Abstract: A car-sharing system for vehicles including private and/or corporate-owned vehicles receives, from a user's terminal, a use reservation for one of the vehicles available at a parking station in the vicinity of the departure location during the user's desired period, and one of parking stations located in the vicinity of the destination location where the vehicle can be returned at the user's desired time, to register the use reservation in vehicle/parking station schedule information; and makes a use reservation, with respect to a period registered in the vehicle schedule information for the owner to use the vehicle, for another vehicle different from the vehicle from among the vehicles available during the period, and for a predetermined parking station from among the parking stations at which said another vehicle can be returned within the period, to register the use reservation in the vehicle/parking station schedule information.

Abstract: Multiple record management functionality can be used for bulk PNR creation. The multiple record management functionality can take a structured input file containing travel requests and process the requests, such as by a set of client-specific rules, to create shell PNRs with the air segments and profile information included. The multiple record management functionality can also provide a reporting capability to detail the outcome of individual requests or a set of requests. Preference-driven bookings can be made based on a customer-defined overall value proposition. Bookings can be made for non-profiled travelers.

Abstract: An airline ticket sales system having a stock recording unit retaining a stock of flights, and a destination candidate extraction unit including: receiving an input of at least one condition from a user via an information processing terminal, information about a destination airport being excluded from the condition; acquiring, from the stock recording unit, information about outbound candidate flights and inbound candidate flights satisfying the condition; extracting, as candidate airports, a predetermined number from airports common to arrival airports of the outbound candidate flights and departure airports of the inbound candidate flights; selecting, based on a predetermined criterion, one from round-trip candidate flights composed of combinations of the outbound candidate flights and the inbound candidate flights among the departure airports of the outbound candidate flights specified by the condition and the respective candidate airports; and regarding the selected one as a to-be-sold round-trip flight.

Abstract: A method for carpool services includes obtaining a pending transportation service requested by a service requester. The pending transportation service may include a first origin and a first destination. The method may also include determining a first pick-up location and a first departure time from the first pick-up location for the pending transportation service based on the first origin and the first destination. The method may also include determining a target service provider based on the pending transportation service and a shareable transportation service that has been accepted by the target service provider and has not been completed.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for executing payment of a fare for fare collection and validation for a journey on a vehicle in a transportation network. For each journey taken by an individual on the transportation system, a central server receives from a mobile device of the individual an identifier of the mobile device together with data indicative of a station of embarkation of the journey. The mobile device identifier and the station of embarkation are transmitted to the central server over one or more wireless networks. The central server comprises a processor configured to determine a fare for the journey based on the station of embarkation.

Abstract: Data set valuation techniques are provided. For example, a request is obtained from a client to utilize one or more cloud computing services managed by at least one service provider. A valuation is determined for delivering the one or more requested cloud computing services to the client. The valuation determination includes determining a valuation of one or more data sets associated with the one or more cloud computing services.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with controlling a comparison of energy costs for a current and a previous billing cycle are described. In one embodiment, current billing data and previous billing data are received. A variable having a different value for the current billing than for the previous billing data is identified. A value of the variable in the current billing data is modified with a value of the variable in the previous billing data to determine a hypothetical energy cost for the current billing cycle based on the value of the variable in the previous billing data. A cost difference between the total cost of energy for the current billing cycle and the hypothetical energy cost is determined, and a personalized data structure for an energy user is generated. The data structure includes an individual contribution of the modified value of the variable toward the cost difference.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with controlling inventory depletion by offering different prices to different customers are described. In one embodiment, a method includes establishing first and second allocations of fulfillment centers to different geographic regions during a markdown phase. Different price schedules are determined for the orders to be fulfilled during the markdown phase based on the first and second allocations. A predicted profit is generated for the orders fulfilled under each of the different price schedules. A price schedule corresponding to the first allocation is selected as resulting in a greater predicted profit than another one of the different price schedules. A sale terminal is controlled to enact the selected price schedule during the markdown phase to cause fulfillment of the incoming orders according to the first allocation of the fulfillment centers.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an extension unit that, if it is estimated that a user who is using a space will not exit in a reservation period and a next reservation of the space satisfies a certain condition, extends a current reservation of the space.

Abstract: Aspects include a system, method and computer program product for delivering a package via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A delivery parameter for delivering the package via the UAV is obtained. A weather parameter related to the delivery parameter is obtained. A flight configured for the UAV is selected, wherein the selected flight configuration reduces a delivery cost of the package via the UAV based on the weather parameter and the delivery parameter. The package is delivered using the selected flight configuration of the UAV.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments illustrate methods and systems for managing allocation of transportation services. The method includes receiving real-time vehicle data of vehicles of a plurality of service types from sensors associated with the vehicles. The method further includes detecting an availability status of each of the vehicles based on at least the received real-time vehicle data and a service request for a vehicle of a preferred service type for travel by a customer, to determine available service types. The method further includes rendering, in response to the service request, at least the available service types that comprises at least a flexible service type, at a user interface of a customer-computing device. The method further includes allocating the transportation services of the service provider to the customer based on a selection of a service type from the rendered plurality of available service types by the customer.

