Abstract: A method of decision definition using a rules vocabulary includes: receiving free form input; identifying terms contained within the free form input; searching the rules vocabulary objects for terms; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; responsive to the term not being found; searching the rules vocabulary attributes for terms having attributes corresponding to the term; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; and refactoring the free form input with the found term accepted by the user. The method also includes updating the rules vocabulary with the term identified in the free form input as a synonym for the term found in said rules vocabulary. One embodiment further provides a method of determining semantic equivalence between a plurality of rules using a rules database having preferred terms.

Abstract: A system (1) for analyzing and sorting material (2) including a feeder (10) for transporting at least one piece of material along a feeding surface (15) towards and onto an upper portion (21) of a chute (20), a sorting device (50), a laser device (30), a spectrometer (40) configured to detect an emission from the piece of material and to produce an output signal corresponding to the emission, and a controller device configured to receive the output signal and to operate the sorting device. The laser device and the spectrometer are both provided on a level below the feeding surface. Also, the laser device is configured to produce a laser beam that can be incident on the piece of material when the piece of material is at least partially protruding from the chute or has fallen off from the chute via the lower edge of the chute and is airborne.

Abstract: A computer program product of decision definition using a rules vocabulary includes program code for: receiving free form input; identifying terms contained within the free form input; searching the rules vocabulary objects for terms; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; responsive to the term not being found; searching the rules vocabulary attributes for terms having attributes corresponding to the term; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; and refactoring the free form input with the found term accepted by the user. The program code also includes code for updating the rules vocabulary with the term identified in the free form input as a synonym for the term found in said rules vocabulary. One embodiment further provides determining semantic equivalence between a plurality of rules using a rules database having preferred terms.

Abstract: A method of decision definition using a rules vocabulary includes: receiving free form input; identifying terms contained within the free form input; searching the rules vocabulary objects for terms; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; responsive to the term not being found; searching the rules vocabulary attributes for terms having attributes corresponding to the term; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; and refactoring the free form input with the found term accepted by the user. The method also includes updating the rules vocabulary with the term identified in the free form input as a synonym for the term found in said rules vocabulary. One embodiment further provides a method of determining semantic equivalence between a plurality of rules using a rules database having preferred terms.

Abstract: A method of decision definition using a rules vocabulary includes: receiving free form input; identifying terms contained within the free form input; searching the rules vocabulary objects for terms; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; responsive to the term not being found; searching the rules vocabulary attributes for terms having attributes corresponding to the term; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; and refactoring the free form input with the found term accepted by the user. The method also includes updating the rules vocabulary with the term identified in the free form input as a synonym for the term found in said rules vocabulary. One embodiment further provides a method of determining semantic equivalence between a plurality of rules using a rules database having preferred terms.

Abstract: A system (1) for analyzing and sorting material (2) including a feeder (10) for transporting at least one piece of material along a feeding surface (15) towards and onto an upper portion (21) of a chute (20), a sorting device (50), a laser device (30), a spectrometer (40) configured to detect an emission from the piece of material and to produce an output signal corresponding to the emission, and a controller device configured to receive the output signal and to operate the sorting device. The laser device and the spectrometer are both provided on a level below the feeding surface. Also, the laser device is configured to produce a laser beam that can be incident on the piece of material when the piece of material is at least partially protruding from the chute or has fallen off from the chute via the lower edge of the chute and is airborne.

Abstract: An embodiment may involve repeatedly receiving, from one or more online advertising service devices at which one or more web-based display advertising campaigns are operated, updates to information related to display advertisement placement and display advertisement performance associated with the one or more web-based display advertising campaigns. The information may include a plurality of metrics. The embodiment may further involve receiving, via selectable controls on a graphical user interface of a client device, a selection of two of the plurality of metrics. The embodiment may also involve transmitting, for display on the graphical user interface, data representing values of the selected two metrics over a pre-defined period of time. Reception of the data may causes the client device to plot a graph indicating the values of the selected two metrics over the pre-defined period of time, where the values as shown in the graph for each of the selected two metrics are normalized to one another.

