Abstract: A mobile communication device is capable of communicating with a battery authorization server. Determining an authorization status of a smart battery currently powering the mobile communication device involves an initial authorization process and a subsequent authorization process. The initial authorization process is conducted between the mobile communication device and the smart battery. If the initial authorization process is successful, it is followed by a subsequent authorization process between the mobile communication device and the battery authorization server.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for use in provisioning mobile communication devices in wireless local area networks (WLANs) are described. In one illustrative example, a provisioning network identifier (“provisioning ESSID”) is derived based on both predetermined provisioning criteria (e.g. a fixed alphanumeric string) and network-specific criteria associated with a WLAN (eg a network domain name). The mobile device associates with a wireless access point of a provisioning virtual local area network (VLAN) of the network with use of the provisioning network identifier. After associating with the wireless access point with the provisioning network identifier, a primary network identifier (“primary ESSID”) associated with a primary VLAN of the network is received from the WLAN in a provisioning procedure and stored in memory of the mobile device after authentication.

Abstract: A mobile communication device is capable of communicating with a battery authorization server. Determining an authorization status of a smart battery currently powering the mobile communication device involves an initial authorization process and a subsequent authorization process. The initial authorization process is conducted between the mobile communication device and the smart battery. If the initial authorization process is successful, it is followed by a subsequent authorization process between the mobile communication device and the battery authorization server.

Abstract: A probabilistic prediction is made of the location of a wireless-enabled mobile station in a wireless local area network. The prediction includes calculating a vector representing movement of the mobile station through a space in which two or more access points of the network are located, and determining a region surrounding the vector in which the mobile station has at least a given probability to be located within a certain period of time.

Abstract: A probabilistic prediction is made of the location of a wireless-enabled mobile station in a wireless local area network. The prediction includes calculating a vector representing movement of the mobile station through a space in which two or more access points of the network are located, and determining a region surrounding the vector in which the mobile station has at least a given probability to be located within a certain period of time.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for retrieving similar sounding words from an electronic database. An input or query word is first converted to a string of corresponding phonemes. The string of phonemes is then used to generate a key, with the key made up of elements corresponding to the phonemes. In a preferred embodiment the key elements correspond to classes of phonemes. The electronic database comprises a plurality of words, each of which have a corresponding, phoneme-based key. Words in the database having a key identical to the key of the input word are retrieved and output. The use of phonemes in generating the search key results in the retrieval of similar sounding words. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of providing a similarity score for an output word or a list of output words compared to an input word. All of the output words are converted into phonemes and the score is based on a comparison of the phonemes in the input word with the phonemes in each output word.

Abstract: The presentation of advertisements via a communication device is verified using biosensor or biometric analysis to confirm that a user is present during the presentation. During and preferably at multiple times throughout the presentation, instances of biosensor or biometric input are received to determine a verification result. The biosensor or biometric input is determined from a measure of at least one human biological or physiological change or process or a human anatomical or physical characteristic of a user of the communication device. The verification may be useful to measure an effectiveness of the advertisement or to determine a benefit such as a subsidization of charges within a service plan for wireless or other communication devices.

Abstract: A communications system may include an advertising server for sending advertisement messages based upon keywords. The communications system may further include at least one mobile wireless communications device having a processor cooperating with at least one audio transducer and a wireless transceiver for recognizing keywords in voice communications. The processor may cooperate with the advertising server to receive advertisement messages therefrom based upon the keywords.

Abstract: A mobile communication device is capable of communicating with a battery authorization server. Determining an authorization status of a smart battery currently powering the mobile communication device involves an initial authorization process and a subsequent authorization process. The initial authorization process is conducted between the mobile communication device and the smart battery. If the initial authorization process is successful, it is followed by a subsequent authorization process between the mobile communication device and the battery authorization server.

Abstract: A probabilistic prediction is made of the location of a wireless-enabled mobile station in a wireless local area network. The prediction includes calculating a vector representing movement of the mobile station through a space in which two or more access points of the network are located, and determining a region surrounding the vector in which the mobile station has at least a given probability to be located within a certain period of time.

