Abstract: Method and systems are provided for processing actions in a store. One example method includes capturing sensor output from two or more sensors in a shopping environment. One sensor includes a first camera to capture scene data where the scene includes movement of a shopper in the store performing interaction with an item in the store. Another sensor includes a second camera capturing at least part of the scene from a different perspective. The method includes processing, by a processing entity associated with the store, at least one of the camera's output to generate feature data. The feature data is processed by one or more machine learning models to produce engineered feature data. The engineered feature data includes data relating to tracking skeletal movement of shopper.

Abstract: Methods and systems for communicating with a server of a cloud services system used to interface with vehicles are provided. One method includes receiving, by the server, a request from electronics of a vehicle to access a profile for a user account. The request identifies user information for a user to use the vehicle. The method includes processing, by the server, at least part of the user information to verify the user against data associated with the user account. The profile has a plurality of settings of the user for the vehicle, and at least part of the plurality of settings for the profile being stored on storage accessible to the cloud services system. The method includes transferring, by the server, upon verification of the user information, one or more settings of the plurality of settings to the vehicle.

Abstract: A robot for charging a vehicle is provided. The robot has wheels or configured for a track for the robot to automatically move to the vehicle to provide charge to a battery of the vehicle. A charge storage is associated with the robot. An articulating arm of the robot. The articulating arm is configured for movement that enables the articulating arm to automatically connect to a connector of the vehicle after the robot moves in position beside the vehicle for providing charge to the battery of the vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for cloud processing data streamed from a vehicle and a home (e.g., any location) associated with a user account. One method includes receiving a data stream from the vehicle entity, where the data stream from the vehicle entity includes metadata from one or more data producing objects of the vehicle entity. And, receiving a data stream from the home entity, where the data stream from the home entity includes metadata from one or more data producing objects of the home entity. The method includes accessing action conditions associated with a user account. The action conditions identify a position where at least one or more states of the metadata from each of the home entity and the vehicle entity intersect. And, each action condition identifies a type or types of control information to be processed. The method includes processing the received metadata from the vehicle entity and the home entity.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for managing charge availability of a charge unit (CU) to obtain charge for a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) is provided. The CU includes a computer for processing at least part of the method and for communicating with a server over a network. The method includes receiving, by the server, status information from the computer of the CU. The method includes sending to the computer of the CU instructions to make a reservation for the CU. The reservation is for a user account that has requested a desire to charge the battery of the electric vehicle of the user at the CU or another CU. The method includes sending, by the server, a confirmation for the reservation to the user account. The confirmation is viewable via a device having access to the server via the user account. The method includes sending, by the server, a data regarding a time of availability of the CU to the user account for the reservation.

Abstract: A system and method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is disclosed. The method includes identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle. Also included is identifying that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. Then, using mapping data defined for the parking location. The mapping data at least in part is used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The method includes instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location. The electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for cloud processing data streamed from a vehicle and a home (e.g., any location) associated with a user account. One method includes receiving a data stream from the vehicle entity, where the data stream from the vehicle entity includes metadata from one or more data producing objects of the vehicle entity. And, receiving a data stream from the home entity, where the data stream from the home entity includes metadata from one or more data producing objects of the home entity. The method includes accessing action conditions associated with a user account. The action conditions identify a position where at least one or more states of the metadata from each of the home entity and the vehicle entity intersect. And, each action condition identifies a type or types of control information to be processed. The method includes processing the received metadata from the vehicle entity and the home entity.

Abstract: A system for charging a battery of a vehicle using inductive charging is provided. The system includes a charging pad for inductive charge transfer. The charge pad is configured with electronics that enables wireless communication. A self-aligning mechanism is part of the charging pad, and the self-aligning mechanism is configured to adjust positioning of the charging pad when the vehicle is disposed over the charging pad. A computer associated with the charging pad is configured to execute method operations for communicating with electronics of the vehicle to enable charging of the battery of the vehicle. The electronics of the vehicle is configured to identify a user account for charging the vehicle. An application associated with the user account is configured to receive updates regarding a charging status of the vehicle responsive to said inductive charge transfer being enabled.

Abstract: A method of tracking a user in a store and tracking takes and puts in regard to items in said store. One method includes tracking a shopper in a physical store using two or more cameras that are overlapping to infer and account for shopping activity performed by the shopper. The method includes providing output of at least one of the two or more cameras to a processing entity to extract skeletal limb features of the shopper. Then, processing the skeletal limb features of the shopper to detect a take of an item from the store into possession of the shopper. The method further includes detecting, based on the tracking, that the shopper has exited the store and processing a charge to an account of shopper for the item based on the detected take.

Abstract: A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is disclosed. The method includes identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle. Also included is identifying that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. Then, using mapping data defined for the parking location. The mapping data at least in part is used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The method includes instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location. The electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors.

Abstract: Methods and systems for communicating with a server of a cloud services system used to interface with vehicles are provided. One method includes receiving, by the server, a request from electronics of a vehicle to access a profile for a user account. The request identifies user information for a user to use the vehicle. The method includes processing, by the server, at least part of the user information to verify the user against data associated with the user account. The profile has a plurality of settings of the user for the vehicle, and at least part of the plurality of settings for the profile being stored on storage accessible to the cloud services system. The method includes transferring, by the server, upon verification of the user information, one or more settings of the plurality of settings to the vehicle.

