Abstract: A method and apparatus turns a typical home telephone system into a platform for delivery of web based content and services. The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a broadband enabled telephone system for the home and a series of web servers that collect, package, and deliver personalized content and services to all of the telephone handsets throughout the home. With this end-to-end solution, any information or services available via the web can be delivered through a broadband enabled telephone system. Through the web, each member of a family can build a profile which defines what information and services they want available through the handset. In addition, each handset can be dynamically personalized for any family member. The color screens on the handsets become windows through which an individual can view and interact with a broad range of content and services. The audio channels thus become an extension of the voice based services, such as messaging and voice chat.

Abstract: A communications system includes a network engine that communicates with a plurality of user subscribed mobile wireless communications devices via a communications network for sending and receiving emails therefrom. A direct access server is operative with the network engine for polling electronic mailboxes of the user belonging to an email source hosted by an email provider and obtaining email from the electronic mailboxes and pushing any email through the network engine to selected user subscribed mobile wireless communications devices. It includes an internal SMTP server that is configured for outgoing email and operative for specifying an SMTP server for communication belonging to an email provider given a SMTP server and protocol combination for the email source of the email provider to which communication is desired such that the internal SMTP server of the direct access server is not used.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are provided for enabling a user to control the content of text-based messages sent to or received from an administered device. In some embodiments, a message will be blocked (incoming or outgoing) if the message includes forbidden content. In other embodiments, the objectionable content is removed from the message prior to transmission or as part of the receiving process. The content of such a message is controlled by filtering the message based on defined criteria. The criteria may be defined according to a parental control application. These techniques also may be used, in accordance with instructional embodiments, to require the administered devices to include certain text in messages. These embodiments might, for example, require that a certain number of Spanish words per day be included in e-mails for a child learning Spanish.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and technique for the consumption and management of persistent data (application “state” data) for use with any computer application having a device functional interface such as a web browser, mobile phone, mobile computing device, or web service interface which requires dynamic data transport over a network. According to the disclosed technique upon communication from server to client, only that portion of the state data which is required for a particular compound rendering composed of multiple UI elements, is processed for the client, by determining which UI elements are included in the currently requested rendering, and retrieving only those qualified and conditioned state containers. If no qualified and conditioned state container exists for a particular user/security-context/session/etc., a generic container is used as a template and only those state containers are transported over the network.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for monitoring sensors for systems management. Embodiments include establishing, by a server, an entity identification for a component of the server; establishing, by the server, for a plurality of sensors a single virtual sensor number; establishing, by the server, for each sensor having the single virtual sensor number a unique instance identification representing the sensor; receiving, from a system management node, by the server, a request for a sensor reading, the request including the entity identification, the single virtual sensor number, and the unique instance identification; based on the entity identification, the single virtual sensor number, and the unique instance identification, retrieving, by the server, a sensor reading; and transmitting to the system management node, by the server, the sensor reading.

Abstract: A mapping method for simplifying broadcast systems, such as Digital Video Broadcast Terrestrial (DVB-T). Broadcast address information is mapped to the Packet Identifier (PID) field of a Motion Picture Expert Group level 2 transport stream (MPEG2-TS). Table complexity can be minimized, or the service information (SI) tables can be removed without impacting hardware level discrimination of likely relevant packets.

Abstract: A method for determining a gesture illuminated by a light source utilizes the light source to provide illumination through a work volume above the light source. A camera is positioned to observe and determine the gesture performed in the work volume.

Abstract: Conditional communication settings may be defined by a user of a communications device to be transmitted with a communication to a receiving device, where the receiving device may be restricted from performing a user-specified type of communication operations with a user-specified contact until the conditional communication settings are satisfied. The conditional communication settings may include a condition value setting, which may be a task to be performed by a recipient, a date and/or time, a location, an operation to be performed by a third party contact, or other suitable criterion. The receiving device may detect whether such condition value setting has been satisfied. Unless the condition value setting has been satisfied, the receiving device may be prevented from performing the user-specified type of communication operation with the user-specified contact.

