Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a video client, interactive television content that permits a customer to select from two or more television shows competing for a timeslot, displaying, by the video client, the interactive television content on a display, receiving, by the video client, a selection of one of the two or more television shows to watch, and determining, by the video client, based on the interactive television content, whether the one of the two or more television shows selected is to be re-mapped to a channel number that is different than a channel number in which the interactive television content is displayed. The method further includes displaying, by the video client, the one of the two or more television shows on the display.

Abstract: A method includes requesting most-watched program information from a subscription television service and identifying the most-watched program for a current time slot. The method further includes receiving a channel identification for the most-watched program for the current time slot, automatically tuning to the most-watched program based on the channel identification, and displaying the most-watched program. The most-watched program may be tuned at the start of a set-top box initialization sequence to give perception of a fast start time.

Abstract: A server may select an advertisement based on a location of a set-top box and information relating to television programming to be provided to the set-top box or being provided to set-top box. The server may further provide the selected advertisement to the set-top box for simultaneously displaying with the television programming.

Abstract: A system is described that includes a keyboard and a computing device running telecommunications management software in connection with a call control facility through wide area data network. The keyboard includes a plurality of dedicated telephone control input devices which correspond to an advanced telephony feature provided through the telecommunications management software. A device driver within the computing device allows operation of the dedicated telephone control input devices to be detected and associated functions of the telecommunications management software to be executed.

Abstract: A device provides a question to a user, and receives, from the user, an unrecognized voice response to the question. The device also provides the unrecognized voice response to an utterance agent for determination of the unrecognized voice response without user involvement, and provides an additional question to the user prior to receiving the determination of the unrecognized voice response from the utterance agent.

Abstract: In certain exemplary embodiments, data representative of a color scheme including a plurality of colors is maintained, a parameter for each of the colors is shifted by a same offset to generate another color scheme, and the other color scheme is associated with a graphical user interface. In certain embodiments, the shifting preserves at least one of a hue relationship and a contrast relationship between the colors in the color scheme. In certain embodiments, at least one user interface tool configured to facilitate a user selection of one of the colors included in the color scheme and a change to be applied to the color, and the same offset is determined based on the user selection.

Abstract: A system including an IP device configured to provide registration data, a Service Bureau configured to store location information of the IP device and provide routing data based on location information of the IP device, location server configured to receive registration data from the IP device, and location database configured to store location information of the IP device, wherein the location server queries the location database to determine whether the registration data matches the location information stored at the location database.

Abstract: A method for revenue management using location based services includes setting a static offering price of an offered product and monitoring a geographic sales region for at least one potential customer. The offering price may be optimized into a targeted price based on at least one dynamic attribute of the one potential customer and distributed to the at least one potential customer. A system for implementing the disclosed method includes a communication network, at least one communication device operable therewith and associated with a potential customer, and a processor configured to communicate with the communication device using the communication network that has a computer readable medium including instructions for controlling the processor.

Abstract: In certain exemplary embodiments, data representative of a proximity heuristic specifying a plurality of levels of an object detection zone associated with a display screen is maintained, an object is detected within the object detection zone, one of the levels is selected based on at least one attribute of the object, and an action associated with the selected level is performed. In certain examples, the action includes modifying a graphical user interface view displayed on the display screen.

Abstract: A system including a first network configured to receive IP device data from an IP device and to provide one or more IP addresses of the IP device based on the IP device data; a second network comprising: a second network location database configured to store physical location information, and a second network location server configured to receive the one or more IP addresses of the IP device from the first network, and query the second network location database to determine physical location information of the IP device based on the one or more IP addresses.

Abstract: A system and method for recording data associated with a parking space. The data may be received a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone. The data may be received from a computer readable medium associated with the parking space, such as a bar code. The data may also be received from a wireless signal associated with the parking space, such as a Bluetooth wireless signal. The data may contain such information as the location of the parking space within the parking area. Other information may be included in the data, such as parking rate information for the parking space. A feature may included wherein the data may be transmitted to a server wherein the data may be stored in a storage device. The system and method may also allow payment for the parking space using the personal electronic device and the server.

