Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for provisioning resources for an application according to an application manifest. The resources may include database, network, and processing resources. The application manifest may be organized as a manifest tree with provisioned resources having their own application manifests for provisioning sub-resources. The application manifest may also define provisioning and de-provisioning of the application in response to loading of the application. Root cause analysis may be performed in accordance with the manifest tree. Also disclosed are systems and methods for rolling out an upgrade across a node cluster. Systems and methods are disclosed for routing traffic to different workflow paths in order to implement an overloaded path and evaluate performance of the overloaded path.

Abstract: A method and system for ranking Web pages in a Web search engine is described. One illustrative embodiment receives a Web search query from a particular user, the query including at least one keyword; identifies one or more Web pages that contain the at least one keyword; determines, for each of the one or more Web pages, a raw page ranking; adjusts the raw page ranking of each of at least one Web page among the one or more Web pages based on direct evidence of how interesting that Web page is to users to produce an adjusted page ranking, the direct evidence being derived from clickstream data collected from the users; and presents, as search results, the at least one Web page to the particular user in accordance with the adjusted page rankings.

Abstract: An RFID transceiver and RFID-tag reader cooperate to convey information from one to the other and further accommodate the RFID-tag reader transmitting information to the RFID transceiver that causes a modification of information presented via the RFID transceiver. By one approach an RFID-tag reader detects a circumstance that evidences a particular status as pertains to a particular item of such information in a given RFID transceivers. An RFID-tag reader can then serve to modify the information at the corresponding RFID transceiver. By one approach, the aforementioned information comprises a to-do list. The aforementioned modification can comprise modifying at least one to-do item in that to-do list. The aforementioned detection of a circumstance can comprise detecting a physical location of the given RFID transceiver. That location information can be compared to locations that correspond to specific to-do items in the list to identify correlations that evidence completion of specific to-do items.

Abstract: Computerized data processing and electronic file management methods of organizing and indexing electronic records in an electronic database for categorizing new products that are being added to an existing database of product offerings and computerized digital data processing methods of transferring digital information between a plurality of computers and employing computer instructions to categorize new products that are being added to an existing database of product offerings. Multiple classification models classify a description of a particular product and the classifications are compared, and if found to be equivalent, are added to the existing database of product offerings. If the classifications from the models are not equivalent, then the description is sent to multiple people for classification and the classifications from the people are compared, and if found to be equivalent, are added to the existing database of product offerings.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for processing events in an event stream using a map-update application. The events may be embodied as a key-attribute pair. An event is processed by one or more instances implementing either a map or an update function. A map function receives an input event from the event stream and publishes one or more events to the event stream. An update function receives an event and updates a corresponding slate and publishes zero or more events. Systems and methods are also disclosed herein for implementing a map-update application in a multithreaded architecture and for handling overloading of a particular thread or node. Systems and methods for providing access to slates updated according to update operations are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for identifying topical experts from a seed set of experts by identifying “second tier” influencers for the topic. New concepts detected among a pool of experts and second tier influencers are monitored among the general population and their significance evaluated. Reports may be generated for these detected trends. Trends in social media for a concept represented in a taxonomy may be detected by monitoring content for descendent nodes for the concept. Correlations between social media activity with respect to the concept and sales of products corresponding to the concept may be made and sales predicted for the same or different products that correspond to descendants of the concept in the taxonomy.

Abstract: A system and method for assigning employees that are schedule to work at a brick and mortar retail store location to coverage areas within the retail store and/or tasks associated with those coverage areas. The system and method takes into account the required coverage area times of each coverage area within the store location, the master schedule of employees available to work within a defined time period that is provided by a schedule management system, and management's preferences regarding coverage area priorities for or associated with certain employees, and then automatically assigns coverage to the scheduled employees based on all those variables. The system and method identifies individuals whose scheduled work shift overlaps with required coverage area times and who are preferred to work in the coverage area and assigns such individuals to work in the coverage area during the overlapping time period (or a portion thereof).

