Abstract: An enhanced network element and method for configuring and deploying computer network elements is disclosed. A customer orders a network element from an equipment provider. Upon receipt of the unconfigured network element, a Trusted Configuration Device (TCD) is shipped from a network provider to the customer. The TCD transmits information to the NE that enables it to download a configuration file from a Provisioning Server (PS) via a secure channel.

Abstract: An enhanced network element and method for configuring and deploying computer network elements is disclosed. A customer orders a network element from an equipment provider. Upon receipt of the unconfigured network element, a Trusted Configuration Device (TCD) is shipped from a network provider to the customer. The TCD transmits information to the NE that enables it to download a configuration file from a Provisioning Server (PS) via a secure channel.

Abstract: An enhanced network element and method for configuring and deploying computer network elements is disclosed. A customer orders a network element from an equipment provider. Upon receipt of the unconfigured network element, a Trusted Configuration Device (TCD) is shipped from a network provider to the customer. The TCD transmits information to the NE that enables it to download a configuration file from a Provisioning Server (PS) via a secure channel.

Abstract: A method for securely downloading files from a database to a managed device that includes selecting a managed device; affixing a unique identification number to the device; creating a file for the managed device on a database, wherein the file can be downloaded over the Internet; creating an access verification program for downloading the file which permits a user of the managed device to access and download the file over the Internet for a period of time; reading the unique identification number by the user; entering the unique identification number into the access verification program by the user; verifying the unique identification number using the access verification program; permitting access to the database by the user for downloading the file for a period of time; downloading the file from the database to the managed device; and blocking access to the database for downloading the file.

Abstract: A subscriber at a client station connects to an Personal Internet Service Provider (PISP) station and then chooses a site from which to download data. An Internet Protocol addressing element at the PISP station receives the client station request and retrieves identifying information from a database on a storage device at the PISP station corresponding to the requesting client station. A personal server element at the PISP station uses the client station request to formulate a TCP/IP request to an Internet site corresponding to a URL specified at the client station. The personal server element thus retrieves the requested data and passes it to a caching element at the PISP station. The caching element stores the data temporarily at the PISP station allowing concurrent processes other than the personal server element to control return of the data to client station. The personal server element can also maintain identifying information (e.g. usernames, passwords, etc.

Abstract: A network control device and methods that incorporate user decisions into network management and controlling the network accordingly. The users are provided network information such as bandwidth and special services that are available due to current network conditions. The users may elect to communicate via one of the offered special services or choose to communicate using specific network parameters in the form of a request. The network control device either responds to the request by providing the selected service or if network parameters are specified, by assessing current network conditions and determining whether the network can support the requested communication. If the communication is supportable, then the network control device may indicate to the user that fact and may also provide a corresponding cost estimate and/or other pertinent information.

Abstract: The invention provides a transaction system in a data network that permits transactions among a buyer, a seller, and a billing device to occur independently. The transaction system may include authorizing tokens, seller cookies and purchase tokens to provide security, efficiency as well as independent operation. The purchase token is issued by the billing device to the buyer for transactions with sellers. The seller may issue a seller cookie to the buyer so that future transactions between the buyer and the seller may occur without interacting with the billing device. The billing device may issue an authorizing token to approve a buyer purchase order and to assure the seller that the buyer account is sufficient to cover prospective purchases. The authorizing token permits the seller to send an invoice to the billing device without being tied to specific transactions with the buyer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for authenticating transactions accomplished over a data network utilizes a "cookie" containing both static information (user-identifying information) and dynamic information (transaction-based information). The transaction-oriented dynamic information portion comprises a random number and a sequence number, the latter tracking the number of billing transactions conducted by the user associated with the account number. The cookie, sent to the user's cookie file upon a previous transaction, is valid for only a single new transaction. A billing server, upon receiving the cookie containing the static and dynamic information portions, identifies the user from the account number in the static portion and accesses from an associated database the expected random number and sequence number that the billing server last sent to that user in the transaction-oriented dynamic portion.

