Abstract: Improved techniques for performing object segmentation are disclosed. Surface reconstruction (SR) data corresponding to an environment is accessed. This SR data is used to generate a detailed three-dimensional (3D) representation of the environment. The SR data is also used to infer a high-level 3D structural representation of the environment. The high-level 3D structural representation is inferred using machine learning that is performed on the surface reconstruction data to identify a structure of the environment. The high-level 3D structural representation is then cut from the detailed 3D representation. This cutting process generates a clutter mesh comprising objects that remain after the cut and that are distinct from the structure. Object segmentation is then performed on the remaining objects to identify those objects.

Abstract: Power supply circuitry and enhanced associated techniques are presented herein. In one example, a method includes powering a circuit with a plurality of power supply phases, and monitoring thermal properties of the plurality of power supply phases. Responsive to the thermal properties indicating at least one of the plurality of power supply phases exceeds a thermal threshold, the method includes selecting a dormant power supply phase to supplant the at least one of the plurality of power supply phases.

Abstract: Techniques for casting electronic content, including identifying, at a first time, a first action by a user of a presenter device affecting rendering of a content item casted to a target device; determining that the presenter device is in a first casting mode at the first time; based on the presenter device being in the first casting mode at the first time, changing a rendering of the content item by the target device by causing the first action to be reported in real-time to the target device; identifying, at a second time, a second action by the user that affects a rendering of the content item; determining that the presenter device is in a second casting mode at the second time; and determining that the second action will not be reported to the target device based on the presenter device being in the second casting mode at the second time.

Abstract: A system for automated user input alignment receives the user input at a touchscreen display. A skew of the user input is identified as the user input is being received at a touchscreen display. A skew correction is determined based on the identified skew. The skew correction is applied to the user input to align the user input on the touchscreen display. The skew correction applied in an automated alignment process that. The user input is displayed with the applied skew correction on the touchscreen display with improved efficiency and without user manipulation to perform the alignment.

Abstract: In an example, a server system is provided. The server system includes a frame including a support structure and a server supported by the support structure. The server system includes an actuator configured to cause the server to transition from a first position to a second position to increase exposure of the server to airflow to transfer heat away from the server via convection. The actuator is also configured to cause the server to transition from the second position to the first position to decrease exposure of the server to the airflow.

Abstract: A user authentication technique that allows a user to access a protected resource such as an account on a web site or secure files on a computing device such as a smartphone, personal computer, tablet computer, and the like, employs a shared secret that employs a state machine to sequentially transition between a series of states during which the user is requested to enter predefined information that is also a part of the shared secret. That is, the shared secret includes user-specific data that must be provided and the particular sequence or manner in which the user-specific data or credentials are to be provided. The authentication technique may supplement the user of conventional one or two factor authentication techniques requiring, e.g., a password or both a username and password, which are commonly used to gain access to a resource.

Abstract: A system includes reception of a first portion of a firmware image, determination, based on the first portion of the firmware image, of whether to update the firmware based on the firmware image, transmission of an acknowledgement signal if it is determined to update the firmware based on the first portion of the firmware image, reception of a remaining portion of the firmware image, and updating of the firmware based on the firmware image.

Abstract: A head mounted display device is provided that includes a display device, a camera device, an input device, and a processor. The processor is configured to store a database of physical objects and virtual objects that have been associated with one or more semantic tags. The processor is further configured to receive a natural language input from a user via the input device and perform semantic processing on the natural language input to determine a user specified operation and identify one or more semantic tags indicated by the natural language input. The processor is further configured to select a target virtual object and a target physical object based on the identified one or more semantic tags, perform the determined user specified operation on the target virtual object based on the target physical object, and display the target virtual object at a physical location associated with the target physical object.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for managing a user's contact data which use evolving sequential sets of rules where the applicability of each set depends upon adherence or proper application of a prior set. In an embodiment, an initial set of restrictions are generated based on input from a first user, the restrictions relating to contact made by a second user to the first user. These initial restrictions are subsequently modified in response to the second user contacting the first user based on the contact made and a characteristic of the contact. The methods may apply to any form of contact between the first and second users and in an embodiment applies to contact made by the second user to a cellular telephone number belonging to the first user.

Abstract: Described herein is a system that enables a user to filter notable events, representations for which are presented on an interactive timeline associated with a teleconference session or a collaboration environment. The filtering can be implemented based on a type of a notable event and/or based on a specific notable event. The system is also configured to enable a user to search for instances of a type of event and instances of a specific notable event. The system is configured to provide results to the search request that list the teleconference sessions that include the located instances. The user can then select a teleconference session from the results to view an interactive timeline that includes representations of the located instances. Consequently, the system provides a tool that enables a user to efficiently and effectively locate events on an interactive timeline that are desirable (e.g., activity the user wants to view).

