Abstract: An autonomous chat bot monitors actions of users on a messaging platform and generates self-initiated chat sessions with the user to gauge users' interest and intent with respect to a target subject matter and the conversations of the chat sessions. Based on the gauged interest and intent, profiles or preferences are generated for the users independent of or relevant to the target subject matter.

Abstract: Objects associated with a self-checkout area are identified and tracked through transaction data comprised of transaction details, device statuses, transaction interrupts/events, and video feeds during transactions on Self-Service Terminals (SSTs). Selective objects and selective transaction data are correlated together in a group for each transaction. Actions required of an attendant who is managing the transactions are identified for each group. An Augmented Reality (AR) interface is provided on an attendant-operated device that visually and uniquely identifies the actions, each group requiring a given action, and each object of each group that is to be the subject of the given action. In an embodiment, remote verification, audit, and override actions are processed through gestures made by the attendant and detected by the AR interface.

Abstract: An Application Programming Interface (API) is provided for interaction between a User Interface (UI) of a device and microservices provided from a cloud processing environment. The API provides a single device-type independent backend to the frontends of the microservices. The UI defines the data types and specific data that it needs for processing from a given microservice. The backend calls the appropriate microservice through the corresponding frontend of the microservice. The microservice may engage other microservices resulting in output being returned to the backend. The backend provides only the output associated with the data types and the specific data back to the UI.

Abstract: A scanner is provided having an integrated or retrofitted amber filter placed in front of white illumination LEDs. When an object/item is placed within a field of view of a lens of the scanner, the white illumination LEDs are illuminated and pass through the amber filter, which filters out light in the light spectrum of approximately 340-500 nm. The object/item is illuminated with light approximately above 500 nm and reflected back through a portion of the lens that covers an imaging sensor resulting in an object/item image in the light spectrum approximately above 500 nm, which improves the user experience by removing the glaring blue light component of the white LEDs illumination while not impacting the performance of the object/item recognition when processed for a transaction being conducted at a transaction terminal that is interfaced to the scanner.

Abstract: A system detects a transaction outcome by obtaining video data associated with a transaction area and analyzing the video data to obtain at least one video transaction parameter concerning transactions associated with the transaction area. The transaction area can be a video count of items indicated in the video data as detected by an automated item detection algorithm applied to the video data. The system obtains at least one expected transaction parameter concerning an expected transaction that occurs in the transaction area, such as a scan count of items scanned at a point of sale terminal. The system automatically compares the video transaction parameter(s) to the expected transaction parameter(s) to identify a transaction outcome that may indicate fraudulent activity such as sweethearting in a retail environment.

Abstract: An agent on a terminal send an instruction to firmware on a miscellaneous board of the terminal. The instruction includes a time period during which power to the terminal and peripherals of the terminal are to be powered off. The agent sends an instructions to a core of a motherboard of the terminal to perform shutdown operations in anticipation of the terminals and peripherals being powered off. In response to the instruction received, the firmware monitors the core for a state indicating that the core is shutdown, the firmware sets a timer to the time period, and causes power to be cut between the motherboard and a power supply unit of the terminal. When the timer expires, the firmware re-establishes power between the motherboard and the power supply unit causing the core to initiate the proper sequence of operations to start up the terminal and the peripherals.

Abstract: Video of customer faces during checkouts are captured in real time and analyzed to assign identifiers for expressions of the customers. Simultaneously, transaction data and events being raised for the checkouts are correlated based on time stamps with the expression identifiers. A collection of data captured for the correlated transaction data, events, and identifiers are processed by a machine-learning algorithm to identify clusters and/or patterns between the expression identifiers and specific transaction events. The clusters are mined and reported to a retailer for identifying points during the workflow for the checkouts, transaction interface components, transaction terminal settings, transaction terminal peripherals, etc. that are potentially causing negative customer reactions during the checkouts.

Abstract: An indoor location is mapped into a grid comprising grid cells, each cell associated with items or objects detected as being present in the corresponding cell. The grid, grid cells, and linked items and/or objects are generated and updated using an Augmented Reality (AR) algorithm that maps a physical environment into cells and measures distances and directions within the environment relative to each cell. Walking paths (routes) to the items within the indoor location are generated using the grid information. As a user walks a path, the user's position within the indoor location is mapped and tracked to the cells and the path revised based on the user's actual position. A user device provides video via an AR application to track the user's position; a rendering of the position and path are superimposed within the video being viewed by the user on the user-operated device.

Abstract: Multiple portions of information for a product are hashed to produce unique hash values during a journey of the product from production to purchase by a consumer. The hash values and information are stored in a cryptographic cooperatively shared product data structure. The hash values are subsequently submitted as product or portions of product searches to the cryptographic cooperatively shared product data structures and results are obtained for products associated with the portions of the information. The results are provided to services to drive proactive actions with respect to the product or other products related to any of the portions of information.

