Abstract: A connected guest platform receives information identifying a user's planned visit to an entertainment attraction that is located at a physical location, the user's biographical information, and the user's shopping preferences. Features of the attraction are customized based on the user's information. Goods created at the attraction can be stored with the connected guest platform. Third-parties may purchase items from the user's wish list for pickup at a physical merchant located adjacent to the attraction. The user's experience at the attraction and shopping history are stored to inform future interactions with the connected guest platform.

Abstract: A method for managing a product delivery process, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving status information from one or more product containers, wherein the status information includes conditions of each of the one or more product containers; determining preferred ranges for the conditions of each of the one or more product containers based on a product stored in each of the one or more product containers; determining whether the received conditions from the one or more product containers are within the preferred ranges; and sending a command in response to determining that at least one of the received conditions is outside the determined preferred range.

Abstract: A vehicular parking automatic charging apparatus used in a vehicle includes a position acquirer that acquires a position of the vehicle, an area determiner that determines whether or not the position of the vehicle is in a charge parking area, a parking determiner that determines that the vehicle is placed in a parking state and that the parking state of the vehicle is ended, and a charging processor that executes a charge start process for starting charging on a basis that the position of the vehicle at a time when the parking determiner determines that the vehicle is placed in the parking state is in the charge parking area, and that executes a charge end process for ending the charging on a basis that, after execution of the charge start process, the parking determiner determines that the parking state of the vehicle is ended.

Abstract: System for optimal matching of ride sharing requests. A trip request manager receives trip requests from patrons and a shareability network is established. The system checks to see whether certain parameters related to ride-sharing delays are less than or equal to other parameters to decide whether trips are shareable.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for providing multi-locational curbside valet parking service is provided. A multiplicity of motor vehicle parking spaces are managed by a server. A plurality of smart parking devices and vehicle occupancy sensors are interfaced with the server. Use of a plurality of the parking spaces is reserved for a valet service. A reservation request for the use of the plurality of the parking spaces is accepted for use by the valet service for a period of time. Occupancy of the reserved parking spaces by a motor vehicle is sensed through the vehicle occupancy sensor. A valet drop-off location of at least one of the parking spaces that is reserved for the use of the valet service and is not occupied by a motor vehicle is identified. The valet drop-off location and a location of a lock box are provided to the motorist through a user interface.

Abstract: A system and method for retrieving a plurality of indicia are described. The method includes receiving, by a computer system associated with a postage provider a request from a user, the request including a number of the plurality of indicia, and a monetary value of each of the plurality of indicia; and authenticating the request. The method further includes verifying whether sufficient funds exist in an account of the user for the number and monetary value of the plurality of requested indicia. If the request is found authentic and the computer system determines that sufficient funds exist in the account of the user for the number and monetary value of the requested indicia, extracting the plurality of indicia. The method further includes assembling in a return message the plurality of indicia as at least one binary data message; and transmitting the message to a computer associated with the user.

Abstract: Electronic components may be integrated in objects used by the trucking industry, such as truck, tractor trailer, cargo, and loading bay. These objects may then communicate with each other and with a gateway device to transmit or receive data or commands. The gateway may be configured to attach to the truck, such as by securing to the truck frame or securing to an interior of the truck cab. The gateway may couple to one or more input devices, and receive sensor data through the one or more input devices. The gateway may execute steps that allow the gateway to perform geofencing to prevent conflict between cargo in the vehicle and cargo in another vehicle or in areas of a loading bay.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide systems and methods for facilitating synchronized delivery of shipments/items scheduled to be delivered to multiple serviceable points located nearby one another. Various embodiments identify nearby serviceable points based on a determination of distance between serviceable points and/or time required to travel between serviceable points. Accordingly, shipping data for a first shipment is initially received, and a determination is made whether a second shipment is available for synchronized delivery with the first shipment. To make such a determination, a previous distance is identified between a first serviceable point and a second serviceable point, a time elapsed is identified between the first serviceable point and the second serviceable point, and the distance and the time elapsed are compared with respective thresholds.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a distance traveled by a vehicle for the purpose of assessing and settling a road usage charge allows a mobile device to determine distance traveled with a vehicle while paired with a PAN transceiver of the vehicle by using GPS location information. The mobile device can also capture odometer images that are reported to a system that processes the images to obtain the odometer values and find the difference between the odometer values. Once the actual distance traveled by the vehicle is determined by the system, a road usage charge can be determined. Fuel excise taxes paid by the vehicle operator for fuel used by the vehicle can be subtracted from the road usage charge to determine a road usage settlement amount that can be paid from, or refunded to a financial account associated with the vehicle.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for matching an address to an optimal station for package delivery. Responsive to the at least one keyword k appearing in a substring of an address addr associated with a package to be delivered appearing in a keyword to station probability matrix associated with a city and/or district associated with the address addr associated with the package, for a set of keywords k in the substring of the address addr and station s of the city and/or district, a determination is made of a priority value function v that represents the priority of the combination of keyword k and station s. A critical keyword k* and optimal station s* is identified and the optimal station s* with a maximum determined value for delivery of the package is reported.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining the preferences of hosts offering accommodations are disclosed. In one embodiment, an online booking system models the preferences of hosts based on statistical relationships between features of previously received accommodation reservation requests and the acceptance of those reservation requests by the hosts. In particular, the system classifies reservation requests based on several features—a reservation request either possesses a feature or does not possess a feature. The preference of a host for a particular request feature is modeled based on the relationship between the reservation requests that possess the feature and the reservation requests that are accepted by the host.

