Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are described for secure account login and authentication. A set of key options including a correct key option and information indicative of a hash value are received from an authentication server. A user is prompted to select one of the set of key options. The key option selected by the user is received. A subset of PIN elements of a user-registered PIN to be input by the user is identified based on the hash value. The user is prompted to enter the subset of PIN elements. The subset of PIN elements entered by the user are received. An encoded PIN is generated based on the key option selected by the user and the subset of PIN elements entered by the user. The encoded PIN is transmitted to the authentication client that is configured to make an authentication decision based on the encoded PIN.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device may include a reactive strap may include a conductor enclosing an area and an RFID chip connected to the conductor, the conductor enclosing an area and defining a first opening, and a flexible substrate attached to the conductor and defining a second opening. The first and second openings together may define a passage through both the conductor and the flexible backing material.

Abstract: A computer implemented method is provided for automatically determining a response to an input query. The method includes searching at a first stage a data repository using the input query. The data repository is configured to store historical queries and their corresponding responses. The search is adapted to determine a plurality of historical queries related to the input query and historical responses corresponding to the related historical queries. The method also includes clustering the plurality of historical responses into one or more response groups, where each response group includes one or more similar historical responses. The method additionally includes searching at a second stage a content management system (CMS) to determine if there is at least one similar response to at least one historical response in each response group. The CMS is configured to store standard responses to anticipated queries.

Abstract: A method of producing vehicles includes coating a vehicle body with paint, drying the paint, mounting attachment parts on load-bearing components of the vehicle body that has been coated with the paint that has been dried, and applying an adhesive film including an adhesive layer to a surface of the vehicle body that has been coated with the paint that has been dried or at least one attachment part mounted thereon, wherein, to apply the adhesive film, the adhesive film is positioned between the surface and an elastic membrane with an automated system, and the elastic membrane is transformed in selected regions into a curved state with a convex and a concave side and is brought into contact with the surface with the convex side in front such that the adhesive layer of the adhesive film is pressed onto the surface by the membrane over the entire surface area.

Abstract: A chair-mountable screen including a screen frame defining a perimeter of the screen, at least one screen material supported by the screen frame, and a strap arrangement fastened on each of the at least one screen material. The strap arrangement is adjustably-attachable to the screen to create a selectively-sized gap between the screen material and the strap arrangement.

Abstract: In examples, a saliency metric may be determined for an instance of content and/or a location of a digital environment. Accordingly, a set of candidate content and/or locations may be ranked according to associated saliency metrics, such that content and/or an associated location with which to adapt the digital environment for a given user may be determined from a set of candidates. For example, the digital environment may be adapted to present a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional asset to a user. As another example, a game mechanic of the digital environment may be altered. In examples, content from another digital environment may be identified and used to adapt the digital environment, thereby incorporating external content. Thus, a saliency metric associated with a location or an instance of content may be used to programmatically generate a relative or absolute metric with which to evaluate and adapt aspects of the digital environment.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel method for managing layer four (L4) ports associated with a machine executing on a host computer. The method collects a set of contextual attributes relating to applications executing on the machine. It then analyzes the collected contextual attributes to identify at least one L4 port that has to have its status modified. Next, it modifies the status of the identified L4 port. In some embodiments, the status of an L4 port can be either open or closed, and the modification can open a closed port or close an open port. In some embodiments, the method is performed when the machine starts up on the host computer, performed each time a new application is installed on the machine, performed periodically to close unused L4 ports, and/or performed periodically to close L4 ports that should not be open based on a set of L4-port control policies.

Abstract: A method of validating a multi-party consensus over a limited connection comprising a validating device configured to transmit a query having a finite number of possible valid answers to a plurality of computing nodes via a unidirectional secure communication channel, receive a limited length string computed based on an aggregated response aggregating a plurality of responses each computed for a multi-party consensus answer to the query by each of at least some of the plurality of computing nodes using a respective secret component, compute a plurality of locally computed strings each computed based on a respective one of the finite number of possible valid answers using an aggregated secret aggregating the plurality of secret components, validate the multi-party consensus answer by comparing the received limited length string to each of the plurality of locally computed strings and initiating one or more operations according to an outcome of the validation.

Abstract: A set of headphones and audio system comprises a first set of buttons for controlling a volume level of transmitted audio to the headphones and a second set of buttons for controlling a volume level of external audio played by the headphones. The transmitted audio comprises audio received from an audio source such as an electronic device and the external audio comprises surrounding ambient noise received by a microphone coupled to the headphones. With the first set of controls and the second set of controls a user is able to adjust the volume level of the transmitted audio and the volume level of the external audio in order to listen to the transmitted audio while still interacting with the surrounding environment.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of reconstructing boundaries from a computed tomography (CT) image dataset is provided. The method comprises receiving CT image data and applying a number of image filters to the CT image data. A numerical derivative is applied to the filtered CT image data to flatten and suppress non-edge regions that do not correspond to edges. Numerical derivative values are clipped to a specified range to reduce artifacts and noise, and an X-ray image is reconstructed according to the image filters and clipped numerical derivative values.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments relate to entertainment systems that interact with users to provide access to media appropriate to and/or customized for a particular user using the entertainment system, the location at which the entertainment system is being accessed, and/or a predefined event. For example, in certain exemplary embodiments, an entertainment system in a location is configured to provide jukebox-related and entertainment system mediated services that are accessible from within and from the outside of the location, and provide (1) attract or flight media operations, (2) browsing services, and/or (3) search screens appropriate to and/or customized for a particular user using the entertainment system, the location at which the entertainment system is being accessed, and/or a predefined event. Such screens may be provided with a three-dimensional look-and-feel in certain exemplary embodiments.

