International Business Machines Corporation

Ebay, Incorporated

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

International Business Machines Cirporation

Newton James Smith, Jr

Herman Rodriguez

Clifford Jay Spinac

Michael A Paolini

Michael Wayne Brown

Maria Azua Himmel

Rabindranath Dutta

Cornell G Wright, Jr

Herman Rodriquez

Frank Eliot Levine

James Patrick Bowman

Marilyn Diane Smith Dawkins

Viktors Berstis

Randolph Michael Forlenza

Richard Scott Schwerdtfeger

Michael Pierre Carlson

Jonathan Mark Wagner

Michael Aaron Kaply

Linda Arnold Lisle

Benjamin Andrew Himmel

Gary G Allran

An apparatus and method for establishing a communication connection between a first party and a second party using a secured communication connection object are provided. With the apparatus and method, a first party generates the secured communication connection object by setting parameters identifying and limiting the use of the secured communication connection object for establishing communication connections with the first party. These parameters are encapsulated with contact information for the first party such that the contact information is encrypted. The resulting secured communication connection object is then transmitted to a second party's communication device. When the second party wishes to establish a communication connection with the first party, the secured communication connection object is accessed in memory using information obtained from the object registry, the contact information is decrypted, and a communication unit is provided with the contact information for establishing a communication connection.

Providing secured communication connections using a secured communication connection object

Methods, systems, and media for processing and clearing a check are disclosed. Embodiments include hardware and/or software for generating an e-check in response to receipt of a paper check, by which a merchant performs the manual data entry for the merchant, the merchant's bank, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the purchaser's bank clearing procedures. The paper check is electronically scanned at the point of sale (POS) terminal to create a check object (the 'e-check') that contains the binary data of the check information, a scanned image of the paper check, and identification data from the purchaser. Then, the check object is submitted to the check writer's, or purchaser's bank, for automated clearing without having to process the physical document any further.

E-check and e-commerce

A method, system, and program for providing consumer healthy habits incentives are provided. A consumable item, consumed by an individual, is detected. A health factor is detected for the consumable item. An electronic incentive is selected for the individual according to the health factor, such that the individual is encouraged to consume a healthy selection of consumable items. An electronic incentive may be further specified according to the personal health history, exercise history and consumption history of an individual.

Providing consumers with incentives for healthy eating habits

A method, system, and program for indicating a reaction response associated with the content of a communication to provide a context for the communication are provided. The content of a communication and the reaction responses to a communication provide the context for a communication. Varying portions of the content of a communication are analyzed to identify a particular reaction response associated with each of the varying portions of content. During a display of the content of the communication, a color within any of the varying portions indicates the associated reaction response. A reaction response may indicate a sender's intended response or an anticipated or actual response of a recipient. The colors may be added to a proposed communication and edited by a sender to achieve a particular desired response.

Indicating the context of a communication

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable code for shredding objects. The apparatus has a number of components including a receptacle that is configured to receive objects. A shredding unit is connected to the receptacle, wherein the shredding unit selectively destroys the objects placed into the receptacle. An object detector is used to detect the presence of an object in the receptacle. An object identifier identifies objects placed into the receptacle. The apparatus also has a memory and a connector. The connector is used to establish a communications link with a data processing system. A controller in the apparatus stores identifications of objects identified by the object identifier in the memory and sends a signal to the shredding unit to control shredding of the objects.

Document destruction management

The present invention is directed to a multi-way connection management (MWCM) system for monitoring and maintaining call connections among a group of participating parties. The multi-way call connection may be established by connecting the originating party and the desired participating parties. Once a multi-way call connection is established, the multi-way call connection may be maintained until the originating party desires to terminate the call. Any disconnected party may rejoin the multi-way call by an automatic redial performed by the MWCM system. Additionally, the originating party may provide a call continuation period of the multi-way call when the originating party can rejoin the multi-way call. In this manner, other participating parties may stay in the multi-way call during the provided period without the originating party being connected. Advantageously, the originating party may save the time and effort of repeating a tedious process (by calling all other participating parties) to establish a multi-way call.

Multi-way call connection management system

A secondary player receives a wireless broadcast of an electronic work from a primary player. Responsive to a playback of the electronic work from the secondary player, the secondary player requires a recipient of the electronic work to rate the electronic work. Responsive to the recipient rating the electronic work or an automatic rating selection made based on the recipient's preferences, the options available to the recipient may be dynamically adjusted.