Abstract: A method of manual memory management is described which comprises enabling one or more threads to access an object created in a manual heap by storing a reference to the object in thread-local state and subsequently deleting the stored reference after accessing the object. In response to abandonment of the object, an identifier for the object and a current value of either a local counter of a thread or a global counter are stored in a delete queue and all threads are prevented from storing any further references to the object in thread-local state. Deallocation of the object only occurs when all references to the object stored in thread-local state for any threads have been deleted and a current value of the local counter for the thread or the global counter has incremented to a value that is at least a pre-defined amount more than the stored value, wherein the global counter is updated using one or more local counters.

Abstract: Examples of the disclosure enable a docking station to provide various capabilities. In some examples, the docking station includes a sidewall at least partially defining a cavity, a charge module configured to charge a digital pen positioned within the cavity, and an authentication module configured to associate a digital pen with one or more user settings such that the digital pen is configured to operate in accordance with the user settings. Examples of the disclosure enable one or more digital pens to be placed in or retrieved from the docking station in a user-friendly manner.

Abstract: Methods and devices for managing first-in first-out (FIFO) queues in graphics processing are described. A dispatcher thread can receive a value of a write done pointer indicating a next memory location following one or more memory locations to which data has been written by a write thread of a graphics processing unit (GPU). The dispatcher thread can accordingly launch, based at least in part on the value of the write done pointer, multiple read threads on the GPU to read, in parallel and based on the write done pointer, the data from the FIFO queue.

Abstract: Techniques for generating customized learning paths are provided. In one technique, consumption data that indicates consumption of multiple learning resources by multiple users is recorded. Based on the consumption data, multiple learning resource tuples are generated, each learning resource tuple indicating that one learning resource that was consumed by a user prior to another learning resource that was consumed by the user. Multiple aggregations are performed, where each aggregation involves aggregating different sets of learning resource tuples, where each set of learning resource tuples comprises the same two learning resources in the same order. Based on a subset of the aggregations, a customized learning path that comprises a set of learning resources is generated for a particular user. The customized learning path is presented to the particular user.

Abstract: A method for use with a computing device is provided. The method may include executing one or more programs of an intelligent digital assistant system at a processor and presenting a user interface to a user. At the processor, the method may include receiving natural language user input from the user, parsing the user input at an intent handler to determine an intent template with slots, populating the slots in the intent template with information from user input, and performing resolution on the intent template to partially resolve unresolved information. If a slot with missing slot information exists in the partially resolved intent template, a loop may be executed at the processor to fill the slots. The method may include, at the processor, determining that all required information is available and resolved and generating a rule based upon the intent template with all required information being available and resolved.

Abstract: Techniques for providing content management based on spatial and temporal information are disclosed herein. In an example, a service provides content management based on properties determined from a schedule of a user. The schedule of the user is processed to identify a geo-fenced area assigned for performing a task. Upon determining that the location of the client device as within the geo-fenced area, content identified by the task may be accessed through the client to perform the task.

Abstract: Generating a map based on nodes of a hierarchical graph that defines a topology of a physical space and is configured to provide access to sensor data from devices within the physical space includes accessing the hierarchical graph. The hierarchical graph comprises a plurality of nodes, including a top node for the physical space and a plurality of other nodes coupled to the top node. One of the plurality of nodes comprises an area node that represents an area within the physical space. One of the plurality of nodes also comprises a device node representing a device located within the physical space and a user node. Map data corresponding to a particular node is generated. The generated map data is associated with generating at least a portion of a map corresponding to the particular node. The generated map data corresponding to the particular node is stored within the hierarchical graph.

Abstract: Aspects extend to methods, systems, and computer program products for automatically commissioning an electrical system in industrial/commercial settings (e.g., a data center) to increase the likelihood that the electrical system functions as intended when released into production. Automated data collection devices can collect commissioning data related to electrical and other characteristics of electrical equipment. Automation software can access commissioning data from the automated data collection devices over a computer network. The commissioning data can be stored in a database for analysis. The commissioning data can be compared to pass/fail criteria and a commissioning report can be generated.

Abstract: A method of determining a temperature of a component in an electronic device includes obtaining a posture of the electronic device, selecting a first temperature sensor from a plurality of temperature sensors based on the obtained posture, obtaining a first measured temperature from the first temperature sensor, determining the temperature of the component based on the first measured temperature from the first temperature sensor, and in accordance with the determined temperature meeting one or more criteria, adjusting performance of the component.

Abstract: A system for transmitting data over an optical communication path is configured to receive data to be encoded in a bitstream for transmission using an optical communication path and encodes the received data to obtain a bitstream. The system is further configured to determine that the bitstream includes a sequence of consecutive bits, and obtain a power level at which to transmit a portion of the bitstream based on a count of the consecutive bits in the sequence. The system may be configured to selectively activate a light source at a power level according to a modulation scheme to optically transmit the portion of the bitstream at the power level.