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for obtaining a structured listing of attributes and corresponding values based on an unstructured document, such as a product description in a product record. Putative values are identified in the document and corresponding candidate attributes are identified in a taxonomy. Attribute-value pairs are then evaluated with respect to a plurality of rules. Attribute-value pairs and outputs of the one or more rules are evaluated using a machine-learning algorithm, such as a decision tree, in order to determine which attribute-value pairs to retain. Retained attribute-value pairs are stored and used to respond to search queries and facilitate comparison of products. Attributes selected may also be used to update a product template.

Abstract: A method for sharding a store inventory database is provided. The method may include separating a store inventory database into a first inventory database shard in a first inventory database server which has inventory data for a first group of items sold by a store and into a second inventory database shard in a second inventory database server which has inventory data for a second group of items sold by the store which are different than the first group of items. The method may also include associating a router with the sharded store inventory database, the router housing resident shard determination logic which comprises information which, for an item sold by the store, identifies an inventory database shard on which inventory data for the item is stored.

Abstract: A method of determining structured product information for a product from a product description using a product entity graph. The product graph can include a plurality of nodes. Each of the plurality of nodes can include an entity value key, one or more entity names, and an entity name count for each of the one or more entity names. The method can include determining k-grams of the product description. The method also can include, for each k-gram of the product description, determining a matching node of the plurality of nodes of the product entity graph that corresponds to the k-gram and determining a derived entity name for the product from the one or more entity names of the matching node based at least in part on the entity name counts corresponding to the one or more entity names. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of computing a featured set of product groups for a query on an inventory of products. Each of the products can have one or more attribute-value pairs. Each of the one or more attribute-value pairs can have an attribute. The method can include determining a result group of the products matching the query. The method also can include determining relevance scores for the product groups. The method further can include determining a featured attribute and the featured set of the product groups for the featured attribute. The method also can include, after receiving the query from a user, transmitting for display at least one page of a website, where the at least one page has an option to view each of the product groups of the featured set of the product groups that has been selected. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for sharding a store order database is provided. The method may include a store order management server operating an order management system application layer to facilitate online order management. The store order management server may receive, from a customer computer, a query regarding an order to purchase items from the store. The store order management server may transmit the customer query regarding the order to a router which may use resident shard determination logic to identify a database shard which pertains to the order. The database shard may be part of a store order database having a plurality of database shards. The router may transmit information regarding the order to a database server which implements the identified database shard and the database server may process the information and transmit information regarding the order to the customer computer.

Abstract: A method of providing predictive search query recommendations for a search query. The method can be implemented via execution of computer instructions configured to run at one or more processing modules and configured to be stored at one or more non-transitory memory storage modules. The method can include receiving the search query from a user. The method also can include determining the predictive search query recommendations for the search query using a tree data structure. At least one top layer of the tree data structure can include at least one trie query node and bottom layers of the tree data structure can include ternary tree query nodes. The method further can include sending the predictive search query recommendations to the user. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for sharding a store order database and order management application is provided. The method may include a computer router associated with a store receiving, from a customer computer, a query regarding an order. The router may use resident shard determination logic to identify a database shard which pertains to the order and which is part of a store order database having multiple database shards. The router may transmit information regarding the order to a database server which implements the identified database shard and which implements an order management system application layer. The database server may process information regarding the order and transmit information regarding the order to the customer computer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is disclosed for enabling pre-purchase feedback. Within the method, a primary customer carrying a first computing device may be received within a brick-and-mortar store. A computer system corresponding to the store may receive via the first computing device an instruction to share with a secondary customer data describing a proposed purchase of one or more products. The computer system may then pass the data to a second computing device corresponding to the secondary customer. The computer system may also receive, via the second computing device, feedback corresponding to the proposed purchase and pass the feedback to the first computing device. Accordingly, the primary customer may receive pre-purchase feedback from the secondary customer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for classifying records, such as product records, using a machine learning algorithm. After training a classification model according to a machine learning algorithm using an initial training set, records are classified and high confidence classifications identified. Remaining classifications are submitted to a crowdsourcing forum that validates or invalidates the classifications or marks them as to unclear to evaluate. Invalidated classifications are automatically analyzed to identify one or both of classification values and categories having a high proportion of invalidated classifications. Requests are transmitted to analysts to generate training data that is added to the training set. The process of classifying records and obtaining crowdsourced validation thereof may then repeat. High confidence classifications may be identified using an accuracy model trained to relate an accuracy percentage to a confidence score output by the classification model.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing a data stream in real time to identify connections between one or more social elements social elements and aggregating and storing the identified connections over a rolling time window. Social elements may be stored as nodes and connection between social elements may be stored as labeled connections between nodes.

