Abstract:
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receiving at a service provider a user's request for communications service. The user is permitted to negotiate with other service providers to fulfill the request for communications service.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for restricting the use and movement of plain old telephone system (POTS) devices and cellular telephones are presented. In a broad sense, the system includes an interface configured to only allow telephone calls to a limited set of telephone numbers or area codes. The interface may be configured to detect a telephone number during a call attempt and compare the number to a stored sequence list of allowed telephone numbers or area codes. If the detected number matches one of the allowed telephone numbers or area codes, the call attempt is allowed to continue. However, if the detected number does not match a number in the stored sequence list, the call attempt is blocked by the interface. The interface may also be configured to restrict the movement of a cellular telephone based on received location data indicating a current position of the cellular telephone. An alert, such as an audible alarm, is automatically generated when the location of the cellular telephone is greater than a predetermined distance from the interface to deter unauthorized movement. The interface may also be configured with a physical lock to prevent the cellular telephone from being removed from a docking station. The interface may also be configured to generate a locking signal to inhibit the use of the cellular telephone after it has been moved greater than the predetermined distance.
Abstract:
Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing virtual posting services. Methods include receiving content from a communications device located in a geographic proximity that is serviced by an access node, storing the content in a storage device that is in communication with the access node, and tracking an amount of time the content item is stored. If the amount of time does not reach a pre-established threshold, the methods include transmitting the content to another communications device in response to detecting the presence of the other communications device within the geographic proximity.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for interfacing plain old telephone system (POTS) devices, cellular network devices, and computer network devices with computer networks and cellular networks is presented. In a broad sense, the system includes an interface that bridges the POTS devices and the cellular devices with computer networks. The interface also bridges computer network devices with the cellular network. The interface is configured to convert signals which are compatible with POTS networks and cellular networks into signals compatible with computer networks. The signals may include content signals representing a telephone call and call attribute signals used to establish a telephone call. The interface is further configured to convert computer network compatible signals into cellular network compatible signals. The interface may also be utilized to aggregate cellular and computer network signals for communicating segmented data over multiple networks.
Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for passing through features from alternative network devices, such as cellular telephones, to plain old telephone system (POTS) devices. In a broad sense, the system includes an interface that bridges the alternative network devices to the POTS devices. The interface is configured to convey feature data contained within signaling data generated by the alternative network devices and pass the feature data through to the connected POTS devices. If the feature data is incompatible with the connected POTS devices, the interface is further configured to determine a compatible protocol for the connected POTS devices and translate the feature data into the compatible protocol.
Abstract:
A system and method are presented for interfacing multiple plain old telephone system (POTS) devices with multiple cellular devices in communication with a cellular network to enable efficient communication among these devices. In a broad sense, the system includes an interface configured to function as a bridge between the POTS devices and the cellular devices. The interface selectively routes call attempts from a POTS device to one of a group of cellular devices which connect the calls from the POTS device over the cellular network. The interface may be configured to detect a key sequence for selecting a particular cellular device in the group during an outgoing call attempt from the POTS device. The interface then routes the outgoing call to the selected cellular device. The interface may also be configured to detect a telephone number entered into the POTS device during an outgoing call attempt and route the outgoing call to a particular cellular device based on criteria pre-programmed in the interface. The interface may also be configured to generate distinctive signaling, such as ring tones, for the POTS devices to distinguish incoming calls to the group of cellular devices.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for restricting the use and movement of plain old telephone system (POTS) devices and cellular telephones are presented. In a broad sense, the system includes an interface configured to only allow telephone calls to a limited set of telephone numbers or area codes. The interface may be configured to detect a telephone number during a call attempt and compare the number to a stored sequence list of allowed telephone numbers or area codes. If the detected number matches one of the allowed telephone numbers or area codes, the call attempt is allowed to continue. However, if the detected number does not match a number in the stored sequence list, the call attempt is blocked by the interface. The interface may also be configured to restrict the movement of a cellular telephone based on received location data indicating a current position of the cellular telephone. An alert, such as an audible alarm, is automatically generated when the location of the cellular telephone is greater than a predetermined distance from the interface to deter unauthorized movement. The interface may also be configured with a physical lock to prevent the cellular telephone from being removed from a docking station. The interface may also be configured to generate a locking signal to inhibit the use of the cellular telephone after it has been moved greater than the predetermined distance.
Abstract:
A method of aggregating medical information can include receiving, at a remote aggregation system, individual syndromes collected by mobile personal medical devices associated with respective bodies as the mobile personal medical devices move within an environment, aggregating the individual syndromes at the remote aggregation system, and determining whether an environmental syndrome exists for at least some of the individual syndromes. Related systems and computer program products are also disclosed.
Abstract:
High dynamic range imaging includes creating a high dynamic range image file for a subject image captured from a first angle. The high dynamic range image file is created by an image capturing device and is stored on the image capturing device. High dynamic range imaging also includes receiving, at the image capturing device over a communications network, a second high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from a second angle. The second high dynamic range image file is subject to an authorization requirement. High dynamic range imaging further includes creating, by the image capturing device, a composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of both of the high dynamic range image files, and generating, by the first image capturing device, a three-dimensional high dynamic range image from the composite high dynamic range image file.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method for prioritizing communications between devices are provided. According to one aspect, an interface device for providing communications between at least one source device and at least one destination device comprises an input, logic, and an output. The input of the interface device receives data in a first format from the source device. The logic identifies the destination device for receiving the data. The logic then identifies a second format compatible with the destination device and translates the data from the first format to the second format. Transmission of the translated data is then prioritized by the logic based on characteristics of the translated data, which may include the format of the translated data or a service plan associated with the destination device or source device. The translated data is then transmitted to the identified destination device via the output.