Abstract: A test person is compared to a reference person by comparing detailed information regarding the configuration, capabilities and usage of computers—such as installed hardware devices, makes and models and firmware versions of such hardware devices, installed software, versions of installed software, and usage logs—used by the respective individuals. In effect, each person's computer is considered a proxy for the person herself, representing countless purchasing, maintenance, pastime choices in the configuration and use of a thoroughly complex personal and professional tool.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and system for a rapid and automated creation of a price schedule comprising steps and an implementation for providing a set of construction (or other) plans created with an architectural, civil, industrial or other software design tool, such as CAD, and optionally a palette of 2-dimensional and/or 3-dimensional architectural parametric symbols that correspond to respective construction plan elements, such as windows, doors, acrylic glass blocks and/or sky lights. At least one parametric symbol corresponding to a construction plan element is preferably inserted into the construction plans. A cost value for each of the inserted parametric symbols is preferably calculated corresponding to respective plan elements. A price schedule is then optionally created which includes the total cost for all of the inserted parametric symbols corresponding to respective plan elements.

Abstract: Reputations of anonymous sources of information are managed by associating the reputations with devices from which the information is received rather than from the human individuals using those devices. The devices are recognized using a one-way identifier, such as a digital fingerprint, such that the source device cannot be used to readily identify the source device or its user(s) but all items of information received from the same source device can be readily recognized. Feedback from other devices is accumulated and used to assess trustworthiness of the source device and reputation data representing such trustworthiness is published along with the information received from the source device.

Abstract: A local area advertising server limits distribution of advertisements to computing devices, preferably mobile computing devices, that are carried by people likely to be in close physical proximity to a store or location to which the advertisements pertain and likely to be currently engaged in activities relevant to the advertisements. Advertisements from a specific store can be delivered immediately through the Internet to people physically inside the store. Computing devices coupled to a local area network located in or near a store or other location are presumed to be physically in or very near the store or location. By associating advertisements with local area networks to which they pertain, only advertisements associated with the local area network to which the computing device is connected are sent to the computing device.

Abstract: A method for near field authentication of sources using an audio transceiver computing device includes scanning a plurality of predetermined frequencies for a free frequency, selecting the free frequency from the plurality of predetermined frequencies, generating a periodic enclosed content message, generating a modulated carrier wave representing the periodic enclosed content message, and transmitting the modulated carrier wave at the free frequency. A method for near field authentication of sources using a microphone input of a receiving computing device includes scanning a plurality of predetermined frequencies to detect a signal using the microphone input, verifying, responsive to detecting the signal, that the signal includes at least one enclosed content message, and extracting a content from the enclosed content message.

Abstract: Personal information on a networked client computer is used by a server from which the device has requested information to infer demographic characteristics of the user of the client computer in order to add customized content to the requested information. The personal information provided to the server is gathered from the use of network browser software by the client computer and includes cookies, history and bookmarks. Inferring demographic characteristics of the user involves application of predetermined demographics inference rules stored by the server to the personal information provided by the client.

Abstract: Multiple cookies of a client device are used to form an identifier of the client device such that a change in one or even several browser cookies does not defeat proper device recognition. The cookies are included in the identifier such that individual cookies can be parsed for separate comparison with corresponding cookies of known devices. However, to protect privacy of all devices, individual parameters of the constituent cookies are represented with irreversible hashes of the respective parameters. Recognition involves quantification of a degree of correlation between the cookies and corresponding cookies of each of the known devices. To quantify the degree of correlation, the observed stability and uniqueness of each cookie, and each cookie attribute, is considered.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for controlling the activation of computer games. In one embodiment, the technique may involve receiving a combination of a game identifier for the game and a device identifier for the device. The technique may further involve accessing a database of known game identifiers, each known game identifier being associated with a device count corresponding to a total number of known devices on which a known game was previously played or activated, and obtaining a usage policy for the game.

