Author: claimsbot

1. A package receptacle system comprising:
a container having an interior storage compartment sized to receive a package too large to fit within a standard mailbox, the container having a lower floor adapted for supporting a package placed in the interior storage compartment, sidewalls extending upward from the lower floor, and an access to the interior storage compartment defined by upper ends of the sidewalls;
an upper lid pivotally attached to the container for closing the access when in a closed position;
means hanging from the upper lid for inhibiting rain from entering the interior storage compartment when the upper lid is in a non-closed position;
raised features on the floor of the container for supporting a package placed within the interior storage compartment above moisture if present on the floor; and
means for indicating at least one of a recipient’s address, a package within the interior storage compartment for pickup by a delivery service, and receipt of a package within the interior storage compartment from a delivery service.
2. The package receptacle system according to claim 1, further comprising means for attaching the container to a mailbox post.
3. The package receptacle system according to claim 1, wherein the raised features comprise an alternating pattern of ramps inclined toward each other.
4. The package receptacle system according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means is mounted on the upper lid of the container.
5. The package receptacle system according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means comprises both means for indicating the recipient’s address and means for indicating a package within the interior storage compartment for pickup by a delivery service.
6. The package receptacle system according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means comprises a member on which address identification information can be placed.
7. The package receptacle system according to claim 6, wherein the member is pivotally attached to the upper lid of the container and when in a raised position relative to the upper lid indicates that a package is within the interior storage compartment for pickup by a delivery service.
8. The package receptacle system according to claim 1, wherein the inhibiting means comprises a flexible curtain attached to the upper lid.
9. The package receptacle system according to claim 8, wherein the curtain is attached to the upper lid so as to hang within and be entirely contained by the interior storage compartment when the upper lid is in the closed position.
10. A package receptacle system according to claim 1, further comprising means for draining the interior storage compartment.
11. A package receptacle system according to claim 1, further comprising a pouch attached to at least one of the sidewalls for receiving a package.
12. A package receptacle system according to claim 11, wherein the pouch is sized to suspend a package received therein above the floor of the interior storage compartment.
13. A package receptacle system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one panel and means on an exterior surface of at least one of the sidewalls for removably receiving the panel.
14. A package receptacle system according to claim 13, wherein the receiving means comprises a recessed surface region on the at least one sidewall and means for securing the panel within the recessed surface region.
15. A package receptacle system comprising:
a container having an interior storage compartment sized to receive a package too large to fit within a standard mailbox, the container having a lower floor adapted for supporting a package placed in the interior storage compartment, sidewalls extending upward from the lower floor, and an access to the interior storage compartment defined by upper ends of the sidewalls;
means for attaching the container to a mailbox post and configured to accommodate mailbox posts of different cross-sections;
an upper lid pivotally attached to the container for closing the access when in a closed position, the upper lid being non-horizontal when in the closed position;
a flexible curtain hanging from the upper lid for inhibiting rain from entering the interior storage compartment when the upper lid is in a non-closed position;
raised features on the floor of the container for supporting a package placed within the interior storage compartment above moisture if present on the floor;
means for indicating an address; and
means for indicating a package within the interior storage compartment for pickup by a delivery service.
16. The package receptacle system according to claim 15, wherein the raised features comprise an alternating pattern of ramps inclined toward each other.
17. The package receptacle system according to claim 15, wherein the address indicating means and the package indicating means are defined by two surfaces of a member pivotally mounted to the upper lid of the container, the member conceals the package indicating means when in a lowered position relative to the upper lid, and the member exposes the package indicating means when in a raised position relative to the upper lid.
18. The package receptacle system according to claim 15, wherein the curtain is attached to the upper lid so as to hang within and be entirely contained by the interior storage compartment when the upper lid is in the closed position.
19. A package receptacle system according to claim 15, further comprising a pouch attached to at least one of the sidewalls for receiving a package, the pouch being sized to suspend a package received therein above the floor of the interior storage compartment.
