Abstract: Autonomously-operated ground and/or water-based transport devices can include a transport device body and mobile connectivity emulator device affixed to the transport device body to track nearby mobile devices with connectivity capabilities to assist with search and/or rescue operations. An on-board or external storage device can store captured emulator data and an on-board or external data processing means can convert the stored emulator data into tracking-related information. An on-board or external wireless communications device can transmit the tracking-related information to one or more communications receivers to assist in search and/or rescue operations of persons in the wilderness and/or disaster areas.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for data transfer in a network where jamming conditions may occur. A sender at a first endpoint of the network includes a processor that implements fault-tolerant coding of cohorts of original datagrams that are converted into corresponding chapters of transformed datagrams such that the original datagrams are recovered by a receiver at a second endpoint of the network from a subset of the transformed datagrams of each chapter transferred over the network. In the presence of jamming, chapter size and redundancy of the coding are adjusted according to the level of jamming to enable datagram recovery with a minimum of resending over the network. The sending rate may also be tuned in reaction to changing network conditions based on messages from the receiver on a separate feedback channel to keep datagram loss rates below a specified upper bound.

Abstract: A computer data transmission system is provided with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control over a data transmission rate so as to maximize use of available bandwidth of a datagram-based network. A data channel and a separate feedback channel are established between the sender and receiver units of the system. The sender unit coupled to the data and feedback channels sends datagrams over the data channel to the receiver continuously until a source of data is exhausted or paused by the receiver unit. The receiver unit sends acknowledgment messages over the feedback channel to the sender unit at predetermined intervals. A PID controller in the sender unit uses the information provided in the acknowledgment messages to track unsuccessfully transmitted datagrams and to adapt the data transmission rate to any changing network transfer conditions. In particular, the rate of datagram loss may be used as a PID process variable to control an inter-datagram delay of the sender.

Abstract: In a data transfer method and system for networks having gateway-mediated asymmetric transport, data and feedback channels are established between sender and receiver, along with a gateway feedback channel between gateway and sender. Cohorts of datagrams are transformed using fault-tolerant coding to create chapters whose size correspond to the asymmetric transport's timing. The sender transmits chapters in chunks at a rate to keep the gateway at an optimum fill for maximal throughput without transmit-end packet drops. The receiver reconstructs complete cohorts of original datagrams from a received subset of the transformed datagrams. The receiver acknowledges successfully recovered cohorts and identifies missing or corrupt datagrams of a chapter whenever recovery is unsuccessful. The sender resends sufficient lost datagrams to allow cohort recovery. The sender self-tunes its transmission rate based upon gateway fill, network latency and datagram loss rate to keep datagram loss rate below an upper bound.

Abstract: In a data transfer method and system for networks having gateway-mediated asymmetric transport, data and feedback channels are established between sender and receiver, along with a gateway feedback channel between gateway and sender. Cohorts of datagrams are transformed using fault-tolerant coding to create chapters whose size correspond to the asymmetric transport's timing. The sender transmits chapters in chunks at a rate to keep the gateway at an optimum fill for maximal throughput without transmit-end packet drops. The receiver reconstructs complete cohorts of original datagrams from a received subset of the transformed datagrams. The receiver acknowledges successfully recovered cohorts and identifies missing or corrupt datagrams of a chapter whenever recovery is unsuccessful. The sender resends sufficient lost datagrams to allow cohort recovery. The sender self-tunes its transmission rate based upon gateway fill, network latency and datagram loss rate to keep datagram loss rate below an upper bound.

Abstract: A data transfer method and system are provided for networks having gateway-mediated asymmetric transport. Separate data and feedback channels are established between sender and receiver units, along with a gateway feedback channel between a gateway and the sender. The sender transmits datagrams to the gateway in temporal chunks corresponding to the asymmetric transport's timing to keep the gateway's buffer at an optimum fill for maximal throughput without transmit-end packet drops. The receiver acknowledges those datagrams that have been successfully received and identifies any missing or corrupt datagrams. At least some messages include timing information indicative of network latency and congestion. The sender resends datagrams identified as missing or corrupt. The sender self-tunes its transmission rate in reaction to changing network conditions, based upon gateway buffer fill, network latency and datagram loss rate to keep datagram loss rate below a specified upper bound.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring data between a sender and a receiver in a packet-based network is disclosed. The method comprises establishing a data channel, establishing a feedback channel, sending data to the receiver over the data channel, sending an acknowledgment to a sender on the feedback channel at a predetermined interval, using the acknowledgment to track data sent successfully and unsuccessfully to the receiver, resending data unsuccessfully sent to the receiver, and self-tuning to optimize throughput based upon the acknowledgement and react to changing network conditions.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring data between a sender and a receiver in a packet-based network is disclosed. The method comprises establishing a data channel, establishing a feedback channel, sending data to the receiver over the data channel, sending an acknowledgment to a sender on the feedback channel at a predetermined interval, using the acknowledgment to track data sent successfully and unsuccessfully to the receiver, resending data unsuccessfully sent to the receiver, and self-tuning to optimize throughput based upon the acknowledgment and react to changing network conditions.

