Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing a server-based feature cloud model of a realm includes receiving by a server a series of digital contributions that collectively originate from a plurality of remote computing devices, characterizing portions of the realm. The method also includes processing by the server the received digital contributions to associate them with a global coordinate system and storing the processed contributions in a realm model database as components of the feature cloud model of the realm. Finally, the method includes, in response to a query message over the Internet from a computing device of an end-user, serving, over the Internet by the server to the computing device, digital data defining a selected portion of the feature cloud model for integration and display by the computing device.

Abstract: A system and method can support across-domain messaging in a transactional middleware machine environment. Using a proxy model, a first transaction domain can export one or more services to a second transaction domain, wherein said one or more services are imported from a third transaction domain. Furthermore, a first gateway server in the transaction domain can receive a request from a client in the second transaction domain to invoke said one or more services in the third transaction domain, and can route the request to a server in the third transaction domain that provides said one or more services.

Abstract: Some embodiments set forth a control message header rewriting methodology. Incoming packets are inspected to identify control messages. Each control message is then inspected to determine whether it originates from a client engaged in a session with a server or from an intermediary node along the path connecting the client and the server. The determination is predicated on a comparison of the addressing provided in the control message header and the addressing provided in the offending packet header, wherein the offending packet is the packet that triggers the intermediary node to issue the control message. If the addressing differs, the header addressing of control message is rewritten using the header addressing of the offending packet. Otherwise, a session table lookup is performed to identify which session the control message is directed to based in part on a hash of the control message header addressing.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for systems and methods that optimize large-scale data transfers over a wide area network by providing a data transmission protocol stack comprising a TCP layer that exchanges data processed by a host, and an IP layer that transports datagrams encapsulating the data to routers in the WAN, and a UDP-based transmission layer within the data transmission protocol stack that interfaces with the TCP layer and transmits data and control packets between the host and receivers of the WAN using a unicast duplex protocol. The stack has a WAN optimization components layer that interacts with the UDP-based transmission layer and provides transport protocol optimization through the UDP-based transmission layer and certain data de-duplication, compression, link aggregation, and application awareness functions.

Abstract: A protective cover for a handheld portable electronic device includes a front cover, and one or more mounting portions. The mounting portions can couple the front cover to the handheld portable electronic device. The front cover can cover the display screen of the portable electronic device. The front cover, the mounting portions, or both include studded surfaces or socket surfaces. The studded surfaces or socket surfaces couple with standard building elements of a play building set.

Abstract: Several embodiments include a mobile device. The mobile device can include a circuit board configured to interconnect one or more electronic components and a chassis shell adapted to form an outer perimeter of the mobile device and to enclose the circuit board. The chassis shell can have an integral unibody that includes a contact feature integral to the chassis shell. A sensor system can be in contact with the chassis shell on an opposite side of the contact feature. The contact feature enables the sensor system to detect touch events when a user interacts with the contact feature.

Abstract: A magnification system includes an electronic device that has a display. The display may display an image. A case is provided and the case has the electronic device is removably positioned within the case such that the display is visible. A magnifier is removably coupled to the case. Thus, the magnifier magnifies the image on the display thereby enhancing visibility of the image.

Abstract: A case-strap system for Handheld Electronic Devices having a case with direct or indirect attachments to receive a handheld electronic device, a strap directly or indirectly mounted on the back of said case with said attachments to receive a user's hand; a handheld electronic device is enclosed inside said case-strap unit, and said strap mounted on the back of said case stretched to receive and catch user's hand; unit is flipped to rest on top of user's hand or wrist; a case-strap is hooked with a lanyard, coupled with an earphone's audio cord attached on the surface or inserted between layers of said lanyard; one end of earphone's audio cord is connected to the device's audio jack and to a user's ear(s); a case-strap unit is enclosed into a magnetized wrist strap system to carry, hold, or manage the handheld electronic device inside said case-strap unit.

