Abstract: A method of removing fog from the images/videos independent of the density or amount of the fog and free of user intervention and a system for carrying out such method of fog removal from images/videos are disclosed. The removal of fog from images and video involve airlight estimation and airlight map refinement based restoration of foggy images and videos. Advantageously, removal of fog from images and videos of this invention would require less execution time and yet achieve high perceptual image quality with reduced noise and enhanced contrast. The proposed method is adapted for RGB Colour model and advantageously also for HSI colour model involving reduced computational requirements and be user friendly and supposed to have wide application and use.

Abstract: A field sequential color (FSC) ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) display cell, part of an FSC display, is provided. The FSC FLC display cell includes: two polarizers; an FLC layer, positioned between the two polarizers, the FLC layer comprising FLCs with helix pitch less than the thickness of the FLC layer; and a voltage source, configured to apply an electrical driving voltage to the FLC layer, the electrical driving voltage applied to the FLC layer having an amplitude greater than a threshold voltage for helix unwinding, and wherein the voltage source is further configured to apply electrical driving voltages to light emitting diodes (LEDs) of the FSC display to illuminate pixels of the FSC display. The pixels are illuminated in an FSC manner The FLC layer is configured to provide a defect-free layer of FLC under the electrical driving voltage applied to the FLC layer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for adding audio content to a playback queue. In one example, a method involves receiving a request to add automated streaming audio content to a particular playback position in a playback queue. The playback queue may indicate a plurality of audio content and a corresponding playback position associated with each of the plurality of audio content for playback. The method further involves determining a playback duration for the automated streaming audio content, adding the automated streaming audio content to the playback queue at the particular playback position, and causing the automated streaming audio content to be rendered at the particular playback position in the playback queue for the determined playback duration. The automated streaming audio content may include discrete automated streaming audio content and/or continuous automated streaming audio content. Respective examples for adding discrete and continuous automated streaming audio content are also provided.

Abstract: A system for facilitating prediction of a loan recovery decision pertaining to a customer of a financial institution is provided. The system comprises one or more databases comprising customer interaction data, customer profile data, and economic data. The system further comprises a Behavioral History Sequence (BHS) module configured to generate behavioral history sequence data associated with the customer. The BHS module generates the BHS data by sanitizing the customer interaction data and classifying the sanitized customer interaction data into predefined categories. The system further comprises a prediction module that is configured to predict payment behavior of the customer based on the BHS data, the customer profile data, and the economic data. The prediction module is further configured to predict the loan recovery decision pertaining to the customer, wherein the predicted loan recovery decision is based on the predicted payment behavior of the customer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for playback of audio content in an “audition mode.” A system may be providing audio content to be rendered by a group of playback devices, when receiving a request to audition a second audio content with at least one playback device from the group of playback devices. The system may then suspend rendering of the first audio content at the at least one playback device, and provide the second audio content to be rendered by the at least one playback device for a duration of time. Upon exiting audition mode, either by completion of the second audio content, expiration of the duration of time, or request to exit audition mode, the system may resume rendering of the first audio content by the at least one playback device.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are described herein for managing recurring appointments without losing historical data associated with the recurring appointments. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a recurring appointment definition can be modified without deleting the recurring appointment definition and/or losing exceptions, notes, and/or other data associated with the recurring appointment definition. Additionally, the concepts and technologies disclosed herein allow the modification of an existing recurring appointment definition without creating a new recurring appointment definition. Thus, synchronization between rules-based calendaring applications and expansion-based calendaring applications can be accomplished without creating multiple instances of related recurring appointments created due to modifications of the recurring appointment definition.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a composite panel is disclosed. The method includes cutting a portion of carpet, applying vacuum to the carpet portion, transferring resin into the carpet portion under vacuum, and curing the resin impregnated carpet portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new method and system for detection and removal of rain from video using temporal/spatiotemporal properties. Advantageously, the temporal/spatiotemporal properties are involved to separate the rain pixels from the non-rain pixels. It is thus possible by way of the present invention to involve less number of consecutive frames, reducing the buffer size and delay. It works only on the intensity plane which reduces the complexity and execution time significantly along with accurate rain detection. This new technique does not assume the shape, size and velocity of the raindrops which makes it robust to different rain conditions. This method reduces the buffer size which reduces the system cost, delay and power consumption while maintaining sufficient quality of rain detection.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide content to a playback network are disclosed. An example method includes displaying an indicator of multimedia content to a user via a graphical user interface. The example method includes enabling a multiselect state to allow the user to select multiple items from a browseable list of indicators associated with multimedia content. The example method includes providing a context-sensitive menu including a plurality of options associated with playback of selected items based on enablement of the multiselect state. The example method includes applying an option to each of the selected items based on user selection. The example method includes passing information regarding the multimedia content to a playback system including one or more multimedia playback devices in response to user selection of the option.