Abstract: A road toll system comprises a vehicle-mounted unit having a satellite navigation receiver. A first data processing means determines a route taken based on satellite navigation data provided from the receiver, and the satellite navigation data is associated with a variable identity. A road toll level is derived. A second data processing means receives the road toll level provided by the first data processing means, and the satellite navigation obtains the determined road toll level from the second data processing means using the variable identity. This provides a thin client scenario (the receiver does not implement the map calculations), but with data security corresponding to a thick client solution. Thus, the map matching and trip cost computation steps are delegated by the on-board unit to an external unit, but this delegation is performed anonymously, so that no data sent for external processing compromises the privacy of the data.

Abstract: A method, electronic device, and computer-readable storage medium are. In one embodiment, a method is provided for receiving a request to display a calendar associated with a delivery point of a user, accessing shipment information associated with the user, the shipment information including a record of physical delivery items and electronic delivery items, and displaying, for each day on the calendar, a count of the physical delivery items and electronic delivery items.

Abstract: Applications, devices and systems for toll collection are disclosed herein. An example system includes a mobile computing device that generates location based information of the mobile computing device, queries a database of toll booths defined by toll booth location, determines that the location based information of the mobile computing device matches at least one of the toll booth locations, and transmits to a gateway server location based information and identifying information that identifies a vehicle. The toll is processed using the received information.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining the preferences of hosts offering accommodations are disclosed. In one embodiment, an online booking system models the preferences of hosts based on statistical relationships between features of previously received accommodation reservation requests and the acceptance of those reservation requests by the hosts. In particular, the system classifies reservation requests based on several features—a reservation request either possesses a feature or does not possess a feature. The preference of a host for a particular request feature is modeled based on the relationship between the reservation requests that possess the feature and the reservation requests that are accepted by the host.

Abstract: The present invention relates in general to parking availability systems and methods of parking, and more specifically, to a parking system that manages individual parking spaces in real-time. Notably, the present invention gives a parking asset owner flexibility to adjust parking prices for individual parking spaces within a parking facility in real-time depending upon dynamic market conditions such as demand, convenience, and location. The purpose of the invention is to offer parking consumers a choice in parking price tiers to encourage turnover and maximize revenue streams for the parking asset owner. Additional benefits of the present invention to the parking asset owner include improved service to customers, obtaining LEED credits, reducing harmful carbon emissions, mitigating transportation demand, saving time through stream-lined parking operations, and eco-friendly solutions to parking problems not solved by traditional parking models.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes interacting with a gate access device that is capable of preventing access to a location, where the gate access device subsequently sends an authorization request message to an issuer for approval, the authorization request message including a request to charge a predetermined amount of money to pay for access to a location, and entering the location if the gate access device receives an authorization response message indicating that the charge is authorized.

Abstract: A price calculator may receive a pricing request for at least one item, the at least one item priced in accordance with a pricing schema including a plurality of price components. The price calculator may include a parallel price calculator configured to retrieve a parallel calculation flow handling procedure corresponding to the at least one item and designating at least two price subcomponents common to the price components. The price calculator may then calculate the at least two price subcomponents for the price components in parallel, using the parallel calculation flow handling procedure.

Abstract: Parking guidance is provided to a user of a mobile device requesting information on parking spots at a requested location for a requested time. In response to receiving a parking information request, parking spots having locations proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time are identified in a database of parking spot information of a parking management server. A notification of the identified parking spots is transmitted to the user device from which the information request was received. In response to receiving a reservation request identifying a parking spot to be reserved from the user device, the database is updated to identify the identified parking spot as being unavailable at the requested time. Additionally, a notification of the reservation request is transmitted to a parking manager associated with the identified parking spot, the notification identifying the particular parking spot and the requested time.

Abstract: A communication is received from a fare media which includes a token associated with a transit account and a risk score based on a usage history of the account which is indicative of a likelihood of default associated with the account. One or more positive or negative lists are received from a server. Positive lists include first account identifiers associated with accounts in good standing. Negative lists include account identifiers associated with accounts in poor standing. A determination whether the token is associated with an account represented by one of the first or one of the second account identifiers is made. A determination, based on the risk score or the determination of the association of the token is made whether to grant access to the transit system. Information related to the determination of whether to grant access is communicated to the server. Access is granted to the transit system.