Abstract: The present invention concerns virtual reality viewers for use with touchscreen enabled mobile devices. The virtual reality viewer comprises: a housing configured to receive a mobile electronic device within an interior of the housing; and an input mechanism that is accessible from an exterior of the housing and that is moveable within the interior between a first position and an extended position, wherein a surface of the input mechanism is configured to contact the touch-screen of the mobile electronic device when in the extended position. The disclosed systems and methods facilitate receiving user inputs on the exterior of the housing and providing the user inputs to the touchscreen within the housing using the electro-mechanical input mechanism. Accordingly, the viewer can be used with a variety of smartphones without requiring magnetic switches or a wireless/cable connection between the input device and the smartphone.

Abstract: A method of initiating a communication using speech recognition on a mobile wireless communication device. Voice input is parsed using speech recognition to identify and extract a name and a communication type to be initiated from a plurality of potential communication types. A local address book is searched to identify all contact records having both a contact name including the name extracted from the voice input and a populated address field associated with the communication type extracted from the voice input. When only one contact record matches the extracted information, a communication is automatically initiated to the contact address from the populated address field of the contact record using an application associated with the communication type. When more than one contact record in the local address book matches the extracted information, a list of all of the matching contacts is output from which a communication can be initiated.

Abstract: An information handling system has a haptic generation module to generate haptic effects including haptic noise and a haptic noise reduction module. The haptic noise reduction module receives characteristics of sound representative of haptic noise generated by a haptic generation module of a device and entering an audio input module of the device, the characteristics including frequencies and timing. It also detects the generation of haptic effects, the generations occurring after the receiving characteristics. It also reduces the effects of haptic noise on digital data representing audio input to the device based upon the received characteristics of the sound. It may reduce the effects by subtracting amplitudes of audio waves representing the haptic noise from amplitudes of audio waves representing the audio input.

Abstract: According to another aspect, a mobile electronic device includes a display unit and a control unit. The display unit displays thereon additional information associated with an application program. Upon accepting a first operation performed with respect to the additional information, the control unit display a screen provided by the application program as a background of the additional information.

Abstract: A method includes accessing, at a first user device, an application that coordinates ringing of multiple user devices registered to a smart phone number that are within a predetermined proximity of each other. The method includes broadcasting an identity and a ring state associated with the user device. A presence is to be detected within the predetermined proximity of at least one additional user device associated with the smart phone number. The method includes determining a ringing user device based on predetermined rules of selection between the at least one additional user device and the first user device. The method further includes determining activity to be performed by at least one other user device in event of an incoming call to the smart phone number. The method also includes receiving an incoming call at the smart phone number and ringing the ringing device.

Abstract: A protective case for a wireless electronics device includes one or more output devices integrated with or bonded to the protective case, from which a perceivable output (e.g., visible or audible indication) is generated. Various other electronics (e.g., circuit elements, ICs, microcontrollers, sensors) also may be integrated with or bonded to the protective case to provide power and/or one or more output signals to control the output device(s). In one example, a wireless signal generated by the wireless device is sensed by the integrated electronics, and the output device(s) are controlled based on the detected wireless signal. The protective case may be substantially rigid or at least partially deformable (flexible and/or stretchable), and the integrated electronics similarly may be at least partially deformable such that they may conform with various contours of the protective case and remain operative notwithstanding flexing and/or stretching of the case.

Abstract: A method of controlling an application of a smart device, by the smart device, is provided. The method includes generating a composition window by compositing windows of applications of the smart device, and transmitting the composition window to a smart terminal on which the composition window is displayed. The method further includes receiving, from the smart terminal, information of a user input in the smart terminal with respect to the displayed composition window, and controlling and displaying at least one among the applications based on the received information of the user input.

Abstract: A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which image data of a counterpart having triggered an event can be displayed. The present invention may include a display unit configured to display information, a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external server that stores first image data and to communicate with a counterpart terminal, a memory to store a second image data, and a controller, in response to an event triggered by the counterpart terminal, to extract an image data related to a counterpart from one of the first image data and the second image data, and the controller to output the extracted image data on a portion of the display unit to notify an occurrence of the event.

