Abstract: A visual characteristic on a physical surface in the physical space is determined from an image of a physical space, with the physical surface including a first area inside the visual characteristic and a second area outside of the visual characteristic. A first region of virtual space that corresponds to the first area and a second region of virtual space that corresponds to the second area is determined based at least in part on the visual characteristic. Information that includes a position and orientation of a digital object relative to the first region and the second region in the virtual space is determined based at least in part on the visual characteristic. The digital object is rendered at a position and orientation in the virtual space in accordance with the information.

Abstract: A first digital representation in an image and a second digital representation in a second image is identified based at least in part on specified criteria. A first epipolar line in the second image is determined based at least in part on a position of the first digital representation in the image. A second epipolar line is determined based at least in part on a position of the second digital representation in the second image. At least one cost value is determined based at least in part on the first digital representation, the second digital representation, the first epipolar line, and the second epipolar line. The first digital representation and the second digital representation are determined, based at least in part on the at least one cost value, to represent a same object. The first digital representation is associated in a data store with the second digital representation.

Abstract: A first image and a second image recorded during a video capture event is obtained. A correction factor is computed based at least in part on a target interval and an interval of time between recording the first image and recording the second image. A motion value is computed based at least in part on a difference between the first region and the second region, with the first region and the second region both containing a reference object present in the first image and the second image. A normalized motion value is provided based at least in part on normalizing the motion value according to the correction factor.

Abstract: A first resource and a second resource are identified from configuration data of a computing environment. A model that represents the first resource associated with a first weight, the second resource associated with a second weight, and a communication path between the first resource and the second resource is generated. As a result of receiving a command to perform against the first resource, a determination that the second resource would be impacted by performance of the command is made based at least in part on the communication path, a score that represents an impact of the command in the computing environment is calculated based at least in part on the first weight and the second weight, and an action determined based at least in part on the score is performed.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for enhancing a live sporting event using augmented reality are provided. Example embodiments provide an Augmented Reality Live Game Enhancement System (“ARLGES”), which enables users to see augmentations appear as if they are “live” on the sports field as they are watching the game. The user is able to see and interactive with these augmentations using his or her mobile device without taking his or her eyes off of the field. In some deployments, the mobile device is a cellular smartphone with an (optional) modified virtual headset. The user can view the augmentations using the camera of the phone. The ARLGES provides specific techniques for locating the user's position and for rendering augmentations that are specific to each user. This requires specialized rendering techniques because the user's mobile device positions and chroma values are determined dynamically as they do not originate from fixed or known cameras.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for projecting streamed video are provided. Example Enhanced Video Systems provide support for streaming high resolution video in limited bandwidth hardware environments. In one example, an Enhanced Video System comprises a real time, interactive rendering system, a display system, and one or more display units. The rendering system comprises a high resolution graphics engine (e.g., a VR/AR gaming engine) capable of generating high resolution video and two graphics computation units. The projection system comprises two video capture cards to capture the generated video stream and forward the captured video stream to a projection mapping engine. Projection mapping engine consolidates and stitches together the received video stream as appropriate to render the video stream over display units to the target viewing environment such as a dome/sphere.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to flexible, user-adapted, continuous searching, on behalf of a particular user, for points of interest relevant to the user's current location within a specifically computed personal region of interest. In a general case, the personal region of interest is computed as a function of the user's level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest. The level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest may, in turn, be based on two or more of the user's location, the current date and time, a history of the user's interaction with the POI-searching system, including user-initiated searches and user selections from displayed search results, a user profile developed for, and continuously updated on behalf of, the user, and a current context for the search, as specified by a search query or by other context-specifying means.

Abstract: The current document is directed to a system that allows drone operators to confine drone flights to safe flight areas that are computed automatically or specified by an end user. Certain implementations of the system focus on consumer applications while others allow commercial and municipal users to define safe conduits within urban, rural and industrial areas.

Abstract: The current application is directed to methods, and to systems employing the methods, that allow built-in indexing methods for facts, to additionally be applied to rules within a logic-programming system. The methods and systems to which the current application is directed convert an original set of rules into an equivalent set of fact/rule pairs. In addition, a new set of rules may be directly encoded as a new set of fact/rule pairs by these methods and systems. The equivalent set of fact/rule pairs implement the original set of rules, preserving the meaning of the original rules, but the equivalent set of fact/rule pairs are indexed by built-in indexing methods for facts. The new fact/rule pairs are also indexed by built-in indexing methods for facts.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include information services, methods and systems to facilitate gathering and management of information by home users and professional users of information gathering, processing, and distribution services, and user interfaces through which users communicate with information services. In one embodiment of the present invention, a central information gathering, processing, and distribution service provides a simple, but robust and highly functional, interface to remote home users and professional users to allow the home users and professional users to continuously receive updated information gleaned from continuous searching of the Internet and other information sources by the information service. The interface allows users to define, refine, and stably store interests that define information searches continuously carried out, on behalf of the user, by the information gathering, processing, and distribution service.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to flexible, user-adapted, continuous searching, on behalf of a particular user, for points of interest relevant to the user's current location within a specifically computed personal region of interest. In a general case, the personal region of interest is computed as a function of the user's level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest. The level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest may, in turn, be based on two or more of the user's location, the current date and time, a history of the user's interaction with the POI-searching system, including user-initiated searches and user selections from displayed search results, a user profile developed for, and continuously updated on behalf of, the user, and a current context for the search, as specified by a search query or by other context-specifying means.