Responding to recipient rated wirelessly broadcast electronic works

A second player detects a first player locally broadcasting an electronic work. The second player accepts a distribution cookie from the first player at the second player with the broadcast of the electronic work. The second player updates the distribution cookie with tracking information about the broadcast of the electronic work to the second player. The second player updates the distribution cookie with a plurality of electronic work ratings of a plurality of electronic works by a recipient at the second player. The second player, responsive to detecting a network connection provides the distribution cookie to a tracking server enabled to analyze the distribution cookie.

Tracking locally broadcast electronic works

A particular consumable item, purchased by an individual for potential consumption, is detected. Separate health index values each associated with a separate one of multiple health index components are determined for consumption of the particular consumable item. At least one electronic incentive for the individual is selected based on the separate health index values matching at least one health index value requirement specified in a database of electronic incentives.

A computer implemented method for object destruction. An object is detected in a receptacle and identified. Based on the type of object identified, the object may be destroyed in a shredder and a confirmation of the destruction of the object is recorded for reference. The object may also be directed to a secure bin where it will not be destroyed.

Creating a dynamic food order for a traveler is provided. A food order is received from the traveler. A determination is made as to whether a real-time itinerary for the traveler has changed. In response to a change in the real-time itinerary, the food order is adjusted based on the real-time itinerary and preferences stored in the traveler's profile to form an adjusted food order.

Dynamic food orders during travel

Embodiments include hardware and/or software for receiving an electronic receipt from a merchant that describes a transaction for a product by a purchaser and gathering product information from one or more sources such as the merchant, the product's manufacturer, the purchaser's bank, and/or an accessories dealer. Upon gathering the product information, the product information is associated with the transaction for the product on the electronic receipt and packaged in a standard, electronic format, an aggregated package, that is accessible and manageable by the purchaser's software, such as a personal finance manager (PFM) like Quicken&#x2122;, Quickbooks&#x2122;, Microsoft Money&#x2122;, or the like. The aggregated package can then be sent to the purchaser via an email address supplied by the purchaser at the time of the purchaser or by the purchaser's bank while completing a funds transfer for the transaction.

E-commerce transaction and product information aggregation and processing

A method, system, and program for providing consumer healthy habits incentives are provided. A consumable item, consumed by an individual, is detected. A health factor is detected for the consumable item. An electronic incentive is selected for the individual according to the health factor, such that the individual is encouraged to consume a healthy selection of consumable items. An electronic incentive may be further specified according to the individual health history, exercise history and consumption history of an individual.

A method, system, and program for responding to recipient ratings of wirelessly broadcast electronic works are provided. A secondary player receives a wireless broadcast of an electronic work from a primary player. Next, responsive to a playback of the electronic work from the secondary player, the secondary player requires a recipient of the electronic work to rate the electronic work. Then, responsive to the recipient rating the electronic work or an automatic rating selection made based on the recipient's preferences, the options available to the recipient may be dynamically adjusted. First, responsive to the recipient rating the electronic work with a favorable rating, the secondary player triggers a purchase offer for the electronic work when the secondary player is connected to a network providing access to a purchase server. Second, responsive to the recipient rating the electronic work, the secondary player transfers the rating to the primary player, such that the primary player is enabled to dynamically adjust a next electronic work selection for broadcast based on the rating for the previously broadcast electronic work.

A method, system, and program for tracking locally broadcast electronic works are provided. According to one aspect of the invention, a sending player locally broadcasts an electronic work. In particular, the local broadcast may be a wireless broadcast creating an ad-hoc radio system. At least one recipient player receives the localized broadcast of the electronic work and accepts a distribution cookie for tracking distribution of the electronic work. The at least one recipient player updates the distribution cookie with tracking information about the broadcast of the electronic work, including ratings by users at the second player and purchase of the broadcast electronic work. Each of the at least one recipient players may in turn become a sending player that broadcasts the electronic work to other recipient players and requires the other recipient players to accept a copy of the distribution cookie updated by the second player. Then, responsive to detecting a network connection to a statistics server, the at least one recipient player provides the distribution cookie to the statistics server, such that localized broadcast distribution of the electronic work is tracked.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Newton James Smith, Jr