Abstract: A system relating to a fee address is described. A method of directing mail to a public mailbox, determining a fee based upon the preferences of the mail recipient, receiving the fee and forwarding the mail to a private mailbox is also provided. Many different types of addresses can be employed, including for example, email, telephone, facsimile, pager, zip code and identification pin numbers. Fees may be determined by person, size, time or urgency.

Abstract: A method and system for the transmission and sale of real-time sensor data. The system including, placing remote sensors in areas of interest to the providers users, receiving sensor orientation requests from users, determining a winning sensor orientation, and finally sending the data from the sensor to the users.

Abstract: A system and method of decentralized e-commerce for searching and indexing non-standardized content is provided. The content is tagged with provider tags to identify content fields of information within the content and is stored remotely at one or more network locations for searching and indexing by a portal server. The provider tags are devised according to each provider's own tagging scheme. The provider tags are in turn cross-referenced with portal tags of a portal tagging standard using key information supplied by the provider. The portal server uses the key information to conduct field specific searching and/or indexing of the decentralized, non-standardized content.

Abstract: A method for providing directions includes receiving at a server, from at least one fixed wireless communication device, information identifying a current location of a portable communication device. The portable communication device has short range wireless communication capability. The at least one fixed wireless communication device is located within a building. The method further includes identifying a direction of movement to be communicated to the portable communication device to direct it towards a destination within the building. The method also includes transmitting the direction of movement to the portable communication device from the server via a fixed wireless communication device.

Abstract: Communication channels among users in a collaborative computing system are automatically adjusted based on users' current states detected by various sensing devices. The collaboration system that includes an awareness system for evaluating, monitoring, and controlling, in real-time, the collaboration environment by having events and occurrences with properties. The awareness monitoring system includes (1) receiving and analyzing real time data from input sensors and (2) an elastic spring energy model for automatically adjusting a distance according to a level of privacy desired by individual users, the requirement of the organization, and a need of the collaborative project to have some shared information about individual user activities. When a spring energy model is difficult to obtain, a matrix looks up model is used to automatically adjust a distance according to a level of privacy desired by individual users, the requirement of the organization, and the need of the collaborative project.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a computer network implementing progressive information disclosure is provided. The system and method comprises receiving electronically from a first user a plurality of levels of information, the information levels to be presented in a sequence, then receiving electronically a request from a second user for information provided by the first user, and transmitting electronically the plurality of information levels in sequence to the second user until a termination response is received or until the information sequence has completed.

Abstract: An agent mediated Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) system creates a sense of group work and at the same time keeps the privacy and maintains the security of each user. A multi-agent negotiation process is used in the system to reduce fractions among group members during the geographically distributed team work. A markup language, such as XML (eXtended Markup Language), is used in the system to encode communication messages. Event perception is an important task in agent mediated CSCW system which uses an eigen space to perform the event perception task. For the case where the number of devices is large, an eigen pyramid is constructed which can be used to discriminate different events.

Abstract: A method and system are described for creating and maintaining a firewall subscription service. A firewall is established within the firewall service. Customers are permitted to subscribe to the firewall subscription service. Each subscriber is an independent, paying party. A subscriber may subscribe to protect one or more computer systems. The firewall offers a particular level of security to a subscriber's computer systems when the subscriber's computer systems are communicating with an external network. All communications transmitted to any of the subscriber's computer systems utilizing the external network are received first by the firewall. The firewall is utilized to protect the subscriber's computer systems when the subscriber's computer systems receive communications transmitted utilizing the external network.

Abstract: A method directed to a dynamic proxy reconfiguration which is implemented in plural network servers. The invention is directed to a computer-executable program for use in proxy network servers which enables each proxy server to dynamically sell its unused capacity to other web sites for specific periods of time. The invention has particular utility in connection with World Wide Web servers, but can be used with other servers where proxy servers may be present.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for evaluating a product is provided. In one embodiment, a product identification token associated with the product is optically scanned. The product identification token identifies a location from which a product evaluation form may be retrieved. The product evaluation form associated with the product is then retrieved using the product identification token. The product evaluation form is then presented to a user. The user may then optically scan a receipt identification token on a receipt corresponding to the purchased product. The receipt identification token provides receipt purchase information such as, for example, purchase location, purchase price, identity of the purchaser, and other demographic information. The receipt purchase information is then entered into the product evaluation form, facilitating the entry of product evaluation information about a product.

