Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for providing open source translations of media via a data network are provided. With the apparatus, system and method, users may upload translations of media to a server which then makes these translations available to other users for download. The uploading of the translation may be in the form of a complete file or may be performed in realtime while the user is receiving the media at his/her client device. The apparatus, system and method further provide a mechanism by which a submitter of the translation may be compensated based on the number of times the translation is downloaded. In addition, the apparatus, system and method provide a mechanism by which a translation may be converted from one format to another, such as from an audio format to a text format.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for providing a post-sale customer service facility is disclosed. The present invention provides a commercial web site in which an inventory of products sold to a customer is maintained. The customer can use the inventory to look up information from the seller or manufacturer regarding the product or can engage in interactive information exchange with the seller's web site concerning the product.

Abstract: A system and method for broadcasting data in accordance with predicted usage. In accordance with the method, the predicted usage of data records within a given set is determined. The broacast order is then determined based on the predicted usage and the data records are broadcast in the order determined. Two kinds of embodiments are considered: one in which variant index fanouts are not allowed (i.e., fixed fanout has to be used), and the other in which variant index fanouts are allowed. For the case of fixed index fanouts, a first method for the optimal index tree construction minimizes the average cost of index probes. For the case of variant index fanouts, a second method (method 2) builds index trees with variant fanouts. The first method uses access frequencies of data records to build a fixed fanout index tree. In the second method, the number of fanouts of each index is determined as a function of the access frequencies of those nodes (data or indexes) that the index node points to.

Abstract: A medication package and method, system, and computer program product for making same is provided. In one embodiment, medications are grouped into dosage groups. Each dosage group contains at least one element of medication, such as a pill or capsule. Furthermore, each element of medication in a dosage group should be taken by a patient at substantially the same time as other elements of medication in the same dosage group. Each dosage group of medication is placed into a separate compartment in a package. The compartments of the package are covered and labeled with an indication of the time for which the associated medications within the compartment should be taken by a patient. The compartments are covered in such a manner such that removal of a dosage group from the package provides an indication to a patient that the medications in the dosage group have been taken by the patient.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to facilitate access to an information address. According to one embodiment, it is determined that an information address is related to an electronic message. For example, a URL address may be received in an e-mail message. The information address is then associated with the electronic message and/or a message address. According to another embodiment, an information address is determined along with metadata associated with the information address (e.g., by accessing a Web site associated with a URL address). It is then determined at a user device whether or not the information address will be stored based on the metadata.

Abstract: A method, program and system for aligning students and teachers according to dominant learning and teaching styles are provided. The invention comprise creating a menu of learning styles, and a second menu of teaching styles. Students are then tested using each learning style contained in the first menu, and the test scores are entered into a student database. Teachers are also tested using each teaching style contained in the second menu, and a database is then created for the teacher test scores. Using the student and teacher test scores, the system calculates a best-fit match between students and teachers according to corresponding learning and teaching styles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing information-retrieval related system performance based on users' communication relationships. Users' interactions and relationships with each other are tracked by a ‘relationship analyzer’ that queries multiple heterogeneous information sources, such as e-mail logs, organization charts, calendar entries, phone logs, etc. A data structure is created for each user reflecting the intensity of communication relationship with other users, and modified over time as the data in the information sources change. A relationship group is defined based on the data structure and preference or importance ratings for each type of communication relationship that includes each user's group of highest-priority other users. A derived relationship group may also be defined based on high-priority users of a user's highest-intensity relationships.

Abstract: A rating of a plurality of ratings is predicted. The rating is associated with a user of a plurality of users and the rating corresponds to an item of a plurality of items. One of the plurality of ratings, corresponding to at least one of the plurality of items, is provided for each of the plurality of users. A predictability relation between ones of the plurality of users and other ones of the plurality of users is calculated based on ratings provided by users. One of a plurality of nodes is assigned to each of the plurality of users. Ones of the plurality of nodes are connected with other ones of the plurality of nodes by a plurality of edges based on the predictability relation. A graph which includes the plurality of nodes and the plurality of edges is searched for a path from a node assigned to the user of the plurality of users to another node assigned to another user of the plurality of users.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for using physical characteristic information obtained from two or more subjects to help evaluate subjects or to determine a course of action to take with the subjects includes receiving data indicative of one or more physical characteristics from two or more subjects, determining an evaluation of the data, and providing a notification to a device of the evaluation. A physical characteristic of a subject might be or include the subject's heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar level, posture, temperature, respiration rate, facial response or position, weight, height, galvanic skin response, pheromone emission, brain wave pattern or rhythm, odor, motion, etc., or a change in any one or more of them.