Abstract: The present general inventive concept relates to systems and method for routing electronic messages depending on message content.

Abstract: Example dynamic pricing systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives an indication of an occurrence of a first event unrelated to a particular customer. The method also receives an indication of an occurrence of a second event unrelated to a particular customer. Based on the first event and the second event, the method determines whether to adjust a price associated with a particular item. If the method determines that the price associated with the particular item needs adjustment, a new price for the particular item is determined based on the first event and the second event.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process can be operated to create a watermarked copy of a unique original copy of an electronic sales receipt in a first computerized device to a second computerized device. The watermarked copy includes an electronic watermark identifying the copy. The process includes creating the watermarked copy of the electronic sales receipt by copying information from the original copy of the electronic sales receipt to the watermarked copy and providing the electronic watermark within the watermarked copy.

Abstract: A process permitting a customer to access a stored electronic sales receipt and provide information from the electronic sales receipt to a customer service associate can include, in a computerized device operated by the customer, accessing the stored electronic sales receipt and generating a displayed indication to the electronic sales receipt. The process can further include, in a computerized device operated by the customer service associate, receiving the displayed indication and processing a transaction related to the electronic sales receipt based upon the displayed indication.

Abstract: Example systems and methods for integrating a sharded primary data store (e.g., a source-of-truth relational database management system), a secondary data store (e.g., external cache) and an external global index are described. The approach implements a modified read-through/write-through data access pattern that integrates read and write flows in order to support high-concurrency environments while maintaining immediate consistency between all three stores. Writes are handled using a three-phase flow that avoids concurrency-related race conditions and the need to block in the secondary store in order to maintain cross-store consistency. Reads are never dirty and will repair the secondary store as needed, presenting an immediately consistent view of data to application consumers.