Abstract: A method for accessing offline voicemail messages within a mobile messaging application may be provided. First, a voice mail message may be received and the voicemail message may be transcribed to text. Next, the voicemail message and the text transcription may be stored. The recipient may then be presented with a list of voicemail messages and the voicemail message may be retrieved in response to the recipient. The recipient may read or listen to the voicemail message or both. The recipient may also annotate the voicemail message.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for identifying individuals through facial recognition, voice recognition, or the like, recalling past recorded conversations with the identified individuals, and recording and inventorying conversations with the individuals with mobile devices. In some embodiments, a method is presented. The method may include identifying, at a device, an individual through facial recognition, voice recognition, or a unique RFID. The method may also include recording a conversation with the identified individual, and recalling past relevant recorded conversations based on the identification of the individual, and transmitting the recording of the conversation to a display system configured to display the recording of the event.

Abstract: A system for the delivery of scriptures that includes: a plurality of images stored in a database; at least one scripture associated with each image, wherein said scriptures are stored in the database; a software application, where the software application includes instructions on syncing and linking an image within the plurality of images to a scripture; and a portable electronic device, where the portable electronic device stores the software application and is adapted to provide access to the plurality of images and associated scriptures. The portable electronic device may be a smartphone or a tablet. The plurality of images preferably includes emoticons.

Abstract: A system and method of enhancing a profile of a portable device. The system and method includes defining an event type in a scheduling tool and scheduling a time to initiate the event type. The system and method further includes associating a notification profile of a device with the defined event type and changing a setting of the device to the notification profile in response to the scheduling time and the defined event type.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a voice call establishing method and apparatus. The method includes: receiving a voice call request, and generating an internal trigger signal according to the voice call request; detecting an acceleration characteristic value of a mobile terminal and/or a characteristic value of a distance from the mobile terminal to a target object within a preset time threshold; and if an initial value of the acceleration characteristic value is a first characteristic value and does not change within the preset time threshold, establishing a first voice call; and if the acceleration characteristic value changes from the first characteristic value to a second characteristic value within the preset time threshold, and the characteristic value of the distance changes from a first distance characteristic value to a second distance characteristic value, establishing a second voice call.

Abstract: A unified communications system enables a user to simultaneously manage real time voice communication with background audio streams such as a music. In one embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of devices connected through a persistent voice over IP channel, where each device is playing background audio independently, and each device is operatively coupled to a microphone. When a connected user speaks, Voice Activity Detection results in the automatic adjustment of background audio on other connected devices, the adjustments based upon user-input settings on each device.

Abstract: Techniques for providing friction-free transactions using geolocation and user identifiers are described herein. These techniques may ascertain a user's location based on a location of a mobile device. A transaction between the user and a merchant may be completed with zero or minimal input from the user based on the geolocation of the mobile device and the user identifiers. In some implementations, a transaction initiated earlier is completed when the mobile device arrives at the merchant. Additionally, a parent-child or similar relationship may be established between multiple devices. Security on the mobile device based may be provided by biometric identification and calculation of variance from regular movement patterns. Advertisements may be sent to the mobile device based on bids from merchants near to the mobile device. Promotions may be sent to the mobile device when more than a threshold number of mobile devices are located at the same merchant.

Abstract: A mechanism for providing additional layer of security to the already existing and authentication mechanism available on a mobile device is provided. According to an embodiment, the system comprises a usage authentication interface (114) that displays one or more mobile software applications for usage based authentication, wherein the usage based authentication interface allows the user to select one or more software applications for usage based authentication. The usage pattern computing module (116) calculates plurality of usage statistics for one or more selected mobile software applications by user wherein usage statistic comprises a set of calculated value. The usage bracket matrix stores one or more usage patterns which comprise plurality of calculated values generated by the usage pattern computing module (116). An authentication application module (118) authenticates user to log on to the mobile device based on successful matching of patterns stored in usage bracket matrix with user-fed usage pattern.

Abstract: A contact center dialing a telephone number to a destination party, such as a debtor, may discover that the number is subject to a prohibition of being autodialed. In other embodiments, a number that was subject to the prohibition of being autodialed is now discovered to no longer be subject to such prohibition. Various mechanisms may be defined to indicate how such a prohibition associated with the number may be indicated in a dialing list and how various contact center architectures may be used to process the dialing list. In one embodiment, separate sub-systems are used to dial separate dialing lists based on whether the number is to be manually dialed or dialed using an autodialer. In another embodiment, another architecture is used to process an integrated dialing list to determine whether a number is to be manually dialed or autodialed.