Abstract: A system to transfer electronic information includes reception of a command to transmit a file of electronic information. In response to the received command, the file of electronic information is automatically copied to create a copied file of electronic information, the copied file is transmitted, and the file of electronic information is rendered unusable. By rendering the file of electronic information unusable after copying the file, no additional usable copies of the file will remain. As a result, a degree of protection is provided to any copyright interest in the electronic information embodied therein.

Abstract: A data processing system, method, and product are disclosed for self-directed distance learning. The data processing system includes a client computer system coupled to a server computer system utilizing a network. An Internet-based distance learning environment is first accessed from which a first one of multiple, separate information streams is selected. The selected information stream is associated with an educational presentation. The selected information stream is then used to select a second information stream. Both information streams are then presented.

Abstract: A method, system, business method, and computer program product are disclosed for providing to customers and merchants a quick and automatic way to carry out an offer, acceptance, and delivery sequence for goods. The customer possesses a portable wireless device having a browser for exchanging data with the merchant, and includes a customer database that stores the customer's private data concerning preferences for merchandise and services available from the merchant. The merchant possesses a fixed position wireless device which the merchant uses to communicate with the customer. The merchant's device has a network interface to a server. The server includes a merchant database that stores merchandise and service information.

Abstract: An alternative channel is provided for efficient communication between a presenter and audience members during a presentation. In one aspect, a presentation is presented to a plurality of audience members and an evaluation of the presentation is electronically received during the presentation. By virtue of this aspect, a presenter may be easily provided with adequate feedback, while the presentation is being presented, based on which a presentation may be tailored. The resulting presentation may therefore be more appealing to an audience member and more successful for the presenter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for a datamining service vendor to provide subscribing power customers with electrical consumption data services. The system and method provide a mechanism by which electrical consumption is measured at the point of consumption over incremental periods of time. Customers can subscribe to a datamining service vendor which monitors and collects customer electrical consumption data at each addressed location within the customer's electrical network and provides the customer with a detailed report of power consumption statistics and trends. This allows the customer to make informed consumption choices resulting in cost savings to the customer and conservation of power generation resources.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, method and computer program product for determining optimum routing of vehicles based on historical information as well as user preferences and current travel conditions. Historical data is compiled and statistically analyzed to determiner characteristics of each possible route between two points. The characteristic information is then used along with user preference information and current travel condition information to determine an optimum route between the two points.

Abstract: A system includes presentation of an electronic shopping cart to a consumer, and presentation of a representation of an item associated with the electronic shopping cart, wherein the representation is a first representation if the item does not possess a particular characteristic, and wherein the representation is a second representation if the item possesses the particular characteristic.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for accessing, transmitting and storing a client's hearing profile on a network, which results in the creation of an audio font that is customized to the client's hearing preferences. In turn, the client's audio font may be accessed by the client and transmitted to a client's selected digital audio device via a network connection, which attenuates the sound drivers of the digital audio device to properly filter and adjust audio output in a manner that best enhances the sound quality to the client's needs and preferences. The invention allows the client to customize the sounds emitted from digital audio devices by providing audio preference feedback which modifies the selected audio font to more accurately represent the audio preferences of the client.

Abstract: An online shopping cart is provided including an item associated with the shopping cart in response to a selection of the item by a consumer and an item associated with the shopping cart in response to a selection of the item by an entity other than the consumer. Also provided is an online shopping cart including an item associated with the shopping cart in response to a selection of the item by a consumer, and an item not selected by the consumer to be associated with the shopping cart.

Abstract: A data processing system, method, and product are disclosed for marking particular types of communications. A database is established that includes multiple different distinguishing identifiers. Each identifier identifies a particular type of communication. A communication is received. A determination is made as to whether the communication includes one of the distinguishing identifiers. Communications that include one of the identifiers are marked.