Abstract: Wireless presence is used as a theft prevention mechanism for packages. When a package is shipped, the package includes a wireless security device. Before the package is delivered to its final destination shipping address, the wireless security device is activated and programmed with a security credential. The security credential, though, is based on information obtained during an initial purchase. The wireless security device may thus only be deactivated by a recipient participating in the initial purchase.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for video processing. In some examples, an apparatus for video processing includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry determines one or more parameters of a temporal filter based on video contents in an uncompressed video. The uncompressed video includes a sequence of frames. Then, the processing circuitry applies the temporal filter with the determined parameter on a first pixel in a first frame to determine a filtered value for the first pixel based on the first pixel in the first frame and second pixels in a group of reference frames for the first frame. Further, the processing circuitry encodes a filtered video that includes the filtered value for the first pixel in the first frame to generate a coded video bitstream that carries the filtered video.

Abstract: System and computer-implemented method for generating multi-cloud recommendations for workloads uses costs and performance metrics of appropriate instance types in specific public clouds for target workloads to produce recommendation results. The appropriate instance types in the specific public clouds are determined based on instance capabilities and the workload type of the target workloads. In addition, a recommended cloud resource offering is determined for the target workloads, which is sent as a notification with the recommendation results of the appropriate instance types in the specific public clouds.

Abstract: Security rule feedback systems and methods include capturing network traffic data, the network traffic data including a plurality of traffic records. The traffic records are grouped into first and second traffic records having corresponding first and second source address identifiers, first and second source port identifiers, first and second destination address identifiers, and first and second destination port identifiers. Network interfaces associated with the first and second records are identified based on source address identifiers. Security rule populations are associated to the network interfaces. A determination is made as to a direction of network traffic, based on the security rule populations. Thereby, dispensable security rules may be identified.

Abstract: A luminaire module includes light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light; a light guide including a receiving end and an opposing end, the receiving end arranged to receive light provided by the LEEs, a core including a first transparent material with a first refractive index, the core having a pair of opposing side surfaces extending along a length of the light guide between the receiving and opposing ends, and a cladding including a second material having a second smaller refractive index, the cladding extending across and being in contact with at least a portion of the opposing side surfaces forming a cladding-core interface. The cladding-core interface is optically smooth. Additionally, the luminaire module includes an optical extractor arranged to receive guided light from the opposing end of the light guide and configured to output into the ambient environment at least some of the received guided light.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage mediums are described for bridging brokers of messages from Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In an example system, a first message broker receives a message and an associated topic from an IoT device. A bridging coordinator accesses a topic-to-broker map that indicates, for a second broker, a list of topic filters for which the second message broker has at least one subscriber. The bridging coordinator determines whether the list of topics includes the associated topic. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters in the topic-to-broker map includes the associated topic, the bridging coordinator forward the message to the second message broker. In response to a determination that the list of topic filters does not include the associated topic, the bridging coordinator prevents forwarding of the message to the second message broker.

Abstract: Methods, systems are provided for reconfiguring the position of a first tap in a descrambler circuit LFSR after the LFSR has been trained and synchronized with a corresponding scrambler circuit LFSR. A data path from the second tap position to the descrambler output by-passes logic elements located in the data path from the first tap to the descrambler output, thereby reducing delay in the descrambler circuit after the reconfiguration (i.e., the “lock-shift” operation). The tap position change may be communicated by a mode manager to a corresponding scrambler circuit, for applying a matching reconfiguration in the scrambler circuit, either directly via an I/O line or indirectly. The indirect route includes in-band transmissions between two ICs with two sets of self-synchronizing scrambler/descrambler pairs, and is based on monitored receiver LFSR output signals that indicate when a scrambler/descrambler pair is synchronized or whether the output of a descrambler circuit comprises descrambled data.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a flexible touch-sensitive display composed of a first flexible touch-sensitive display portion and a second flexible touch-sensitive display portion. The first flexible touch-sensitive display portion is attached to a first structural support segment. The second flexible touch-sensitive display portion is attached to a second structural support segment. The flexible touch-sensitive display further includes having a partially expanded state. The flexible touch-sensitive display further includes having a fully expanded state. A gimbal stabilization system is configured to automatically rotate the first structural support segment using an actuator such that the first structural support segment can remain at the same angle relative to the ground plane, which can include a viewable displayed content position if the first flexible touch-screen display portion is facing approximately parallel or perpendicular to the ground plane.

Abstract: Example aspects of a tight-seal piping component, a tight-seal piping assembly, and a method for preventing leaking in a piping assembly are disclosed. The tight-seal piping component can comprise a fitting body defining a fitting inner surface, a fitting outer surface opposite the fitting inner surface, a first fitting end, and a second fitting end opposite the first fitting end, the fitting inner surface defining: an interior channel defining a fitting axis; a seal stop surface within the interior channel; and internal threading between first fitting end and the seal stop surface, the internal threading defining straight threading extending in a direction about perpendicular to the fitting axis; and a seal received within interior channel and abutting seal stop surface.