Abstract: Methods and devices for controlling motorized surgical devices are provided. In general, the methods and devices can allow a surgical device to grasp and cut tissue. In some embodiments, the device's motor can begin providing power for grasping and/or cutting tissue in response to an output from the device's sensor, the device can adjust power provided by the motor based on whether the device is clamping tissue or is being fired, the device can adjust an amount of power provided by the motor based on an amount of user-applied force to the device's actuator and/or can control drive direction of the motor based on the amount of the force, the device can maintain a force applied to the device, the device can self-shift the motor, and/or the device can adjust an amount of power provided to the device's end effector based on a degree of the end effector's closure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving user generated natural language utterances such as queries and/or commands and executing the queries and/or commands. A parser may be used to determine a domain for a user generated natural language utterance based on the content and context of the natural language utterance. One or more of a plurality of domain agents associated with particular domains are configured to receive and respond to queries and/or commands based on the natural language utterance.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for retracting a cutting assembly in the event of a failure on a motorized electrosurgical device. A surgical device is provided that includes a handle portion with an elongate shaft extending distally therefrom. The elongate shaft has first and second jaws at a distal end, and the jaws are configured to engage tissue. The surgical device also has a cutting assembly configured to cut tissue engaged between the first and second jaws. A drive shaft extends from the handle of the surgical device through the elongate shaft and is coupled to the cutting assembly for moving the cutting assembly. The surgical device has a motorized gear assembly with at least one motor driven gear that is configured to move the drive shaft. The surgical device also has a bailout assembly that is configured to manually move the drive shaft.

Abstract: A computer system determines a category of users to which a user of a computer belongs. The computer system determines a relationship between the category of users and at least one program available for installation from the computer system. Based on the determined relationship, the computer system determines that at least one feature of the at least one program are of potential interest to the user of the computer. The computer system notifies the user of the at least one feature of the at least one program of potential interest.

Abstract: A method of operating a network of connected nodes comprises the steps of maintaining a trust value for each node in the network, maintaining one or more attributes for each node in the network, each attribute comprising a value and a respective confidence level, and performing a validation of a specific attribute of a specific node. The validation comprises the steps of querying nodes connected to the specific node for specific attribute values for the specific node, creating a results set from the returned attribute values from the connected nodes and the trust values of the connected nodes, and processing the results set according to a predefined algorithm to determine a new value and/or a new confidence level for the specific attribute of the specific node.

Abstract: Methods and devices for controlling motorized surgical devices are provided. In general, the methods and devices can allow a surgical device to grasp and cut tissue. In some embodiments, the device's motor can begin providing power for grasping and/or cutting tissue in response to an output from the device's sensor, the device can adjust power provided by the motor based on whether the device is clamping tissue or is being fired, the device can adjust an amount of power provided by the motor based on an amount of user-applied force to the device's actuator and/or can control drive direction of the motor based on the amount of the force, the device can maintain a force applied to the device, the device can self-shift the motor, and/or the device can adjust an amount of power provided to the device's end effector based on a degree of the end effector's closure.

Abstract: Mobile systems and methods that overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech-based interfaces for telematics applications through the use of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and local or remote command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The invention creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. The invention may organize domain specific behavior and information into agents, that are distributable or updateable over a wide area network.

Abstract: A method of decision definition using a rules vocabulary includes: receiving free form input; identifying terms contained within the free form input; searching the rules vocabulary objects for terms; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; responsive to the term not being found; searching the rules vocabulary attributes for terms having attributes corresponding to the term; responsive to the term being found, obtaining input from a user as to whether to use the found term; and refactoring the free form input with the found term accepted by the user. The method also includes updating the rules vocabulary with the term identified in the free form input as a synonym for the term found in said rules vocabulary. One embodiment further provides a method of determining semantic equivalence between a plurality of rules using a rules database having preferred terms.

Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.

Abstract: The disclosure is for run-time accessing a software component is provided, together with a computer system embodying the same, and a software utility directing the method. Initially a software component is loaded and analyzed to identify one or more features thereof, which features are checked against a database. Following the check, the component is classified as one of at least first, second, and third component types. A first component type is run without amendment. A second component type is replaced by a component of equivalent functionality prior to running. A third component type is blocked from running.

Abstract: The disclosure is for run-time accessing a software component is provided, together with a computer system embodying the same, and a software utility directing the method. Initially a software component is loaded and analyzed to identify one or more features thereof, which features are checked against a database. Following the check, the component is classified as one of at least first, second, and third component types. A first component type is run without amendment. A second component type is replaced by a component of equivalent functionality prior to running. A third component type is blocked from running.

Abstract: A computer system determines a category of users to which a user of a computer belongs. The computer system determines a relationship between the category of users and at least one program available for installation from the computer system. Based on the determined relationship, the computer system determines that at least one feature of the at least one program are of potential interest to the user of the computer. The computer system notifies the user of the at least one feature of the at least one program of potential interest.

Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command.