Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for the time-based provisioning of wireless devices. A network access point monitors operation of wireless devices within a service region. When provisioning logic is activated at the network access point, the access point determines if the tracked parameter (such as power on or the onset of signal transmission) of the wireless device occurs within a designated time interval from the time of the provisioning activation. If the tracked device qualifies, the network access point proceeds with provisioning the device. In one system embodiment, the network access point tracks the power on time of wireless devices. When a wireless device to be authorized is powered on, the provisioning logic at the network access point notes the power on time. The user then activates the provisioning access at the network access point, and the network access point provisions the wireless device if it is recently powered on.

Abstract: Groups of network devices may be identified automatically based on interface tags associated with network device interfaces such that network devices within a group are automatically identified, periodically or otherwise, based on an association of one or more common interface tags between the group and the network device interface.

Abstract: One implementation provides a computer-implemented method for modifying network configuration information on a client node. In this implementation, the client node establishes a first network connection with a host node using at least one network configuration parameter and collects configuration history information. The configuration history information includes at least one parameter that is related to the first network connection. The client node also analyzes policy information that includes a rule that is used for specifying a predetermined criterion. If one of the parameters in the configuration history information does not satisfy the predetermined criterion, the client node modifies one of the network configuration parameters. The client node is then capable of establishing a second network connection with the host node using the modified network configuration parameter.

Abstract: A graphical toolbar user interface is rendered and has one or more menu items. Each menu item has one or more visual identifier to distinguish the menu item from other of the menu items. At least one menu item has one or more submenu items. The submenu item has one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items.

Abstract: A real time notification system that tracks, for each user, the logon status of selected co-users of an on-line or network system and displays that information in real time to the tracking user in a unique graphical interface. The invention provides user definable on-line co-user lists, or “buddy lists”, that track specific co-users in real-time automatically. A user can create many separate buddy lists of co-users, either with intersecting or disjoint lists of users, and label these buddy lists according to the user's preference. The user can update a buddy list or create new buddy lists whenever necessary. When a user logs on to a system, the user's set of buddy lists is presented to the buddy list system. The buddy list system attempts to match co-users currently logged into the system with the entries on the user's buddy list. Any matches are displayed to the user. As co-users logon and logoff, a user's buddy list is updated to reflect these changes.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of inter-process communication between at least two application processes on one computer. One embodiment of the invention includes a first process of a first application determining a name of a first file in a file system of the computer, the name of the first file being associated with a second application, the first file containing information for the first process to connect to a second process of the second application for inter-process communication; and the first process initiating a first connection to the second process using the information contained in the first file; the first process communicating with the second process using the first connection if the first connection is successfully established; and the first process starting a third process of the second application if the first process fails to establish a connection with the second process.

Abstract: An automatic browser Web cache resizing system allows a browser to adjust its Web cache size to its environment automatically. When the browser starts up, the browser examines the host computer's hard drive for the amount of the available free space and allocates the maximum reasonable amount of the free space on the hard drive for the Web cache that it needs to run efficiently. During the browser's shutdown sequence, it optionally reexamines the free space on the hard drive and gives up as much of its allocated Web cache space as it can. Every time the browser writes to or reads from the Web cache, the browser checks to see if its Web cache allocation is needed for free space. If the browser sees that the amount of free space is low, it will give up some of its Web cache space that it allocated. Another preferred embodiment of the invention integrates the invention with the operating system of the host computer. The browser requests memory from the operating system.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for flexibly, safely, robustly, and efficiently serving user interface pages composed of foreign content supplied by a third-party as well as local content supplied by the first party by allowing the cobrander to serve cobranded page templates. The cobrandee server retrieves the cobranded page templates from cobrander server and inserts the cobrandee contents into the cobranded page templates to generate cobranded Web content pages.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting wish lists to users, thus making wish lists accessible to such user attributes as buddy lists, or the equivalent. The invention attaches a wish list to an instant messaging name and therefore makes it available to all persons on the user's buddy list. In a further embodiment of the invention, the wish list is attached to an account, such as a wallet. As a result, various conveniences are provided. For example, a member of the user's buddy list can give a gift to the user from the wish list; a group can contribute incrementally to the giving of a gift to the user; an individual can add incremental amounts to his or her wish list to pay for an item on time (as a type of layaway); and relatives and friends can give gifts that they know will be appreciated because the gifts are on the user's wish list.