Abstract: A system for managing computing nodes and cooling devices cooling the computing nodes in an infrastructure includes one or more managers. The one or more managers receive a service request for a workload to be run on one or more of the computing nodes. Candidate workload placements for placing the workload on the one or more computing nodes are determined. A first cost associated with each candidate workload placements using a computational network model. A second cost associated with the cooling devices for each candidate workload placement is determined using a thermal network model. A cost function is minimized. The cost function determines an economic cost of operating the infrastructure while running the requested workload and is based upon the first cost, the second cost. A candidate workload placement is selected from the candidate workload placements based on the minimized cost function.

Abstract: A method for monitoring performance includes monitoring packet traffic on at least one socket that is associated with an application running on a computer and is communicated over a data network. First and second instances of a performance indicator of the packet traffic are measured respectively during first and second monitoring intervals. An alert is issued upon making a determination that a change between the first instance and the second instance exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for manipulating vehicular devices. In preferred embodiments, the apparatus described by the present invention includes a manipulator checking unit, a photographing unit, a plurality of image display units, a line of sight detection unit, a line of sight region determination unit, and a display control unit. The invention also features a motor vehicle comprising the apparatus for manipulating vehicular devices as described herein.

Abstract: A device receives shared data that identifies resources shared by users of nearby devices. The device outputs a user interface that contains a private area and a public area. The public area includes one or more display elements. Each of the display elements in the public area represents one of the resources shared by one of the users of one of the nearby devices. A user of the device may move the display element that represents a given resource from the public area to the private area. When the user moves the display element to the private area, the device performs an action associated with the given resource.

Abstract: Methods relate to providing limited temporary access to a web site to visitors who desire to experience all the features provided by this site before becoming a member. The temporary access privileges may be limited by duration, which is counted from the initial access request, or by number of accesses. At the end of the temporary access period, the visitor may be given additional access privileges before being permanently denied access. The user may be identified either by the IP address assigned to the user device or by the user's e-mail address.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for exchanging data between an enterprise resource planning system and a command and control information system. In one exemplary embodiment, a system is provided that includes a data warehouse for collecting, interpreting, consolidating, and redistributing data from the enterprise resource planning system and the command and control information system. The system also includes an enterprise application interface for providing different information exchange interfaces for exchanging the data between the enterprise resource planning system and the command and control information system in accordance with an information message format or data model of the enterprise resource planning system or the command and control information system.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for tracking the usage of digital content is provided. The method includes tracking the usage of at least one digital content by having a provider computer system prepare the content in an encoded format and allowing the provider computer system to distribute the content to a user computer system. The user computer system is made to generate at least one usage tracking message in response to the usage of the content by the user computer system in a uniform, fine-grained and format independent way. The user computer system is enabled to report the usage tracking message to the provider computer system. The provider computer system verifies the usage tracking message.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for socialization of electronic devices is provided. Communications from a first person to a second person or to a group of persons may be enhanced, such as modified or supplemented, based on a user profile of the first person, the second person, and/or the group of persons. The user profile may comprise any one or any combination of the following: presence, expression, shared context, surrounding context, and device context. Moreover, enhancing the communication may comprise modifying or supplementing text, audio, video, image, scent, tactile and taste output. In addition, a communication is sent based on changes in a user profile. Changes in the user profile may comprise manual changes or automatic changes. Further, the content of the communication sent may depend on the aspect changed in the user profile.

Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for controlling the operation of a service in a client device. The invention uses an existing protocol which is used for communications between an application resident in the device and a remote server to convey information about the service to the application. The information may be relevant to a service specific function, such as configuration or provisioning, or an activation or de-activation instruction, for example. The application receives the service related information, processes the information and then provides the information to the service via a notification channel. The service related information may be incorporated into a message sent from the remote server to the client device by using an element of the protocol, for example, by appending a text string to a header.

Abstract: A tool for managing a computer network includes a gateway service module that identifies a gateway for a network and a network information service module. The network information service module identifies devices in the network, determines at least one property for each of the identified devices, and creates a network information data structure for storing device properties. A communication agent service module transmits at least one determined device property to other agent service modules associated with the network, receives at least one device property from another agent service module associated with the network, and provides the received at least one property device to the network information service module. A method of monitoring a computer network is also provided.

Abstract: A presentity service client has a presentity that issues presence information to a presence service and a watcher which observes presence information for other presentities; a presence change rule holding part holds a presence change rule; and a presence calculating part changes the presence information for the presentity, using as a trigger a change in presence information of other presentities, based on the presence information of other presentity acquired by the watcher and in accordance with the presence change rule held by a presence change rules holding part.