20. A package receptacle system according to claim 15, further comprising at least one panel, a recessed surface region on an exterior surface of at least one of the sidewalls, and means for securing the panel within the recessed surface region.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A network security device comprising:
an interface configured to receive a packet flow;
a control unit configured to receive a security policy to control access by the packet flow to a network, wherein the security policy includes:
(a) match criteria that include a static port list of one or more layer four ports for a transport-layer protocol and a type of layer seven application, and
(b) actions to be applied to packet flows that match the match criteria; and

a rules engine of the control unit configured to dynamically identify a type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow by inspecting application-layer data within payloads of packets of the packet flow and without basing the identification solely on a layer four port specified by headers within the packets,
wherein the rules engine is further configured to determine whether the dynamically identified type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow matches the type of layer seven application of the security policy,
wherein the rules engine is further configured to apply the security policy to determine whether the packet flow matches a layer four port in the static port list of the match criteria of the security policy, and
wherein the rules engine is further configured to, upon determining that the packet flow matches a layer four port of the static port list and upon determining the dynamically identified type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow matches the type of layer seven application of the security policy, applies the actions of the security policy to the packet flow.
2. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the rules engine is further configured to dynamically identify the type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow by performing deep packet inspection and signature-based application identification.
3. The network security device of claim 2, wherein the rules engine is further configured to dynamically identify the type of layer seven application using the layer four port specified by the headers within the packets to select a set of patterns to apply for the signature-based application identification.
4. The network security device of claim 1, further comprising:
a flow analysis module configured to analyze packet headers of packets in the packet flow to identify the layer four ports for a transport layer protocol associated with the packet flow; and
a flow table, wherein the flow analysis module and the rules engine are further configured to modify the flow table to store the identified layer seven application associated with the packet flow and the layer four ports for the transport layer protocol associated with the packet flow.
5. The network security device of claim 1, further comprising a management module that presents a user interface to receive configuration information that defines the security policy.
6. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the match criteria further includes a network source, and further comprising:
a query module configured to identify a network source associated with a received packet flow by querying a domain controller with a source Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the packet flow to obtain one of a user or a user role associated with the source IP address,
wherein the rules engine applies the actions of the security policy to the packet flow by applying the actions of the security policy to the packet flow upon determining the user or user role associated with the source IP address matches the network source defined by the security policy.
7. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the match criteria of the security policy further includes a network destination, wherein the network destination is defined as one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and an output zone that defines one or more output interfaces of the network security device.
8. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the match criteria of the security policy further includes a network source defined by the security policy in terms of one of a user and a user role.
9. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the match criteria of the security policy further includes a network destination, wherein the network destination is defined as one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and an output zone that defines one or more output interfaces of the network security device.
10. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the security policy defines the one or more layer four ports for the transport-layer protocol as a range of layer four ports.
11. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the rules engine dynamically creates a new security policy that includes:
(a) match criteria that include a layer four port for the transport-layer protocol that is not one of the one or more layer four ports of the static port list of the match criteria of the security policy and that also include the type of layer seven application, and
(b) actions to be applied to packet flows that match the match criteria, wherein the actions allow access to the network by a matching packet flow within a defined time period on a different layer four port than any of the one or more layer four ports of the static port list of the match criteria of the security policy,
wherein the rules engine is further configured to, upon determining that the packet flow matches the layer four port of the new security policy, apply the actions of the new security policy to the packet flow.
12. The network security device of claim 1, wherein the actions to be applied include logging one or more of: whether a matching packet flow was allowed or denied, the identity of the user that was allowed or denied, the type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow, a layer four port associated with the packet flow, and a timestamp indicating when a matching packet flow was detected.
