Abstract: The disclosed embodiments illustrate a composite navigational method and system for the automatic configuration management of application software by a computing server. The method includes extracting a plurality of previous configuration values from a storage device. The method further includes generating a plurality of abstract syntax trees (ASTs) based on parsing of the plurality of previous configuration values. The method further includes performing one or more pre-specified operations on the generated plurality of ASTs. The method further includes determining a configuration value of a current configuration parameter based on a navigation pattern, such as hierarchical navigation or variable-based filtering navigation. Further, the navigation pattern is determined using the performed one or more pre-specified operations, based on at least user preferences and the extracted plurality of previous configuration values.

Abstract: A computer-implemented linking system and method provide for linking actionable phrases in a first document to other documents in a document corpus. The method includes identifying at least one actionable phrase in a first document. The actionable phrase may include an action, its direct object, and any modifier of the direct object. For each identified action phrase the document corpus is searched to identify other documents, which are scored using a scoring function which takes into account occurrences of words of the actionable phrase in each identified document. The actionable phrase is linked to at least a part of one of the most highly ranked documents in the set of documents.

Abstract: A method and a system for response evaluation of users from electronic documents are disclosed. In an embodiment, one or more questions and a first response pertaining to each of the one or more questions are extracted from one or more first electronic documents. Further, a second response pertaining to each of the one or more extracted questions and metadata are extracted from one or more second electronic documents. For the second response pertaining to each of the one or more extracted questions, a score is determined based on one or more similarity measures that correspond to a category of each of the one or more extracted questions. Thereafter, the response evaluation is rendered on a user interface displayed on a display screen. The response evaluation comprises at least the determined score for the second response pertaining to each of the one or more extracted questions.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments illustrate methods and systems for identifying a targeted content item for a user. The method includes receiving one or more encrypted first attributes of the user, and a first key. Thereafter, one or more content items are encrypted using the first key. The one or more content items are stored in a data structure such that the one or more content items are indexed in the data structure according to one or more second attributes of the one or more content items. Thereafter, at least one encrypted content item is retrieved from the data structure based on the one or more encrypted content items, the indexing of the one or more content items, and the one or more encrypted first attributes. The at least one encrypted content item is decrypted to generate the targeted content item.

Abstract: A system for estimating parking occupancy includes a vehicle-detection device including an adjustable mast supporting an image capture device at a select height. The image capture device acquires video of a current parking area. A computer processor in communication with the image capture device is configured to receive the video data and define a region of interest in the video data. The processor is further configured to perform a spatial transform on the ROI to transform the ROI to a normalized geometric space. The processor is further configured to apply features of a detected object in the normalized geometric space to a vehicle classifier—previously trained with samples acquired from a normalized camera perspective similar to the normalized geometric space—and determine the occupancy of the current parking area using an output of the classifier.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a method and system to convert a first digital representation of a document including a first format to a second digital representation of the document including a second format. According to an exemplary method, a preexisting printed assessment is scanned to produce an image file and an educational assessment analysis system captures an image area associated with a question, processes the captured image area to automatically assign metadata associated with an independent assessment creation process to the captured image area, which is subsequently processed to generate an assessment based on the assigned metadata which conforms with a format consistent with the independent assessment creation process.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a feedback based dynamic pricing algorithm with an embedded controller for a HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lane. An input-output transfer function of a vehicle flow with respect to a HOT lane can be obtained utilizing a simulation module. A feedback controller combined with, for example, a Smith predictor can be designed to avoid an unstable behavior due to a time delay in the HOT lane, a price regulation, and a large transient caused by an integral part of the controller due to traffic jams. A driver behavior preference model can be derived based on a relationship between a toll rate and several characteristics of the HOT lane and a general purpose lane. The feedback controller and the behavior preference model can then be implemented to set the toll rate in real-time in order to satisfy a desired performance metric.

Abstract: A pruning method includes representing a set of sequences in a data structure. Each sequence s includes a first symbol w and a context c of at least one symbol. Some of the sequences are associated with a conditional probability p(w|c), based on observations of cw in training data. For others, p(w|c) is computed as a function of the probability p(w|?) of the respective symbol w in a back-off context ?, p(w|?) being based on observations of sequence ?w in the training data. A scoring function ƒ(cw) value is computed for each sequence in the set, based on p(w|c) for the sequence and a probability distribution p(s) of each symbol in the sequence if it is removed from the set of sequences. Iteratively, one of the represented sequences is selected to be removed, based on the computed scoring function values, and the scoring function values of remaining sequences are updated.

Abstract: A method and a system for receiving targeted content are disclosed. In an embodiment, in a mobile device at least a first metadata corresponding to a first content displayed on a digital signage board is received, based on a predetermined action performed by the mobile device. The first metadata comprises at least a location of the digital signage board. A second metadata corresponding to one or more product categories associated with one or more products in vicinity of the digital signage board is determined, based on the location of the digital signage board. One or more user preferences are determined based on the first metadata and the second metadata. The targeted content is received on the mobile device based on the one or more user preferences.

