Abstract: A sponsor purchases a prepaid card that can be transmitted to an intended user with increased security. Using a prepaid card dispenser, the sponsor elects an amount for the prepaid card and is prompted for at least one telephone number at which a server platform should contact the sponsor when the intended user wants to authenticate the card. The sponsor may enter additional phone numbers that will be called if the sponsor does not answer the first number when called by the server platform. When an intended user has received the prepaid card, the intended user calls a telephone number associated with the server platform and is connected to the sponsor via a telephone bridge so that the sponsor may authenticate the intended user. The sponsor may then inform the server platform (e.g., via DTMF tones) that the card has been authenticated.

Abstract: A sponsor purchases a prepaid card that can be transmitted to an intended user with increased security. Using a prepaid card dispenser, the sponsor elects an amount for the prepaid card and is prompted for at least one telephone number at which a server platform should contact the sponsor when the intended user wants to authenticate the card. The sponsor may enter additional phone numbers that will be called if the sponsor does not answer the first number when called by the server platform. When an intended user has received the prepaid card, the intended user calls a telephone number associated with the server platform and is connected to the sponsor via a telephone bridge so that the sponsor may authenticate the intended user. The sponsor may then inform the server platform (e.g., via DTMF tones) that the card has been authenticated.

Abstract: A sponsor purchases a prepaid card that can be transmitted to an intended user with increased security. Using a prepaid card dispenser, the sponsor elects an amount for the prepaid card and is prompted for at least one telephone number at which a server platform should contact the sponsor when the intended user wants to authenticate the card. The sponsor may enter additional phone numbers that will be called if the sponsor does not answer the first number when called by the server platform. When an intended user has received the prepaid card, the intended user calls a telephone number associated with the server platform and is connected to the sponsor via a telephone bridge so that the sponsor may authenticate the intended user. The sponsor may then inform the server platform (e.g., via DTMF tones) that the card has been authenticated.

Abstract: A sponsor purchases a prepaid card that can be transmitted to an intended user with increased security. Using a prepaid card dispenser, the sponsor elects an amount for the prepaid card and is prompted for at least one telephone number at which a server platform should contact the sponsor when the intended user wants to authenticate the card. The sponsor may enter additional phone numbers that will be called if the sponsor does not answer the first number when called by the server platform. When an intended user has received the prepaid card, the intended user calls a telephone number associated with the server platform and is connected to the sponsor via a telephone bridge so that the sponsor may authenticate the intended user. The sponsor may then inform the server platform (e.g., via DTMF tones) that the card has been authenticated.

Abstract: A management system and method for use with on-demand cable programming, wherein a customer telephones a cable supplier and requests that a particular video program be played. The management system uses a plurality of video sources, wherein each of the video sources is capable of playing the requested video program. A telephone switch system and routing table are used to route incoming customer requests directly to the interface in control of the video-source serving the region from where the request originated. The volume of requests received from each customer region serviced by the cable supplier is evaluated. If the volume of customer requests surpasses a threshold level, then additional video sources are added to the cable network by the cable supplier.

Abstract: A management system and method for use with on-demand cable programming, wherein a customer telephones a cable supplier and requests that a particular video program be played. The management system uses a plurality of video sources, wherein each of the video sources is capable of playing the requested video program. A telephone switch system and routing table are used to route incoming customer requests directly to the interface in control of the video source serving the region from where the request originated. The volume of requests received from each customer region serviced by the cable supplier is evaluated. If the volume of customer requests surpasses a threshold level, then additional video sources are added to the cable network by the cable supplier.

Abstract: A broadcast network, which may have multiple affiliated television stations each broadcasting in different geographic areas, is provided with one or more easy-to-use telephone numbers. The broadcast network, in turn, assigns one or more the these numbers to its affiliated television stations, each of which allows advertisers to prominently display one of its broadcast network's telephone numbers in direct-response television advertisements broadcast by the affiliated stations in their respective geographic areas. Different advertisements broadcast on different television stations affiliated with that broadcast network may then display that same number, regardless of the geographic area in which the broadcast is received, and the time at which the advertisement is displayed. When a particular advertisement sponsored by a particular advertiser is displayed on a TV program, viewer/listeners can dial the broadcast network's telephone number in response to the advertising, in order to initiate a transaction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for compressing images of financial instruments and other documents. The method of the present invention includes the steps of scanning a plurality of documents to obtain an electronic image of each document; identifying a static portion in the electronic image of each of the documents, containing information which remains substantially unchanged for the plurality of documents, by locating and reading a document identifier in the image; storing the document identifier in a database; identifying a dynamic portion, typically containing distinct information for each of the documents, in each of the electronic images; isolating the dynamic portion from the static portion within the image to obtain a dynamic image containing only the dynamic portion; and storing the dynamic image in the database. The present invention provides efficient techniques for identifying and isolating dynamic information in a document, such as handwritten text on a check.

Abstract: When one party places a long distance call to another party through a telephone network, there is a delay in completing the call after the calling party enters the telephone number of the called party. During this holding time, a message specific to the geographic location of the called party is synthesized in light of information gleaned from the dialed telephone number and delivered to the calling party. The message may include an identification of the location of the called party, the time of day and date where the called party is located, news, weather, or other location specific information. The message may also include advertising information.