Abstract: One or more RFID tags may be read. An electronic document associated with the RFID tag may be identified. One or more attributes associated with the electronic document can be identified. One or more workflows can be determined according to the attribute(s).

Abstract: A system and method for establishing a private message chat between electronic devices. The method includes steps of providing an indication as to the availability of a user for receiving a private message chat; receiving an audio input message from at least one first client; and transmitting the audio input message to at least one second client over a communications network, wherein the at least one second client can receive, temporarily store and play back the audio input message. The first client may receive a reply audio input message from the at least one second client or, receive a reply text input message from the at least one second client, and subsequently may further communicate back to the second client device via one of audio or text messaging, according to that user's discretion. The transmitting of any audio input message may be accomplished via VoIP or SIP.

Abstract: A security system and methodology are provided employing a process that determines whether to use an image and/or other inputs received from at least one remote input node. In one illustrative embodiment, the invention comprises a system and method for using image input in conjunction with wireless transmission to increase personal safety.

Abstract: A hypermedia document display method can include presenting hypermedia content, the hypermedia content containing hyperlinks to additional hypermedia content; storing selected ones of the hyperlinks in a delayed viewing list; and, caching hypermedia content associated with the stored hyperlinks during the presenting step. The method can further include reconfiguring the stored hyperlinks to point to the cached hypermedia content. The presenting step can include displaying Web content in a Web browser. In that case, the Web content can contain hyperlinks to additional Web content. The presenting step also can include playing back multimedia content in a multimedia content player. Finally, the presenting step can include displaying audiovisual television content combined with hypermedia content in a television set.

Abstract: A method for displaying on a viewer information processing system with an interface to a display (a device for rendering audio and video), a set of multimedia segments to form a multimedia presentation. The method comprising the steps of receiving the play-list, wherein the play-list is a list of instructions for rendering each of the multimedia segments, and the sequence of the multimedia segments in the play-list is directed by the provider of the presentation; receiving multimedia segments and rendering the multimedia segments received based on the play-list. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an information processing system and computer readable storage medium is disclosed for carrying out the above method.

Abstract: A system and method of conducting commercial activities such as an auction in a rather localized area (such as a shopping mall). Potential consumers located in the local area have a mobile wireless communications device (for example, a smart cellular phone or a 2-way radio or a Bluetooth communication device) including a set of stored instructions allowing the device to be programmed with a set of desired transactions and preferences such as the brands or transaction types which the consumer prefers. Merchants are connected to receive a communication from the communications device and respond to the desired transaction and preferences by proposing goods or services at specific terms such as price.

Abstract: A method for securely providing privately viewable data in a publicly viewable display can include interspersing private data frames among public data frames according to a sequencing pattern. A syncstream can be encoded based upon a syncstream mask. More particularly, the syncstream can specify when to activate shutters in a set of active glasses in synchronization with the sequencing pattern. Notably, an encryption key pair can be generated having a public key and a private key. Using the public key, the syncstream mask can be encrypted and forwarded to a pair of active glasses. Once received in the active glasses, the encrypted syncstream mask can be decrypted with the private key. Finally, the decrypted syncstream mask can be applied to the encoded syncstream to determine when to activate the shutters in the active glasses.

Abstract: A system and method of providing information (such as directions) to a driver of a vehicle while driving the vehicle without requiring that the driver remove his eyes from looking out the windshield at the road ahead. A positioning device is associated with the vehicle and determines the present location of the vehicle which is compared with a desired location (e.g., the location of a desired turn at an intersection) necessary to reach a preset destination which has been stored. When the vehicle is in a predetermined location (e.g., 500 feet or 10 seconds before the intersection), an advisory message to the driver is projected on the windshield using a heads-up display projector so that the driver can prepare for and make the necessary movement (e.g., turning the correct way at the desired intersection).

Abstract: A system and method for obtaining selected image information from a digital image and providing that selected image information for selective handling. In one aspect, the present invention automatically locates and segments an item identifier from an image caught by a digital camera and provides image information related to the item identifier for processing. Alternatively, a user can designate what areas of an image comprise the item identifier of interest for further viewing or processing.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to monitor a container associated with an item. According to one embodiment, an indication that a container has been opened is received. For example, the container may transmit a signal when a person opens the container to access an item. Based on the received indication, ownership of the item may be transferred and/or another item may be provided (e.g., to the person who opened the container). According to other embodiments, item quality information, item warranty information, and/or security information are determined based on the received indication. According to still other embodiments, a sender receives a notification based on the indication or the indication is recorded as an acceptance of an agreement. In yet another embodiment, the indication is used to verify that the container was opened in accordance with an item requirement.

