Abstract: Video frames from a video are compressed into a single image or a single data structure that represents a unique visual flowprint or visual signature for a given activity being modeled from the video frames. The flowprint comprises a computed summary of the original pixel values associated with the video frames within the single image and the flowprint is specific to movements occurring within the video frames that are associated with the given activity. In an embodiment, the flowprint is provided as input to a machine-learning algorithm to allow the algorithm to perform object tracking and monitoring from the flowprint rather than from the video frames of the video, which substantially improves processor load and memory utilization on a device that executes the algorithm, and substantially improved responsiveness of the algorithm.

Abstract: User data is aggregated across a plurality of electronic communication channels and domains. An online system initially authenticates a user for access to the online system over a network. The online system provides a user identifier for the user to an authentication service. The authentication service generates a non-repeatable challenge from the aggregated user data for the user identifier and provides the non-repeatable challenge to the online system. The online system provides the challenge to the user and receives a response from the user. The online system provides the response to the authentication service and the authentication sends a success or failure back to the online system based on the response to the challenge, and based on the success or failure the online system makes a final determination for authenticating the user for accessing to the online system.

Abstract: A user makes a request from a requesting device for access to a secure operation associated with a network-based service. A first biometric authentication is processed for the request and at least one second scope-based authentication is processed for the request based on an analysis of a physical environment for the requesting device. A determination is made based on at least the first biometric authentication and the scope-based authentication whether the secure operation can be: processed on behalf of the user by the network-based service, not processed at all, or processed only if requested from a specific medium/channel associated with a specific device, which may or may not be the requesting device.

Abstract: A valuable media sanitizing/cleansing cassette is provided for sanitizing/cleansing surfaces of valuable media dispensed to a consumer during a dispense transaction at a transaction terminal. Dispensed media is urged from one or more media cassettes within the terminal along a transport path. The transport path is altered to pass the media through the sanitizing/cleansing cassette where the top and bottom surfaces of the media are illuminated with Ultraviolet (UV) radiation to eradicate any bacteria or virus that may be adhered to the top or the bottom surfaces of the media. Once the media passes through the sanitizing/cleansing cassette, the now sanitized/cleansed media is urged along a remainder of the transport path and dispensed from a media interface of the terminal to the consumer. In an embodiment, media deposited at the terminal is also sanitized/cleansed by passing through the sanitizing/cleansing cassette before being stored in the appropriate media cassettes.

Abstract: A network-based inventory replenishment application maintains and analyzes item transactions on a per-consumer basis. Specific item purchases are calculated as being in need of replenishment by a specific consumer on specific future dates or a specific range of future dates. The consumer is proactively informed and asked if such items should be ordered. The network-based inventory replenishment application engages the consumer for item replenishment and item order processing over a plurality of disparate communication channels.

Abstract: Cameras capture images of shelves/displays having items. The images are processed to identify real-time item counts on the shelves and/or empty or partially empty shelves with less than a configured number of items. Notifications or messages regarding item counts and/or empty shelving conditions are sent through an Application Programming Interface (API) to consuming services in accordance with custom defined rules. In an embodiment, real-time item counts and/or empty shelving conditions are dynamically reported through the API based on on-demand requests from the consuming services.

Abstract: A network-based service creates a smart contract on a blockchain on behalf of a user who has a loan or a subscription that requires installment payments be collected by a provider from the user and provided to creditor of the loan or subscription. The smart contract associates a default account of the user with a first access token and non-default registered other accounts of the user with a second access token. The smart contract when presented with the access tokens from a provider determines whether the payment due can be satisfied from a current balance of the default account and if so, transfers the payment from the default account to the provider. If the default lacks sufficient funds for the payment, the smart contract proportions the amounts taken from each of the accounts to reach the amount due and transfers the amount due to the provider.

Abstract: Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, methods, and software for biometric authentication of pre-staged self-service terminal transactions. One embodiment in the form of a method includes connecting, wirelessly via a wireless communication device of a mobile device, to a Self-Service Terminal (SST), such as an ATM or self-service checkout terminal. The mobile device then receives, via the wireless communication device from the SST, biometric authentication data to authenticate an account holder. The received biometric data is then compared on the mobile device with biometric data stored on or read by a biometric reader of the mobile device. When the comparing identifies a match between the received biometric data and the biometric data read by or stored on the mobile device, the method then transmits an authentication message via the wireless communication device to the SST indicating the match.

Abstract: A method, a computing device and a computer program is disclosed. The method comprises providing, at a computing device, at least one first executable image file comprising first executable software associated with a graphical user interface application; and executing the first executable image file as at least one first software container element that contains the first executable software and that is executable on one or more processors of the computing device; and responsive to executing the first executable image file, providing a first graphical user interface on a display of the computing device.

Abstract: A host device includes surface mount conductive pads on a printed circuit board (PCB) for external peripheral communications. Conductive ink is printed on the conductive pads with a base member is printed over the conductive ink. Three-dimensional (3D) conductive wires are printed on the base member and extend along a housing to a new external port. Conductive ink is printed with a second base member and terminating ends of the wires are printed on the front of the base member establishing the new peripheral port for the host device. A peripheral device includes its own surface mount conductive pads which when aligned and brought into contact with the external port of the host device permits the host device and the peripheral device to establish a wired connection with one another without cables, without cable harnesses, and without port connectors.

