Cell phones and other portable devices are equipped with a variety of technologies by which existing functionality can be improved, and new functionality can be provided. Some relate to visual search capabilities, and determining appropriate actions responsive to different image inputs. Others relate to processing of image data. Still others concern metadata generation, processing, and representation. Yet others relate to coping with fixed focus limitations of cell phone cameras, e.g., in reading digital watermark data. Still others concern user interface improvements. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Methods and Systems for Content Processing

Systems and methods for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors, as well as systems and methods for using this information for a plurality of useful purposes, are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed. This information is then used to support a variety of useful methods, such as clinical trials, marketing studies, biofeedback, entertainment, and others.

Physiological and environmental monitoring systems and methods

A portable electronic device displays a plurality of icons (e.g., graphical objects) in a region in a touch-sensitive display; detects a predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and varies positions of one or more icons in the plurality of icons in response to detecting the predefined user action. The varying includes varying the positions of the one or more icons about respective average positions.

Portable electronic device with interface reconfiguration mode

System for monitoring and managing body weight and other physiological conditions including iterative and personalized planning, intervention and reporting capability

Individuals share music through portable audio devices (100) that synchronously play music by transmitting music signals from one device (unit A) to the other (unit B). Upon request, other individuals can join such a sharing group as a member, and these new members can either be accepted automatically, or through voting by existing group members. So that members of a group can converse, the fraction of ambient sound admitted by the earphones of the portable device (100) can be manually set. In order to enhance the enjoyment of the music, wearable transducers (240, 250, 260), such as light emitting diodes, respond to signals related to the beat of the music. Signals can be automatically generated, or manually specified, and signals thereafter stored for playback with the music to which it is related. Wearable transducers associated with individuals at a large music event can be set to receive common signals such that the transducers (240, 250, 260) respond in synchrony with one another.

Localized audio networks and associated digital accessories

A system, method and computer program for paginating information received from a content provider so that it may be displayed on any type of user terminal having any size screen and having different types of mechanisms for input of information. This system has a pagination and terminal adaptation module which will calculate the space needed by element to be displayed on a user terminal. The pagination and terminal adaptation module will then determine if sufficient space exists on the user terminal screen to display the element. When sufficient space does not exist on the user terminal screen then the pagination and terminal adaptation module will resize the element when possible in order to make it fit. The pagination and terminal adaptation module accesses a database of user terminal profile information to determine the characteristics of the user terminal as well as the screen size. This system further is able to transmit information in a continuous stream to the user terminal or as a single element that will only update a portion of the user terminal screen. Using this system a user is able to access web site pages regardless of the type of terminal being used and no matter how small the screen size is.

System and method for content adaptation and pagination based on terminal capabilities

A system for issuing electronic coupons. A master coupon is provided by a service which may be copied by customers and placed into their individual electronic wallets. The coupons may have a variable benefit or value which may be established by a variety of parameters. The parameters include a set time period, certain action by the customer, the purchase of specific items, the purchase of specific dollar values, or external parameters such as the score in a baseball game. The coupons may be transferred or recopied by the customer as desired. The customer may gain additional benefits by recopying the coupons to others.

Electronic coupon system

The present invention is a system and method for collecting transaction data. A system for collecting transaction data in accordance with the invention includes at least one transaction provider (12) which provides at least an electronic receipt of financial transactions offered by each transaction provider; at least one user device (14), in communication with each transaction provider, which provides to each transaction provider a selection by a user of the user device of an offered financial transaction and in response to receipt of an acceptance of the financial transaction recorded in the received electronic receipt; and at least one user information system (18), coupled to at least one of the at least one transaction provider or the at least one user device, which stores at least electronic receipts which are received from the at least one user device or the at least one transaction provider which are verified by the user information system to have been accepted by the user of the user device. At least one intermediate service provider (20) may be coupled to the at least one transaction provider processes information relating to the accepted financial transactions transmitted to the at least one intermediate service provider to produce processed information pertaining to the accepted financial transactions.

System and method for collecting financial transaction data

A mobile station has a processor and a user input mechanism such as a button that is operable to cause the processor to extract at least one feature from a digital media sample. The feature, such as a spectral centroid, is descriptive of an identity of a content of the media sample. Preferably, the same user input that causes the feature extraction also causes a transmitter to establish a link and to send a message to a network address, the message having a plurality of extracted features from which the digital media sample may not be reconstructed. Where a reply message identifies a media file that matches the media sample, another user input at the same or a different button causes an authorization message to be sent so that a copy of the media file, identified in the reply message and having features that exactly match the plurality of extracted and transmitted features, is downloaded to the mobile station.

Mobile station and interface adapted for feature extraction from an input media sample

A system and a method for modifying the behavioral characteristics of a mobile station terminal according to a functional location. A small transmitter, or button, which utilizes short range radio transmissions is used to define a functional location. The button is identified with particular functions using a device ID. In some of the disclosed embodiments, the button transmits the device ID continuously. In some other disclosed embodiments, the button transmission is triggered by a mobile station in proximity to the button. In some of the disclosed embodiments, the mobile station can store a mapping of device IDs to particular behaviors (or functions). In some other disclosed embodiments, the mobile station can request and receive a set of behaviors based on the device ID from a server attached to a telecommunications network. In some of the disclosed embodiments, receipt of a device ID can trigger a remote set of behaviors via a telecommunications network.

Mikko Makipaa

Papers

System and method for content adaptation and pagination based on terminal capabilities

Electronic coupon system

System and method for collecting financial transaction data

Mobile station and interface adapted for feature extraction from an input media sample

System for location specific, automatic mobile station behavior control