Abstract:
A device and method for accessing, monitoring, and controlling home appliances in a media exchange network by establishing a communication link between a communication initiation device and at least one home appliance and communicating at least one command from the communication initiation device to the at least one home appliance via the communication link. The at least one home appliance then generates at least one response to the at least one command. The commands may include turning the home appliance(s) on and off, parameter adjustment commands, access commands, monitoring commands, mode change commands, and programming commands. Appliance responses may include powering on, powering off, changing a mode of operation, sending a status to the communication initiation device, adjusting an operational parameter, and changing a programmed operational step.
Abstract:
An auxiliary cellular phone module assists in making a local call while a coupled master cellular phone is roaming, wherein the auxiliary cellular phone module consists of processing unit, communication interface, cellular telephony interface, user interfaces and memory. A full-fledged auxiliary cellular phone module consists of a plurality of features that includes user interfaces consisting display, full-fledged keypad, wired and/or wireless interfaces, earpiece and microphones. A simpler version may have simplified or none at all of any of the user interfaces mentioned above. A full-fledged auxiliary cellular phone module may have many additional functionalities that helps a roaming service provider to cut costs of the local calls placed while roaming, that includes audio/visual advertisements, directions as well as many other audio/visual informational data displays. Moreover, many other features that are helpful to the roaming client may also be provided within the auxiliary cellular phone module that includes local phone book facilities, prepaid credit information and other informal data displays.
Abstract:
An online sales/automatic rebate and coupon redemption system provides online customers automatic retrieval and redemption of all applicable rebates and coupons during purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system purchases from merchants using applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system makes it possible to automatically retrieve coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site. The system provides coupons to potential customers via email, based on customer profile, geographical information, etc. Manufacturers and merchants can update coupon value and content based on ongoing sales and volume of customer activity.
Abstract:
A modular wireless headset having integrated but detachable elements is operable to service a cellular wireless terminal, streamed media or playback device. This modular wireless headset may include a wireless microphone and a wireless earpiece. The wireless earpiece may physically couple to the wireless microphone and a base unit in order to exchange information and share power resources. A power distribution controller allocates power between the wireless earpiece, wireless microphone, and base unit when physically coupled to operate or charge internal power supplies of the components.
Abstract:
A voice communication device, supporting both Internet and public switched telephone network telephony, performs call session hand off between Internet and public switched telephone networks. Hand off, with or without user confirmation, may be half or full duplex, yielding common and differing incoming and outgoing call session pathways. In addition to mid-call hand offs, hand off may also be performed as part of the call session setup. Information regarding the destination network is exchanged on the network from which the hand off will occur. Voice communication devices are each configured with a plurality of communication interfaces including a public switched telephone network interface and an Internet interface. Basic full-duplex operations include immediate and mid-call hand offs between the public switched telephone network and Internet. Mixed pathway communication and handoffs using partly Internet and partly public switched telephone network are also contemplated.
Abstract:
A system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption provides customers making online purchases to automatically retrieve and redeem all applicable rebates and coupons during an online purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system makes purchases from merchants or manufacturers using all applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system automatically retrieves coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site and to retrieve manufacturer's and merchant's coupons prior to an online purchasing activity for subsequent submission to an online merchant during a subsequent purchasing activity.
Abstract:
A communication device is operable to manage communication of data streams, which comprise data encoded utilizing scheme that generate plurality of frames with logical grouping and/or inter-frame dependencies, based on determination of network payload parameters that are utilized for the data transmission. Exemplary encoding schemes comprise MPEG encoding, which generates data streams comprised I-frames, P-frames and/or B-frames. Network packets that are utilized to perform data communication are generated such that packet payloads comprise only data corresponding to a single frame and/or logical grouping within the encoded data stream. Feedback from networking subsystem in the communication device may be provided during processing of the data streams to enable use of network payload parameters during encoding operations. Frame sizes may be adjusted, for example, so that a size of each frame is multiple of a size of a payload of the network packets that are utilized in data communication.
Abstract:
A roofing tile solar power generation system includes an array of solar panel ready tiles installed upon the roof of a house and that delivers power to a central control unit and that may be controlled either locally by a computing system or remotely via a server. The solar panel ready tiles include a solar panel ready tile body having a cavity to receive a solar panel and electrical connects to service same. The solar panel ready tile includes communication pathway connection plugs. The cavity receives a solar panel. A cover may protect the solar panel or the cavity prior to installation of the solar panel. The solar panel ready system may also optionally have sub-panel control system, consisting of one or more of their own power bus interface, communication interface, memory, power status indicators and lighting modules, plurality of sensors and a processing unit.
Abstract:
A system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption provides customers making online purchases to automatically retrieve and redeem all applicable rebates and coupons during an online purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system makes purchases from merchants or manufacturers using all applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system automatically retrieves coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site and to retrieve manufacturer's and merchant's coupons prior to an online purchasing activity for subsequent submission to an online merchant during a subsequent purchasing activity.
Abstract:
A search engine server supports delivery of search results using an international search string option by identifying websites that provide support in English as well as the language of the international search string. The international search string is a search string in any of the languages that are listed/supported by the search engine server. The search engine server delivers web links of websites that provide support in both English as well the language of the international search string by identifying conjugate English terms, strings or phrases for the international search string, that provide exact or approximate equivalent meaning for searching. In addition, the search engine server also provides web links of websites that provide international language support by utilizing a thesaurus in English that provides synonyms for the conjugate English terms. The search engine server also translates websites where there is no support in the language of the search string.