Abstract: A system and method for interactively evaluating energy-related investments affecting building envelope with the aid of a digital computer are provided. Obtained is a total amount of fuel purchased for a building over a set period from which an existing amount of the fuel consumed for space heating is derived. Characteristics including thermal performance and furnace and delivery efficiencies of the building for both existing and proposed equipment are obtained, including remotely controlling a heating source inside the building. The thermal performance and furnace and delivery efficiencies characteristics of the existing and proposed equipment are expressed as interrelated ratios. An amount of fuel to be consumed for space heating is evaluated as a function of the existing amount of the fuel consumed for space heating and the ratios of the existing and proposed equipment.

Abstract: Gross energy load can be determined by combining periodic net load statistics, such as provided by a power utility or energy agency, with on-site power generation, such as photovoltaic power generation, as produced over the same time period. The gross energy load provides an indication upon which other types of energy investment choices can be evaluated. These choices can include traditional energy efficiencies, such as implementing electrical efficiency measures, which includes cutting down on and avoiding wasteful energy use and switching to energy efficient fixtures, and improving the thermal efficiency and performance of a building. The choices can also include non-traditional energy efficiencies, such as replacing a gasoline-powered vehicle with an electric vehicle, fuel switching from a water heater fueled by natural gas to a heat pump water heater, and fuel switching from space heating fueled by natural gas to a heat pump space heater.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate generally to computer science, data science, software, and computer program and platform architectures, including receiving from a device geolocation data and input data, parsing the input data, evaluating the event data and the location data to generate shipment data, parsing the account to identify subscription data, selecting a sample associated with another item, the sample being selected by an adaptive distribution platform, transmitting other data to the device that renders an electronically-displayed message on an interface on the device, calling one or more data services to retrieve item data associated with the item, and generating a retrieval option associated with the item if the threshold, the query, and the additional input data indicates the device is within a numerical range of the first location or an alternative location and retrieval of the item from the first location is indicated.

Abstract: Techniques for triggering an action associated with a task items are provided. A task item associated with a triggering criterion is provided. The triggering criterion requires an occurrence of any of a plurality of communication events. The plurality of communication events includes a telephone call. In some implementations, at least two of the plurality of communication events are of different communication types. In some implementations, the different types are telephone calls, emails, and text messages. The occurrence of a first communication event of the plurality of communication events is detected. It is determined the triggering criterion is satisfied. In response to the determining, a notification associated with the task item is caused to be presented to a user of the electronic device.

Abstract: A prevention and safety management system utilizes a non-intrusive imaging sensor (e.g. surveillance cameras, smartphone cameras) and a computer vision system to record videos of workers not wearing sensors. The videos are analyzed using a deep machine learning algorithm to detect kinematic activities (set of predetermined body joint positions and angles) of the workers and recognizing various physical activities (walk/posture, lift, push, pull, reach, force, repetition, duration etc.). The measured kinematic variables are then parsed into metrics relevant to workplace ergonomics, such as number of repetitions, total distance travelled, range of motion, and the proportion of time in different posture categories. The information gathered by this system is fed into an ergonomic assessment system and is used to automatically populate exposure assessment tools and create risk assessments.

Abstract: A method involving the use of a system is disclosed. The system comprises a processor and an associated memory. The processor executes stored instructions and connects via electronic communication means to create and suggest social events with an associated list of attendees, time range, activity, and location. These events may come into being solely as a result of the system. The attendees are drawn from users with a profile comprising periods of time for which the user is available, personal interests and the identities of persons with whom the user is personally acquainted.

Abstract: There is provided a V2G system including a parent aggregator which manages buying and selling of power from a plurality of power supply sources to a power grid, and a child aggregator which manages a plurality of transport machines and guarantees the parent aggregator charging and discharging between at least one of batteries mounted on the transport machines and the power grid. The child aggregator acquires first information regarding the charging and discharging and second information regarding the transport machines from each of the transport machines, aggregates the first information and the second information, and transmits at least the first information to the parent aggregator.

Abstract: A resource reservation system includes an information processing apparatus configured to manage reservation information of one or more resources, and an information processing terminal configured to acquire the reservation information from the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes first circuitry configured to provide information necessary for transmitting the reservation information to the information processing terminal. The information processing terminal includes second circuitry configured to receive the information provided by the first circuitry. The information processing terminal can acquire the reservation information from the information processing apparatus by using the information received by the second circuitry.

Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer program product are provided for performing cognitive analytics. Human resource information for respective groups of a business unit of an organization may be extracted from stored business information. The human resource information may include, for employees of the respective groups, salary information and employee experience information. For the respective groups, cost information, productivity information, quality information, and attrition data may be extracted from the business information. At least the human resource information, the cost information, the productivity information, the quality information, and the attrition data may be provided, for the respective groups, to a model trained via machine learning. The model may produce respective scores for the groups. The groups may be ranked based at least partly on the respective scores and the ranking of the groups may be output.

