Lucent Technologies Inc.

At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

At&t Ipm Corp.

David M Claus

Kevin D Murphy

Wanda Green Thompson

Burt Joseph Bossi

Roy S Coutinho

John C Moran

Kenneth R Zempol

Marjorie E Taylor

Douglas R White

James D Snavley

A communications system is designed to allow sound-impaired persons to communicate with sound-unimpaired individuals via the Internet. When a sound-impaired person at a Text Teletypewriter (TTY) terminal initiates a call that is destined for a sound-unimpaired person, the communications system ascertains whether the sound unimpaired person is currently using the Internet and, if so, automatically completes the call over the Internet and the communications system without the help of any communications assistant.

Automated communications assistant for the sound-impaired

Systems and methods for providing secure smart card transactions are disclosed. Smart cards are arranged in a smart card hierarchy, the hierarchy including a first smart card at a first hierarchical level and a second smart card at a second hierarchical level higher than the first hierarchical level. A smart card reader is equipped to read smart cards and to accept personal identification (PIN) number inputs. According to one embodiment, a first PIN number is stored on the first smart card, the first PIN number corresponding to the first hierarchical level. A first security key is also stored on the first smart card. A second PIN number is stored on the second smart card, the second PIN number corresponding to the second hierarchical level. A second security key is stored on the second smart card. The PIN numbers and security keys are used to selectively lock and/or unlock a smart card.

Secure money transfer techniques using hierarchical arrangement of smart

A smart card that allows for the categorization of expenses at the time they are incurred and the automatic generation and storage of information concerning the date, payee, and amount of the transaction. A single smart card is utilized to record and categorize transactions as they occur by transaction identities. These transaction identities are business or personal classification, cash, check, or credit card type transactions, and expense categories. The smart card has a alphanumeric display and a keyboard for selecting the class, type, and category. These items are selected by the entry of numbers on the keyboard but textual information is displayed to identify these items in response to the entered numbers. A program in a personal computer is used to specify the class, type, and categories along with the textual information in the smart card via a smart card reader. These specifications correspond to a spreadsheet that has been entered on the personal computer by the user of the smart card. The personal computer loads the textual information defining the class, type, and category into the smart card so that it corresponds to the titles of the entries on the spreadsheet.

Smart card for automatic financial records

A smart card that is responsive to a list of items with individual prices that are received from a point of sale (POS) terminal during an individual transaction to automatically insert these items into expense categories. A personal computer later retrieves these categories and associated information and inserts the information into a spreadsheet. The microprocessor in the smart card relies on stored tables defining commonly used item designations and a table that defines definitions based on an ongoing learning process by the microprocessor in conjunction with the personal computer.

Categorization of purchased items for each transaction by a smart card

Systems and methods for providing secure electronic financial transactions are disclosed. Money is electronically stored on a plurality of smart cards. At least one smart card is equipped with an electronic security wall having a closed state and an open state. In the closed state, the smart card is disabled from participating in at least one financial transaction, and in the open state, the smart card may participate in at least one financial transaction. At least one smart card is equipped with at least one of a first security key for changing the state of the electronic security wall from the open state to the closed state, and a second security key for changing the state of the electronic security wall from the closed state to the open state. Financial transactions include, for example, electronically transferring money between a bank center and a smart card; electronically transferring money between the first and second smart cards; checking the amount of money stored on a smart card; and adding interest to the amount of money stored on the smart card.

Secure money transfer techniques using smart cards

A secure toll payment system is realized by transmitting a changeable encryption code from roadside equipment at a toll plaza to a moving vehicle. Thereafter, the moving vehicle uses it to encrypt payment information according to the Data Encryption Standard algorithm. The moving vehicle transmits the encrypted payment information to the roadside equipment which performs a credit or debit transaction. Because the encryption code changes from time to time, so too does the nature of the signal which is transmitted by the vehicle; and fraud, based on electronic eavesdropping, is substantially eliminated. The encryption code comprises an 8-bit random number and a time/date number. Vehicle-mounted apparatus includes a transponder unit and a portable smart card which inserts therein. The roadside equipment includes a pair of spaced-apart antennas that are sequentially located along an express payment lane at a toll plaza and a computer (Plaza Server) which controls them.

Secure toll collection system for moving vehicles

An improved security system, including a protable smart card and a host computer, eliminates the need for the computer to store individual personal identification (ID) numbers for each user seeking access to the computer. Instead, the computer stores a first encryption algorithm E.sub.1 used in converting a particular identification number (ID).sub.n into a secret code S.sub.n for that particular user. S.sub.n also exists within the memory of the smart card having been loaded into its memory at the time of issue. A challenge number C is generated by the computer and transmitted to the smart card. Within the smart card and the computer, microprocessors respond to the challenge number C, the secret code S.sub.n, and a second encryption algorithm E.sub.2 in order to generate response numbers R.sub.n and R.sub.n ' respectively. Thereafter, R.sub.n is transmitted to the computer where it is compared with R.sub.n '. A favorable comparison is necessary for gaining access to the computer.

Growing community of inventors

Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

David M Claus