Abstract: A capability is provided for using boarding passes to apply business rules for travelers. The information encoded in a region of a boarding pass of a traveler is read or otherwise accessed. The information from the encoded region of the boarding pass is propagated toward a system configured for determining whether to apply a business rule for the traveler. The system receives the information from the encoded region of a boarding pass of the traveler, and determines whether to apply a business rule for the traveler using at least a portion of the information from the encoded region of the boarding pass. The system, upon identifying a business rule to apply for the traveler, initiates a process for applying the business rule for the traveler. A business rule may indicate that an account of the traveler is to be credited or debited. A business rule may indicate that the traveler is entitled to remuneration, such as money, coupons, vouchers, discounts, offers, loyalty points, and the like.

Abstract: A camera emulation server enables integration of real and logical digital video streams within a video surveillance system. The camera emulation server produces a logical digital video stream emulating a real video surveillance camera, in which the logical digital video stream includes data other than original video surveillance data. The camera emulation server provides the logical digital video stream to a video management server via a packet-switched network for integration with a real digital video stream that includes video surveillance data captured by a remote physical video surveillance camera. The video management server routes the logical digital video stream and the real digital video stream to a video receiving device for simultaneous display in respective window panes configured in a tiled format on at least one display device of the video receiving device.

Abstract: An Application-Enablement data switch enables web-enhanced services to be provided to legacy near-field communication (NFC) systems. The data switch receives IP packets from a legacy network and identifies select IP packets that contain NFC data indicating a reader ID of an NFC reader and a tag ID of an NFC tag in communication with the NFC reader. The switch further extracts the NFC data from the select IP packets and inserts the NFC data into a request message that is transmitted to a web application server that provides the web-enhanced services based on the NFC data.

Abstract: A kiosk is voice-enabled using a mobile device of a customer. The kiosk receives customer identification information identifying the customer and determines conference call information based on the customer identification information. The conference call information enables a conference call to be established between a mobile device of the customer and a call center agent associated with the kiosk.

Abstract: A user platform (“Smart Grid Phone” (SGP)) facilitates enhanced consumer awareness of utility consumption and cost data associated with a user premises. In one example, the SGP provides electrical energy consumption and cost data and may be implemented with interfaces to either legacy electric meters or next-generation smart electric meters. Novel methods are described herein for coupling the SGP to an external energy monitoring service to receive externally-produced content (such as historical energy usage displays) and deriving supplemental content such as annotated energy events, time-varying pricing data, and customized displays which may be displayed simultaneously with or alternatively to the externally-produced content.

Abstract: A CTI-enabled SIP-Phone, and an associated method, is provided for a telephonic call center. Responsive to a call operation indication, such as delivery to the phone of a SIP invite message, or of a CTI-formatted call instruction, the embedded functionality of the SIP-Phone provides interfacing operations, such as CTI-to-SIP or SIP-to-CTI conversions, to facilitate communications of the phone at the call center.

Abstract: A surveillance video router routes digital video streams to video receiving devices. The surveillance video router is coupled to a packet-switched network to enable communication with the video receiving devices and to receive respective digital video streams captured by remote surveillance cameras. The surveillance video router receives a request to route a first digital video stream generated by a first remote surveillance camera to a first video receiving device and then routes the first digital video stream to the first video receiving device via the packet-switched network.

Abstract: A capability for providing location-based data and/or services is provided herein. The location-based data and/or services may be provided within any suitable environment, such as, for example, a healthcare environment. With the context of a healthcare environment, a healthcare professional carries a user device within the healthcare environment, and the location of the user device within the healthcare environment is tracked such that, when the user device is determined to be associated with a location of a patient, the user device automatically receives patient data associated with the patient, for use by the healthcare professional in providing or supporting care for the patient. The patient data may include patient information associated with the patient (e.g., medical history, previous and recent test results, and the like) and/or information for use in providing services to the healthcare professional(e.g.

Abstract: A system for effecting transition of a private branch exchange (PBX) system-hosted voice only telephone session in progress into a voice session optionally enhanced with a data collaboration channel hosted by a conference bridge includes a call escalation system (CES) application for determining call state of the voice session to be transitioned and for executing a sequence of command requests for effecting the transition based on a trigger event; and a control application server for controlling the PBX switch.

Abstract: Conferencing between two-way radio devices and telephone devices is achieved using a conference server that has a radio interface coupled to a radio network including one or more two-way radio devices and a telephone interface coupled to a telephone network including one or more telephone devices. A conference room within the conference server manages a conference call between the two-way radio devices and telephone devices by receiving voice streams originated by the two-way radio devices and telephone devices during the conference call and transmitting the received voice streams originated by the two-way radio devices and telephone devices to the remaining devices involved in the conference call.

