Abstract: A method, computer usable program product or system for providing an estimated taxi fare to a passenger including providing a user interface (UI) for identifying a route and the estimated taxi fare for travelling the route in a taxi from a point of origin to a destination meeting a set of criteria, and responsive to the passenger utilizing the UI with the point of origin and identifying the destination, accessing a set of databases with a set of real-time information including traveling related information and pricing information, identifying the route and the estimated taxi fare for the route based upon the point of origin, the destination, the set of criteria, and the set of real-time information, and presenting the estimated taxi fare to the passenger.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) system including a transponder, an antenna, and a reader, the antenna coupled to the reader, the antenna and the reader for transmitting a radio signal to the transponder and for receiving a response radio signal from the transponder, the response radio signal including data from the transponder, the system further including: a curtain that limits propagation of the radio signal; wherein the curtain includes a plurality of flexible strips transparent to visible light, the long edge of each of the strips is oriented in substantially the vertical direction, more than one strip overlaps a portion of the width of an adjacent strip along the length of the adjacent strip, and the length of each of the strips is substantially greater than the width of each of the strips.

Abstract: A method for using a radio frequency identification (RFID) system including a transponder, an antenna, and a reader, the antenna coupled to the reader, the antenna and the reader for transmitting a radio signal to the transponder and for receiving a response radio signal from the transponder, the response radio signal including data from the transponder, the method including: selecting a curtain that limits propagation of the radio signal; and placing the curtain in an area through which the radio signal would otherwise propagate; wherein the curtain includes a plurality of flexible strips transparent to visible light, the long edge of each of the strips is oriented in substantially the vertical direction, more than one strip overlaps a portion of the width of an adjacent strip along the length of the adjacent strip, and the length of each of the strips is substantially greater than the width of each of the strips.

Abstract: A curtain for a radio frequency identification (RFID) system including a transponder, an antenna, and a reader, the antenna coupled to the reader, the antenna and the reader for transmitting a radio signal to the transponder and for receiving a response radio signal from the transponder, the response radio signal including data from the transponder, the curtain including: a plurality of flexible strips that limit propagation of the radio signal; wherein the strips are transparent to visible light, the long edge of each of the strips is oriented in substantially the vertical direction, more than one strip overlaps a portion of the width of an adjacent strip along the length of the adjacent strip, and the length of each of the strips is substantially greater than the width of each of the strips.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modeling words based on match scores representing (a) the closeness of a match between probabilistic word models and the acoustic features of at least two utterances, and (b) the closeness of a match between word models and the spelling of the word. A match score is calculated for a selection set of one or more probabilistic word models. A match score is also calculated for an expansion set comprising the probabilistic word models in the selection set and one probabilistic word model from a candidate set. If the expansion set match score improves the selection set match score by a selected nonzero threshold value, the word is modelled with the word models in the expansion set. If the expansion set match score does not improve the selection set match score by the selected nonzero threshold value, the word is modelled with the words in the selection set.