Abstract: Offers are distributed by providing a plurality of offers to a first user and directing the first user to distribute the offers to selected additional users. The plurality of offers may be customized by the system based on the first user's previous interactions with the system, and may be further customized by the first user before sending the offers to the selected additional users. The additional users may include any user including known and/or unknown users and/or contact in the first's user networks including business and/or social networks. The system may also track and store information relating to the distribution, access, and redemption of the offer by the first user and the selected additional users and provide additional incentives based upon the access and redemption, and based upon interactions between the first user and the selected additional users.

Abstract: A social gift registry provides tools to aid those planning for major milestones in life to engage a network of friends, family, and others in communicating information about the life event, helping to identify and track gifts for the celebrants, and enabling the management of the activities involved in the celebration.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods and systems that enable a consumer to electronically shop for products using a conventional electronic shopping cart such as are typically provided by online merchants, and to also create and manage one or more additional “shared” electronic shopping carts through which the end-user may automatically share details of such shopping activities with others using electronic means such as online social networks, short message services, and email, thereby enabling others to participate and assist in various shopping activities.

Abstract: Various embodiments of power tool and method of operating same are described. The power tool may include a first position sensor, a second position sensor, a third position sensor, and a controller. The first, second, and third position sensors may each generate a signal indicative of a distance between the respective position sensor and a workpiece. The controller may determine one or more angles of the power tool with respect to the workpiece based on the first, second, and third signal and present an indication as to whether the one or more angles are within a predetermined range. The controller may further obtain a depth measurement based on the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal and generate, based on the obtained depth measurement, one or more control signals that control operation of the power tool.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a two-in-one vacuum cleaner are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the system comprises a nozzle that is detachable from a rest of a vacuum cleaner. The nozzle is configured to perform as a vacuum nozzle of the vacuum cleaner when attached to the vacuum cleaner. The nozzle is also configured to perform as a robotic vacuum cleaner when detached from the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: Techniques and systems are provided for interfacing one or more event detectors coupled by a common interconnect with a network interface. Interconnect signals indicative of events detected by the one or more event detectors using sensor data are propagated on the common interconnect. A monitor device indirectly or directly couple to the common interconnect monitors the interconnect signals. Information about a first event detector of the one or more event detectors is inferred, in part, from the interconnect signals and transmitted via the network interface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a vacuum cleaner with sliding vacuum head assembly. The vacuum head assembly comprises, for example, a vacuum motor, a dust bin, and a fan. The vacuum clean is configured for cleaning high and low surfaces based on a position of the vacuum head assembly along the vacuum tube.

Abstract: A lawn mowing apparatus may include sensors that are fastened to both its mower deck and its chassis. The sensors may sense a position of the mower deck in relation to the chassis. The sensed position of the mower deck may be presented to the operator via a dashboard display of the lawn tractor or transmitted via a wireless signal to another device. Based on such sensed position, an operator of the lawn tractor may manually adjust the position of the mower deck until the sensed position of the mower deck is within an acceptable operating range. In some embodiments, servomotors may used to adjust the position of the mower deck until the sensed position of the mower deck is within an acceptable range.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically associating an Internet addressable endpoint device of an end-user with an account of the end-user at a remote system supporting a plurality of Internet addressable endpoint devices each associated with a respective end-user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for switching communication pathways between a mobile device and connected “Internet of Things” (IOT) device are described to improve scalability and communication between devices. An application on the mobile device may determine whether local or virtual local endpoints are available to route communications without using a remote IoT server endpoint. Communications and updates from multiple co-located, but not necessarily user-related connected devices may be aggregated, and sent to a remote IoT server to reduce the peak load scalability requirement of the server.

Abstract: Example gesture based cross-channel commerce retail systems and methods are provided. Some of the example systems and methods permit a consumer to complete a Store Pick Up order, i.e., an order placed by the consumer via computer, mobile device, telephone, fax, mail-order, etc., by gesturing with a mobile device near a digital kiosk and optical sensor at a store pick up location. The mobile device and/or the digital kiosk may display media content to the consumer while the consumer completes the Store Pick Up order. In another example system, a digital kiosk is located in a public area such as an airport, shopping mall, train station, or stadium. The digital kiosk displays media content to the consumer, and the consumer may transfer to a mobile device such media by gesturing with the mobile device near the digital kiosk.

