Abstract: A system and method for adaptive determination of computing resources is presented. Sometimes, computing jobs are to be allocated among a set of computers. Historical information regarding input data size and output data size is retrieved. Capacity information about each machine is retrieved. A weighted function is used to calculate a desired allocation of computing resources based on historical input data size and output data size. Computing resources are allocated based on the calculated allocation. The computing job can be performed on the allocated computing resources. Other embodiments also are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving an online search query entered into a search field of an online ecommerce website by a user using the online ecommerce website, determining a query response to the online search query by combining a nonparametric bootstrap distribution and a mixture sequential probability ratio test, the query response comprising one or more products, and coordinating a display of the query response to the user using the online ecommerce website. The query response can be based on one of a query success rate per user session of a plurality of previous user sessions or a revenue per user session of the plurality of previous user sessions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a list of frequently purchased items by a user from a retailer to a computing device corresponding to the user includes receiving a request to generate the list of frequently purchased items. A purchase history of the user is obtained in response to the request, the purchase history including a plurality of previously purchased items. A number of purchases for each of the purchased items within a predetermined time period is monitored. The list of frequently purchased items is generated based on the monitored number of purchases for each of the purchased items. The generated list of frequently purchased items is transmitted to the computing device.

Abstract: A system and method for using past information for future search results is disclosed. A database system may comprise a first database cluster H and a second database cluster L. Social media mentions are mapped to products in the database system. Thereafter, each record in the database system is tracked to determine if mentions on social media platforms are increasing or decreasing, using a social media popularity trend signal. The social media popularity trend signal is created by comparing social media mentions during one time period to social media mentions in another time period. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods can include one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of storing a plurality of user segments for users of an ecommerce website, recording an online browsing trail of a user during an online browsing session on the ecommerce website, the online browsing trail comprising a sequence of one or more actions by the user of the ecommerce website during the online browsing session, and predicting, in real-time, a first user segment for the user from the plurality of user segments during the online browsing session based on the sequence of the one or more actions of the user in the online browsing trail during the online browsing session as recorded by the one or more non-transitory storage modules.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of receiving, with a processing device of a guidance server, a series of guidance request signals from an electronic computing device operated by a consumer shopping in a retail store. Each guidance request signal contains an alphanumeric character. The method also includes the step of determining, with the processing device, at least one location within the retail store in response to the alphanumeric characters contained in any already-received guidance request signals after each of the series of guidance request signals is received. The method also includes the step of transmitting, with the processing device, a series of guidance response signals to the electronic computing device in response to the determination of the at least one location. Each of the series of guidance response signal contains data indicative of the determined location within the retail store.

Abstract: An electronic shopping system, such as an ecommerce retail website, is constructed and programmed to provide online shoppers with the ability to create and manage multiple configurable item orders contemporaneously within a single customer account. Each item in an item order is associated with a “purchase status” which can, in addition to other discrete adjustments, be toggled between “active” and “inactive” states at or before checkout. Each item order is itself configurable in respect of delivery address, payment source, frequency, and schedule. Orders and settings are saved within the customer's account to be recalled, reviewed, refined (if desired), and executed at checkout.

Abstract: A shopping list may be ordered in order to guide a shopper through a store in an efficient manner. Congestion in the store may be identified, such as using security camera footage. The shopping list may be reordered in order to avoid congested areas in the store. Expected areas of congestion may be determined based on velocities and maneuverability of other shoppers. Maneuverability of other shoppers may be estimated by analyzing video data and determining attributes of the other shoppers, such as whether they are pushing a cart or have children. The shopping list may be presented with directions to the locations of items within the store and may be periodically reordered throughout the shopper's visit responsive to detected congestion.

Abstract: A point-of-sale system is provided that permits users to self-manage prepaid debit cards. Such a system may be capable of identifying and managing a number of different prepaid debit cards provided by different card issuers. The system may permit, for example, a user to purchase, activate, load funds, or perform other management operations with such cards. The system may also enforce restrictions associated with particular card types, and follow process flows for activating and performing other operations of such cards. The system may also be easily extendible to other types of prepaid cards through established card network relationships.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically assigning employees to work plurality of cash registers when the employees report for work is described. The system and method automatically compares the employee's qualifications to the current operational status of a plurality of cash registers and any parameters that may govern the operation of the cash registers such as age requirements for the sale of alcohol. The system automatically assigns an employee to a cash register and transmits real time operational status of those cash registers to a supervisor via a wireless device.