Abstract: According to exemplary methods of training a convolutional neural network, input images are received into a computerized device having an image processor. The image processor evaluates the input images using first convolutional layers. The number of first convolutional layers is based on a first size for the input images. Each layer of the first convolutional layers receives layer input signals comprising features of the input images and generates layer output signals that include signals from the input images and ones of the layer output signals from previous layers within the first convolutional layers. Responsive to an input image being a second size larger than the first size, additional convolutional layers are added to the convolutional neural network. The number of additional convolutional layers is based on the second size in relation to the first size. The additional convolutional layers are initialized using weights from the first convolutional layers.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method identify Pareto optimal candidate paths between an origin and a destination for which no other candidate path is strictly better on one of a predefined set of criteria and at least as good on all the others. A constraint is defined for each of the criteria, based on user input. A set of Pareto optimal candidate paths is identified, from an origin to a destination, which respect these constraints. The identification may include, in a search graph composed of nodes connected by edges, iteratively advancing each of a set of possible paths from an origin node by exactly one exit node and updating labels of the exit nodes reached. The exit node labels each include a value for each of the criteria. Labels of reached exit nodes that are dominated by another label of that reached node are removed. Pareto optimal candidate path(s) is/are identified.

Abstract: A method of defining a performance milestone track for a planned process includes: selecting a time range relating to a repeatable process to define a set of average assessment trajectories, retrieving historical data representative of assessment data for actors in conjunction with selective assessments of the actors during performances of the repeatable process. The historical data includes an assessment parameter identifying a value for the selective assessment. The method includes processing a select time portion of the historical data using a binning algorithm to assign historical data for the select time portion across quantile range bins based on select ranges of assessment parameter values for the historical data and separately processing a select actor portion of the historical data for each quantile range bin using a smoothing algorithm to form the set of average assessment trajectories for the repeatable process. A computational device for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A store profile generation system includes a mobile base and an image capture assembly mounted on the base. The assembly includes at least one image capture device for acquiring images of product display units in a retail environment. A control unit acquires the images captured by the at least one image capture device at a sequence of locations of the mobile base in the retail environment. The control unit extracts product-related data from the acquired images and generates a store profile indicating locations of products and their associated tags throughout the retail environment, based on the extracted product-related data. The store profile can be used for generating new product labels for a sale in an appropriate order for a person to match to the appropriate locations in a single pass through the store.

Abstract: A method for simulating and optimizing performance of work in a distributed work environment includes determining operational parameters for one or more locations, and optimizing a staffing function using the operational parameters to produce a staffing schedule. The method includes determining one or more batches to be processed by the regular operators and ad-hoc operators of the one or more locations, and optimizing a task function using the staffing schedule and specifications of the different tasks to produce an assignment of the one or more batches to each of the regular operators and the ad-hoc operators at the one or more locations. The method includes optimizing a routing function using the assignment of the one or more batches to the operators at the one or more locations to produce a sequenced schedule of performance for the one or more batches.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments illustrate methods and systems for maintaining reachability information among one or more communication devices of a communication network. The method includes creating, at a first time instance, a first path-union graph, between a first and a second communication device that become unreachable from each other in the communication network. Thereafter, a reachability tree is created from the first path-union graph. The reachability tree includes a set of communication devices that are at a distance of less than a predefined path distance from the first communication device. Further, at a second time instance, a second path-union graph is created between the first communication device and a third communication device, when the third communication device becomes unreachable from the first communication device. Thereafter, the reachability tree is updated based on the second path-union graph.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments illustrate a method for classifying one or more audio segments of an audio signal. The method includes determining one or more first features of a first audio segment of the one or more audio segments. The method further includes determining one or more second features based on the one or more first features. The method includes determining one or more third features of the first audio segment, wherein each of the one or more third features is determined based on a second feature of the one or more second features of the first audio segment and at least one second feature associated with a second audio segment. Additionally, the method includes classifying the first audio segment either in an interrogative category or a non-interrogative category based on one or more of the one or more second features and the one or more third features.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting customer drive-off/walk-off from a customer queue. An embodiment includes acquiring images of a retail establishment, said images including at least a portion of a customer queue region, determining a queue configuration within the images, analyzing the images to detect entry of a customer into the customer queue, tracking a customer detected in the customer queue as the customer progresses within the queue, analyzing the images to detect if the customer leaves the customer queue, and generating a drive-off notification if a customer leaves the queue.

Abstract: A system and a method for estimating readiness for passing an associated summative assessment includes, after receiving test results for at least one test, generating a score Cn for each concept tested on the test. Using the score, the system computes a probability of mastery p(Mn) of the at least one concept and associates the probability of mastery p(Mn) as a prior for updating the probability after receiving future test results. The system iteratively updates the probability of mastery p(Mn) of the at least one concept after each test using for the new test score and the prior.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for predicting passenger loads at vehicle stops on a transportation network. The method includes providing a classifier which has been trained to predict passenger loads at vehicle stops on a transportation route, based on reconstructed passenger loads for vehicle stops on the route. Transaction data is acquired for passengers boarding at vehicle stops on the transportation route. Reconstructed passenger loads are computed for vehicle stops on the route based on the transaction data. With the trained classifier, a passenger load for at least one of the vehicle stops on the transportation route is predicted, based on the reconstructed passenger load for the vehicle stop.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for identifying passenger trips on a transportation network are described. The method includes acquiring transaction data for a collection of passengers boarding at stops on a transportation network. The network includes a plurality of routes. Route sequences are identified, based on the transaction data, each route sequence including at least two trip segments by a passenger. Each pair of trip segments of an identified route sequence are spaced by a transfer. For each identified route sequence, using a trip planner, the route sequence is classified as a multi-segment trip that includes at least one transfer or a multi-trip journey. A route sequence which is classified as a multi-trip journey is partitioned into at least two trips, each trip being a multi-segment trip or a single-segment trip.