Abstract: Methods and systems for forecasting demand for a plurality of items are provided. In particular, the demand forecasting system and methods described herein are useful for predicting demand of products in a retail context. Forecast models are built and used to score incoming sales data to predict future demand for items. Forecast models are validated by evaluating actual demand against predicted demand and using that information to inform how future ensemble forecast will be generated. Forecasts may be broken down into smaller components to satisfy a variety of requests for data from client applications.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing a customized user experience. Providing a customized user experience may include receiving, from a graphical user interface displayed on a mobile device a user input indicative of a preferred level of interaction by the user, and monitoring, by a sensor, a facial expression of the user. Then, a first preference metric may be assigned to the user based on the monitored facial expression. Providing a customized user experience may further include monitoring, by a sensor, a behavior of the user, assigning a second preference metric based on the monitored behavior, and aggregating at least the user input, the first preference unit, and the second preference metric to generate a preference score of the user. The preference score may be stored in a central database, displayed on a remote device, and used to modify a customer service experience.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a customized user interface showing a state of drilling operations at successive levels of drilling operations includes receiving synchronized data from a local server installed on each drilling rig of a fleet, analyzing the synchronized data with a real-time analytics engine including at least one predictive model to identify at least one drilling operation event associated with a drilling rig from the synchronized data, applying logic rules to calibrate outputs of the real-time analytics engine to determine a set of key performance indicators for the at least one drilling operation event from the drilling rig, and generating the customized user interface to be accessed by a user computing device to visualize the set of key performance indicators, wherein the customized user interface indicates a recommended change in drilling operations based on an analysis of the set of key performance indicators.

Abstract: Systems and methods for social networking. Location-related data and other behavioral and exogenously generated characteristics are used to replace or supplement self-generated profiles in order to enhance the quality and trustworthiness of the matches made using the system and facilitate the inputting of profile information.

Abstract: The present specification discloses blockchain-based information processing methods, apparatus, and devices. The blockchain-based information processing method includes: obtaining tree-structured data describing target relationships from a blockchain; obtaining service data of a ith-level target in the tree-structured data describing target relationships from the blockchain, where i is a positive integer; and executing a smart contract used for resource allocation, to allocate resources to each ith-level target based on a resource allocation scheme that is in the smart contract and that corresponds to the service data of each of the one or more ith-level targets.

Abstract: A single code can be used only one time by each of multiple users. A user visits a merchant location and wants to sign up for a loyalty program. The merchant issues the user a one-time code, such as a QR code. The user connects to a loyalty program system to download the loyalty application. The user downloads the loyalty application and enters the code into the application. The user receives a “punch” for the loyalty program based on the code. The server operating on the loyalty program system verifies that the punch created is the first and only punch created by the one-time code. If the code has been previously used for the particular user, the server does not create an additional punch.

Abstract: In some examples, a computing device may receive, from a merchant application on a merchant device, an indication that a buyer has initiated a transaction to purchase an item from a merchant associated with the merchant device. A first fulfilment selection may initially be associated with the transaction. The computing device may determine an association of the buyer with a buyer account. A buyer device having a buyer application executable thereon may be associated with the buyer account. The computing device may send, to the buyer application, transaction information related to the transaction to enable the buyer to pay for the transaction via the buyer application and/or change the fulfilment selection for the transaction. The computing device may receive, from the buyer application, at least one of an indication of authorization of payment for the transaction or an indication of a change to the fulfilment selection.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for discovering precursors associated with a current user interaction event. One method comprises receiving a selection of a new item by a user and determining a plurality of similarities between the new item selected by the user and a plurality of historical items, the plurality of historical items being associated with prior user activity. Then a plurality of importance weights associated with the plurality of historical items are determined. Based on the plurality of similarities and the plurality of importance weights, at least one enhanced importance matrix is generated. Further, prior interactions of the user with the plurality of historical items are determined. Based on the enhanced importance matrix and the prior interactions of the user with the plurality of historical items, precursors for the new item selected by the user are identified and provided to a display.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for assigning agents using updated criteria tables. In one example, an assignment system maintains an assets table including properties of assets, a recovery agent criteria table including values for a location and a capacity of recovery agents, and a requester criteria preferences table including agent preference factors received from requesters. A requester requests a recovery agent to recover an asset. The agents are scored and weighted using the tables and the asset is assigned to a selected agent. The agent capacity criteria is adjusted in response to the assignment and the agent capacity criteria is adjusted in response to receiving recovery status information about the asset.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing professional development are provided. A client provides information indicating a current status, which may concern a professional task performed by the client and a portion of income associated with the task. The progress of the client toward a professional goal is calculated, and a recommendation concerning an appropriate next step is communicated to the client. Professional goals may include a level of income, efficiency, type of tasks performed, etc.

Abstract: This application discloses an emoji recommendation method and apparatus. The method includes: displaying a first user interface of a social network client application; detecting occurrence of a trigger event that corresponds to a preset condition for triggering delivery of an emoji recommendation from the social network server to a first user; retrieving one or more emoji recommendations from the social network server, wherein the one or more emoji recommendations are selected from an emoji library for the first user in accordance with social behavior information of the first user; and displaying the one or more emoji recommendations on the first user interface, including displaying one or more editing controls to adjust one or more parameters for calculating a correlation degree of the user and a respective emoji based on one or more attributes of the one or more emoji recommendations retrieved from the social network server.