Abstract: Control or prevention of usage of an online ecommerce system to transfer funds by evaluating proximity between a location where cash payment is made and a location where a cash refund is requested. When the proximity exceeds a distance threshold, the cash refund at the second location is prohibited, and when the proximity is less than the distance threshold, the cash refund is permitted. Various embodiments ask the customer to specify a choice of refund stores, evaluate whether the person who made the cash payment for the order is different than the person who requested the refund, require identification, check publicly available Internet social site information for a relationship between the people, check for a pattern of requesting refunds, limit the refund to store credit, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for evaluating a user's interests and making gift recommendations using social media data. Interests and attributes of a user may be detected from social media content and products corresponding to the interests and attributes may be selected and presented as gift recommendations for the user. Methods are disclosed for resolving ambiguity as to interests reflected by textual data in social media content. Also disclosed are methods for inferring a user's interests from the interests of friends of the user.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for allowing a customer to create a digital shopping cart on a mobile electronic device while shopping at a brick and mortar store. The customer may scan barcodes, e.g. UPC variants, from a product with the camera of the mobile electronic device and record these product barcodes into the mobile electronic device. The shopping cart contents may be transferred to a checkout register without a data connection between the register and the device. The mobile electronic device may create one or more 2D barcodes with the item information embedded into the 2D barcode and may display the barcode on the device screen. Multiple 2D barcodes may be displayed in sequence. The 2D barcode may be scanned at the checkout register to read the barcode and thereby transmit the shopping cart information to the checkout register.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for extracting a topology for an installation of a plurality of software components. The topology may be extracted from instantiating instructions for the components of the installation such as an application manifest, manifest tree, configuration scripts, source code, and the like. One of a plurality of rendering engines generates one of a plurality of representations of the topology. Status data for the components may be collected and visually represented on the graphical representation of the topology. Examples of representations include a network topology, a release pipeline graph, a service architecture, and a state machine graph. The status of the topology may be updated in realtime as status information is output by the installation.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for auditing in-store sales transactions when a digital receipt is issued. A receipt application server formulates a digital receipt from digital receipt data received from a POS system. The digital receipt is sent from the receipt application server to an auditor mobile device at the location of the POS system. A human auditor can view the digital receipt during an in-store audit. In some embodiments, one or both of the receipt application server and the auditor mobile device reorder receipt entries so that items having specified characteristics are presented more prominently on a display. For example, receipt entries can be re-ordered such that higher profit margin items, bulkier items, or more likely to be stolen items are presented more prominently. As such, a human auditor is more likely to expressly audit these types of items.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a computer-implemented method of managing inventory includes receiving, at an antenna operatively coupled to a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, product identification information encoded in an RF signal transmitted by a plurality of RFID tags. Each of the RFID tags is associated with a respective one of a plurality of products. The method further includes processing, by a processor and using the product identification information, information contained in a portion of the encoded RF signal to compare apparent location information associated with the RFID reader with prior location information associated with at least one of the products, and updating, by the processor, the apparent location information to match the prior location information where the apparent location information is different than the prior location information.

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: At a facility having a first area and a second area that is at least substantially non-overlapping with the first area, these teachings provide for using at least a first RFID-tag reader to read RFID tags in a first inventory state in the first area using a first session protocol while also contemporaneously using a second session protocol to cause the RFID-tag reader to cause RFID tags in the first area to switch to that first inventory state. In a similar manner these teachings also provide for using a second RFID-tag reader to read RFID tags in the first inventory state in the second area using the second session protocol while also contemporaneously using the first session protocol to cause RFID tags in the second area to switch to the first inventory state.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for processing events in an event stream using a map-update application. The events may be embodied as a key-attribute pair. An event is processed by one or more instances implementing either a map or an update function. A map function receives an input event from the event stream and publishes one or more events to the event stream. An update function receives an event and updates a corresponding slate and publishes zero or more events. Systems and methods are also disclosed herein for implementing a map-update application in a multithreaded architecture and for handling overloading of a particular thread or node. Systems and methods for providing access to slates updated according to update operations are also disclosed.

Abstract: A real-time predictive intelligence platform comprises: receiving from a user through a meta API definitions for predictive intelligence (PI) artifacts that describe a domain of an online transaction system for least one business entity, each of the PI artifacts including types, component modules and behavior bundles; exposing an entity API based on the PI artifacts for receiving entity events from the online transaction system comprising records of interactions and transactions between customers and the online transaction system; responsive to receiving an entity event through the entity API, executing the component modules and behavior bundles to analyze relationships found between past entity events and metrics associated with the past entity events, and computing a probabilistic prediction and/or a score, which is then returned to the online transaction system in real-time; and processing entity event replicas using modified versions of the PI artifacts for experimentation.