Abstract: A connection is established on the Internet between an originating client terminal and a destination client terminal, the latter having an IP address which has been dynamically assigned by an Internet Access Service Provider (IASP) and which is unknown to the originating client terminal. Using a known e-mail address associated with a user of the destination client terminal, which e-mail address includes a name associated with the user and the domain name associated with the IASP, which both provides access to the Internet and e-mail service to the user, the IP address that IASP is determined from a Domain Name Server (DNS) on the Internet. The IASP is then queried at that address to determine whether the user with the known name is currently logged on. If that user is logged on, the IP address assigned by the IASP to the destination client terminal is provided to the originating client terminal and a connection is then established to the destination client terminal at the provided IP address.

Abstract: A method for performing centralized billing for transactions conducted over the Internet between a user and an Internet Service Provider (ISP) (106) through an Internet Access Provider (IAP) (104) is disclosed. Upon connection of the user's terminal (101) to the IAP, the IAP transmits to a billing platform (108) a message that associates the user's identity and the temporary Internet Protocol (IP) address that is assigned by the IAP to the user's session for use by to that user's terminal. In response to a chargeable transaction with an ISP, the ISP transmits to the billing platform the IP address of the user making the transaction and the charge for the transaction. The charges for all such transactions are accumulated by a transaction server (109) and stored in an account on an associated database (110) identified with the IP address of the requesting terminal.

Abstract: A universal telephone located in a foreign country provides a consistent home country telephone appearance and functions for a caller visiting the foreign country. This service includes providing consistent dialing sequences, consistent directory services, and other operations that would be consistent with originating the call from the caller's home country. The universal telephone includes a smart card reader that receives a smart card presented by the caller, bearing information of the caller's ID, the caller's home country, and other information. A database of national telephone features that are characteristic of the caller's home country can be included in the universal telephone or can be contained on the smart card. When the caller inserts his smart card into the universal telephone, the caller's home country information is read from the card. The universal telephone accesses the database to obtain the telephone appearance and functions of the home country.

Abstract: Billing for information and/or interactive services provided to a user over the Internet by an information service provider (ISP) is arranged by the user by placing a virtual billing telephone call to a 900 telephone number associated with the ISP for such billing purposes. The cost to the user for the 900 number billing telephone call, which is determined by the ISP, represents the charge for receiving the information and/or interactive services from the ISP, and is billed to the user's telephone number account. The ISP's 900 number account is credited by the telephone company for the call and thus for the information and/or interactive services provided.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for performing centralized billing for transactions conducted by a user on a terminal (101) connected on an Intranet (103) with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) (115) connected to the Internet (104). A Firewall Gateway (105) interconnects the Intranet and the Internet and removes the terminal's IP address from packets transmitted by the user's terminal to the ISP on the Internet. A Session Manager (116) stores in a database (117) the associations between the IP address of the user's terminal and the user's identity, and between the IP address and the Connection ID of the connection established between the Firewall Gateway and the ISP for an ongoing transaction between the user and the ISP. A Billing Platform (120) receives a signal indicating the cost of the transaction and the Connection ID associated with the transaction from the ISP.

Abstract: Billing for information and/or interactive services provided to a user over the Internet by an information service provider (ISP) is arranged by the user by placing a billing telephone call to a 900 telephone number associated with the ISP for such billing purposes. The cost to the user for the 900 number billing telephone call, which is determined by the ISP, represents the charge for receiving the information and/or interactive services from the ISP, and is billed to the user's telephone number account. The ISP's 900 number account is credited by the telephone company for the call and thus for the information and/or interactive services provided.

Abstract: An estimation of traffic conditions on roads located in the radio coverage areas of a wireless communications network is provided based on an analysis of real-time and past wireless traffic data carried on the wireless communications network. Data analyzed may include, for example, actual (current) and expected (past average) number of a) active-busy wireless end-user devices in one or more cells at a particular period of time, b) active-idle wireless end-user devices registered in a location area of the wireless communications network, c) amount of time spent by mobile end-user devices in one or more cells at a particular period of time.