Abstract: A system, method and non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when read by a processor perform receiving a telephony connection request at a location in a telephony network, the location separated from an intended recipient of the telephony connection request by a target telephony network, determining addressing information regarding the intended recipient, the addressing information including at least routing information or a phone number, determining a status characteristic of the intended recipient based on the addressing information, based on the status characteristic, and determining whether the intended recipient would successfully receive the telephony connection request if the telephony connection request was forwarded to the intended recipient.

Abstract: A method for handling calls to be moved within a system having an unmonitored domain and a monitored domain can include the step of upon first arrival of a call at said unmonitored domain, a context of said call based on a called number, a calling number, and any redirection number(s) included in said call can be provided. Another step of the method can include, for each movement of said call between said unmonitored domain and said monitored domain, providing a unique number to be temporarily used for said particular movement, based on said call context, while avoiding that said unique number is used to move any other call within the system at the same time. An apparatus for can be configured to facilitate performance of the method (e.g. communication system, a device, non-transitory memory, etc.).

Abstract: An audio segment recorded by an individual is stored in a computational device controlled by an entity, where the computational device is coupled to a telephony device having a speaker and a microphone that are configurable to be enabled or disabled by the computational device. An electronic communication is initiated to the individual via the telephony device when the speaker and the microphone are both enabled. The stored audio segment is retrieved from an audio recording database that stores a plurality of audio segments of a plurality of individuals and played to the individual to authenticate the entity, in response to the initiating of the electronic communication to the individual.

Abstract: Implementing a multimedia calling line identification presentation service. A multimedia resource notification module obtains a storage address of a multimedia resource that is stored by a resource storage entity and that is subscribed to by a calling terminal, and sends the storage address of the multimedia resource to a resource playing entity. A service management module establishes a media channel between the resource playing entity and the called terminal for playing the multimedia resource. Establishing the media channel includes sending multimedia session information to the called terminal, the multimedia session information having been received by the service management module from the resource playing entity. Establishing the media channel also includes sending negotiated multimedia session information to the resource playing entity, the negotiated multimedia session information having been received by the service management module from the called terminal.

Abstract: From one perspective, an apparatus receives a request for a calling terminal device to initiate a session with a called terminal device. Based on the request, the apparatus obtains a storage address of the multimedia resource, and sends the address to the called terminal device. Based on sending the address the apparatus receives, from the called terminal device, a message indicating the called terminal device is playing the multimedia resource, and a message indicating that the called terminal device is off-hook. The called terminal device stops playing the multimedia resource when off-hook. From another perspective, a terminal device receives a storage address of a multimedia resource from a service management entity. The terminal device downloads the multimedia resource from a resource storage entity, and plays the multimedia resource as part of ringing, and before detecting that it is off-hook. The terminal device ceases playback after detecting it is off-hook.

Abstract: A method for establishing connection is provided. The method includes following steps. A call is established between a first mobile device and a second mobile device. A connection-assisting item is shown on the first mobile device. When the connection-assisting item is selected, the first mobile device sends a first text message having a first format to the second mobile device. An agree-to-establish-connection item is shown on the second mobile device. When the agree-to-establish-connection item is selected, the second mobile device is connected to a server through which the first mobile device further establishes a connection with the second mobile device.

Abstract: A communication system with a plurality of information processing terminals and an information processing device communicating with the information processing terminals includes a positional information obtaining unit configured to obtain positional information about the information processing terminals; a converting unit configured to convert the positional information obtained by the positional information obtaining unit into alphanumeric information representing a name of a location which corresponds to the positional information; a transmitting unit configured to, when responding to a request from a first information processing terminal of the information processing terminals, transmit to the first information processing terminal the alphanumeric information obtained in conversion by the converting unit from a second information processing terminal of the information processing terminals; and the location with the alphanumeric information transmitted by the transmitting unit.

Abstract: Disclosed are a mobile terminal, and an incoming screen display method thereof. The mobile terminal comprises: a communication unit configured to perform a communication with a transmitting terminal and/or a community server; and a controller configured to download a sender's content by requesting search for the sender's content from the community server when a call request is received from the transmitting terminal, and configured to display the downloaded content.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for using a priority level for a call from a caller to a callee. The systems and methods involve presenting to the caller on a screen of a caller's mobile device an option for selecting the priority level for the call at a time that the call is initiated by the caller. The systems and methods further involve transmitting data corresponding to the priority level from the caller's mobile device to a callee's mobile device. The systems and methods further involve providing an indication on the callee's mobile device of the priority level at a time that the call is indicated to the callee as incoming.