Abstract: A method for merging two taxonomies is disclosed. Top levels of first and second taxonomies are merged. For the second taxonomy nodes are evaluated and selectively merged with nodes of the first taxonomy according to comparison of scores for these nodes with a threshold. The score for a node of the first taxonomy is a combination of one or more of a lineage quality score, Jaccard distance, string edit distance, and category depth score. After an iteration, mergings between nodes of the first and second taxonomies may be reversed if child nodes of the merged nodes were not likewise merged. Iterations may be repeated until no nodes are merged in an iteration.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for searching digital receipts at a mobile device. A customer mobile device receives and stores one or more digital receipts. The one or more digital receipts correspond to transactions conducted with a merchant. A user can select search criteria for searching stored digital receipts. The search criteria can be applied to stored digital receipts. Any stored digital receipts that satisfy the search criteria can be returned for display. In some embodiments, search criteria are selected to search for digital receipts associated with a specified payment method, such as, for example, cash, check, credit card, debit card, gift card, etc. In other embodiments, search criteria are selected to search for digital receipts having a purchase date within a specified purchase date range.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for routing order lookups. Order data from order management system database is synchronized to an order cache. When an order lookup is received, a business layer determines if the cache can appropriately service the order lookup. If so, the business layer routes the order lookup to the cache. Otherwise, the business layer routes the order lookup to the order management system database. In some embodiments, order lookups configured to impact state of the order management system database (e.g., that write or change order data) are routed to the order management system database. In these same embodiments, order lookups configured to not impact state of the order management system database (e.g., that read order data) are routed to the cache.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for providing a catalog of trending and trusted items include a method comprising determining a plurality of first recommendations from a set of users within a trust network of a first user, wherein each user from the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of first recommendations, determining respective time differences between respective chronologically successive first recommendations of the plurality of first recommendations, and determining one or more second recommendations that satisfy one or more popularity criteria. In many embodiments, the method further comprises arranging for display the first recommendations in a chronologically based order, and one or more of the second recommendations, wherein a respective second recommendation is inserted between respective chronologically successive first recommendations whose time difference is greater than a threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for synchronizing database data to a database cache. Embodiments of the invention facilitate synchronizing order data from an order management system database to an order cache. When order data is synchronized, more efficient order lookups of the order data can occur. In some embodiments, the order management system database feeds the order cache with the latest updates as relevant state for orders is modified. A trigger within the order management system database can indicate when order state is modified. The trigger is monitored. When the trigger indicates modified order state, a caching interface (e.g., a caching API) can be called to publish the modified order state to the order cache.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for routing order lookups from retail systems. Order data from order management system database is synchronized to an order cache. When an order lookup is received (e.g., from a retail kiosk or POS terminal), a business layer determines if the cache can appropriately service the order lookup. If so (e.g., if the order lookup does not change order state), the business layer routes the order lookup to the cache. Otherwise (e.g., if the order lookup does change order state), the business layer routes the order lookup to the order management system database. In-store retail systems can be used to lookup orders previously submitted through other channels, such as, a website or mobile application. Knowing order details for other orders can assist the customer with in-store purchasing decisions.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems and methods for obtaining product recommendations include a method comprising receiving from a requestor a recommendation request and determining a first level category associated with the recommendation request. In many embodiments, the method further comprises sending instructions to display the recommendation request to one or more first users within a trust network of the requester, wherein the first users are identified as trusted by the requester with respect to the first level category, and if one or more first conditions are satisfied, send instructions to display the recommendation request to one or more second users, wherein each second user is within a respective trust network of a respective first user and is identified as trusted by the respective first user with respect to the first level category. Other embodiments also are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Example systems and methods for integrating a primary data store (e.g., a source-of-truth relational database management system) and a secondary data store (e.g., external cache) are described. The approach implements a modified read-through/write-through data access pattern that integrates read and write flows in order to support high-concurrency environments while maintaining immediate consistency between stores. Writes are handled using a three-phase flow that avoids concurrency-related race conditions and the need to block in the secondary store in order to maintain cross-store consistency. Reads are never dirty and will repair the secondary store as needed without conflicting with repairs that may have been initiated by other sessions.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for configuring applications at runtime. Embodiments of the invention decouple code and configuration. Application configuration is externalized, allowing configuration to be composed at runtime based on client context. A client context for an application is sent to a configuration manager. One or more pluggable configuration providers at the configuration manager deduce values for use in configuring the application at runtime. Deduced values are composed into a configuration and the configuration returned to the application. Using the values in the composed configuration, the application can be configured to operate in the client context.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems and methods for recommendation scraping include a method comprising receiving a content feed, wherein the content feed is associated with a holder and identifying at least one post within the content feed comprising a mention of a respective item. In many embodiments, the method can further comprise generating an item recommendation corresponding to the respective item, associating the item recommendation with a profile associated with the holder, and sending instructions to present the item recommendation to one or more users. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for providing a collections search include a method comprising determining one or more recommendations from a set of users within a trust network of a first user, wherein each user from the set of users is associated with one of the plurality of first recommendations and determining a category for each of the one or more recommendations. In many embodiments, the method further comprises arranging one or more collections of the one or more recommendations according to the category for each of the one or more recommendations and arranging for display the one or more collections. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for characterizing the effectiveness of an advertisement displayed at a point of sale (POS). A transaction reported by a POS may identify a consumer and a transaction time as well of details such as a product purchased. The transaction time may be compared to an advertising schedule to identify an advertisement displayed adjacent the POS at the time of purchase. Transactions subsequent to identified advertisements may be analyzed to identify any increase in purchasing activity for an advertised product. Increases in purchasing activity and impressions identified in this manner for the general population or demographic groups may be aggregated to characterize an advertisement's effectiveness. Video data or transaction frequency data may be used to estimate an in-queue time for a customer in order to identify advertisement impressions.

Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a data replicator comprising a system exit configured to capture data received at a source, the captured data including a plurality of individual messages, a message broker configured to receive the plurality of individual messages from the configuration control system and to convert the plurality of individual messages to a format of a destination, and a sequence engine in communication with the message broker via a channel, the sequence engine configured to receive and store the converted plurality of individual messages, to re-sequence the converted plurality of individual messages into a desired sequence, and to provide the re-sequenced messages to a destination database in the desired sequence, wherein the sequence engine includes a message throttle which is configured to close the channel in response to a determination by the message throttle that the sequence engine cannot receive additional converted individual messages.

Abstract: A record of a transaction of a customer includes the order the items were scanned. The reverse of this order is inferred to conform generally to the order items were placed in the cart. A route of the user is inferred from the locations of items and the reverse of the scanning order. Subsequent shopping lists of the customer may be ordered to conform to the inferred route as well as one or more route optimization criteria such as a preference for shorter routes or avoiding doubling back. Recommendations for items along the typical route may also be generated and transmitted to the customer. Non-conformal segments may be added to a route for a shopping list in order to route the customer past other portions of a store. Recommendations for items located along the non-conformal segments may also be added.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically importing retail grocery products into an electronic shopping list by importing the ingredients listed on a recipe card, page in a recipe book, or the like. The recipe card may contain an identifier code that is uniquely associated with that recipe. The identifier code may be presented on the recipe card as a bar code. The system includes a database of recipes that returns a list of products when queried with a recipe identifier code. A user may scan or otherwise import the recipe identifier code through a mobile computing device, which then presents the ingredients as products in an electronic shopping list. The electronic shopping list may be implemented in a smartphone app.

Abstract: Delivering a search result is disclosed. A query is received. A term in the query that is a first portion of an abbreviation pair is identified. A second portion of the abbreviation pair is determined. A search result for the query is determined based at least in part on the second portion of the abbreviation pair and the search result is returned.

Abstract: One or more RFID-tag readers are operably coupled to one or more RFID-tag reader antennas that are installed to primarily read RFID tags in a given hallway. Accordingly, at least a majority of the area within storage spaces that border the given hallway are without sufficient reader energy to power those RFID tags. Accordingly, many, most, or even all of the items that are stored in the storage space will receive insufficient reader energy to power their corresponding RFID tags.

Abstract: Disclose are methods for evaluating a user's interests and making gift recommendations using social media data. Interests and attributes of a user may be detected from social media content and products corresponding to the interests and attributes may be selected and presented as gift recommendations for the user. Methods are disclosed for resolving ambiguity as to interests reflected by textual data in social media content. Also disclosed are methods for inferring a user's interests from the interests of friends of the user.