Abstract: A data stream is transmitted to groups of individuals making separate requests for the data stream. The groups may be arranged by placing a maximum number of requesters in a group or by grouping the requesters making requests within a discrete period of time. The individual requester may be shifted from group to group or from a data store to another data store location to change the location in the data stream from which the data is sent to an individual requester or the time of transmission of the data sent from the data store.

Abstract: A method for providing configurable access to media in a media-on-demand system also can include delivering the media to a first client device in a format compatible with the first client device; interrupting the delivery of the media; recording a bookmark specifying a position in the media where the interruption occurred; and resuming delivery of the media to a second client device, the resumed delivery beginning at a position in the media specified by the recorded bookmark. The method further can include identifying device properties for each of the first and second client devices; delivering the media to the first client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the first client device; and, delivering the media to the second client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the second client device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided wherein a consumable item parameter is exchanged between a consumable item and a consuming device. According to one embodiment, a consumable item parameter request is transmitted to a device associated with a consumable item, and the consumable item parameter is then received. The device may comprise, for example, the consumable item or a device associated with dispensing the consumable item. The device may also comprise, for example, a device associated with a consumption of the consumable item, a device adapted to control a consumption of the consumable item, or a device that consumes the consumable item.

Abstract: A database migration system and method that provides continuous transaction service during migration. The invention allows minimal transaction service down time during database migration. The active database is copied to a target and updated at least one time. In one preferred embodiment, updating occurs over decreasing time intervals. When the time intervals become sufficiently short, transition to the target server is implemented by queuing transaction requests from the source server and then executing them on the target server.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by adapting audio renderings of non-audio messages (for example, e-mail messages that are processed by a text-to-speech translator) to reflect various nuances of the non-audio information. Audio cues are provided for this purpose, which are sounds that are “mixed” in with the audio rendering as a separate (background) audio stream. Audio cues may reflect information such as the topical structure of a text file, or changes in paragraphs. Or, audio cues may be used to signal nuances such as changes in the color or font of the source text.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for delivering a treatment includes generating a personal area network associated with a patient, said personal area network transmitting a patient identifier associated with said patient, retrieving treatment data associated with said patient identifier, and operating a treatment device pursuant to said treatment data.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for providing content to a device, wherein operation of the device may be interrupted as a result of a display of content by the device. According to embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of content segments can be identified or selected. In addition, a device (e.g., computer, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant) associated with a recipient of the content segments can be identified or selected. The content segments can then be provided to the device in such a way that display of a content segment by the device may interrupt operation of the device, thereby providing focus on the content segment.

Abstract: A portable imaging device having a data processing system, imaging and sensing devices records objects of interest as images and includes a terminal connection for transmitting the images to a network. Sensing devices record location and environmental conditions related to the object of interest. The device is linked to a positioning determining system. The device records an image and environmental information related to the image and incorporates into the image stored descriptive information based on location information. The image may be translated into an analog or digital picture incorporating the recorded location, environmental and descriptive information. The device may be linked by wire or wirelessly via the terminal connection to a network including a server and a PC terminal. The recorded image, location and environmental information are transmitted by the device over the network to the server using a wireless connection for download and editing by a user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by selectably mixing one or more sound files with a telephone caller's voice message, either as background for that message or embedded within the message. Or, the mixing may occur within a telephone conversation between parties. The disclosed techniques enable alleviating some of the problems that result from distance communication (as contrasted to face-to-face communication). In particular, context information (such as emotional context) can be provided through appropriate use of background sound and/or embedded audio files. The disclosed techniques may also make communication through voice mail exchange more enjoyable and/or increase its productivity.

Abstract: A method for secure entry of a user-identifier in a publicly positioned device can include establishing a private communications link between a user and the publicly positioned device; dividing the user-identifier into at least two portions; separately prompting the user for each portion of the user-identifier; prompting the user for a combination of random data and the user-identifier; and, discarding the random data from the combination. In the preferred embodiments, the publicly positioned device can have a visual interface through which the user can be visually prompted for the random data and the user-identifier. Alternatively, the publicly positioned device can have a telephone interface through which the user can be audibly prompted for the random data and the user-identifier. In the case of a visual display, the private communications link can be established by linking the publicly positioned device to active glasses having a shuttered display.