Abstract: The disclosure herein describes generating, managing, and finalizing group reservations of travel resources (e.g., plane tickets, hotel and other lodging reservations, etc.) via a group reservation system. A group reservation request is received including group member data and travel resource reservation data. The reservation data is transmitted to group members based on the group member data. Reservation feedback is then received from the group members. The reservation feedback includes an acceptance message or a rejection message for participation with the travel resource(s). A quantity of acceptance messages received in the reservation feedback is compared to a reservation threshold and, based on the comparison, the group reservation is finalized, wherein the finalized group reservation is associated with group members from whom an acceptance message was received.

Abstract: A blockchain function may include one or more of receiving a last observed location identifier for a product identified via a product tag associated with the product, determining whether the last observed location identifier was received from a trusted source device, and storing the last observed location identifier in a blockchain with a confirmed status responsive to determining the last observed location identifier was received from the trusted source device.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products associated with a flight search engine for searching itineraries between an origin and a destination on a given date, according to a predefined display policy. Available routes may be filtered according to a first set of predefined criteria associated with the routes. The filtered available routes may be ranked according to a second set of predefined criteria. Itineraries may be constructed that are associated with the filtered available routes. The constructed itineraries may be filtered according to a third set of predefined criteria, and the filtered itineraries may be ranked according to a fourth set of predefined criteria. Historical booking data regarding previously booked itineraries for future travels may be received and analyzed, and may be taken into in the ranking of the filtered available routes and the filtered itineraries.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and product for parking auctions. One method comprises: detecting a parking exit event is about to occur for a vehicle in a parking spot; initiating a real-time auction between relevant drivers that are in a proximity of the parking spot and are searching for parking; selecting a winning bid from one or more bids for the parking spot, wherein the winning driver provided the winning bid; displaying locations over time of the winning driver, whereby the user can track the location of the winning driver; and notifying the user upon the winner driving arriving at the parking spot, whereby the user can vacate the parking spot for the winner driver. Another method comprises while a vehicle is searching for parking, participating, using a mobile device, in an auction for a parking spot.

Abstract: A system that compresses data during neural network training. A memory stores computer executable components and neural network data, and a processor executes computer executable components stored in the memory. An anticipatory value of inventory (VOI) optimization component calculates optimal VOI and prices for immediate-future inventory levels in parallel and writes latest price updates for respective states to a price stack; and a recommendation component provides customized pricing recommendation for a product relative to a unique customer as a function of the latest price updates for respective states to the price stack.

Abstract: Interference costs on virtual radio interfaces can be modeled as a function of loading in a wireless network to estimate changes in spectral efficiency and/or resource availability that would result from a provisioning decision. In one example, this modeling is achieved through cost functions that are developed from historical and/or simulated resource cost data corresponding to the wireless network. The cost data may include interference data, spectral efficiency data, and/or loading data for various links over a common period of time (e.g., a month, a year, etc.), and may be analyzed and/or consolidated to obtain correlations between interference costs and loading on the various links in the network. As an example, a cost function may specify an interference cost on one virtual link as a function of loading on one or more neighboring virtual links.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and product for parking auctions. One method comprises: detecting a parking exit event is about to occur for a vehicle in a parking spot; initiating a real-time auction between relevant drivers that are in a proximity of the parking spot and are searching for parking; selecting a winning bid from one or more bids for the parking spot, wherein the winning driver provided the winning bid; displaying locations over time of the winning driver, whereby the user can track the location of the winning driver; and notifying the user upon the winner driving arriving at the parking spot, whereby the user can vacate the parking spot for the winner driver. Another method comprises while a vehicle is searching for parking, participating, using a mobile device, in an auction for a parking spot.

Abstract: A method and a system for maximizing share-ride bookings in a geographical area in a ride-sharing system are provided. Historical share-ride demands for the geographical area are estimated. A time period is segmented into time intervals such that each time interval has an equal count of the estimated historical share-ride demands. A conversion rate and a gross merchandise value (GMV) per unit of distance are determined for a first time interval at a check point of a second time interval. Error signals are generated at the check point based on deviations in the conversion rate and the GMV per unit of distance with respect to a defined conversion rate and a defined GMV per unit of distance, respectively. A share-ride fare in the second time interval is controlled based on the error signals to maximize the share-ride bookings during the second time interval.

Abstract: Technologies for managing the security and custody of assets in transit are described. In some embodiments, the technologies include an IoT gateway that can make intelligent decisions concerning the status of assets over which it has custody, e.g., based on sensor data received from IoT devices associated with those assets. Technologies for managing the transfer of custody of assets between responsible parties (e.g., multiple gateways) are also described.