Abstract: Transaction records for self-service checkout transactions are provided in real-time to a customizable machine-learning rescan audit service. Any retailer defined settings with respect to random audits are enforced by the service and the real-time transaction records are provided to a machine-learning model that returns rescan scores based on the real-time transaction records. The service compares the rescan scores in view of retailer-defined suspicious scores for both a full rescan of a given checkout transaction and a partial rescan of the given checkout transaction. The service alerts the retailer when a rescan audit is predicted to be warranted for any given self-service checkout transaction based on random selection or based on the computed rescan score. The machine-learning model is continuously and regularly retrained. In an embodiment, the service provides reports, a dashboard, and mining of the transaction records and the audits to the retailer though a service-provided interface.

Abstract: A magnetic strip of a card is read by a card reader while the card remains stationary and motionless within the card reader. The card is parked within the card reader in a read position. A dynamic read head of the card reader moves over the strip from a trailing edge of the inserted card to a leading edge of the card and then back from the leading edge of the card to the trailing edge of the card. A rate and speed of the read head is controlled during the passes of the read head over the strip. The card data of the strip is provided to a terminal during a transaction of a customer at the terminal.

Abstract: A fine-grain analytics engine and a report/notification interface are provided. The fine-grain analytics engine is configured to be customized configured for fine-grain projections and metrics generation for operations of an enterprise. The report/notification interface provides an Application Programming Interface (API) and an interactive graphical display interface for reporting and integrating the projections and metrics generated by the fine-grain analytics engine into enterprise services and enterprise devices.

Abstract: Techniques for transacting with a kiosk are provided. A user activates a remoting feature of a kiosk. A kiosk agent on the kiosk directly or indirectly causes a link to be sent to a mobile device of the user. The link when activated on the mobile device providing an interface for transacting with the kiosk from the mobile device.

Abstract: A data processing system includes a first communication session participant device, a service orchestration controller, and a plurality of second communication session participant devices. Each of the second communication session participants has an attribute to perform a type of service task.

Abstract: A single manufactured piece of injection molded or 3D (three-dimensional) printed plastic, metal, rubber, or wax is provided. The piece is adapted to fit around a communication port receptacle and a corresponding portion of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) where the communication port receptacle is located on the PCB. The piece includes a latch adapted to push down on a tab of a connector for a cord when the connector is inserted into the communication port receptacle to hold the connector within the communication port receptacle.

Abstract: A Self-Service Terminal (SST) that provides valuable media deposit features is enhanced with an apparatus fastened to an outside surface of the SST. The apparatus is adapted to receive an externally provided valuable media cassette and connect/interface a port of the cassette to an unload infeed port. A transaction interface is enhanced to identify the cassette as a source device for obtaining valuable media during a deposit transaction. The SST feeds the valuable media from the externally connected cassette through media validation and transport modules of the SST into cassettes of a safe and the SST returns rejected media for the deposit transaction back through the modules to return rejected media to the externally interfaced cassette.

Abstract: Cryptographic techniques are provided for generating, distributing, validation, and processing secure commands on different devices and/or peripherals. A control device generates and encrypts a key corresponding to a secure command using a private key of control device to produce a key envelope. Control device further encrypts the key envelope with a recipient's public key producing a recipient envelope. The recipient envelope is delivered to a recipient's device. The recipient's device decrypts the recipient envelope with a private key of the recipient's device producing the key envelope. The key envelope is delivered back to the control device. The control device decrypts the key envelope producing the key, validates the key, and processes a secure command on behalf of a secure resource or delivers the secure command to the secure resource for processing. In an embodiment, control device maintains audit records/audit trail, which is maintained on the control device.

Abstract: A data model is derived from transaction data. The model is represented in a combination data structure for a tree and a hash table. The hash table provides direct access to leaves of the tree, each leaf comprises a frequency count for a particular unique basket of items detected in the transaction data. Mining the combination data structure does not require recursive traversal of the tree. Moreover, derivation is performed with just two passes on the transaction data, during each pass multiple concurrent reducer tasks handle a unique portion of the transaction data providing parallel processing during creation and derivation which improves the processor elapsed time to complete the combination data structure. Furthermore, updates to the data structure are incremental without requiring any additional passes on the original transaction data and without requiring full traversal of the tree. Output from the mining is provided as input to predictor services.

Abstract: A mapping of a physical environment and objects within the physical environment are generated. The objects are tracked within the physical environment and any transaction data associated with transaction correlated with the objects. The objects, relationships between each object, and any transaction data are evaluated to assign a risk score or an assessment needs score. Each score is mapped to one or more unique visual features and a heat map is generated that depicts the objects within the physical environment along with their visual features. The heat map is continuously updated in real time as scores change for the objects and the visual features change. The heat map is rendered within an interface of a device operated or worn by an attendant to assist the attendant in quickly ascertaining any risk of loss, any risk of threat, and/or any customer in need of assistance within the physical environment.

Abstract: Security video is captured when one or more individuals are detected as entering a secure area. Actions of the one or more individuals are monitored based on security policies associated with the secure area. Identifiers for the one or more individuals and action identifiers for the actions are recorded in a security log while the one or more individuals remain in the secure area. The security video is stopped when the individuals are detected as exiting the secure area. The security video is linked to entries recorded in the security log. In an embodiment, when a non-compliant action is detected from the actions based on the security policies, a real-time alert is raised, and/or the security video is streamed in real time to a security monitor.