Abstract: A method for generating feature graphs employed for creation of a head note in a legal document is provided. The method enables identifying one or more predetermined features in a plurality of legal documents. The one or more predetermined features are based on grammatical constituents of text in the legal document. The plurality of legal documents is manually identified as headnote and non headnote. The method further enables obtaining data related to the availability of the one or more identified predetermined features in the sentences manually identified as headnote and non headnote in the plurality of legal documents. Furthermore, the method enables computing likelihood of a sentence being a headnote based on the obtained data. The method further enables generating feature graphs corresponding to each predetermined feature based on the computed likelihood and obtained data and storing the generated feature graphs in a repository.

Abstract: Embodiments including methods and apparatus to select an audio track are disclosed. An example method includes detecting first and second playback conditions. The example method also includes comparing an audio track property of an audio track to the first and second playback conditions to determine if the first audio track property matches the first and/or second playback condition. In addition, the example method includes comparing a second audio track property of the audio track to the first and second playback conditions to determine if the second audio track property matches the first and/or second playback condition. Also, the example method includes selecting the audio track for presentation to a user when the first playback condition matches the first and/or second audio track property and the second playback condition matches the first and/or second audio track property.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method and a system for optimizing address generation for simultaneously running proximity-based Built-In-Self-Test (BIST) algorithms. The method also describes simultaneously testing proximity-based faults for different memories having column multiplexers of different sizes using the BIST algorithms. The system described above may be embodied in the form of a Built-In-Self-Test (BIST) controller. Further, the method includes selecting a memory having the largest size of column multiplexer (CMmax). After selecting the memory, size of an address-width register is extended to form an extended address-width register. Thereafter, an extended width address is generated using the extended address-width register and the extended width address is used to generate addresses for the memories. After generating the addresses, read and write operations are performed on the memories based on pre-defined rules, wherein the read and write operations provide testing of the memories.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for compressing messages, such as Short Message Service (SMS) or text messages between fixed or mobile devices through communications networks. The data of, for example, SMS messages is compressed and forwarded through a communication network to an appliance having a processing unit. The appliance decompresses the message and controls its delivery through network communication devices, where the decompressed SMS message is forwarded to its destination.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to change control contexts of controllers are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a touch screen to display a user interface; a controller to control a first physical playback device of a first zone when in a first control context and to control a second physical playback device of a second zone when in a second control context; a swipe detector to monitor a designated area of a user interface for a swipe of the touch screen; and a context changer to change the controller from operating in the first control context to operating in the second control context in response to a detected swipe.

Abstract: Devices, methods, and systems for model based degree-of-angle localization are described herein. One device includes a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to construct a model of a number of signals, where the model includes a number of parameters. The processor executes the executable instructions to estimate the number of parameters and calculate range information of the number of signals. The processor executes the executable instructions to estimate a location of a transmitter transmitting the number of signals.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide for an email and messenging system that allows a user composing a message to select an application which will appear next to the composition screen at both the sending and receiving computer. The application is specified as an attachment at the sending client and when received at a receiving client of a user with an enhanced or compliant mail/messenging account the application will be executed at the receiving client, thus customizing the functionality of the receiving client computer and the mail experience between sender and receiver. An unapproved application sent as an attachment will not be executed and/or alter the receiving client interface. Similarly, the application will simply appear as a standard attachment at a non enhanced recipient client/account.

Abstract: A system includes a three dimensional antenna and mobile devices that wirelessly communicate with the antenna. A phase of arrival and a phase difference of arrival are calculated, and a distance between the three dimensional antenna and the mobile device is calculated. A direction between the three dimensional antenna and the mobile device is calculated. The direction calculation includes an angular spread function of multipath scattering in the communication between the three dimensional antenna and the mobile device. The direction calculation further includes an estimation of a propagation delay and an angle in the communication between the three dimensional antenna and the mobile device.

Abstract: A client application allows a user of a telecommunication device to retrieve contact data of a particular individual from a server to initiate contact with the particular individual without viewing content designated as private by the particular individual. The retrieved contact data includes encrypted content and non-encrypted content. The telecommunication device sends a directory request to the server requesting contact data from an electronic directory stored on the server. If the directory request is validated by the server, the telecommunication device receives the requested contact data from the server. The telecommunication device also receives a decryption key and a key expiration parameter from the server. The client application executing on the telecommunication device can use the decryption key within a time period defined by the key expiration parameter to decrypt encrypted contacted data on the telecommunication device to initiate contact with the particular individual.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide for an email and messenging system that allows a user composing a message to select an application which will appear next to the composition screen at both the sending and receiving computer. The application is specified as an attachment at the sending client and when received at a receiving client of a user with an enhanced or compliant mail/messenging account the application will be executed at the receiving client, thus customizing the functionality of the receiving client computer and the mail experience between sender and receiver. An unapproved application sent as an attachment will not be executed and/or alter the receiving client interface. Similarly, the application will simply appear as a standard attachment at a non enhanced recipient client/account.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide for an email and messenging system that allows a user composing a message to select an application which will appear next to the composition screen at both the sending and receiving computer. The application is specified as an attachment at the sending client and when received at a receiving client of a user with an enhanced or compliant mail/messenging account the application will be executed at the receiving client, thus customizing the functionality of the receiving client computer and the mail experience between sender and receiver. An unapproved application sent as an attachment will not be executed and/or alter the receiving client interface. Similarly, the application will simply appear as a standard attachment at a non enhanced recipient client/account.