Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for controlling posture by using eye gaze technology to facilitate position changes in seating, such as in a wheelchair or bed, are provided. Example embodiments provide an Eye Gaze Posture Control System (“EGPCS”) which enables people with advanced motor neuron diseases or disabilities like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or muscular dystrophy to use eye gaze technologies to control their seating and bed positioning. In one embodiment, the example EGPCS comprises a posture and pressure advisor, logging and telemetry logic, a posture control application, device interface(s) to one or more other devices that control aspects of the powered wheelchair or bed, and eye gaze actuation control. These components cooperate to adjust position of a seat or a bed using eye gaze technology as opposed to by a virtual cursor or by manual control.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method leverages the capabilities present in common mobile communications devices—RF transceivers, Internet connectivity, payment system, geolocation system, notification system, and user interface—to simplify and reduce overhead from the parking experience. Furthermore, this method utilizes distributed authentication and authorization and multi-path queued message delivery to provide this experience when cellular or WiFi Internet connectivity is absent in the parking facility, simplifying and reducing the cost of deployment.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method leverages the capabilities present in common mobile communications devices—RF transceivers, Internet connectivity, payment system, geolocation system, notification system, and user interface—to simplify and reduce overhead from the parking experience. Furthermore, this method utilizes distributed authentication and authorization and multi-path queued message delivery to provide this experience when cellular or WiFi Internet connectivity is absent in the parking facility, simplifying and reducing the cost of deployment.

Abstract: The systems and techniques described herein implement an improved gaze-based on-screen keyboard that provide dynamically variable dwell times to increase throughput and reduce errors. Utilizing a language model, the probability that each key of the on-screen keyboard will be the subsequential key can be determined, and based at least in part on this determined probability, a dwell time can be assigned to each key. When used as an iterative process, a minimum dwell time may be gradually reduced as confidence in the subsequential key increases to provide a cascading minimum dwell time.

Abstract: An adaptive clicker technique is described that provides a standardized polling control and a registration system to support mixed types of clickers and integrate the polling data. One embodiment of the adaptive clicker technique operates as follows. User inputs from more than one type of clicker device (e.g., personal interactive response system device) are received. The inputs from the more than one type of clicker device are formatted with a clicker adapter for each type of clicker to adapt user inputs to a common polling controller. The adapted inputs are then processed with the common polling controller to interface the adapted inputs with a personal response system software application to allow user polling data to be collected and assessed.

Abstract: A “Zero-Touch Manager” (“ZTM”) supplies updates to device firmware, operating system (OS), frameworks, applications, etc., from cloud-based or other network-accessible storage. These updates ensure that groups of “identical” devices (i.e., devices having the same hardware version) run from the same known state, while maintaining local customizations for individual devices. The ZTM uses sector-level differences to generate differential update versions (“diffs”) of Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) images of planned update versions relative to local hard drive images of each device's current version. Consequently, updates to the local hard drive image are achieved by replacing sectors of the local hard drive image that have corresponding changed sectors in the diff, though additional information may also be included in the diff. “Manifest” files are used in combination with the diffs to control device updates based upon the current version of the local hard drive image relative to update versions in the diff.

Abstract: Described herein are various techniques and principles for determining how to assign control of peripherals and assigning control of peripherals. In some embodiments, determining how to assign control of peripherals comprises reviewing connections of peripherals to the computing device and evaluating rules to determine management points in the connections. In some cases, the connections of peripherals to the computing device may be organized into a hierarchy corresponding to a hierarchy of physical connections of the peripherals, including physical connections of peripherals located remote from the computing device and possibly connected through another computing device. When management points are identified among the connections, control of peripherals associated with the management points may be assigned in the same way. For example, access rights to each of the peripherals may be assigned to a same user session.

Abstract: Described herein are various techniques and principles for determining how to assign control of peripherals and assigning control of peripherals. In some embodiments, determining how to assign control of peripherals comprises reviewing connections of peripherals to the computing device and evaluating rules to determine management points in the connections. In some cases, the connections of peripherals to the computing device may be organized into a hierarchy corresponding to a hierarchy of physical connections of the peripherals, including physical connections of peripherals located remote from the computing device and possibly connected through another computing device. When management points are identified among the connections, control of peripherals associated with the management points may be assigned in the same way. For example, access rights to each of the peripherals may be assigned to a same user session.

Abstract: An adaptive clicker technique is described that provides a standardized polling control and a registration system to support mixed types of clickers and integrate the polling data. One embodiment of the adaptive clicker technique operates as follows. User inputs from more than one type of clicker device (e.g., personal interactive response system device) are received. The inputs from the more than one type of clicker device are formatted with a clicker adapter for each type of clicker to adapt user inputs to a common polling controller. The adapted inputs are then processed with the common polling controller to interface the adapted inputs with a personal response system software application to allow user polling data to be collected and assessed.

Abstract: An educational content presentation system and a file format for facilitating learning in that presentation system are provided. The presentation system receives an archival file, such as a ZIP file, that comprises a manifest, one or more activities, and one or more libraries. The manifest associates activities with educational content in the one or more libraries. Some or all the educational content in the library can be encrypted to facilitate digital rights management of the content or provide security in learner assessment activities. Activities can then be executed, such as by a Common Language runtime or Java virtual machine, which present the educational content in the associated libraries to facilitate student learning.