13. A method comprising:
by a network security device configured to control access to a network, receiving a security policy that includes:
(a) match criteria that include a static port list of one or more layer four ports for a transport-layer protocol and a type of layer seven application, and
(b) actions to be applied to packet flows that match the match criteria;

by the network security device, receiving a packet flow;
by the network security device, dynamically identifying a type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow by inspecting application-layer data within payloads of packets of the packet flow and without basing the identification solely on a layer four port specified by headers within the packets;
by the network security device, determining whether the dynamically identified type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow matches the type of layer seven application of the security policy;
by the network security device, applying the security policy to determine whether the packet flow matches a layer four port in the static port list of the match criteria of the security policy; and
by the network security device and upon determining that the packet flow matches a layer four port of the static port list and upon determining the dynamically identified type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow matches the type of layer seven application of the security policy, applying the actions of the security policy to the packet flow.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein dynamically identifying the type of layer seven application associated with the received packet flow by inspecting application-layer data comprises performing deep packet inspection and signature-based application identification to dynamically identify the type of layer seven application.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
analyzing, by the network security device, packet headers of packets in the packet flow to identify the layer four ports for a transport layer protocol associated with the packet flow; and
modifying, by the network security device, a flow table to store the identified layer seven application and layer four ports associated with the packet flow.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the match criteria of the security policy further includes a network destination, wherein the network destination is defined as one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and an output zone that defines one or more output interfaces of the network security device.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the match criteria of the security policy further includes a network source defined by the security policy in terms of one of a user and a user role, the method further comprising:
identifying a network source associated with a received packet flow by querying a domain controller with a source Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the packet flow to obtain one of a user or a user role associated with the source IP address,
wherein applying the actions of the security policy to the packet flow further comprises applying the actions of the security policy to the packet flow upon determining the user or user role associated with the source IP address matches the network source defined by the security policy.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
dynamically creating, by the network security device, a new security policy that includes:
(a) match criteria that include a layer four port for the transport-layer protocol that is not one of the one or more layer four ports of the static port list of the match criteria of the security policy and that also include the type of layer seven application, and
(b) actions to be applied to packet flows that match the match criteria, wherein the actions allow access to the network by a matching packet flow within a defined time period on a different layer four port than any of the one or more layer four ports of the static port list of the match criteria of the security policy; and
by the network security device and upon determining that the packet flow matches the layer four port of the new security policy, applying the actions of the new security policy to the packet flow.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the actions to be applied include logging one or more of: whether a matching packet flow was allowed or denied, the identity of the user that was allowed or denied, the type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow, a layer four port associated with the packet flow, and a timestamp indicating when a matching packet flow was detected.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing one or more programmable processors to:
by a network security device configured to control access to a network, receive a security policy that includes:
(a) match criteria that include a static port list of one or more layer four ports for a transport-layer protocol and a type of layer seven application, and
(b) actions to be applied to packet flows that match the match criteria;

by the network security device, receive a packet flow;
by the network security device, dynamically identify a type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow by inspecting application-layer data within payloads of packets of the packet flow and without basing the identification solely on a layer four port specified by headers within the packets;
by the network security device, determine whether the dynamically identified type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow matches the type of layer seven application of the security policy;
by the network security device, apply the security policy to determine whether the packet flow matches a layer four port in the static port list of the match criteria of the security policy; and
by the network security device and upon determining that the packet flow matches a layer four port of the static port list and upon determining the dynamically identified type of layer seven application associated with the packet flow matches the type of layer seven application of the security policy, apply the actions of the security policy to the packet flow.

1. Apparatus for initiating a call trace in a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:
a network monitoring and analysis (NMA) system to communicate with central offices of the telecommunications network; and
a display device coupled with the NMA system to display in a web browser program an initial web page arranged to collect data to establish the call trace.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a log on data entry screen displayed with the initial web page on the display device.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the NMA system is configured to:
collect information entered at the log on data entry screen; and

send messages to central offices of the telecommunications system based on the collected information.