Abstract: This disclosure details the implementation of methods, systems and computer program products for enhanced call screening (hereinafter, “ECS”). ECS systems implement a live call screening application whereby users may hear voicemail messages in real time as they are being recorded, decide whether or not they wish to talk to the caller leaving the message, and engage the caller in two-way communications by indicating interest in doing so.

Abstract: An interface can serve as a client-mainframe interface, enabling clients to develop applications without a need to understand mainframe processes and screen flows. Extended Tool Command Language (Tcl) can define services that can include a series of interactions with a mainframe system and service definitions can be added or updated on the interface during operation of the interface without disrupting processing. The service definitions can enable the interface to receive XML requests from a client, parse the XML requests, execute the service scripts to interact with the mainframe systems, generate the result in a XML format and send the XML file back to the client. Fundamental Mainframe Interactions (FMI) commands can interact with the mainframe systems and enable the specification of the XML structure of the request and response. The interface can provide efficient connection pooling management and connection life cycle control to improve the performance of the mainframe system interactions.

Abstract: A device may receive, over a network, a message that describes a task, create a new task object based on the message, determine whether the task includes performing a follow up task or a new task based on the message, discard the new task object when the task is neither a follow up task nor a new task, perform a follow up to verify a performance of another task when the task is a follow up task, and assign the task to one of multiple queues for processing when the task is a new task.

Abstract: In an exemplary method, an agent facility associated with an access device and a user is maintained, data representative of one or more rules associated with the user is also maintained, at least one environmental factor of the user is detected, and a predefined action is performed with the agent facility in response to the detected environmental factor and in accordance with at least one of the rules. In another exemplary method, a virtual entity configured to electronically represent one or more traits is maintained, electronic interaction by the virtual entity with at least one user is facilitated, at least one environmental factor of the user is detected; and at least one parameter defining the virtual entity is adjusted in accordance with the at least one detected environmental factor.

Abstract: A method may include aggregating information regarding events, where for each event the aggregated information includes an event name, an event time, and an event venue. The method may further include receiving a request for a list of events or a list of venues from a user device and obtaining, from the user device, a profile of a user of the user device. The method may further include generating, based on the profile and the aggregated information regarding events, the generated list of events or the list of venues and sending, to the user device, the list of events or the list of venues.

Abstract: In an exemplary method, contacts data for a network address book is maintained, data representative of at least a portion of a local address book maintained on an access device is received over a network, and the received local address book data is used to perform at least one connected address book operation. In one example in which the contacts data includes data representative of a network address book listing associated with a user, data representative of a persona associated with the user is maintained, a request to access the network address book listing is received, and at least a subset of the data representative of the network address book listing is identified and provided in response to the request and based at least in part on the persona.

Abstract: An approach is provided for creating user-defined folders for organizing content accessible through a set-top box and for creating multiple bookmarks per set-top box program for use during programming playback.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, an object touch is detected on a touch screen display, a touch gesture interface is displayed on the touch screen display in response to the object touch, a touch gesture is detected on the touch screen display, and an action is performed based on the touch gesture. In certain embodiments, the touch gesture includes a directional touch gesture in a direction away from a position of the object touch on a surface of the touch screen display. In certain embodiments, the touch gesture interface includes a plurality of selectable options, and the action includes one of navigating through the selectable options and selecting one of the selectable options.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes generating a graphic configured to represent a strength of communication between a user and another user and modifying the graphic based on at least one factor associated with one or more communications between the users. An exemplary system includes a storage facility configured to maintain data associated with a strength of communication between a user and another user and a strength of communication facility configured to generate a graphic configured to graphically represent the strength of communication in accordance with the data. The strength of communication facility is further configured to modify the graphic based on a change in at least one factor associated with one or more communications between the users.