Abstract: Methods, techniques, and systems for using natural language processing to recommend related content to an associated text segment or document. Example embodiments provide a NLP-based content recommender (“NCR”) which uses NLP-based search techniques, potentially in conjunction with context or other related information, to locate and provide content related to entities that are recognized in the associated material. NCRs may be embedded as widgets, for example on Web pages to assist users in their perusal and search for information, provided by means of browser plug-ins or other application plug-ins, provided in libraries or in standalone environments, or otherwise integrated into other code, programs, or devices. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: Techniques for providing quotations obtained from text documents using natural language processing techniques are described. Some embodiments provide a content recommendation system (“CRS”) configured to provide quotations by extracting quotations from a corpus text documents, and providing access to the extracted quotations in response to search requests received from users. The CRS may extract quotations by using natural language processing-based techniques to identify one or more entities, such as people, places, objects, concepts, or the like, that are referenced by the extracted quotations. The CRS may then store the extracted quotations along with identified entities, such as quotation speakers and subjects, for later access via search requests.

Abstract: Enhanced computer- and network-based methods, systems, techniques are provided for retrieving more accurate and responsive search results when searching content for a designated entity using an off-the-shelf keyword-based search engine. For example, the embodiments described herein may be used to improve search results by eliminating off-topic results when presenting queries to an existing keyword-based search engine invoked by means of an API from an intermediating application. Example embodiments provide a Keyword-Based Search Enhancement System (“KBSES”), which enables intermediating applications to obtain information more closely related to user queries by enhancing such queries, on behalf of the user, with disambiguating information when deemed necessary.

Abstract: Various system embodiments of the present invention are directed to an automated concierge system through which users of the automated concierge system can request and obtain many types of information and services. Unlike traditional search engines and electronic query-processing interfaces, the automated concierge systems provide much greater flexibility with respect to means of access, including types of electronic devices and communications media that can be used to access the concierge services, greater flexibility in the timing of responses to information and service requests, more efficient information and service provision, and access to a much broader range of information sources and service providers.

Abstract: A content management (CM) system is provided to centrally control operation of one or more connected devices by issuing control requests and/or data requests. In some situations the connected device(s) include devices that control presentation of television programming-related content, such as digital video recorder (“DVR”) devices and media center devices, and in other situations may include other types of media devices and/or other electromechanical (“E/M”) devices that may be centrally controlled, such as E/M devices for home automation that may operate independently or in conjunction with the media devices. In some situations, the CM system communicates with the connected devices via a network and using appropriate protocol(s), and may be accessed remotely via a network so as to allow a user to remotely operate the CM system. The CM system may further control searching, identification, selection, and presentation of pieces of media content by the connected device(s).

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to acquiring information from the worldwide web, organizing information acquired from the worldwide web, and using the acquired and organized information to facilitate web-page searching, web-page browsing, and other worldwide-web-based activities. In one embodiment of the present invention, a database of concept objects is created from an initial set of semantic objects and from hyperlink information obtained from web pages by one or more web crawlers. The initial set of semantic objects is processed using hyperlink based objects created by the web crawler. The processed semantic objects are then associated with additional hyperlink-based objects to create a concept-object database.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (“GUI”) for a content management system is provided, such as to present information associated with various forms of multimedia content. In some situations, the GUI includes information presented simultaneously using at least first and second time scales, such as to provide relatively detailed information for content corresponding to a shorter time scale (e.g., to display content listings with details about content that corresponds to a time period at the shorter time scale) and to provide relatively limited information for content corresponding to a longer time scale (e.g., indications of other content of potential interest corresponding to times outside the time period of the shorter time scale). In addition, in some situations the relatively limited information for content corresponding to the longer time scale may be selectable by the user to provide various functionality related to that content.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (“GUI”) for a content management system is provided, such as to present television program information and/or information associated with other forms of multimedia content. In some situations, the GUI displays various types of information about multiple pieces of content that are currently appropriate for display, and one or more users may make various types of selections that affect the information being displayed. In addition, in some situations various techniques are employed to maintain a state of the GUI that is focused on one or more current selections as changes occur, such as to coordinate information display between multiple distinct information panes or other view areas of the GUI, to alter the information to be displayed in the GUI based on a selected piece of content, and/or to enable identification of a selected piece of content from within a large number of pieces of content.

Abstract: A content management (CM) system is provided to centrally control operation of one or more connected devices by issuing control requests and/or data requests. In some situations the connected device(s) include devices that control presentation of television programming-related content, such as digital video recorder (“DVR”) devices and media center devices, and in other situations may include other types of media devices and/or other electromechanical (“E/M”) devices that may be centrally controlled, such as E/M devices for home automation that may operate independently or in conjunction with the media devices. In some situations, the CM system communicates with the connected devices via a network and using appropriate protocol(s), and may be accessed remotely via a network so as to allow a user to remotely operate the CM system. The CM system may further control searching, identification, selection, and presentation of pieces of media content by the connected device(s).