Abstract: Described is a way for computing proximity (location-based proximity or preference-based proximity) between mobile wireless subscribers (who use different services) without either divulging their location/preference to the other (preservation of privacy). Privacy is kept by providing location/preference information in steps, along with an evaluation function. The services receive partial results and then locally compute the final result, or proximity. The term proximity includes not just physical proximity but also multi-dimensional data such as preference profiles and vectors (e.g., an affinity for baseball, apple pie, and ballroom dancing).

Abstract: Smart cards systems that are utilized in biometric authentication are slow in processing and have the cards themselves have the added disadvantage of being misplaced or lost. Moreover, storing biometric data (on a database) over a network poses security issues that in extreme instances can be compromised. Significant security can be achieved if the biometric templates are stored locally in a portable device. A user can use the portable device to either transmit wirelessly the stored biometric for authentication purposes, or a user can locally measure a biometric using the portable device and match it against a biometric which is also stored locally (in the portable device).

Abstract: Real-time remote monitoring and controlling of a device is described via a network such as the Internet. A virtual presence is accomplished between geographically distributed remote users and hardware platforms that allow for real-time interactive hardware operation. Using Internet based communications such as e-mail or browser based sessions, a series of remote instructions are sent from a remote computer based device to the device to be monitored and controlled. This operation of includes, but is not limited to, data monitoring, system control, system tuning, distributed learning, distributed monitoring, remote servicing and hardware reconfiguration. Furthermore, monitored data is exchanged between the device being monitored and the remote electronic-based device can be in a spreadsheet format.

Abstract: A method of determining well-formed web pages which are authorities on a given topic utilizing link analysis. A root set of pages is first obtained by taking a given number of the highest ranked pages returned form a textual based searching and ranking system. Each page within the set is evaluated and given a structure score which reflects how well-formed the page is. The structure score is determined by evaluating each page within the set according to a set of parameters which relate to well-formed pages. For each parameter, the page is assigned a parameter score. These parameter scores are then weighted and summed to obtain the pages structure score. Each page within the set also has corresponding hub and authority weights which are updated and maintained to determine the strongest authorities. The initial hub and authority weights of a each page are set to the corresponding structure score of the page. An iterative algorithm is then utilized to determine the strongest authorities.