Abstract: A probabilistic prediction is made of the location of a wireless-enabled mobile station in a wireless local area network. The prediction includes calculating a vector representing movement of the mobile station through a space in which two or more access points of the network are located, and determining a region surrounding the vector in which the mobile station has at least a given probability to be located within a certain period of time.

Abstract: An improved handheld electronic device has a keypad that includes a plurality of different character sets selectively illuminable thereon. Different types of light and different mechanisms for delivering light provide the selective illumination of a particular character set. When a particular character set is illuminated, a corresponding character lookup table is active on the handheld electronic device whereby the processor determines the particular character or characters that were intended in an actuation of a key of the keypad.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for selecting a network for use by a communication device to process a data transmission is provided. In the method, the following actions are conducted: tracking transmission characteristics of networks used by the device; maintaining a set of options for the device relating to the networks, including at least one option based on the transmission characteristics; utilizing a selected option identify a selected network to process the data transmission by the communication device; and processing the data transmission using the selected network.

Abstract: An electronic device employing a flexible display module overlying a key module enable a virtual key to be positioned on the display module to overlap at least one physical key on the key module and to enable an actuation force applied to a virtual key by the user to be transferred to the at least one physical key to provide an indication of the actuating of the virtual key to a processor of the electronic device.

Abstract: A method of inserting a preceding element and then a following element in the ground, along a calculated path, in order to construct a work, the method including: a step of determining an absolute positioning error of a preceding element relative to the nominal position at which the preceding element ought to have been inserted; and a step of automatically guiding the inserter arm towards a target position at which a following element is to be inserted as a function of the absolute positioning error determined for the preceding element in such a manner as to reduce the positioning error of the following element relative to the preceding element.

Abstract: The rail track tie including: a rigid block presenting a bottom face, and a top face for receiving at least one longitudinal rail; a cover for receiving the rigid block and in the form of a rigid shell including a bottom and a peripheral rim around the bottom; and a resilient soleplate disposed between the bottom face of the rigid block and the bottom of the cover. The resilient soleplate has dynamic stiffness k2 lying in the range of 6 kN/mm to 10 kN/mm, and preferably in the range of 6 kN/mm to 8 kN/mm.

Abstract: An electronic communication device includes a buffer and a controller. The buffer stores characters as they are being input by a user. The controller transmits the stored characters over a network when a pause in the input of characters exceeds a threshold time period. The controller also dynamically adjusts the threshold time period.

Abstract: A method of inserting a preceding element and then a following element in the ground, along a calculated path, in order to construct a work, the method including: a step of determining an absolute positioning error of a preceding element relative to the nominal position at which the preceding element ought to have been inserted; and a step of automatically guiding the inserter arm towards a target position at which a following element is to be inserted as a function of the absolute positioning error determined for the preceding element in such a manner as to reduce the positioning error of the following element relative to the preceding element.

Abstract: A network connection establishment protocol is made more secure by directly associating a non-discoverable mode with a non-pairable mode in a combined non-discoverable/non-pairable mode. Advantageously, rather that allowing incoming pairing requests even when a device is non-discoverable, the device in the closed mode rejects all pairing requests. Responsive to specific initiation, the device may enter a combined discoverable/pairable mode. The device may be preconfigured to revert from the combined discoverable/pairable mode to the combined non-discoverable/non-pairable mode after a given duration of time or after a predetermined number of pairings.

Abstract: A system and method for handling secure-format messages in a communication system. The communication system includes a message server that receives secure-format messages from senders and one or more message recipients that may receive messages forwarded from the message server. The message server operates in conjunction with a secure message handler to detect and prevent the delivery of invalid secure-format messages. When a secure-format message is determined to be invalid, the secure message handler may take one or more of the following actions: replace the body of the invalid message with a template message, send a message to the sender of the invalid message indicating the message was rejected, delete the invalid message from the recipient's mailbox, or log the message on the message server and mark it for review. Additionally, the handling of invalid messages is configurable.