Abstract: A data management system comprises: a storage appliance configured to store a snapshot of a virtual machine; and one or more processors in communication with the storage appliance. The one or more processors are configured to perform operations including: identifying a plurality of shards of the virtual machine; requesting a snapshot of each of the plurality of shards; receiving the shards asynchronously; ordering the received snapshot shards sequentially into a results queue; and storing a single snapshot of the virtual machine based on the ordered snapshot shards. Operations may further include maintaining a flow control queue that limits the number of snapshot shards requested.

Abstract: A data management system comprises: a storage appliance configured to store a snapshot of a virtual machine; and one or more processors in communication with the storage appliance. The one or more processors are configured to perform operations including: identifying a plurality of shards of the virtual machine; requesting a snapshot of each of the plurality of shards; receiving the shards asynchronously; ordering the received snapshot shards sequentially into a results queue; and storing a single snapshot of the virtual machine based on the ordered snapshot shards. Operations may further include maintaining a flow control queue that limits the number of snapshot shards requested.

Abstract: A data management system comprises: a storage appliance configured to store a snapshot of a virtual machine; and one or more processors in communication with the storage appliance. The one or more processors are configured to perform operations including: identifying a plurality of shards of the virtual machine; requesting a snapshot of each of the plurality of shards; receiving the shards asynchronously; ordering the received snapshot shards sequentially into a results queue; and storing a single snapshot of the virtual machine based on the ordered snapshot shards. Operations may further include maintaining a flow control queue that limits the number of snapshot shards requested.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program storage product determine determining a trajectory information type of a receipt submitted by an employee. Trajectory information associated with the receipt submitted by the employee is retrieved based on the trajectory information type. Trajectory information corresponding to a device associated with the employee is also retrieved. The receipt is determined as a valid receipt in response to the trajectory information associated with the receipt submitted by the employee matching the trajectory information associated with the device associated with the employee.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program storage product determine determining a trajectory information type of a receipt submitted by an employee. Trajectory information associated with the receipt submitted by the employee is retrieved based on the trajectory information type. Trajectory information corresponding to a device associated with the employee is also retrieved. The receipt is determined as a valid receipt in response to the trajectory information associated with the receipt submitted by the employee matching the trajectory information associated with the device associated with the employee.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a new approach for image orientation detection. In the computer-implemented method, at least one character area in an image is sampled. The orientation of the sampled character area is determined, and the orientation of the image is determined based on the determined orientation of the sampled character area.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention relates to the field of an automatic chat support and analytics (recommender) engine for digital sales. The analytics engine interactively and iteratively collects the feature value of a client's profile by automatically generating questions in different styles and extracting the semantic information from the client's responses. The accumulated feature information for the client can enhance the capability of a recommender engine. Specifically, for item recommendation, the recommender engine includes components for item scoring and its confidence estimation, feature importance scoring, missing feature inference and confidence estimation by smoothing the corresponding feature values from the most similar clients. The recommender engine also involves a client response analytics component, which performs a quality check by evaluating the consistency between the inferred feature value from the similar clients and the extracted one from the client's response.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention relates to the field of an automatic chat support and analytics (recommender) engine for digital sales. The analytics engine interactively and iteratively collects the feature value of a client's profile by automatically generating questions in different styles and extracting the semantic information from the client's responses. The accumulated feature information for the client can enhance the capability of a recommender engine. Specifically, for item recommendation, the recommender engine includes components for item scoring and its confidence estimation, feature importance scoring, missing feature inference and confidence estimation by smoothing the corresponding feature values from the most similar clients. The recommender engine also involves a client response analytics component, which performs a quality check by evaluating the consistency between the inferred feature value from the similar clients and the extracted one from the client's response.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a new approach for image orientation detection. In the computer-implemented method, at least one character area in an image is sampled. The orientation of the sampled character area is determined, and the orientation of the image is determined based on the determined orientation of the sampled character area.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program storage product determine determining a trajectory information type of a receipt submitted by an employee. Trajectory information associated with the receipt submitted by the employee is retrieved based on the trajectory information type. Trajectory information corresponding to a device associated with the employee is also retrieved. The receipt is determined as a valid receipt in response to the trajectory information associated with the receipt submitted by the employee matching the trajectory information associated with the device associated with the employee.