Abstract: Mechanisms for providing point to point encryption and tokenization enabling decryption, tokenization and storage of sensitive encrypted data on one system are discussed.

Abstract: A multi-display system for management of a software development project having a graphical user interface including interactive user interface elements representing one or more tasks in the software project, first and second source code databases, first and second object code databases, a migration module configured to migrate source code from the first source code database to the second source code database and migrate object code from the first object code database to the second object code database in response to a user input to the graphical user interface, a first output module for executing the one or more blocks of object code and displaying an output of the executed object code stored in the first object code database, a second output module for executing the one or more blocks of object code and displaying an output of the executed object code stored in the second object code database.

Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving a plurality of user reviews of a product, performing topic modeling of the plurality of user reviews of the product to find a plurality of snippets within the plurality of user reviews each relating to at least one user attribute category of a plurality of user attribute categories, and facilitating a display on a device of a first snippet of the plurality of snippets proximate the product.

Abstract: Item movement is determined via wireless tracking using RFID data from at least one RFID reader. The RFID data associates RFID tag information with each antenna of the RFID reader that receives the tag information. At least one processer is configured to identify a first appearance of unique tag information in the RFID data. Items may be grouped when their first appearance in RFID data and their antenna association indicates that they first appear in a location within a predetermined amount of time, as indicated by RFID data, and/or when they have all moved from a previous location within a predetermined amount of time, as indicated by different RFID data. A group designation comprises the relevant unique tag information, which may be stored in memory along with a time stamp.

Abstract: A control circuit determines a reception parameter for an RFID tag that is attached to an object (such as an ice pack) and then determines a frozen state of the object as a function of that reception parameter. By one approach the RFID tag provides a transmission to support the aforementioned determinations, which transmission provides no data that explicitly represents temperature. The reception parameter can comprise, for example, an indication of received signal strength. So configured, a relatively higher indication of received signal strength can serve to determine that the object is and/or remains at least substantially frozen while a relatively lower indication of received signal strength can serve to determine that the object is not at least substantially frozen.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a method, system and assembly for storing components of a point-of-sale (POS) station while keeping the electronic components live and updated. All non-electronic and electronic components of a POS station are disassembled. The non-electronic components except for a cash box with an open face are removed from the sales floor. The electronic components are stored within the inner cavity of the cash box. The open face of the cash box is securely covered using a shroud. The electronic components are kept live and updated using an network and electricity pole resting in a hollow opening of the cash box.

Abstract: The present disclosure extends to maintaining an item inventory status at an inventory cache management system. The inventory cache may be refreshed regularly by a threshold-based triggering mechanism. In embodiments, as item inventory breaches certain thresholds, the inventory cache may be refreshed with increased frequency to mitigate overselling or underselling scenarios and reduce overall network traffic for items having relatively high inventory levels.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses, and methods are described herein including a shelf assembly that utilizes the accumulated weight of products stocked thereon to compress a compression member disposed within the assembly. An electronic imaging device can be mounted proximate to the assembly and can be oriented to capture an image of the compression member to determine whether a particular shelf needs to be restocked and avoid having to manipulate or remove products from a shelf to determine a current stock level.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a motorized transport unit providing customer assistance at a shopping facility, comprises: a transceiver; a control circuit; a motorized wheel system; a lift system; and a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: activate a motorized wheel system, while continuing to monitor location information, to position the motorized transport unit under the item container and aligned, based on the location information, relative to a frame of the item container; and activate the lift system to lift on the frame of the item container lifting a first portion of the item container such one or more wheels of the item container are lifted off of a floor while two or more other wheels of the item container remain in contact with the floor.

Abstract: A computer-automated system is disclosed for promoting specifiable items of merchandise in a retail shopping facility for specifiable time periods. The automated promotion system enables a customer with an appropriately configured mobile device to avail of promotional prompts within the shopping facility electronically (i.e., within the specified time period), substantiating redemption of a related benefit at checkout (i.e., within or beyond the specified time period). The system has three principal components: a source, a node, and a checkpoint. The source enables a retailer to script the parameters of the promotion (e.g., the duration, benefit, and relevant merchandise). The node—preferably, an electronic shelf label—provides means for publishing the promotion to a customer pursuant to information entered by the retailer at the source. The checkpoint consummates the promotion.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for a customer sharing a receipt with other persons. An electronic receipt may be viewed on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. A customer may select the receipt for sharing as well as selecting modifications to the receipt and persons to share the receipt with. Information may be sent to a server or computer system to request that a receipt be shared. The server may then process the request and transmit receipt information to the contact person requested by the customer. The receipt may be shared via data transfer, facsimile or email, or may be shared through a receipts management software or application.

