Abstract: A transaction initialization system serving first and second devices, interconnected by a communication network, each having a speaker and a microphone, which wish to perform a transaction, the system comprising a server; and a client which controls the first device to initiate the transaction by (a) commanding the first device's speaker to generate a transaction-heralding sound and by (b) notifying the server, via said network, of generation of the transaction-heralding sound; and controls the second device, using a processor, to notify the server, via said network, that a particular transaction-heralding sound has been heard; and wherein, at least once, when the server notes that the same transaction-heralding sound has been reported as having been sent and as having been received, the server responsively validates a transaction between the two devices.

Abstract: A transaction initialization system serving first and second devices, interconnected by a communication network, each having a speaker and a microphone, which wish to perform a transaction, the system comprising a server; and a client which controls the first device to initiate the transaction by (a) commanding the first device's speaker to generate a transaction-heralding sound and by (b) notifying the server, via said network, of generation of the transaction-heralding sound; and controls the second device, using a processor, to notify the server, via said network, that a particular transaction-heralding sound has been heard; and wherein, at least once, when the server notes that the same transaction-heralding sound has been reported as having been sent and as having been received, the server responsively validates a transaction between the two devices.

Abstract: A device for managing document search-pattern records. The device comprises an associative memory for recording the usage in keywords of search queries such that each keyword is associated with at least one document responsive to the search query. The device is configured for managing access to the associative memory. The device is configured, in one embodiment of the present invention, to retrieve related keywords of the recorded keywords in response to an address of a certain document which is associated with the related keywords.

Abstract: The invention contains an application operating environment in which acceptable and/or suspect activities may be defined for an application so that unacceptable application behavior can be prevented. This is done by providing a definition table identifying the types of access and actions that the application is allowed and preventing it from carrying out other types of access and actions. The definition table may be built up using a learning process during use of the application. The environment also provides a means of checking information output to a network against a list of confidential information.

Abstract: The invention contains an application operating environment in which acceptable and/or suspect activities may be defined for an application so that unacceptable application behavior can be prevented. This is done by providing a definition table identifying the types of access and actions that the application is allowed and preventing it from carrying out other types of access and actions. The definition table may be built up using a learning process during use of the application. The environment also provides a means of checking information output to a network against a list of confidential information.