Abstract: A method includes establishing a network connection with a source computing device and an application services computing device, receiving, via the network connection, a source event stream at the application services computing device, and extracting a sample of the source event stream. The method further includes partitioning the sample of the source event stream into fields, identifying a field data type of a field of the multiple fields in the sample, identifying a distribution of values of the field in the sample, and extrapolating, from the sample of the source event stream, extrapolated functions for the fields. Extrapolating an extrapolated function is dependent on the field data type and the distribution of the field. The method further includes transforming, based on the plurality of extrapolated functions in the configuration file, the source event stream to obtain a transformed event stream, and analyzing, by a target machine learning model, the transformed event stream.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for a bi-directional notification service. The techniques disclosed herein notify a user of an application in real-time based on a context of the application. A given notification may require a particular context before the notification can be presented to the user. The notification service also provides a channel for a user to provide feedback regarding the application. Multiple users may submit feedback messages each of which are enriched with contextual information related to the application at the time the message is submitted. Each feedback message is assigned to a category based on the content of the feedback message and contextual information of the notification. A heat map may be generated to visualize a number of feedback messages associated with one or more categories.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer readable medium for automatically generating a job quotation based on a photo image of a completed jobsite. The photo image is analyzed by an online financial application to identify material items used in the completed jobsite. Associated supplemental material items and installation labor hour information are then looked up from a community data repository where other business users have previously contributed relevant information. Accordingly, a quotation to install a jobsite using the material items found in the completed jobsite is generated based on the photo image and information retrieved from the community data repository.

Abstract: During a device programming technique, a merchant provides account information associated with a smart-card terminal to a portable electronic device (such as a cellular telephone), which is coupled to the smart-card terminal. In response, the portable electronic device provides the account information to a computer remotely located relative to the portable electronic device. Then, the computer provides a merchant identifier and a terminal identifier to the portable electronic device. Next, the portable electronic device provides the merchant identifier and the terminal identifier to the smart-card terminal, thereby facilitating programming of the smart-card terminal.

Abstract: A method for providing application content including obtaining, by a declarative content engine executing on a computer processor, an initial application content from a content repository and expressing the initial application content in a declarative programming language to obtain declarative content and transmitting the declarative content to a user experience player (UXP). The UXP processes the declarative content to obtain the initial application content, binds the initial application content to first platform-specific templates and first platform-specific navigation patterns, and renders the initial application content in a first platform-specific user display format.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods for fulfilling a request using a connected inventory fulfillment service. Entities that use the same financial application to store inventory data are invited to participate as participating providers in a connected inventory fulfillment service. When a request for a product for fulfillment using the connected inventory fulfillment service is received, participating providers that could fulfill the request are identified by matching information in the request to inventory data stored using the financial application. A participating provider that could fulfill the request is then selected to fulfill the request.

Abstract: In a collection technique, a user (such as a taxpayer) provides information (such as income-tax information) by submitting an image of a document, such as an income-tax summary or form. In particular, the user may provide a description of the document. In response, the user is prompted for the information associated with the field in the document. Then, the user provides the image of a region in the document that includes the field. Based on the image, the information is extracted, and the field in the form is populated using the extracted information. The prompting, receiving, extracting and populating operations may be repeated for one or more additional fields in the document.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating an explanation for a benefit qualification status change over different benefit qualification periods includes a computing device executing a benefit calculation engine. The benefit calculation engine operates on first and second benefit completeness graphs from respective first and second benefit qualification periods to perform first and second benefit qualification status determination. The first and second benefit completeness graphs each describe data dependent benefit qualification operations including a plurality of interconnecting functional nodes connected by one of a plurality of functions. The method also includes the computing device identifying the differences among nodes within the first benefit completeness graph and the second benefit completeness graph.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for adjusting a ranking of information content of a software application based on feedback from a user. One embodiment presented herein includes a method comprising receiving, at a computing device, an audio stream comprising audio of the user, the audio being indicative of feedback related to information content. The method further comprises analyzing the audio stream for paralinguistic information to determine an attribute of the user. The method further comprises adjusting a ranking of the information content based on at least one of the feedback and additional feedback and the determined attribute of the user.

Abstract: Embodiments presented herein provide techniques for inferring the current emotional state of a user based on paralinguistic features derived from audio input from that user. If the emotional state meets triggering conditions, the system provides the user with a prompt which allows the user to connect with a support agent. If the user accepts, the system selects a support agent for the user based on the predicted emotional state and on attributes of the support agent found in an agent profile. The system can also determine a priority level for the user based on the score and based on a profile of the user and determine where to place the user in a queue for the support agent.