Abstract: A communication system comprises a mobile reporting device and a server. The mobile reporting device comprises a signal receiver configured to receive data usable to determine the location of the reporting device; a communication module configured to transmit data to and receive data from a server, the data including location data from the location determiner; a display including a user interface.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of locating overstock items at a retail sales facility include receiving an indication that a product at the retail sales facility is out of stock and determining whether the product is located on a sales floor or in the stock room at the retail sales facility; then, in response to a determination that the product is not located on the sales floor or in the stock room, tracking a location of the product based on at least one inventory management factor associated with the retail sales facility and at least one worker task event associated with the product; and outputting to a worker at the retail sales facility, based on the tracking of the location of the at least one product, an indication of a perceived location of the least one product.

Abstract: A system and method includes: a pharmacy server receiving a customer ID code to allow a customer wireless access to his medical data file stored on the server; the server receiving adherence confirmation data from the customer and storing the adherence confirmation data into the medical data file to confirm that the customer is taking a prescribed medicine according to directions; and the server receiving additional data from the customer and storing the additional data into the medical data file, whereby the customer is provided with wireless access to enter, edit and retrieve data to and from his medical data file.

Abstract: Methodologies, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for detection motion using an air curtain. An air flow source generates an air curtain that can rotate an airfoil located downstream of the air flow source. The airfoil contains an RF reflective material, and a sensor can detect RF reflections from the airfoil. The sensor communicates data associated with the RF energy reflections detected from the airfoil to a computing device that can compare this data against a reflection threshold value. The computing device can determine whether an object has obstructed the air curtain if the reflections detected by the sensor decrease below the reflection threshold value. The computing device can also compute a number of objects passing through the air curtain during a specified period of time.

Abstract: A system is provided that permits events to be propagated between systems in near real time for the purpose of ensuring consistency in a transaction-based environment. In one implementation, transactions are streamed between systems using a lightweight protocol shortly after they are processed, rather than being communicated in a one-way batch mode as is typically done in conventional retail store systems.

Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving a plurality of advertisement creatives for an advertisement campaign, generating first predefined frequency weights for the plurality of advertisement creatives, and coordinating a display of the plurality of advertisement creatives within the impression slot of the webpages displayed to the online users based on the first predefined frequency weights. The first predefined frequency weights include a weighted frequency that each advertisement creative of the plurality of advertisement creatives should be displayed to the online users. A first advertisement creative of the can be displayed more frequently than a second advertisement creative because the first advertisement comprises a first frequency weight that is higher than a second frequency weight of the second advertisement creative.

Abstract: In some embodiments, provide systems, apparatuses and methods to deliver products using unmanned delivery aircraft. In some embodiments, product delivery system is provided, comprising: an unmanned delivery aircraft configured to deliver a package to a package drop point corresponding to a location of a vehicle at a predefined drive-through station, wherein the delivery aircraft comprises: one or more cameras; an image processor configured to process images captured by the one or more cameras and based on the processing of the images confirm a precise location of the package drop point as defined according to a determined current location and an orientation of the vehicle; and a crane system that supports the first package and lowers the first package to the package drop point relative to the current location and orientation of the vehicle while the delivery aircraft hovers above the vehicle by a threshold distance.

Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatuses to fulfill customer orders comprising a motorized transport unit; a product pick unit (PPU) that cooperate with the motorized transport unit; a wireless communication network; and a central computer system configured to communicate with the multiple motorized transport units and the plurality of product pick units, and comprises a control circuit and memory storing instructions executed to cause the control circuit to: communicate an instruction to the motorized transport unit and direct the motorized transport unit to transport the product pick unit to a determined first location within the shopping facility proximate to where a first product having been ordered is located; and communicate an instruction to the product pick unit cooperated with the motorized transport unit and direct the product pick unit to retrieve the first product.