Abstract: Systems and methods consistent with the invention relate to automated business and service dialing. According to one exemplary embodiment, a business dialing system is disclosed. The system includes a memory configured to store a plurality of business objects containing phone numbers corresponding to a plurality of business entities. The system further includes a user input device configured to detect key presses. The system also includes a processor coupled to the user input device and the memory. The processor is configured to generate a key sequence and a number sequence based on the detected key presses. The processor is further configured to search the memory for business objects corresponding to the key sequence. The system further includes a display device configured to display the number sequence and the business objects. The user input interface is further configured to detect a selection of a business object, among the business objects, or a dial command.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for pacing outbound calls placed by a predictive dialer in a contact center. Specifically, an ensemble made up of a global predictive model and a local predictive model is applied to each dialing record found in a plurality of dialing records to provide a probability of an outbound call placed to the dialing record resulting in a live connect. Accordingly, a call pacing hit ratio can then be calculated based on the probability for each of the dialing records and this call pacing hit ratio can be used by a predictive dialer in various embodiments to more accurately pace the placing of outbound calls then by using conventionally derived call pacing hit ratios.

Abstract: A system and method include a contact center to provide an interaction between a customer and agent. An analytics server connects with the contact center to parse a text of the interaction and determine an intent and a topic of the interaction based on the parsed text. The analytics server determines an implicit survey score for the interaction based on comparing the intent and the topic of the interaction with an intent and a topic of an interaction that was correlated with an explicit survey score.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for generating and ascribing credit to customer representatives for facilitating conversations between the customer and other customer representatives. A representative may store notes regarding an interaction with a customer. Subsequently, a different representative may utilize those notes to facilitate a future interaction with the customer, and accordingly and concurrently indicate that the notes were useful. As a result of this indication, a rating related to the original representative may be positively influenced. This information may also be used to measure the relationship between the company and the customer and/or as a measure of how some or all customer representatives are performing.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable media are described for a scalable computer-telephony integration system. Various aspects may include storing sets of call agent login information for several call agents within the computer-telephony integration system and across several independent computing systems in a contact center login database. Additionally, various aspects may include generating several contact center service categories and sets of contact information for each contact center service category, which may be stored in a contact center directory database. When an incoming call is received from a customer, various aspects may include obtaining customer call information from the customer and generating a customer call key, which may be stored as a reference to the customer call information in a contact center customer call information database.

Abstract: The present application discloses systems and methods for systematically identifying situations, improving processes, and producing proactive, actionable results to address customer inquiries. The systems and methods produce actionable proactive results (i.e., actions to be taken by predicting a likelihood of a customer interacting with an organization, such as an insurance provider). This allows an organization to avoid unnecessary and/or repeat customer contacts and inquiries, which generate protracted work and the need for case management and escalations. In addition, the systems and methods improve first contact resolution metrics and customer experience, by predicting the need for an interaction without having to communicate with the customer.

Abstract: A method and device for automatic digital customer service agent processing to automatically redirect to a correct channel for assistance. A method includes obtaining communication information based on customer communication iterations. Customer emotion information and customer situation context information is detected based on customer information obtained from one or more devices. Redirection option information is retrieved for a condition corresponding to the customer situation context information from an assistant-redirection knowledge base. The customer situation context information, the communication information, the customer emotion information and the redirection option information are used to determine and to provide a redirection suggestion with a justification, or an answer response.

Abstract: A technique is disclosed that enables a contact center to provide enhanced services to its agents. An agent server is interconnected with the automatic call distributor (ACD) and agent telephones of the contact center. The server intercepts messages sent by the ACD, which contain caller-provided data obtained by an interactive voice response system. When it is determined that the particular agent has access to both a telephone and a personal computer, the agent server draws a distinction in the information content of the received message. In doing so, the agent server provides the call initialization information in the message to the agent's telephone, and appears as if the information were coming from the ACD; additionally, the agent server provides the caller-provided data to the agent's personal computer. The personal computer is then able to execute a predetermined application, such as a display-oriented presentation application, based on the caller-provided data.

