Abstract: The present invention provides methods, systems, and computer program instructions for providing location-independent packet routing and secure access in a wireless networking environment (such as that encountered within a building), enabling client devices to travel seamlessly within the environment. Each client device uses a constant address. An address translation process that is transparent to the client and server is automatically performed as the device roams through the environment, enabling efficient client migration from one supporting access point to another. The secure access techniques provide user-centric authentication and allow policy-driven packet filtering, while taking advantage of encryption capabilities that are built in to the hardware at each endpoint.

Abstract: In a distributed computing system, an artificial intelligence system may be employed to configure the network variables. A metric describing the overall system performance may be derived during network operation or simulation and compared to an ideal metric describing the same distributed system performance. The difference between the derived metric and the ideal metric may then be used with an artificial intelligence system to modify the network variables to evolve the system toward the ideal performance standard.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for associating dynamically generated Web page content with a user who requests a Web page from a Web server. Upon receiving a user request for a Web page via a Web client in communication with the Web server, a Web server records the user request within a Web server log. The requested Web page is then dynamically generated using a template for the requested Web page and one or more content objects having respective unique identifiers associated therewith. The stored record of the user request is then appended with each identifier for respective content objects included within the displayed Web page.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system enable users to create a social network providing access to other users. By providing access to such networks via a visual presentation, the system renders content available for access by other network members. Access is sometimes provided through propagation of metadata or other uniquely identifying indicia associated with the social network to all or at least certain other network members.

Abstract: A set of collaborative contacts may be selected with an invitation user interface. An invitation to participate in a collaborative activity may be sent to the selected contacts from the invitation user interface or from a collaborative application. The invitation may be received by a collaborative services platform. A user of the collaborative services platform may be presented with the invitation along with an ability to choose one of accept, decline and ignore in response to the invitation. The user may choose to accept, decline or explicitly ignore the invitation, and a response may be sent to the sender of the invitation indicating the user's choice. An application programming interface for a collaborative invitation service of the collaborative services platform may include an invitation element, a send invitation element, a respond to invitation element and a cancel invitation element. The cancel invitation element may be used to cancel issued invitations.

Abstract: Collaboration between collaborative endpoints may be facilitated by a serverless publication service of a collaborative services platform. The serverless publication service may be configured to accept communicative connections from the collaborative endpoints. Users of the collaborative services platform may publish their associated collaborative presences with the serverless publication service. For example, the collaborative presence of a user may include information with respect to valid collaborative endpoints for the user and collaborative capabilities at those endpoints. Subscriptions to published collaborative presences may be placed through the serverless publication service. A collaborative presence subscribe message may specify a subscription to a collaborative presence of a user. Upon receipt of a presence subscribe message, if there is no subscription policy with respect to the sender, the recipient may be queried for a subscription policy with respect to the sender.

Abstract: A method of discovering a community relay node within a network community wherein the community relay node is operatively coupled to an access-protected client and adapted to facilitate communication between the access-protected client and a requesting client, includes receiving a request message from a requesting client relating to a request for a community relay node, associating the request message with a serverless name resolution protocol name, selecting a community relay node from among a list of community relay nodes based on the serverless name resolution protocol name, wherein the list of community relay nodes comprises at least one internet protocol address associated with a community relay node, and returning an internet protocol address of the selected community relay node to the requesting client.

Abstract: An authentication mechanism uses a trusted people store that can be populated on an individual basis by users of computing devices, and can comprise certificates of entities that the user wishes to allow to act as certification authorities. Consequently, peer-to-peer connections can be made even if neither device presents a certificate or certificate chain signed by a third-party certificate authority, so long as each device present a certificate or certificate chain signed by a device present in the trusted people store. Once authenticated, a remote user can access trusted resources on a host device by having local processes mimic the user and create an appropriate token by changing the user's password or password type to a hash of the user's certificate and then logging the user on. The token can be referenced in a standard manner to determine whether the remote user is authorized to access the trusted resource.