4. Apparatus for initiating a call trace in a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:
a network monitoring and analysis (NMA) system to communicate with central offices of the telecommunications network;
a display device coupled with the NMA system to display in a web browser program an initial web page arranged to collect data to establish the call trace; and
a log on data entry screen displayed with the initial web page on the display device, wherein the NMA system is configured to:
collect information entered at the log on data entry screen; and
send messages to central offices of the telecommunications system based on the collected information; and
send the messages according to category of each central office, the central offices being categorized according to telephone technology employed in the central offices.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the NMA system is further configured to:
identify an office type for each central office; and
format the messages in accordance with each respective office type.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the NMA system is further configured to:
collect a telephone number on which a trace is to be placed.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the NMA system is further configured to:
collect geographic information defining a geographic area to be monitored.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the NMA system is further configured to:
collect one geographic area selected by a user from a plurality of geographic areas offered to the user in the web browser program.
9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein collecting information comprises:
collect login information and password information.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the call trace causes initiation of a message when an incoming call is made to a traced number.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A recycle information system comprising:
a first device having first storage means in the control station for monitoring production part information for parts currently in use or scheduled for use by the manufacturing plant and maintenance service, and first information processing means capable of sending information over a communication line, and
a second device having second storage means for storing recovered part information for parts to be recovered from the machine for recycling, information transfer instruction means for requesting the transfer of production part information from the control station, comparison means for comparing said recovered part information with said production part information, and second information processing means for sending information over a communication line,
wherein said first device and said second device are connected by a communication line, and said recovered part information and said production part information are mutually exchanged between said first device and said second device.
2. A recycle information system according to claim 1, wherein when said information transfer instruction means is operated, said second device requests the sending of said production part information to said first device, and when said production part information is received, the received said production part information is compared with the recovered part information stored in said second storage means, and information showing the comparison results is appended to said recovered part information.
3. A recycle information system according to claim 2, wherein said first device comprises an information input means for constantly updating said production part information stored in said first storage means.
4. A recycle information system according to claim 2, wherein an information showing said comparison results is contained on a tag showing said recovered part is capable of being reused, as well as a tag showing said recovered part is not capable of being reused.
5. A recycle information system according to claim 2, wherein said second device contains an image forming apparatus.
6. A recycle information system according to claim 5, wherein said image forming apparatus prints comparison results from said comparison means onto a recording medium by utilizing an image forming means in said image forming apparatus.
7. A recycle information system comprising:
a first device having first memory device for storing a first part information showing parts in use or parts scheduled for use by a manufacturing plant or maintenance service, and transmission device for sending a first part information by way of a communication line, and
a second device having second memory device for storing second part information showing parts used in said second device, receiving device for receiving said first part information from said first device, and comparison device for comparing said first part information and said second part information,
wherein information can be transferred between said first device and said second device over a communications line.
8. A recycle information system according to claim 7, wherein said second device includes a command device for commanding receiving of said first part information by user operation.
9. A recycle information system according to claim 8, wherein said receiving device requests the sending of said first part information to said first device when commanded by said command device.
10. A recycle information system according to claim 7, wherein said second device appends the comparison results from said comparison device to a second part information stored in said second memory device.
11. A recycle information system according to claim 7, wherein said first device updates first part information based on externally input information.
12. A recycle information system according to claim 7, wherein said comparison device determines whether or not each recovered part is reusable.
13. A recycle information system according to claim 7, wherein said second device further comprises an image forming apparatus.
14. A recycle information system according to claim 13, wherein said image forming device prints the comparison results from said comparison device on a recording medium.
15. An image forming apparatus connected by way of a communication line to a control device storing a first part information showing parts in use or parts scheduled for use by a manufacturing plant or maintenance service, comprising:
a memory device for storing a second part information showing parts used in said image forming device,
a receiving device for receiving a first part information from said control device, and
a comparison device for comparing said first part information and said second part information.
16. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:
a command device for commanding the receiving of said first part information by user operation.
17. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said receiving device requests said first part information to said first device when commanded by said command device.
18. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein results of comparison by said comparison device are appended to said second part information stored in said memory device.
19. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said comparison device determines whether or not each recovered part is reusable.
20. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image forming apparatus prints the comparison results by said comparison device on a recording medium.