Abstract: A glass book is a sealed stack of layers of durable, amorphous embedding material, such as glass or a glass-like material, that strongly resists deterioration over millennium-long time scales. Embedded in the layers are components of silicon and other insulating, semiconductive, and conductive elements and combinations of elements likewise durable. Among these components are energy-capturing and energy-converting power cells to provide electrical energy, charge-storage cells to store power-cell energy and issue electrical power for the book's operation, computer microcircuits, and a durable, large-capacity, static, read-only, permanent memory subsystem. The permanent memory subsystem contains in digital form the texts, images, and other readable or user-presentable material for reading.

Abstract: A method for facilitating window navigation on an electronic display including the steps of rendering at least one elongated strip on opposing sides of a first window wherein the strips are selectable by a user through a user interface device, associating at least one strip with a second window and at least one strip with a third window wherein the strips are each configured to transition one of the second and third windows to the forefront of the electronic display upon selection of the respective strip by the user through the user interface device.

Abstract: An expansion of the construction and organization of the electronic literary macramé (ELM), the knowledge transfer tool (KTT), or any document of similar type to enrich the connections and associations for their readers, providing for manual author- or editor-defined links and directives for hypertext handling and navigation, easy-to-use indexing capabilities, structuring and presentation of information in a visually-organized form such as a table, list, matrix, tree, pyramid, or other two-dimensional arrangement, with all features integrated into an unobtrusive, and enriched referencing mechanism to assist authors, editors and readers of an ELM, KTT, or other electronic document of similar type.

Abstract: An expansion of the construction and organization of the electronic literary macramé (ELM), the knowledge transfer tool (KTT), or any document of similar type to enrich the connections and associations for their readers, providing for manual author- or editor-defined links and directives for hypertext handling and navigation, easy-to-use indexing capabilities, structuring and presentation of information in a visually-organized form such as a table, list, matrix, tree, pyramid, or other two-dimensional arrangement, with all features integrated into an unobtrusive, and enriched referencing mechanism to assist authors, editors and readers of an ELM, KTT, or other electronic document of similar type.

Abstract: Handheld computer game-playing systems and similar devices are here adapted for use as electronic readers for literature, specifically supporting complex literary and instructional forms, each a work of literature which is woven and knotted together using many threads of narrative in a nonlinear fashion supported only by programmable electronic systems such as computers. The reader experiences such electronic works on a handheld computing device using conventional Web-browser software supported by said device. The electronic work is adapted to any restrictions or special characteristics of the handheld device to facilitate its proper presentation and use.

Abstract: A method for transferring knowledge including the steps of organizing an author's source documents including presentation and reference material into units of presentation and units of reference, establishing one or more sets of rules of presentation of the units, defining one or more components of presentation, preparing one or more sequences of presentation of the units, storing the units of presentation, units of reference, sequences of presentation, component definitions, and sets of rules in a knowledge database on a source computing system, and generating, based on the sets of rules, a collection of interlinked browser-ready electronic document pages.

Abstract: A method for facilitating window navigation on an electronic display including the steps of rendering at least one elongated strip on opposing sides of a first window wherein the strips are selectable by a user through a user interface device, associating at least one strip with a second window and at least one strip with a third window wherein the strips are each configured to transition one of the second and third windows to the forefront of the electronic display upon selection of the respective strip by the user through the user interface device.

Abstract: By the use of program scripts, databases, and other software elements, taking as input a set of text files making up a work of literature of substantial size, converting the files to an electronically-readable form, linking the files to each other to provide readers with a rich set of associations to be explored within the work, muting the presentation of the links in order to preserve the immersive character of the reading process, and simplifying the user browsing interface to limit distractions that vitiate the immersive reading experience. By the richness and simplicity of carefully-designed outputs, offering the author a new range of opportunities for engaging the reader, offering the publisher a new opportunity for succeeding in purveying electronic literature, and presenting the reader with an “electronic literary macramé”: a new class of work permitting a level of immersive reading practice obtainable only in the world of electronic text.

Abstract: By the use of program scripts, databases, and other software elements, taking as input a set of text files making up a work of literature of substantial size, converting the files to an electronically-readable form, linking the files to each other to provide readers with a rich set of associations to be explored within the work, muting the presentation of the links in order to preserve the immersive character of the reading process, and simplifying the user browsing interface to limit distractions that vitiate the immersive reading experience. By the richness and simplicity of carefully-designed outputs, offering the author a new range of opportunities for engaging the reader, offering the publisher a new opportunity for succeeding in purveying electronic literature, and presenting the reader with an “electronic literary macramé”: a new class of work permitting a level of immersive reading practice obtainable only in the world of electronic text.

Abstract: An embodiment of digital watermarks which contains literary information of interest to a reader of an electronic literary macramé (ELM) or a knowledge transfer tool (KTT). The nature of the watermark changes by the deepening of its role in the ELM/KTT, since the watermark becomes what is termed in cryptographic parlance a “side channel” for conveying narrative-related information to a reader outside the primary communications stream. If a reader removes the digital watermark from the work, the side channel containing narrative-related information is destroyed, and the literary value of the work is thereby diminished.

