Abstract: A control for controlling the operation of a climate control system comprising a processor that is capable of detecting the presence of a low voltage power supply and the absence of an external alternating current power source, and responsively retrieving stored diagnostic information pertaining to the operating status of at least one component of the climate control system for display on a display means.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for providing mobile users with requested resources. In one such method, first and second location indicators for the mobile user are received, with each of the location indicators having a time associated therewith. The method includes calculating a mobile vector of the mobile user using the first and second location indicators, and associating the mobile vector with a first network region and a second network region. A first portion of the requested resource is sent to a first storage device in the first network region, and a second portion of the requested resource is sent to a second storage device in the second network region. The first and second resource portions are sent to the user when the user is in the first and second network regions, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for providing mobile users with requested resources. In one such method, first and second location indicators are received for a mobile user, with each of the location indicators having a time associated therewith. The method includes calculating a mobile vector of the mobile user and associating the mobile vector with a first network region. The method further includes identifying a second mobile user in the first network region having at least a portion of the requested resource, and sending a sub-resource request to the second mobile user. The sub-resource request causes the second mobile user to send at least a portion of the requested resource to the mobile user.

Abstract: A stateful connection is monitored between wireless communications devices. A first code packet is generated at a first wireless communications device. The first code packet is transmitted from the first wireless communications device to a second o wireless communications device. A determination is made whether a second code packet generated by the second wireless communications device in response to receipt of the first code packet is received by the first wireless communications device within a predetermined time.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for sending data in-band over a telecommunications network during an active call. Some embodiments provide a telephone user with a way to send alphanumeric data from his or her phone to a receiving party's phone, when the user and the receiving party are engaged in an active telephone call.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing telecommunication services. In one embodiment, the system comprises an antenna at a customer premises, to transmit outbound voice communications in a wireless protocol and to receive inbound voice communications in the wireless protocol. A demarcation device is coupled with the antenna converts inbound voice communications from the wireless protocol to a wired format and converts outbound voice communications from the wired format to the wireless protocol. An interface to the customer premises is coupled with the demarcation device. The interface transmits inbound voice communications in the wired format to the customer premises via a first internal transport medium and transmits outbound voice communications received in the wired format on the first internal transport medium to the demarcation device.

Abstract: A clothes dryer has a heat source, preferably a heat pump, a rotating drum, and means to generate flow of air from the heat source to an inlet in the drum. At least two outlets are separated from each other in the drum to enable higher air flow rates without increase in pressure drop, resulting in reduced drying time.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide novel apparatus, methods and systems for providing relatively high-speed bandwidth to enable, inter alia, video transmission services over media previously unable to support such services. In accordance with certain embodiments, a device located at the telecommunication service provider can logically couple two or more physical media to provide a single, consolidated source of bandwidth, which can be used to transmit data, which can represent a video signal. In accordance with other embodiments, a device located at the subscriber's location can be used to receive the data from each of the two physical media and recreate the video signal from the data, such that the video signal can be transmitted to a display device, such as a television, monitor, etc.

Abstract: Systems and methods for associating images with location and/or other information. In some cases, the systems include an image sensor, a location sensor, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is communicably coupled to a computer readable medium that includes instructions executable by the microprocessor to: receive a location from the location sensor; receive an image from the image sensor; and associate the location with the image. Some of the methods provide for capturing an object image of an object using an image sensor; capturing a location of the image sensor; and associating the location with the object image. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: T Systems and methods for providing picture-in-picture, or other multi-picture displays. Some of the systems include two or more video and/or data signals that are coupled to a transmission device. In addition, a selector signal is coupled to the transmission device. The transmission device also includes a video output that, based at least in part on the selector signal, provides a derivative of one of the video and/or data signals at a first compression and bandwidth, and the other video and/or data signal at a second compression and bandwidth. Various of the methods include utilize the systems to transmit two or more video outputs based at least in part on a selector signal.

