at least one input that corresponds to a user input. The first attribute allows for billing of the interactive services.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a markup language to provide interactive services. A markup language document in accordance with the present invention includes a dialog element including a plurality of markup language elements. Each of the plurality of markup language elements is identifiable by at least one markup tag. A step element is contained within the dialog element to define a state within the dialog element. The step element includes a prompt element and an input element. The prompt element includes an announcement to be read to the user. The input element includes at least one input that corresponds to a user input. A method in accordance with the present invention includes the steps of creating a markup language document having a plurality of elements, selecting a prompt element, and defining a voice communication in the prompt element to be read to the user. The method further includes the steps of selecting an input element and defining an input variable to store data inputted by the user.

Abstract: A method comprises steps of sensing a first user action, transmitting a first optical message in response to the first user action, and performing at least one optical code reading step in response to non-receipt of a valid response to the first optical message. An apparatus to perform the aforementioned steps and an article of manufacture to direct the aforementioned steps are disclosed.

Abstract: A system for displaying textual information includes a receiver (300) for receiving textual information that includes a plurality of words. A text segmenter (302), operatively associated with the receiver (300), segments the plurality of words into a plurality of word segments, each word segment having one or more words. A user interface device (304) receives a signal initiated by an action of a user to indicate a display rate. A display device (306) including a processor and a memory, is coupled to the text segmenter and the user interface device. The display device (306) displays the word segments in a temporal sequence by displaying a first word segment for a first display duration, that is based on the display rate, at a first position on the display device (306) and automatically proceeding to display a second word segment for a second display duration, that is based on the display rate, at a second position on the display device (306).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a markup language to provide interactive services. A markup language document in accordance with the present invention includes a dialog element including a plurality of markup language elements. Each of the plurality of markup language elements is identifiable by at least one markup tag. A step element is contained within the dialog element to define a state within the dialog element. The step element includes a prompt element and an input element. The prompt element includes an announcement to be read to the user. The input element includes at least one input that corresponds to a user input. A method in accordance with the present invention includes the steps of creating a markup language document having a plurality of elements, selecting a prompt element, and defining a voice communication in the prompt element to be read to the user. The method further includes the steps of selecting an input element and defining an input variable to store data inputted by the user.

Abstract: An optical detector optically senses a bar code. A multi-bit analog-to-digital converter is responsive to the optical detector to generate a plurality of digital sample values based on the bar code. A bar code detector processes the plurality of digital sample values to generate a plurality of processed values. The bar code detector detects an edge of a bar within the bar code based upon a first local optimum and a second local optimum of the plurality of processed values.

Abstract: Adjacent first and second transistors are integrated with a substrate. Each of the first and second transistors has a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconductive channel formed of an organic material, the semiconductive channel electrically coupling the source electrode with the drain electrode. The source electrode of the first transistor is electrically coupled to the source electrode of the second transistor. A molecular receptor is bound directly to a surface of the semiconductive channel of the first transistor. A non-zero offset voltage, which produces equal channel currents in the semiconductive channels of the first and second transistors after a molecule has bound with the molecular receptor without a like binding event proximate to the second transistor, is sensed between the gate electrodes of the first and second transistors.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing and disinfecting a fluid includes a container (12) and a cap member (16) for containing the fluid and a cap member (16). The container (12) defines an opening (14) through which the fluid is dispensed therein and is removed therefrom and has at least two electrical contacts which mate with at least two electrical contacts in the cap member. The cap member (16) removably seals the opening of the container (12). An ultraviolet source (24) is mounted to at least one of the container (12) and the cap member (16). The ultraviolet source (24) emits ultraviolet radiation to disinfect the fluid contained in the container (12). A power source is electrically coupled to the at least two electrical contacts of the container (12).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, device and system to generate acoustic parameters in a text-to-speech system utilizing a neural network to generate a representation of a trajectory in an acoustic parameter space across a phonetic segment.

Abstract: An artificial neuron, which may be implemented either in hardware or software, has only one significant processing element in the form of a multiplier. Inputs are first fed through gating functions to produce gated inputs. These gated inputs are then multiplied together to produce a product which is multiplied by a weight to produce the neuron output.

Abstract: An interface device includes at least one of an infrared receiver (14) and an infrared transmitter (16) to communicate with an external device (39). The infrared receiver (14) and/or the infrared transmitter (16) is supported by a diskette-like housing (10). A transducer (30) supported by the diskette-like housing (10) facilitates communication between the interface device and a diskette drive (12). Methods of using the interface device are disclosed.

Abstract: A network navigation method includes steps of reading a first code (24) from an object (12), communicating a portion of the first code (24) to a first database (54), receiving translation information from the first database (54) to associate a plurality of electronic addresses with a plurality of codes (24, 26, 30) including the first code (24), and translating the first code (24) to a first electronic address using the translation information. A network navigation system is provided to perform the aforementioned steps.

Abstract: A method comprises steps of sensing a first user action, transmitting a first optical message in response to the first user action, and performing at least one optical code reading step in response to non-receipt of a valid response to the first optical message. An apparatus to perform the aforementioned steps and an article of manufacture to direct the aforementioned steps are disclosed.