Abstract: An expansion of the construction and organization of the electronic literary macramé (ELM), the knowledge transfer tool (KTT), or any document of similar type to enrich the connections and associations for their readers, providing for manual author- or editor-defined links and directives for hypertext handling and navigation, easy-to-use indexing capabilities, structuring and presentation of information in a visually-organized form such as a table, list, matrix, tree, pyramid, or other two-dimensional arrangement, with all features integrated into an unobtrusive, and enriched referencing mechanism to assist authors, editors and readers of an ELM, KTT, or other electronic document of similar type.

Abstract: A business method that divides an electronic literary macramé (ELM) or knowledge transfer tool (KTT) output into a freely-provided first part and a purchased second part, and provides hypertext links between the first and second parts. The reader obtains the first part by file transfer, streaming, download, portable memory, or other electronic means. The author maintains, develops, changes, and restructures the second part of the ELM/KTT on a continuing basis, thereby sustaining reader interest in the ELM/KTT as a whole, and offering the reader continued views into the creative process. Individual scenes or units of the purchased second part are treated as commodity units available on a commercial Website for sale and download, or available in a variety of physical forms. Readers assemble freely-provided units and commodity units into otherwise-unavailable coherent narratives.

Abstract: Handheld computer game-playing systems and similar devices are here adapted for use as electronic readers for literature, specifically supporting complex literary and instructional forms, each a work of literature which is woven and knotted together using many threads of narrative in a nonlinear fashion supported only by programmable electronic systems such as computers. The reader experiences such electronic works on a handheld computing device using conventional Web-browser software supported by said device. The electronic work is adapted to any restrictions or special characteristics of the handheld device to facilitate its proper presentation and use.

Abstract: An embodiment of digital watermarks which contains literary information of interest to a reader of an electronic literary macramé (ELM) or a knowledge transfer tool (KTT). The nature of the watermark changes by the deepening of its role in the ELM/KTT, since the watermark becomes what is termed in cryptographic parlance a “side channel” for conveying narrative-related information to a reader outside the primary communications stream. If a reader removes the digital watermark from the work, the side channel containing narrative-related information is destroyed, and the literary value of the work is thereby diminished.

Abstract: By the use of program scripts, databases, and other software elements, taking as input a set of text files making up a work of literature of substantial size, converting the files to an electronically-readable form, linking the files to each other to provide readers with a rich set of associations to be explored within the work, muting the presentation of the links in order to preserve the immersive character of the reading process, and simplifying the user browsing interface to limit distractions that vitiate the immersive reading experience. By the richness and simplicity of carefully-designed outputs, offering the author a new range of opportunities for engaging the reader, offering the publisher a new opportunity for succeeding in purveying electronic literature, and presenting the reader with an “electronic literary macramé”: a new class of work permitting a level of immersive reading practice obtainable only in the world of electronic text.

Abstract: The ACBCD distributes calls for business service in a given business category to competing businesses on the basis of proportionate shares allocated to the individual competitors, all without ongoing manual intervention in the allocation process. The distribution process takes one of several forms, all of which guarantee any competitor in a given business category a minimum competitive share of the incoming calls for business service. The invention provides a means for each competitor in a given business category to raise or lower its own expected relative share of the incoming calls, subject to constraints imposable by the supplier of the invention's call-distribution service. This invention is useful in many communication networks, including and not limited to the traditional PSTN 10, in the Internet and World Wide Web, or in any mixture of these technologies.

Abstract: The Enhanced Network Subscriber Service (ENSS) operates with a public switched telephone network 200. A caller 112 enters a number which is in service, but belonging to subscriber 114 who is a registered member of the ENSS. The call triggers an intercept at the SW 110. The SW 110 signals the CCP. The CCP 116 searches the NSHDB 108 for the called number and its subscribers, past and present, and their associated access codes. If the called number is found, the CCP 116 signals the AS 120 to request an access code from the caller. An Audio System 120 conducts a dialog with the caller to obtain the required access code, using either DTMF or voice recognition, and forwards the access code to the CCP 116. The CCP 116 compares the submitted code to the access code(s) for the current subscriber. If it matches one of these codes, the CCP 116 conferences in the number corresponding to the code, and drops off the call.

Abstract: A system and method that uses an advanced positioning system in combination with a cellular communication network to improve the performance of the network is disclosed. The system is capable of receiving an identification number for a mobile unit as well as a location code. In order to determine if the mobile unit is a fraudulent user of the cellular communication network, the system compares the location code with a previously received location code. Since there are natural physical constraints on how quickly a mobile unit can move from one location to another, the system can thereby determine if there are two mobile units using the same identification number. If so, then one is likely a fraudulent user. In addition, the system is capable of assisting the mobile unit by providing the location code to a third party. This is especially beneficial for emergency dispatcher services since, due to the very nature of mobile units, the user of the mobile unit may not know his precise location.