Abstract: A digital video management device enables controllably viewing digital video streams captured by remote surveillance cameras on a display device, such as a mobile display device. The device is coupled to a packet-switched network to receive a digital video stream captured by a remote surveillance camera. The device buffers packets of the digital video stream and then controls a packet output flow rate of the buffer between a zero output rate and a faster-than-real-time output rate. For example, the packet output flow rate can be set to the zero output rate at a first time and the faster-than-real-time output rate at a second time subsequent to the first time.

Abstract: A tag correlation server enables customer loyalty services to be provided to consumers using near field communication (NFC) devices. The tag correlation server receives a tag ID of an NFC tag fixed to a mobile device of a consumer from a point-of-sale device of a business as part of a transaction between the consumer and the business. The tag correlation server identifies a loyalty card ID of the consumer for the business based on the tag ID and provides the loyalty card ID to a loyalty server of the business to determine loyalty information for the consumer to complete the transaction.

Abstract: A capability is provided for using boarding passes to apply business rules for travelers. The information encoded in a region of a boarding pass of a traveler is read or otherwise accessed. The information from the encoded region of the boarding pass is propagated toward a system configured for determining whether to apply a business rule for the traveler. The system receives the information from the encoded region of a boarding pass of the traveler, and determines whether to apply a business rule for the traveler using at least a portion of the information from the encoded region of the boarding pass. The system, upon identifying a business rule to apply for the traveler, initiates a process for applying the business rule for the traveler. A business rule may indicate that an account of the traveler is to be credited or debited. A business rule may indicate that the traveler is entitled to remuneration, such as money, coupons, vouchers, discounts, offers, loyalty points, and the like.

Abstract: A video distribution server distributes digital video streams captured by remote video surveillance cameras to appropriate display devices for rendering thereon. The video distribution server selects one or more display devices to receive each digital video stream and instructs the selected display devices to establish respective media sessions with the appropriate remote surveillance cameras to enable the digital video streams to be streamed to the selected display devices via respective point-to-point connections.

Abstract: An Application-Enablement data switch enables web-enhanced services to be provided to legacy near-field communication (NFC) systems. The data switch receives IP packets from a legacy network and identifies select IP packets that contain NFC data indicating a reader ID of an NFC reader and a tag ID of an NFC tag in communication with the NFC reader. The switch further extracts the NFC data from the select IP packets and inserts the NFC data into a request message that is transmitted to a web application server that provides the web-enhanced services based on the NFC data.

Abstract: An interactive ID system enables dynamic delivery of content to a mobile device of a person on a campus. The system includes an interactive ID server coupled to receive a tag ID of a near field communication (NFC) tag and a reader ID of an NFC reader in communication with the NFC tag, in which one of the NFC tag and the NFC reader is on the mobile device and either the tag ID or the reader ID is associated with the person. The interactive ID server determines and communicates the content provided to the mobile device.

Abstract: A geospatial telephony system initiates conference calls between participants based on location of participants. For example, a node within the system can receive a location at which a first communication device is geospatially located and can enable a conference call to be initiated between the first communication device and at least one other communication device based on that location.

Abstract: This invention integrates instant messaging, presence, and other collaborative capabilities with conventional PBX functionality through use of a PBX-Messaging Integration Client (PMIC). The invention in its several embodiments features a method and system for using the PMIC-based computer interface to perform off-hook/on-hook presence notification for a PBX phone, establish media sessions concurrent with PBX telephonic communication, execute custom call treatment in conjunction with a PBX phone, implement call transfer capability between a PBX phone and numerous other devices, and provide PBX call control. The PBX is generally enabled with computer telephony integration (CTI) and, depending on the embodiment, a Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). The invention empowers enterprise workers with a diverse, unified and integrated set of both PBX functions and SIP-based collaboration tools.

Abstract: A dynamic contact list management (DCLM) method and system operable in a communications network environment. In one embodiment, upon receiving a communication request from an originating party over a first network towards a networked party, a query is generated for determining and locating an IM address associated with the originating party. Upon establishing presence awareness between the originating party and the networked party, the IM address of the originating party is added to a contact list database associated with the networked party. The IM address, which is persistent at least for the duration of a first communication session established responsive to the communication request, may be used for engaging in a second communication session between the parties.

Abstract: An IP bridge phone for operatively coupling one or more analog phones to a digital communications network to support parallel communications is disclosed. The IP bridge phone includes a phone handset interface adapted to connect to a phone handset, an analog phone interface, and a network interface. A mixing module is adapted to receive a first voice signal from the handset interface, a second voice signal from the analog phone, and a third voice signal from the data communications network; generate a plurality of combined signals from the first voice signal, the second voice signal, and the third voice signal; and transmit each of the plurality of combined signals to one of the plurality of interfaces. The plurality of combined signals provide parallel communications between the phone handset, the analog phone, and the remote calling party.