Abstract: A computer data transmission system is provided with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control over a data transmission rate so as to maximize use of available bandwidth of a datagram-based network. A data channel and a separate feedback channel are established between the sender and receiver units of the system. The sender unit coupled to the data and feedback channels sends datagrams over the data channel to the receiver continuously until a source of data is exhausted or paused by the receiver unit. The receiver unit sends acknowledgment messages over the feedback channel to the sender unit at predetermined intervals. A PID controller in the sender unit uses the information provided in the acknowledgment messages to track unsuccessfully transmitted datagrams and to adapt the data transmission rate to any changing network transfer conditions. In particular, the rate of datagram loss may be used as a PID process variable to control an inter-datagram delay of the sender.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring data between a sender and a receiver in a packet-based network is disclosed. The method comprises establishing a data channel, establishing a feedback channel, sending data to the receiver over the data channel, sending an acknowledgment to a sender on the feedback channel at a predetermined interval, using the acknowledgment to track data sent successfully and unsuccessfully to the receiver, resending data unsuccessfully sent to the receiver, and self-tuning to optimize throughput based upon the acknowledgement and react to changing network conditions.

Abstract: A system and method for consumer control over card-based transactions and associated accounts. An interface is provided between a merchant or the merchant's bank and the bank or banks at which the consumer has accounts for card-based transactions. The interface acts as an intermediary which is accessible to the consumer so that the consumer may place a variety of controls on card-based transactions. For example, multiple transaction cards may be linked to a single credit account with each card having a different credit limit. As another example, each transaction card may be restricted to a particular merchant. As yet another example, a consumer may link several credit and/or debit accounts to a single transaction card; the consumer may pre-select criteria to be utilized for directing charges for a particular transaction to be applied the different accounts. The consumer may access the interface via a web site or a telephone for making changes and receiving account information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a storage system for storing variable sized objects. The storage system is preferably a transaction-based system that uses variable sized objects to store data. The storage system is preferably implemented using arrays disks that are arranged in ranks. Each rank includes multiple stripes. Each stripe may be read and written as a convenient unit for maximum performance. A rank manager is able to dynamically configure the ranks to adjust for failed and added disks by selectively shortening and lengthening the stripes. The storage system may include a stripe space table that contains entries describing the amount of space used in each stripe. An object map provides entries for each object in the storage system describing the location (e.g., rank, stripe and offset values), the length and version of the object. A volume index translates regions of logical storage into object identifiers.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system to provide an open, easy-to-use, robust, and reliable Local Area Network (LAN) system that is capable of handling high data throughput and high bandwidth communication applications and at the same time, is adaptive to changing conditions is provided. Prior to the actual data transfer, a network initialization process is carried out to determine the maximum available data transfer throughput, optimized bandwidth, optimized transfer conditions, and electrical characteristics between two devices on the LAN. These parameters are then utilized to determine the maximum allowable data transfer rate and the optimum data transfer conditions between the two devices.

Abstract: A navigation control unit for a wireless computer resource access device, such as a wireless web content access device, is disclosed. The navigation control unit includes a microprocessor that stores information regarding the navigation control unit. The microprocessor also processes user input received from a user. Input may be provided by any number of user input devices, such as button switches, voice activated commands, touch sensitive displays, and the like. The navigation control unit may be embodied as various components to be coupled with the wireless web content access device, such as a hands-free headset, a replaceable and rechargeable battery, a replaceable face plate, incorporated as hardware and/or software within the wireless device, etc. Furthermore, the navigation control unit may include additional functionality, such as audio source or playback devices, memory, positioning systems, biometric readers, data collection devices, etc.

Abstract: A method automatically configures a wireless network access device, such as a wireless access protocol (“WAP”) enabled mobile phone. The method, which may be embodied in a separate attachment that may be removably secured to a wireless access device, automatically configures the wireless access device to facilitate the access or retrieval of resources on the computer network. In one embodiment, a WAP enabled cell phone is coupled to a navigation control unit that automatically configures the phone to access a predetermined web page or site on the Internet. User controls, such as buttons, on the navigation control unit allow a user to quickly access predefined resources on the Internet (such as predetermined web pages or web sites), by pushing a single button, rather than requiring the user to enter a complicated series of key presses on the phone. While a cell phone is described, various other embodiments are also described under the invention.