Relevant geospatial data is provided to a portable device. In particular, several activity detection results collected over a period of time, spanning several time intervals, are received, where each activity detection result provides an estimate of the portable device activity, and where the activity detection results indicate at least two different activities. A single predominant activity of the portable device is determined using the activity detection results. Based on the predominant activity, geospatial data is selected and then provided to the portable device.

A user terminal for providing personalized advertisement in cooperation with a smart card supporting a smart card web server function, the user terminal comprising a processor performing: a message processing module to send a request for the personalized advertisement to the smart card when a messaging service is received, and request download of advertisement contents based on a location of the advertisement contents received from the smart card; and a browser to download the advertisement contents from the location of the advertisement contents and display the advertisement contents.

Techniques to verify a participant's visit to a specific location are described. An embodiment may provide a system that generates a pattern that is unique to the location, and that may further be unique to a date or time, a transaction, or other criteria. Participants may capture the pattern, for example, using a mobile device, and transmit the pattern to a verification system. The verification system may decode, translate, decrypt or otherwise obtain information from the pattern. The information obtained from the pattern may be used to verify that the pattern came from the location. The participant may then receive credit for the visit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

The disclosed methods and apparatus relate generally to the use of electronic devices to interact with electronic tags associated with objects, services, places, people, or animals (objects) in order to access programming material related to these objects. The invention discloses the input of keywords, phrases, preferences, or interests into a user's device to search a plurality of electronic tags within a given physical range to access programming material from the tagsor via data links provided in the tagsthat matches the keywords, phrases, preferences, or interests. Furthermore, the invention locates, maps, and labels the objects associated with this programming material on the user's display.

A computerized information and display apparatus useful for providing information to a user via a display. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a processor apparatus, touch screen input and display device, and speech input apparatus, and at least one computer program configured to run on the processor apparatus, the at least one program being configured to enable an user to intuitively operate the apparatus to rapidly converge on a desired organization or entity which they wish to locate, via speech input of only a name or a part of a name. The information and display apparatus is particularly useful in time-pressured mobile transport vehicle environments, and when the user is unfamiliar with the operation of the apparatus.

Methods, systems, charge units, computer readable media, and combinations thereof are provided. One example method includes receiving data, at a server, indicative that a user account has accessed a charging unit for charging an electric vehicle. The charging unit has an indicator that identifies an active charging status while the electric vehicle is connected to the charging unit for charging a battery of the electric vehicle using the charging unit. The charging unit is configured to identify a complete charging status when the electric vehicle is finished charging said battery using the charging unit. The method includes receiving data, at the server, indicative of a status of charge of the electric vehicle during the charging. Sending a notification to a device having access to the user account, regarding said status of charge during the charging of the electric vehicle. The notification identifies a current level of charge of the battery of the electric vehicle and optionally an estimate of a time remaining to finish charging the battery of the electric vehicle. The method includes receiving an instruction, from the device, to maintain the electric vehicle connected to the charging unit for a set period of time after the battery of the electric vehicle is finished charging. The server is configured to sends data to the charge unit to allow the electric vehicle to maintain connected to the charging unit even when the battery of electric vehicle has reached the complete charging status.

A method includes receiving a search query from a user device and identifying function records using the search query. Each function record includes an application access mechanism (AAM) and application state information (ASI). The AAM includes a reference to a native application and indicates one or more operations for the application to perform. The ASI describes a state of the application after the application has performed the operations. Identifying the function records may be based on matches between terms of the search query and terms of the ASI included in the function records. The techniques further include selecting AAMs from the identified function records and identifying one or more AAMs of the selected AAMs that are compatible with the user device. The techniques also include transmitting the identified AAMs to the user device and refraining from transmitting any of the selected AAMs that are not compatible with the user device.

A communications system includes a plurality of recipient processors located at geographically remote locations with respect to each other and connected for communication with an information provider processor, over the communications network. The provider and recipient processors may comprise respective computers coupled for communication on the Internet or WWW. The provider processor is capable of providing information from any suitable source, by communicating such information over a communications network. However, access to the information by the recipient processors is controlled, based on the geographic location or region of the recipient processors. Each recipient processor is operably associated with a positioning system for providing geographic location information corresponding to the location or region in which the positioning system is located, such as a global positioning system GPS. The geographic position information is used to determine whether or not the processor requesting the information is within a restricted (or limited) or non-restricted region. This determination may be made comparing the geographic information provided by the recipient processor and positioning system with a list of non-restricted or non-limited (or a list of restricted or limited) geographic locations or regions.

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices. To charge, the machines employ electrical current from an external source. As demand at individual collection, charging and distribution machines increases or decreases relative to other collection, charging and distribution machines, a distribution management system initiates redistribution of portable electrical energy storage devices from one collection, charging and distribution machine to another collection, charging and distribution machine in an expeditious manner. Also, redeemable incentives are offered to users to return or exchange their portable electrical energy storage devices at selected collection, charging and distribution machines within the network to effect the redistribution.

A computer-implemented method receiving receives information describing a current or future activity from a user of a computing system via a mobile device. The current activity is an activity occurring at a current time when the information is received, while the future activity is an activity occurring at a future time relative to a time when the information is received. The method transmits the information describing the current or future activity to a backend database coupled to the Internet and remote from the mobile device. The information describing the current or future activity is accessible to at least one recipient having access privilege to information associated with the user and describing the current or future activity via the Internet.