Abstract: A collaborative services platform may include a connectivity service, an activity service and a contact management service. The connectivity service may provide communicative connectivity between users of the collaborative services platform. The activity service may provide one or more collaborative activities supporting various modes of communication. The contact management service may maintain contact information for each of the users of the collaborative service platform. It may be that not every user is capable of participating in every collaborative activity. The contact information maintained by the contact management service may indicate the collaborative activities in which each user is capable of participating. A set of programmatic objects utilized to implement the collaborative services platform may include contact objects, conference objects, MeContact objects, endpoint objects, published objects and presence objects.

Abstract: The overall health of a peer-to-peer network may be inferred from statistics gathered and analyzed pertaining to individual node and node-to-node performance within the peer-to-peer network. When used with simulations for development or testing, the health statistic may be used instead of or to supplement standard regression testing to determine whether or not changes made improve system performance. When used with live peer-to-peer networks, the health statistic may provide a real-time view into network performance. Such a view may be used to adjust peer-to-peer network topology or to isolate underperforming or malicious nodes.

Abstract: A method is provided for a host node in a computer network to determine its coordinates in a d-dimensional network space, comprising discovering an address of a peer node in the network, measuring network latency between the host node and the peer node, determining whether network latency has been measured for at least d+1 peer nodes, where, if network latency has not been measured for at least d+1 peer nodes, estimating the network coordinates of the host node, and where, if network latency has been measured for at least d+1 peer nodes, calculating the network coordinates of the host node using d+1 measured latencies.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program instructions for enabling users of pervasive devices to remotely access and manipulate information in ways that might otherwise be impossible or impractical because of inherent limitations of the device. The disclosed techniques enable a wide variety of data manipulation operations to be performed on behalf of the pervasive device, for a wide variety of content types. In preferred embodiments, no modifications or add-ons are required to the pervasive device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a vehicle computer system for providing location based services. A path is defined along which the vehicle is to travel. Responsive to receiving a request for a location, the path is used as a filter to identify the location. The position and/or directions of the vehicle also may be used to identify the location.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for modifying Web content files, such as HTML files, for display via pervasive computing devices that have smaller displays and various performance limitations compared with desktop computing devices. Upon receiving a request from a pervasive computing device for an HTML file, the HTML file is analyzed for a link to a content modification file that contains information about how to modify elements within the HTML file so as to render the HTML file displayable via the pervasive computing device.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program for secure electronic communication by modifying a security code for use in a plurality of separate electronic communications between a first party and a second party involves the initial secure exchange of a seed value. Additionally, a relatively simple advance function and a one-way hash function are exchanged. When a new communication, for example following a disconnection, is required, both parties apply the advance function to the seed value and then hash the result to each create a new security code. If the tokens at the two parties are the same, the communication is allowed to proceed. The invention is applicable to both client and server in a client/server system, where the client may be a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for associating dynamically generated Web page content with a user who requests a Web page from a Web server. Upon receiving a user request for a Web page via a Web client in communication with the Web server, a Web server records the user request within a Web server log. The requested Web page is then dynamically generated using a template for the requested Web page and one or more content objects having respective unique identifiers associated therewith. The stored record of the user request is then appended with each identifier for respective content objects included within the displayed Web page.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for selecting an advertising object to be displayed within a Web page requested by a user based on the geographic location of the user and/or on the time of day. Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for validating an offer within an advertising object of a Web page displayed within a Web client in communication with a Web server. Systems, methods and computer program products are also provided for changing content within an object displayed within a Web page based on changes in geographic location of a user. In addition, systems, methods and computer program products are provided for redeeming an electronic coupon stored within a first computing device, wherein the electronic coupon is valid within a designated geographic region and for a designated period of time.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for determining an estimated overall delay value associated with a user's communications with a site in a network and providing the user with a visual representation of this estimated overall delay value are provided. The estimated overall delay value may be determined by estimating the round-trip delay associated with the user's communications with the network site, estimating the transmission delay associated with the user's communications with the network site, and then determining the estimated overall delay value based on the estimated round-trip delay and the estimated transmission delay. The user may be provided the visual representation of the estimated overall delay value by generating an indicia corresponding to the estimated overall delay value and displaying this indicia on the user's display device.