Abstract: A dual antiphase read-head arranged card reader is provided. The card reader includes a first read-head arrangement and a second read-head arrangement. Electromagnetic noise is applied to both the first and second arrangements. Waves associated with the electromagnetic noise on the second arrangement is transformed and applied to the first arrangement canceling the noise on a first read head of the first arrangement. The first read head reads magnetically encoded information on a magnetic strip of a card inserted into a card slot of the card reader free of noise. However, the noise remains present such that any skimmer read head of a skimmer inserted into the card slot is unable to read the magnetically encoded information off the magnetic strip of the card.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for protecting an escrow clutch of a self-service terminal. The systems and methods may include actuating a motor of the self-service terminal to cause an escrow clutch of the self-service terminal to spin at a rate. As the clutch spins, a determination as to when a clutch slippage exceeds a preset slippage rate may be made. When the clutch slippage exceeds the preset slippage rate, the motor may be actuated to cause the escrow clutch to spin at a second rate. The second rate may less than the first rate.

Abstract: Users and providers register with a portal. Users are provided codes that link to the portal and contact information for the users. When a provider needs a user to physically sign a document, the user presents the code for scanning by a provider device, this redirects the document and the code to the portal. A ledger is maintained on the portal for the transaction, the portal forwards the document to the user using the contact information. The user uses an application to review the document and accept or reject the document. When the user accepts the document, a physical signature of the user is placed within the document at signature locations and forwarded back to the portal. The portal updates the ledger indicating the user physically signed and forwards the physically signed document to the provider. Neither the unsigned document nor the physically signed document are stored on the portal.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a safe door apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a locking apparatus affixed to an inside portion of a safe door for a safe and at least one vertically oriented bolt fastened to the inside portion of the safe door with the locking apparatus. The bolt is adapted to move with the locking apparatus during locking and unlocking of the safe door from a safe body of the safe. The bolt is further adapted to fasten and unfasten to a horizontal plate, which is affixed to an inside of the safe body during locking and unlocking of the safe door by the locking apparatus.

Abstract: Auditing information is captured from a processing stack of an invoked application. An annotation customized for that invocation context is processed to filter and/or add additional audition information available from the processing stack. The customized auditing information is then sent to a destination based on a processing context of the invoked application when the invoked application completes processing. In an embodiment, the customized auditing information is housed in a data store and an interface is provided for customized query processing, report processing, event processing, a notification processing.

Abstract: During startup or boot of a device, software or firmware associated with a processor and/or microcontroller of the device slow walks the handover of control to critical initialization or steady-state functions to account for any instability due to an electrical transient that may cause the processor and/or microcontroller to perform erratically or non-deterministically during startup or boot. The wait time associated with the slow-walk handover of control is optimized to ensure that no instability due to transients is present when the wait time expires. In an embodiment, after the wait time expires, firmware/software associated with the bootloader and/or Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) may further continuously calculate a checksum value for the corresponding target software/firmware and compare the calculated value against an expected checksum value. When the calculated checksum matches the expected checksum, remaining portions of the firmware/software for the bootloader and/or BIOS are given control.

Abstract: A self-service terminal, apparatus, and method for corrugating received media items is disclosed. A bin is provided for storing media items. A pathway selectively conveys a received media item to the bin. An apparatus that include as set of paired corrugating drive rollers is mounted in the pathway for creasing the received media item as it is conveyed to the bin. The set of paired corrugating drive rollers has a plurality of first corrugating rollers mounted in a spaced apart fashion on a common shaft, each of the first corrugating rollers having an outwardly facing rounded-V profile, and a plurality of second corrugating rollers mounted in a spaced apart fashion on a common shaft, each of the second corrugating rollers having an inwardly facing slot. Each of the plurality of first corrugating rollers is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the plurality of second corrugating rollers.

Abstract: Agents are configured to collect data from terminals and send the data in real time to a data integrator. The data integrator identifies the data types and processes custom aggregation on select ones of data types from the data. The data and the output of any aggregations are translated to a select output format and sent to one or more select resources for further processing. The data integrator determines when to send the data and the output from any aggregation in the select output format to the one more select resources based on a defined condition. In an embodiment, the data integrator sends the data and output from any aggregation in real time to at least one of the one or more select resources.

Abstract: Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, methods, software, and data structures that facilitate inter-entity non-monetary transactions. Some such embodiments include a single account identifier per consumer that is utilized across multiple entities to identify a single award account which is credited and debited in the consumer's transactions with all participating entities. One method embodiment includes receiving a unique account identifier within a transaction involving an account of the unique account identifier and calculating a value based on the transaction for transfer to the account of the account identifier. The method then generates a data structure in memory to transfer the calculated value to the account of the account identifier and signing the data structure in the memory with a private key of a private/public key-pair. The method then transmits the data structure to a computing system storing a replicated trusted ledger used to maintain value balances.