Abstract: A processor may receive a data submission made through the UI. The data submission may lack data in at least one blank field provided in the UI for entering information in which no information has been entered. The processor may classify the data submission as having at least one data submission type using at least one machine learning (ML) process. The processor may determine at least one required field for the at least one data submission type. The at least one required field may require information to be entered therein. The processor may determine that the at least one blank field is also the at least one required field. The processor may cause the UI to indicate that the at least one blank field is also the at least one required field.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a notice regarding a benefit qualification status change includes receiving a change in a qualification requirement for a benefit program. The method also includes obtaining a completeness graph corresponding to the benefit program. The method further includes modifying the completeness graph based on the received change in the qualification requirement for the benefit program. Moreover, the method includes obtaining a profile corresponding to an individual. In addition, the method includes obtaining a first qualification status relating to the individual's qualification for the benefit program before the received change in the qualification requirement for the benefit program. The method also includes determining a second qualification status by running the profile against the modified completeness graph.

Abstract: An independently operating smart agent is created for each report customization option associated with base reports provided by a data management system. Each smart agent operates independently of the other smart agents to generate response element data for the report customization option assigned to that smart agent. The response element data generated by the set of smart agents is stored in a shared memory. After validation, the response element data is collected to generate report query data and the report query data is transmitted to the data management system for real-time creation of a customized report.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of an application. During operation, the system obtains a business-logic stack that includes one or more sets of business rules corresponding to one or more tax codes associated with a specified globalization setting for the application. For each user-interface component from a set of user-interface components in the application, the system: dynamically obtains content for the user-interface component from a content-repository based on an order of the one or more sets of business rules in the business-logic stack, wherein the content-repository is a store of tax-code-specific content for the user-interface components associated with the application; and includes, via the localization mechanism associated with the platform of the electronic device, the content in the user-interface component during use of the application on the electronic device by the user.

Abstract: A method and system include identifying a virtual asset creation template associated with virtual assets to be verified. A test virtual asset is generated using the virtual asset creation template and deployed in a testing environment. The test virtual asset is then analyzed in the testing environment to identify any vulnerabilities. If a vulnerability is identified in the designated test virtual asset, a remedy to the vulnerability is applied to the virtual asset creation template which is used to create a virtual asset in a production environment. The method and system further include monitoring the production environment virtual asset for potential security threats, with a virtual asset agent, and determining a severity of identified security threats. and potentially creating a new virtual asset with the virtual asset agent and decommissioning the current virtual asset as a result.

Abstract: Reduction in latency between question submissions and response submissions in a question and answer based customer support system is reduced by facilitating the use of mobile devices by customer support personnel to submit question responses. The answerability of a question from a mobile device is predicted by analyzing the attributes of the question itself before the answer is generated. Questions being entered into the question and answer based customer support system that are conveniently answerable from a mobile device are routed to a mobile question and answer queue that enables mobile device users to review and respond to the mobile device answerable questions. A question is determined to be answerable from a mobile device if a predicted answer to the question has a length that is within a predetermined threshold, so that customer support personnel are not burdened with generating long responses from mobile devices.

Abstract: Computer systems for escrowing of selected data of an online tax return preparation application for use in executing models such as predictive models to generate tax return topic rankings, which are provided to the online tax return application and displayed to a user and are personalized in that they reflect or are based on actual tax return data of the user. Escrow system components may operate independently of the online application such that small portions of a very large amount of tax return preparation data can be retrieved (e.g., periodically) from a data store maintained by the online application, and this retrieved data is cached or stored to a different data store and analyzed relative to an escrow contract specifying types of data required to trigger model execution. Upon satisfying escrow contract requirements, a corresponding model is executed, and a topic ranking is generated and provided to the online application.

Abstract: Disclosed methods and systems determine levels of search sophistication for users of a customer self-help system to personalize a content search user experience provided to the users, to increase a likelihood of users' satisfaction with the search experience. The customer self-help system analyzes submitted search queries and provides an advanced content search user experience to users who are determined to have an advanced level of search sophistication and provides a simplified content search user experience to users who are determined to have a basic or less-experienced level of search sophistication. Providing users with personalized content search user experiences that are based on users' levels of search sophistication allows less-experienced users to feel comfortable searching and allows advanced users to search more quickly or precisely.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for background removal from documents. The method includes obtaining an image of a document, performing a clustering operation on the image to obtain a plurality of image segments, and performing, for each image segment, a foreground/background classification to determine whether the image segment includes foreground. The method further includes obtaining an augmented image by combining the image segments that include foreground, and obtaining a background-treated image by cropping the image of the document, based on the foreground in the augmented image.

Abstract: A system for acquiring tax data during preparation of an electronic tax return includes a client computer executing a browser, a browser rendering computer in communication with the client computer, and a machine learning system utilized by the browser rendering computer. The client computer is configured to present a tax preparation webpage, and receive interface data representing s first user's interactions with a first tax data source website. The browser rendering computer is configured to execute the machine learning system, derive navigation information for the first tax data source website, generate rendering instructions for the first tax data source website, and transmit the rendering instructions to the client computer. The client computer is also configured to execute the rendering instructions to implement a second browser that presents a tax data source webpage that is controllable by a user independently of the tax preparation webpage.