Abstract: An infrared illuminator and camera system for high contrast imaging of non-retro-reflective license plates utilizing a combination of temporal filtering via pulsed LED illumination, spectral filtering using high transmission narrow band pass optical filters placed directly on the CCD sensor, and an IR sensitive camera with adjustable computer controlled settings to produce high definition, high contrast images of a wide range of both retro-reflective and non-retro-reflective surfaces including vehicle license plates, ISO shipping containers, and transport trucks with DOT ID numbers on fenders for use in weigh in motion systems, and can operate in all lighting conditions from total darkness to bright sunlight.

Abstract: A system for revising a set of teeth including a bracket for revising a set of teeth and a bracket positioning jig is provided. The bracket positioning jig includes a cap at the lower portion of which a groove contacting tooth is formed, and which has a throughhole to lengthy direction on the upper portion of a cap body, and a connector one side of which has a fixed protrusion which is detachably inserted into and fixed to the throughhole of the cap, and the other side of which is bent toward the lower end of the body and has a coupler which is combined on a slot of an orthodontics treatment bracket for revising a set of teeth. An individual prescription value which is the most appropriate for an individual patient is given to the bracket positioning jig on a computer program to thus manufacture a desired jig, so that a non-prescription bracket as well as a bracket having a given prescription value can be used.

Abstract: A system for revising a set of teeth including a bracket for revising a set of teeth and a bracket positioning jig is provided. The bracket positioning jig includes a cap at the lower portion of which a groove contacting tooth is formed, and which has a throughhole to lengthy direction on the upper portion of a cap body, and a connector one side of which has a fixed protrusion which is detachably inserted into and fixed to the throughhole of the cap, and the other side of which is bent toward the lower end of the body and has a coupler which is combined on a slot of an orthodontics treatment bracket for revising a set of teeth. An individual prescription value which is the most appropriate for an individual patient is given to the bracket positioning jig on a computer program to thus manufacture a desired jig, so that a non-prescription bracket as well as a bracket having a given prescription value can be used.

Abstract: A system and method for speech recognition includes determining active Gaussians related to a first feature stream and a second feature stream by labeling at least one of the first and second streams, and determining active Gaussians co-occurring in the first stream and the second stream based upon joint probability. A number of Gaussians computed is reduced based upon Gaussians already computed for the first stream and a number of Gaussians co-occurring in the second stream. Speech is decoded based on the Gaussians computed for the first and second streams.

Abstract: A dental measurement instrument having a handle and a measuring gauge extending from one end of the handle. In one embodiment, the measuring gauge has at least two calibrated measurement shafts, each shaft bearing a plurality of calibration indicia. The calibration indicia on the two shafts are correlated with each other in a specific predetermined mathematical relationship.

Abstract: A dental measurement instrument having a handle and a measuring gauge extending from one end of the handle. In one embodiment, the measuring gauge has at least two calibrated measurement shafts in fixed spatial relationship with each other, each shaft bearing a plurality of calibration indicia. The calibration indicia on the two shafts are correlated with each other in a specific predetermined mathematical relationship.

Abstract: A method for consistently determining color information of an object utilizing a high resolution digital image taken with a digital camera. The object is set in a fixed environmental and lighting condition and the digital camera is set with certain predetermined fixed settings to provide consistent and repeatable digital images. The digital image is taken with a predetermined neutral reference adjacent the object. A commercially available image editing software is used to standardize and analyze the color information of the digital image based on the neutral reference.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for adapting a paintball pistol such that effective support via the holders hand to compensate for a forward center of gravity is shifted substantially completely from the holder's trigger finger to the back of the holder's hand.