Abstract: A method of provisioning telecommunication offerings includes receiving from a first provider a message at a services clearing house to provision a telecommunication offering at a customer's premises and processing the request into a provisioning message. The method also includes directing the provisioning message to the customer's premises, thereby causing the offering to be provisioned at the customer's premises.

Abstract: According to the invention, a network interface device for processing a telephone call is disclosed. The network interface device includes a first and second communication interfaces, a telephone switch and a controller. The first communication interface is coupled to at least one of a wireless phone network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) network. The first communication interface receives the telephone call from any of a number of callers that are remote to the network interface device. The second communication interface coupled to one or more phones at a user location where the one or more phones are associated with a telephone number that any of the callers can use to call the one or more phones.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for distributing urgent public information. Merely by way of example, urgent public information, such as an alert message, may be received by, inter alia, an alert gateway device. The alert message may then be distributed to a subscriber in any of a variety of ways, including by telephone, by data message (e.g., to a computer), by video message (e.g., via a television), by display on an alert notification device. In some embodiments, the alert gateway device may process the alert message and/or may determine how to provide the alert message to the subscriber.

Abstract: Systems and methods for accessing and distributing content objects. Various of the systems and methods utilize a number of content object entities that can be sources and/or destinations for content objects. A combination of abstraction and distinction engines can be used to access content objects from a source of content objects, format and/or modify the content objects, and redistribute the modified content object to one or more content object destinations. In some cases, an access point is included that identifies a number of available content objects, and identifies one or more content object destinations to which the respective content objects can be directed.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for distributing content objects to a requester. Some of the systems include at least one content object origination, and two or more content object destinations. The two or more content object destinations are associated with customer premises. Communication links communicably couple the content object origination and at least one of the content object destinations, and at least two of the content object destinations. Local storage is associated with at least one of the content object destinations. A content object from the content object origination is maintained on a local storage associated with one of the content object destinations, and the content object is accessible via the local storage to another content object destination. The methods provide various ways for distributing content objects using systems similar to that previously described.

Abstract: According to the invention, a telephonic communication system for integrating wireless phone service with home phone service is disclosed. The telephone communication system includes a first communication and second communication channels and a telephone switch. The first communication channel is coupled to a wireless phone and the second communication channel is coupled to an interface that is coupled to one or more wired phones at a user location. The first and second communication channels are accessible with a single telephone number. The telephone switch is coupled to the first and second communication channels and determines if the first and second communication channels should be simultaneously sent an incoming phone call directed to the telephone number.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a gas-fired heater to maintain temperature within a zone. The gas-fired heater is modulated between a higher firing rate and a lower firing rate within a pseudo steady-state mode until a current firing rate exceeds a predetermined maximum time period ttrans. The gas-fired heater is then modulated between an updated higher firing rate and an updated lower firing rate within a transient mode until an updated current firing rate exceeds a predetermined maximum time period tdiag. Finally, the higher firing rate and the lower firing rate are redefined in a diagnostic mode until the gas-fired heater returns to the pseudo steady-state mode.

Abstract: A gas-fired heater includes a plurality of burners and one or more valves corresponding to one of the burners and operating between a closed position and an open position. A fuel supply is in fluidic communication with at least one of the burners when the one or more valves are in the open position. A modulator receives a temperature signal and computes, as a function of the temperature signal, and emits at least one control signal. The modulator then operates the one or more valves between the open position and the closed position as a function of the at least one control signal and controls the one or more valves to either activate or deactivate the burners for incrementally modulating a heat input to the gas-fired heater.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a gas-fired heater to maintain temperature within a zone. The gas-fired heater is modulated between a higher firing rate and a lower firing rate within a pseudo steady-state mode until a current firing rate exceeds a predetermined maximum time period ttrans. The gas-fired heater is then modulated between an updated higher firing rate and an updated lower firing rate within a transient mode until an updated current firing rate exceeds a predetermined maximum time period tdiag. Finally, the higher firing rate and the lower firing rate are redefined in a diagnostic mode until the gas-fired heater returns to the pseudo steady-state mode.