Abstract: A method for comparison of product information based on product codes to determine the cost per unit weight per product and hereby determine the cheapest product per unit weight is disclosed herein. The method further comprises of displaying the location information of the cheapest product within the retail store and providing navigational information for enabling the consumer to access the product easily.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for operating a mobile device, comprising: establishing by a locking mechanism at the mobile device that the mobile device is owned or controlled by a retail establishment at which an operator of the mobile device is an agent; searching, by a mobile device, for a signal from a network; authorizing the mobile device to operate in a vicinity of the network when the signal is detected from the network; and inactivating the mobile device or displaying information where the mobile device can operate in response to a failure by the mobile device to detect the signal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of positioning at least one location marker at a position in a retail store. The method also includes the step of receiving, with a processing device of a position detection server, a video signal from an electronic device possessed by a consumer as the consumer shops in the retail store. At least one image frame of the video signal contains the at least one location marker. The method also includes the step of determining, with the processing device, a location of the consumer within the retail store in response to the receiving step.

Abstract: Described in detail herein are methods and systems for detecting missing or miss positioned labels. The system can include a portable scanning device to scan machine-readable elements included on labels at a first and second location. The portable scanning device can detect the acceleration and the cumulative change between the first and second location. The portable scanning device or a computing system can determine the distance between the first and second location based on the acceleration data. The computing system can place a data point on a map of an estimated location of the location of the first scan and the location of the second scan.

Abstract: Provided herein are methodologies, systems, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable media for providing an adjustable dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) phone system. The DTMF phone system includes a DTMF adjustment module that interfaces with a base DTMF phone system and retrieves call parameter values from at least one properties file. The call parameter value is indicative of an audio file to be played by the DTMF phone system, or a DTMF call flow option file. The DTMF adjustment module provides the call parameter values to the base DTMF phone system. The base DTMF phone system includes a number of variables, and a DTMF call flow is generated by assigning at least one of the call parameter values to one or more of the variables within the base DTMF phone system.

Abstract: A presently-powered RFID tag can itself determine its own relative movement with respect to a reader. This RFID tag can responsively alter its read state to thereby permit the RFID tag to respond to a subsequent read inquiry. By one approach the RFID tag assesses its own movement by monitoring the strength of its received power. By another approach, the RFID tag has a power source that becomes electrically charged via radio-frequency energy received by the tag antenna and that power source is configured to become operably discharged at a point in time that corresponds to a typical null-sensing duration of time for a given application setting for that RFID tag.

Abstract: The present disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for a web application framework for extracting content. In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method of dynamically extracting context associated with a web request comprises, at a context analyzer layer, receiving a web request context, wherein the web request context comprises a coded expression. Some embodiments further comprise, at the context analyzer layer, invoking the context key of the context analyzer name class, determining that the context analyzer name class is not identified or if the value of the context key is not specified, and throwing an invalid configuration exception. Other embodiments of related methods and systems are also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for collecting data and mapping wireless network coverage in a building such as a retail store. A mobile computing device is used by an employee to collect data captures and wireless coverage indicators in the retail store. The wireless coverage indicator includes data on the status of wireless network coverage in the location where the data capture was collected. The data capture and the wireless coverage indicators are wirelessly transmitted to a utility for mapping a building when a wireless network is available. If no wireless network is available, the data is stored in the mobile computing device until a wireless network is available. The utility for mapping a building uses information in the data capture to determine the location where the data capture was collected, and maps the data in the wireless coverage indicator to the location on a map of the building.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to performing an operation in a computing environment that is prohibited by a security application governing the computing environment. Exemplary embodiments can generate a security bypass environment in a computing environment governed by the security application to provide a bypass to the security application. In exemplary embodiments, a request to perform the operation can be received via the security bypass environment and the operation can be performed through the security bypass environment in response to satisfaction of access control criteria specified for the security bypass environment so that the performance of the operation bypasses the security application.

Abstract: Described is a device for holding portable computing devices at a register of a retail store. The device for holding portable computing devices includes an elongate member with a first end and a second end. The first end has a coupler that couples to a pole. The second end is coupled to a register. In some embodiments, the elongate member includes a rod portion and a flat bar portion. The coupler couples the rod portion to the pole. The flat bar portion is coupled to the register. The rod portion is sized to conveniently receive portable computing device couplers so that the portable computing devices can be repeatably and removeably hung from the rod portion. Customers who have used the store's scanners while shopping can hang their borrowed scanner on the device when they are done using the scanner.

Abstract: A method including receiving on a server a request from a first provider to retrieve a configuration for a lookup order. The method also can include determining the configuration for the lookup order using the server based at least in part on whether the call to the first provider by the application is through the direct dependency relationship or through the transitive dependency relationship. The method further can include providing the configuration for the lookup order to the first provider. The method additionally can include receiving first information at the application that is based at least in part on the configuration for the lookup order. The method further can include providing second information for at least a portion of a web page that is based at least in part on the first information. Other embodiments are provided.