Abstract: A redundant actuation lock apparatus includes an interface, an electronic mechanism, and a manual mechanism. The interface manipulates lock bar(s) into a locked/unlocked position. The electronic mechanism includes an actuator and power drive. The actuator is disengageably coupled to and drives the interface. The power drive is coupled to and drives the actuator in response to a control signal. The manual mechanism includes a key input and an output. The key input receives and rotates with a mechanical key. The output disengageably couples to the interface and rotates with the mechanical key. The actuator is engaged with and the output is disengaged from the interface in an electronic mode, while the actuator is disengaged from and the output is engaged with the interface in a manual mode.

Abstract: Example computer executable instructions for determining a consumer's offer eligibility using a predicate logic tree against sets of input data are provided. In particular, the disclosed examples recite a rewards engine capable of determining a consumer's offer eligibility using a predicate logic tree against sets of input data. The rewards engine applies rules that are relevant to a particular deal offered by a retail establishment to the consumer's records to determine the consumer's offer eligibility. In some examples, the rewards engine sorts or partially sorts some or all of the consumer's records to determine the consumer's offer eligibility.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for accessing protected data. A computing device may have a secured stared storage accessible by two or more applications operating on the mobile device. The computing device may obtain a first token from an authorization service to verify user identity for a first application. The first token may be stored in the shared storage area, and be accessible to one or more applications sharing the storage space. In response to a user attempt to access a web service using a second application, the user identity may be verified using the first token. The authorization service may verify user credentials, and send a second token to the computing device. The second token may be a proxy ticket authorizing access and exchange of protected data between the second application and a web service. The second token may also be stored in the secure storage area.

Abstract: A system and method for the preparation of electronic publications or “ePubs” that provide a rich multimedia experience to readers using any of a variety of user devices, without requiring those individuals wishing to prepare such ePubs to install proprietary client applications on the computing device used to prepare the ePubs, and without the need to download a large portion or all of the ePub to enable viewing on an electronic device of an end-user.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed regarding an e-commerce system that maintains references between products and relevant content. In some embodiments, methods and/or apparatus obtain content from one or more content providers via a computer network, identify a product from a product catalog of an electronic database that is related to the obtained content; and update references to relevant content maintained in an electronic database for the product to include a reference to the obtained content.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed that provide a pickup process for items purchased from a store. In some embodiments, a mobile computing device of a customer may determine whether the mobile computing device and therefore the customer are in a pickup zone for a store. In response to determining that the mobile computing device is in the pickup zone, the mobile computing device may notify the customer and request whether the customer wishes to initiate pickup of purchased items from the store. The mobile computing device may notify a merchandise pickup system of the customer's desire to pickup the purchased items.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed regarding an e-commerce system that places customers into a plurality of clusters and tailors services provided to a customer based on the cluster in which the customer is placed. In one embodiment, the e-commerce system defines the clusters based on purchase history data for customers having sufficient purchase history data. The e-commerce system then places customers without sufficient purchase history data into one of the defined clusters based on demographic data for the customer and demographic data for the customers in the cluster.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for managing a loyalty program. In some embodiments, a system includes a loyalty program management (LPM) system and a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. The POS terminal is configured to read a membership identifier, identify a plurality of goods, complete a sale of the identified plurality of goods to the member, and transmit, to the loyalty program management system, the read membership identifier and information about the identified plurality of goods. Based on the received information, the LPM system is configured to identify one or more point categories, and update earned loyalty points of the member in each of the identified one or more point categories. The LPM system is further configured to provide the POS terminal with a redemption value to be applied to the sale.

Abstract: A computing device hosting a website of a business may be operable to receive a first search input comprising a term submitted via a search bar on the website. Upon performing an internal search for the term with no result, the computing device may output information on the no-result. The computing device may then perform, using one or more external search engines, a search for the term. Search results of the search, performed using the external search engine(s), may be analyzed. Based on a result of the analysis, one or more particular character strings related to the term may be identified. The computing device may generate and store, based on the identifying of the particular character string(s), one or more alternative search suggestions. Upon subsequently receiving an input comprising at least a portion of the term entered in the search bar, the computing device may output the alternative search suggestion(s).