Abstract: Systems and methods of a vehicle for sharing vehicle controls are provided. One example is a vehicle including a system for sharing vehicle system control of the vehicle with a passenger. The system uses an on-board computer and communications circuitry of the vehicle. The communications circuitry is configured to use a wireless network for accessing the Internet, and the on-board computer is configured to enable the communications circuitry to provide a wireless connection to a portable device of the passenger of the vehicle. The on-board computer has access to one or more vehicle sub-systems, and via the wireless connection, the on-board computer provides the portable device access to at least one graphical user interface. The graphical user interface includes input options that enable control of settings or functions of one or more of said vehicle sub-systems.

Abstract: Methods and systems for network-based messaging systems with database management for supporting based inter-user communications, such as via computing devices, are disclosed. The methods and systems facilitate improved message transmission management for more efficient communications. The methods and systems can provide enhanced electronic communications, such as via electronic mail or text messaging. Improved communication tools are provided to better manage and/or control communications. The computing devices can be personal communication/computing devices, such as mobile, portable or handheld computing devices (e.g., smart phone, a laptop, a tablet, etc.).

Abstract: A device is provided that includes a logic processor, a power storage cell, a sensor, a wireless logic and a power source. The power source is configured to harvest power in response to exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy using an antenna element of the device. The harvested power is transferred to the power storage cell such that when the power storage cell has a usable amount of power the logic processor (a) samples data using the sensor, (b) processes the sample data into a message that is encrypted, and (c) transmits the message using the wireless logic to an end node that is configured to receive the message from the device. When usable amount of power is not present in the power storage cell during any one of (a)-(c), data is saved in persistent memory until additional harvested power is present in the power storage cell.

Abstract: A method is provided, which includes receiving, at a server, a request from a device to find one or more charge units for charging an electric vehicle at a geographic location. The method includes accessing, by the server, a first database to identify charge units that are associated with the geographic location. The method includes accessing, by the server, a second database to identify discounts available at the charge units identified to be associated with the geographic location. One of the identified discounts on one of the charge units is provided by a first merchant having a business location proximate to the one of the charge units. The method includes sending, by the server, data to the device that identifies one or more of the charge units that are associated with the geographic location, the data further including information regarding one or more discounts identified to be available at one or more of the identified charge units.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an emotion of a human driver of a vehicle and using the emotion for generating a vehicle response, is provided. One example method includes processing captured voice data from the human driver over a period of time while the human driver operates the vehicle. The method includes analyzing the voice data to assist in prediction of the emotion of the human driver. The method includes generating the vehicle response. The vehicle response is selected in part based on the emotion that was predicted for the human driver.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and method are provided for tracking items in a store for processing a cashier-less purchase transaction. In one example, a method includes tracking a shopper in a store using one or more sensors to process an account of shopping activity performed by the shopper. The method further includes monitoring the shopper in the store using said one or more sensors. Output of the one or more sensors is processed by a processing entity associated with the store to produce input feature data for aspects of a current scenario involving actions of the shopper and one or more items in the store. The processing entity associated with the store processes the input feature data to characterize aspects of the current scenario. The processing entity characterizes aspects of the current scenario in part by accessing a trained machine learning model that is maintained for a profile of the shopper. The input feature data is for actions of the shopper in relation to the scenario.

Abstract: Methods and systems for sharing digital electronic keys (e-keys) to use a vehicle with the e-key are provided. One example method includes sending, via a first application of a first mobile device, a message to a second mobile device to initiate providing access to the vehicle via the e-key. The method includes receiving, by the first mobile device, data confirming from the second mobile device indicating receipt and creating the e-key at the second mobile device for the vehicle with a level of access that was set via the first application of the first mobile device. The data confirming receipt for the e-key is authenticated by the first mobile device. The method includes sending, by the first mobile device, verification of the e-key for use via the second mobile device. The e-key is registered with a server to enable activation of the e-key on the second mobile device. A second application of the second mobile device provides a user interface for access of the e-key for unlocking and starting the vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and systems for network-based messaging systems with database management for supporting based inter-user communications, such as via computing devices, are disclosed. The methods and systems facilitate improved message transmission management for more efficient communications. The methods and systems can provide enhanced electronic communications, such as via electronic mail or text messaging. Improved communication tools are provided to better manage and/or control communications. The computing devices can be personal communication/computing devices, such as mobile, portable or handheld computing devices (e.g., smart phone, a laptop, a tablet, etc.).

Abstract: Systems and methods of a vehicle for sharing vehicle controls are provided. One example system is for sharing vehicle system control of the vehicle with a passenger. The system uses an on-board computer and communications circuitry of the vehicle. The communications circuitry is configured to use a wireless network for accessing the internet and the on-board computer is configured to enable the communications circuitry to provide a wireless connection to a portable device of the passenger of the vehicle. The on-board computer has access to one or more vehicle systems of the vehicle, and via the wireless connection, the on-board computer provides the portable device access to at least one graphical user interface, the graphical user interface includes input options that enable control of settings or functions of one or more of said vehicle systems. The on-board computer is configured to process information associated with a wireless signal of the portable device.