Abstract: A system and method for forecasting sales is presented. A transmission by a customer is received indicating an intention for a customer to purchase an item from a retailer via a mobile device. An embodiment determines if the item is subject to an age-restriction. This can be accomplished by using location data of a retailer. Biometric data is received from the customer intending to purchase the item. The biometric data is compared to verified biometric data to confirm the identity of the customer. The age of the customer is determined. Thereafter, the transaction is allowed to proceed if the age of the customer satisfies the age-restriction for the item. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A technique for generating terminal resource recommendations is discussed. Terminal activity status data is retrieved from a number of sensors in order to generate and render terminal resource recommendations. The activity status data is used to calculate a current active terminal recommendation indicative of the number of terminals needed to currently satisfy a particular service metric. A predicted active terminal recommendation indicative of the number of terminals needed at a specified future time period in order to satisfy a particular service metric at the specified future time period may also be generated.

Abstract: A central computer system is configured to simultaneously task various ones of a plurality of motorized transport units to temporarily attach to a corresponding mobile item container and to move the temporarily-attached mobile item container in a retail shopping facility in correspondence to the movement of an authorized consumer while also receiving and analyzing video input provided by video cameras that are included with at least some of the motorized transport units to identify security and safety anomalies in the retail shopping facility. By one approach, the central computer system identifies security and safety anomalies in the retail shopping center by characterizing contents of images as being either expected or unexpected and as being either potentially harmful or not potentially harmful. So configured the central computer system is able to not only identify anomalies but assess a degree of threat posed by a given anomaly.

Abstract: A housing contains a plurality of motorized transport units in a stacked relationship to one another, with a bottom-most one of the plurality of motorized transport units serving as a locomotion mechanism that selectively causes movement of the housing with the plurality of motorized transport units contained therein. By one approach the aforementioned housing has a cylindrical form factor and includes a cylindrically-shaped chamber configured to receive the motorized transport units, By one approach, for example, this housing includes no lifting mechanism to lift any of the motorized transport units into itself and further has no integral locomotion mechanism by which the housing can move itself. The interior of the housing can include at least one track formed therein to receive a corresponding part of each of the plurality of motorized transport units which the motorized transport units can engage to thereby lift themselves into the interior of the housing.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for responding to requests submitted through a conversational interface is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system receives a request from a user through a conversational interface. The server system determines, based on the request, whether the system is able to fulfill the request automatically. In accordance with a determination that the system is able to fulfill the request automatically, the server system fulfills the user request with no human interaction. In accordance with a determination that the system is not able to fulfill the request without human intervention, the server system sends the request to a human operator for fulfillment.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory machine readable medium are provided for creating a structured report that aggregates information related to a plurality of source code files based on selective scanning of one or more repositories. A repository search request is received including a repository identifier, a project identifier, and a search term. The specified repository is scanned to identify source code files for the specified project that include the search term. It is determined whether an instance of a search term within the source code file corresponds to a reserved term. A report is generated identifying the source code files that include an instance of the search term. A new file directory is created, and populated with a first results file including the generated report.

Abstract: Provided are a shopping party locator system and method. The system and method includes creating a shopping party for a group of customers entering a store, wherein creating the shopping party includes operating a shopping party application on a store computing system to take and store a photo of the group of customers and create a label for each member of the group of customers. The label of a member of the group of customers separated from the shopping party may be scanned by a scanning device. The label of any member of the shopping party may be scanned if a member is discovered missing. The system automatically notifies a designated caretaker and notifies all associates and customers in the store that the member is separated in order to find the separated person. Once found, the separated member's label may be scanned the identity verified.

Abstract: In some embodiments, methods and systems of sorting products at a retail sales facility include receiving identifying information associated with a product at the retail sales facility using an inventory management electronic device, obtaining a demand for the product from a time products identical to the product were delivered to the retail sales facility, calculating whether the demand for the product supports moving the product onto a sales floor of the retail sales facility or storing the product in a stock room of the retail sales facility, determining a characteristic for the product, and outputting, when the demand supports storing the product in the stock room, an indication to a worker at the retail sales facility that the product is to be stored in the stock room at a location selected based on the determined characteristic for the product.

Abstract: Example systems and methods for recommendation based on geographic location and user activities are described. In one implementation, a method may receive geographic information associated with a user. The method may also retrieve a circumstance parameter associated with the geographic information and identify one or more items based on the graphic information and the circumstance parameter.