Abstract: An arrangement for providing gracefully degraded services on the Internet under overloaded conditions, involving tagging user request to indicate the status of said request and providing appropriate level of degraded services gracefully responsive to said tagging information.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for monitoring testing environments from a remote location are provided. More specifically, a mechanism for proctoring tests to users from a remote location as a test administration service is provided. With this mechanism, test environment data is obtained from sensor devices in the user's testing environment and forwarded to a proctor workstation. A human proctor may monitor the user's test environment to determine if cheating is taking place. The testing environment data may be recorded along with test input data from the user's client device for later use should cheating be suspected. Moreover, the administering of the test may be done by a third party as a test administration service to which a test developer may subscribe. Alternatively, the users of the test administration service may be billed for their individual use of the test administration service.

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for placing an item for sale includes providing an identification of an item that can be placed for sale along with an indication of a single action that can be performed for placing the item for sale. Upon receiving an indication of a completion of the single action, the item can be placed for sale in one or more designated marketplaces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an itinerary. User values assigned to a set of factors relating to travel from a first location to a second location are identified. These user values are compared to travel data for a route of travel from the first location to the second location to form a score.

Abstract: A system to obtain customer information includes detection of interactions of a customer within a retail store, and storage of customer interaction information representing the interactions in a portable customer device. In another aspect, a system to obtain customer information includes detection of customer interactions with an employee, and storage of customer interaction information representing the interactions in a portable customer device. The employee may be located within a retail store or elsewhere, such as a customer service telephone extension.

Abstract: A system to acquire information associated with a location includes search of a network for sensor measurements associated with a location, and acquisition from the network of a plurality of sensor measurements associated with the location. According to the invention, the acquired plurality of sensor measurements includes measurements obtained by a plurality of entities. By virtue of this arrangement, a user is able to efficiently receive a representation of the location based on available sensor measurements.

Abstract: The system and method are directed to an improved calling procedure. In a preferred embodiment, instead of dialing telephone numbers, callers enter mnemonic, alphanumeric “phone addresses” (PA's). PA's may be entered using methods such as telephone keypad entry, keyboard entry, voice input, and handwriting input. A reference table, such as a database, lookup table, or the like, associates these phone addresses with actual telephone numbers. Accordingly, when caller enters a PA, the system connects the caller to the corresponding telephone number. In one embodiment, restrictions may be put into place whereby a caller must fulfill certain requirements, such as physical location or personal identity, to be connected to the corresponding telephone number. Additionally, in another embodiment, two or more parties may share the same PA. If a caller enters such a PA, the system acts in order to determine which of the parties who share that PA the caller wishes and/or is entitled to reach.

Abstract: A sync proxy or sync server logic, process and apparatus employing sync logic and/or transformation codes distributed in the network to increase the scalability and improve the manageability of synchronization between a client such as: an Internet appliance; a handheld or palmtop device; a smart phone or intelligent pager; and their remote replica sources.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for discovering significant patterns from a list of records in a dataset. Each record includes a set of items, and each significant pattern includes a subset of items such that a significance of the pattern exceeds a significance level. A significance is computed for each item in the list of records to determine significant items. The records are randomly sampled to select a sample portion of the records. Ambiguous patterns are identified against the sample portion of the records and verified against the entire list of records in the dataset.

Abstract: A system and method for caching media streams at proxy servers. In the current invention, blocks received for a media stream are grouped into segments by the proxy servers, where the cache admission and replacement policies attach a different caching value to different segments, taking into account the segment distance to the start of the media object. These policies give preferential treatment to the beginning segments and may take into account other considerations such as the media object reference frequency, time since the last reference to the object, or its access time. According to the invention, the proxy server is enabled to cache a subset of the segments, which will generally be the beginning segments. According to another aspect of the invention, if only a portion of a media stream is cached in the proxy server when the stream is requested, the remaining segments are prefetched.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing cookies in a data processing system. In response to a selected event, a cookie file is requested from a source in which the cookie file contains a set of cookies of previously obtained cookies and is associated with a user. The cookie file is received in which the cookies are to access Web sites.