Abstract: A system and method for routing interactions to contact center agents. The system is adapted to concurrently identify a plurality of interactions waiting to be routed, and identify a plurality of candidate agents viable for handling the plurality of interactions. The system is also adapted to calculate a predicted wait time associated with each of the candidate agents. For each agent of the plurality of candidate agents, the system is adapted to estimate an expected value to be obtained by routing each of the plurality of the interaction to the agent. The expected value is a function of the predicted wait time. The system is further adapted to assign each of the plurality of the interactions to one of the plurality of candidate agents based on the estimated reward, and signal a routing device for routing each of the plurality of the interactions to the agent assigned to the interaction.

Abstract: Presented is a method and associated system for suppression of linear and nonlinear echo. The method includes dividing an input signal into several frequency bands in each of a several of time frames. The input signal may include an echo signal. The method further includes multiplying the input signal in each of the several frequency bands by a corresponding echo suppression signal. Calculating the corresponding echo suppression signal may include estimating a power of the echo signal in a particular frequency band as a sum of several component echo powers, each of the several component echo powers due to an excitation from a far-end signal in a corresponding one of the several frequency bands. Calculating the corresponding echo suppression signal may further include subtracting the power of the echo signal in the particular frequency band from a power of the input signal in the particular frequency band.

Abstract: A system and method for generating Call Detail Records (CDR) to optimize network usage notifications to a mobile device subscriber. The system and method can include a billing system module that determines CDR generation parameters for the mobile device subscriber based on the mobile device subscriber's network usage, including increasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber's network usage relative to a predetermined quota is high and/or decreasing CDR generation when the mobile device subscriber's network usage relative to the predetermined quota is low. The CDR generation parameters can be applied to control CDR generation for the mobile device subscriber.

Abstract: A system, smart device and method for apportioning costs of smart device operations between purposes. Operation information concerning operations performed by the smart device is recorded. The operations are apportioned between purposes based on categorization information and the operation information. The cost of the apportioned operations performed by the device is determined for the purposes based on the operation information and tariff information.

Abstract: Techniques described herein may be used to identify communication sessions (e.g., voice calls, video calls, etc.) that can be routed using local network resources, such as a base station to which the user devices are attached, and cause routing responsibilities for the session to be offloaded to the local network resources. Doing so may conserve network resources by alleviating the core network from having to support communication sessions that do not need to be routed through the core network. In turn, this may reduce the potential for network latency since: 1) core network resources will be more available to support sessions that actually need to be routed through the core network; and 2) sessions that do not need to be routed through the core network can be routed over shorter distances that involve fewer network devices (e.g., a based station).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus of improving telecommunication network efficiency by increasing user device registration with and use of the network are disclosed. Improved user device registration and use, and thus increased efficiency may be achieved by allocating revenue generated by operation of a telecommunication network between user devices, a network operator device, and a third party device. The allocation of revenue may be based, at least in part, on a hierarchical relationship between user devices registered with the network and information concerning the use of the telecommunication network by the user devices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for presenting multimedia content to a caller and/or a called party in association with a telephone call. Content may be presented pre-ring (before the called party's telephone rings), in-call, and/or post-call. Content presented to a party may be related to another party participating in the call or may be related to a third party (e.g., an advertiser that paid for the ability to have its content presented). Presented content may be actuable, to allow a caller to change the destination of a call, take advantage of an offer presented to him or her, redeem a coupon, schedule or queue a subsequent call, etc. To find a desired destination party, a caller may initiate a manual or automatic search of his or her local contacts (on his telephone) and/or a central or global directory or contact list.

Abstract: Sheet media jams are detected along a media transport path by one or more vibration sensors that capture mechanical movements of components along the path that interact with the sheet media for driving or guiding the sheet media along the transport path. The detected vibrations during the advancing of the sheets are analyzed for distinguishing between detected vibrations associated with normal handling of the sheets and detected vibrations associated with abnormal handling of the sheets. An error condition can be signaled to a control system in response to distinguishing the detected vibrations associated with the abnormal handling of the sheets.