Abstract: A personal information server provides personal information about an individual to a third-party only when authorized by the individual through use of a previously authenticated computing device. The personal information server authenticates both the computing device used by the third-party to access the personal data and the device used by the individual to grant or deny such access using highly secure digital fingerprints of each. The individual can allow the third-party multiple instances of access to the personal information within restrictions specified by the individual. Other advantages also arise from large-scale tracking of which devices access and control personal information of many people—particularly with respect to identifying and preventing fraud and identity theft.

Abstract: The provided software application includes a module that determines a machine fingerprint of a client device at an appropriate time, such as during initial software load on the client. The fingerprint may comprise various machine-determinable measures of system configuration for the client. Each application copy may be associated with a serial number. A license host may collect serial number, fingerprint and/or IP address information from clients on which the application is installed. The host may generate a map of application installations, including geographic locations of installations and number of unique serial numbers per client in specified regions.

Abstract: A system for building tolerance into authentication of a computing device includes a means for executing, from a computer-readable medium, computer-implementable steps of: (a) receiving and storing a first digital fingerprint of the device during a first boot of an authenticating software on the device, the first digital fingerprint based on a first set of device components, (b) receiving a second digital fingerprint from the device at a subsequent time, (c) comparing the second digital fingerprint with a plurality of stored digital fingerprints of known devices, (d) in response to the comparison indicating a mismatch between the second digital fingerprint and the plurality of stored digital fingerprints, generating a request code comprising instructions for the device to generate a third digital fingerprint using the first set of device components, (e) sending the request code to the remote device, (f) receiving the third digital fingerprint from the remote device in response to the request code, and (g) aut

Abstract: A method encoded on a data storage medium as executable software for processing data includes steps for providing a scrambling key for scrambling a current piece of information from a plurality of pieces of information, providing with the current piece of information a current identification token from a series of identification tokens, the current identification token to be combined with the scrambling key for scrambling a subsequent piece of information from the plurality of pieces of information, and scrambling the current piece of information using a combination of the scrambling key and a previous identification token from the series of identification tokens to create scrambled current data. A system and an article of manufacture for processing data are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a rapid and automated creation of a price schedule and/or a “green” schedule comprising steps and an implementation for providing a set of construction (or other) plans created with an architectural, civil, industrial or other software design tool, such as CAD, and optionally a palette of 2-dimensional and/or 3-dimensional architectural parametric symbols that correspond to respective construction plan elements, such as windows, doors, acrylic glass blocks and/or sky lights. At least one parametric symbol corresponding to a construction plan element is preferably inserted into the construction plans. A cost value and a statement indicating whether or not a parametric symbol is “green” for each of the inserted parametric symbols is calculated and/or determined corresponding to respective plan elements.

Abstract: A system for remotely updating a program configuration includes an update server in communication with a client device configured to execute a remote update program. The client device includes a first processor coupled to memory storing the program which, executed, performs physical device recognition on the client device to determine its machine parameters, and generates unique device identifiers based thereon, and a first transceiver configured to send the identifiers to the update server. The update server is configured to collect the identifiers from the client device, and includes a second processor for analyzing the identifiers and determining an updated program configuration based on the collected identifiers matching known identifiers, and a second transceiver configured to deliver data representing the updated program configuration to the client device for storage therein.

Abstract: A method achieves secure mobile communications by authenticating a mobile device seeking communication with a secure server. The method prescribes steps for generating a code to indicate a plurality of portions of a digital fingerprint to request from the mobile device, each portion representing a different parameter of the mobile device, sending the code to the mobile device, receiving from the mobile device a response code representing the requested plurality of portions of the digital fingerprint, comparing each portion of the received plurality of portions with one or more predetermined codes, and granting the mobile device an access privilege when results of the comparison satisfy a predetermined minimum accuracy.

Abstract: An installation image for installing an unprotected software product is used to install a protected version of the same product. A protected version of the executable file is embedded in a new installation image with the original installation image, in which the unprotected version of the executable file is damaged so as to be unusable and unreadable. The new installation image causes the original installation image to operate, installing the damaged installation file and other data files. The new installation image then replaces the damaged installation file with the protected installation file.