Abstract: The invention provides a new mechanism which is used to protect all internal resources against requests from sandboxed scripts. In the preferred embodiment, the mechanism is implemented for SOAP calls by untrusted scripts. When an attempt is made to access a resource at a previously-unknown URI, the sandbox reads a file at that domain with declarations to determine whether access is permitted to the script. If the file is not found, the access is denied.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for transferring a file from a first client associated with a first subscriber to a communications system to a second client associated with a second subscriber to the communications system by connecting from the first client to a communications system host; sending, through the communications system host, a request to the second client to establish a direct connection to the second client; when the second client accepts the request, establishing a direct connection to the second client that bypasses the communications system host; and transferring a file over the direct connection.

Abstract: Controlling use of a telephone line includes receiving a specification from a first entity that defines one or more supervisory controls on use of a controlled telephone line by a second entity. The supervisory controls specify people with whom the second entity may or may not communicate over the controlled telephone line, and times at which the second entity may or may not communicate over the controlled telephone line. An indication of desired communications between the second entity and a third entity at a particular time over the controlled telephone line is received. A determination is made as to whether the desired communications are consistent with the specified supervisory controls. The desired communications are controlled when the desired communications are not consistent with the specified supervisory controls. In addition, the supervisory controls enable the first entity to interrupt existing calls over the controlled telephone line.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for distributing personalized content to potentially large numbers of recipients. A pool is selected, from among all content available for distribution, of those content elements that will be made available for simultaneous distribution, and personalized content is selected for distribution from that pool. The content of the pool can change with new selections over time. For each individual recipient, content elements in the pool are examined to determine if they are predicted to be of sufficient interest to that recipient for distribution, and if so, those content elements are distributed. If not, successive content elements in the pool are examined, relaxing the standard for sufficient interest, until at least one content element is found and distributed to the individual recipient.

Abstract: Regulating network access includes receiving a request for network access for a user identity and identifying a type of connection that the user identity seeks to leverage if granted the network access requested. The user identity for which the request is submitted is identified. One or more other user identities that are associated with the user identity are identified. The other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and that have network access contemporaneously with the received request are determined. The types of connections used to obtain network access by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with user identity and determined to have network access are determined. A determination is made whether to grant the user identity the network access requested based on the type of connections used by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access.

Abstract: A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device includes receiving, form a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a current location of the client device. The method also includes automatically updating the search query as the current location of the client device changes and instructing the host to identify a potential location associated with the point of interest and located within a user-defined proximity from the current location of the client device.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for reducing the number of maneuvers presented in narrative driving directions for a route from an origin location to a destination location. Maneuvers are combined to reduce the number of maneuvers presented. Maneuvers may be combined based on a maneuver being associated with a highway interchange or maneuvers including a shared reference to a particular road.

Abstract: A stand-alone icon (i.e., an icon that is not part of an application interface) is provided to facilitate communications across a network between users of at least one communications program. The icon represents a contact or a set of contacts. Status information regarding the contact or set of contacts is received and displayed using the icon or in response to an operation performed on the icon. The icon additionally may provide an interface for performing actions related to the contact or set of contacts. The actions may generally include, for example, retrieving profile information about the contact, setting an alert to indicate that the contact's network/login status (e.g., login, logout, or idle) has changed, or performing communications with the contact.

Abstract: A source accessed by a terminal may be changed by enabling a terminal to access a stream of data units on a first duplicating switch, determining that the terminal should access the stream from a second duplicating switch, and transitioning the terminal to the second duplicating switch to access the stream.

Abstract: Using parental controls includes storing parental control information on a user device and receiving a request from the user device to access a destination over a communications network. Parental control information stored on the user device may be used to determine whether to grant the request from the user device. When the parental control information indicates that the request should be allowed, the user device allows access to the destination. When the parental control information indicates that the request should be denied, the user device denies access to the destination. Information that is related to the parental control information stored on the user device may be stored on a remote device. The parental control information stored on the user device may be verified using the information stored on the remote device.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of transmitting electronic messages in a computer environment. The preferred embodiment receives an electronic message addressed to a telephone number and determines an instant message identifier associated with the telephone number. In response to the determination that an instant message identifier associates with the telephone number, it is further determined whether an instant message receiver is available to receive messages addressed to the instant message identifier. In response to a determination that an instant message receiver is available to receive instant messages addressed to the instant message identifier, the electronic message is forwarded as an instant message addressed to the instant message identifier.