Abstract: A system comprising a database comprising authorization data and clearing data from transactions carried out at a plurality of merchants, the authorization data comprising a plurality of transaction records, each transaction record comprising a payment card identifier, a merchant identifier, a transaction identifier, a time/date, and an authorization transaction amount; the clearing data comprising a plurality of transaction identifiers and a corresponding plurality of clearing transaction amounts. The system also comprises a gratuity calculation component in communication with the database.

Abstract: An example system and method for facilitating virtual cable modem termination system (VCMTS) migration in cable modem network environments is provided and includes spawning, by an orchestration component executing using a processor, a first instance of a virtual network function (VNF) on a first server in a cable modem network, storing state of the first instance as state information in an external database, spawning a second instance of the VNF on a different second server, synchronizing state of the second instance with the state information stored in the external database, and deleting the first instance. In specific embodiments, the VNF comprises a VCMTS.

Abstract: An example system and method for facilitating virtual cable modem termination system VCMTS redundancy in cable modem network environments is provided and includes spawning a first instance of a virtual network function (VNF) on a first server in a cable modem network, spawning a second instance of the VNF on a different second server, configuring the second instance to be communicatively coupled to the first instance in a same subnet of the network, and synchronizing (e.g., copying, coordinating, matching, etc.) state between the first instance and the second instance. In specific embodiments, the VNF comprises a VCMTS.

Abstract: An acoustic echo canceller (AEC) system may be configured to reset the coefficients of a transform equation when an estimated echo diverges from actual acoustic echo. Features are disclosed for determining when to reset the coefficients, and for enabling the reset operation to be performed reliably. Additional features are disclosed for detecting other signal conditions besides AEC divergence, for adjusting the rate at which the coefficients are adapted in response to such conditions, and for prioritizing between potentially incompatible adjustments.

Abstract: An audio beamformer receives signals from microphones of an array and processes the signals to produce a directional audio signal that emphasizes sound from a selected direction. The beamformer is implemented using weights or other parameters that are calculated to account for effects upon the received audio signals by the surfaces upon which the microphones are positioned.

Abstract: A system for recommending a competitor. A transactions database stores transaction data relating to a plurality of transactions made at a plurality of merchants over a payment network using a plurality of payment cards. A merchant database stores merchant data relating to the plurality of merchants. A competitor identification component in communication with the transactions database. The competitor identification component is configured to: determine a category of the merchant; query the merchant database to identify other merchants having the same category as the merchant; query the transactions database to retrieve transaction data relating to transactions made at the merchant and the other merchants over a predefined time period; based on one or more filtering criteria, determine similarity data indicative of a similarity of each of the other merchants to said merchant. Based on the similarity data, generate a recommendation of at least one competitor merchant from among the other merchants.

Abstract: A system for processing payment card transactions. A user database stores a plurality of user profiles. Each user profile mappings from a payment card identifier to at least one credit card number. A bill processing component in communication with the database which is configured to: receive, from a credit card issuer system, credit card bill data representing at least a credit card number, a total payable amount and a minimum payable amount; query the user database to match one of the user profiles to the credit card number; and store, in the matched user profile, the credit card bill data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for computing a rating for a service provider is provided. Thee method comprising operations of (a) receiving, by a transaction analysis component, transaction data representing past transactions performed by customers with the service provider via a payment network, (b) calculating, by the transaction analysis component, a transaction-based measure characterizing the past transactions during a pre-defined period; (c) receiving, by a service provider rating component, a review score indicative of a customer rating for the service provider; and (d) computing, by the service provider rating component, the rating using the transaction-based measure and the review score, said rating being indicative of a quality of service associated with the service provider. A system for carrying out the method is also provided.

Abstract: An approach for managed instant communication (or chat)-based helpdesk services. An inquiry for a support service is received, at a helpdesk management platform, from a customer requesting assistance, the inquiry including one or more parameters defining the support service. A response is generated to the inquiry based on the one or more parameters, the response indicating a plurality of helpdesks associated with at least one service provider. An instant communication session is established between the customer and one of the helpdesks. The instant communication session is placed into a queue for an agent associated with the one helpdesk.

Abstract: A wearable computer is configured to use beamforming techniques to isolate a user's speech from extraneous audio signals occurring within a physical environment. A microphone array of the wearable computer may generate audio signal data from an utterance from a user's mouth. A motion sensor(s) of the wearable computer may generate motion data from movement of the wearable computer. This motion data may be used to determine a direction vector pointing from the wearable computer to the user's mouth, and a beampattern may be defined that has a beampattern direction in substantial alignment with the determined direction vector to focus the microphone array on the user's mouth for speech isolation.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are described for determining which of a plurality of beamformed audio signals to select for signal processing. In some embodiments, a plurality of audio input signals are received from a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones. A plurality of beamformed audio signals are determined based on the plurality of input audio signals, the beamformed audio signals comprising a direction. A plurality of signal features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal. Smoothed features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal based on at least a portion of the plurality of signal features. The beamformed audio signal corresponding to the maximum smoothed feature may be selected for further processing.

Abstract: Individual multipath components of digital data symbols sent from a transmitter on at least two carrier frequencies generated from a common clock signal, are received (401) with individual delays and processed by a receiver unit having at least two fingers. Successive channel estimates are determined (402) from received symbols for each finger and each carrier, and an estimated frequency error is determined (404) for each finger and each carrier. A linear equation system is constructed (405), in which each determined frequency error is expressed as a function of a first variable indicative of frequency drift and a second variable indicative of frequency error caused by Doppler effect. The equation system is solved (406) to provide a solution with estimates of the first and second variables for each finger, and an estimated frequency drift is determined (407) from the solution and utilized (408) as feedback signal for adjusting receiver clock frequency.

Abstract: A system with at least one device including a hardware processor, performs the steps of receiving, by the system, a packet from a second system to be transmitted to a third system, forwarding, by the system to the third system, the packet received from the second system; modifying a portion of the packet to obtain a modified packet that falsely identifies a fourth system as a source of the modified packet, and transmitting, by the system to the third system, the modified packet identifying the fourth system as the source of the modified packet.

Abstract: Features are disclosed for performing efficient dereverberation of speech signals captured with single- and multi-channel sensors in networked audio systems. Such features could be used in applications requiring automatic recognition of speech captured with sensors. Dereverberation is performed in the sub-band domain, and hence provides improved dereverberation performance in terms of signal quality, algorithmic delay, computational efficiency, and speed of convergence.

Abstract: A system with at least one device including a hardware processor, performs the steps of receiving, by the system, a packet from a second system to be transmitted to a third system, forwarding, by the system to the third system, the packet received from the second system; modifying a portion of the packet to obtain a modified packet that falsely identifies a fourth system as a source of the modified packet, and transmitting, by the system to the third system, the modified packet identifying the fourth system as the source of the modified packet.

Abstract: User configurable wearable devices are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a wearable device including a flexible band having an outer surface. The flexible band may be formed into a loop and worn on a user or an object. A plurality of male interface components may be disposed on the outer surface. Each male interface component may comprise a protrusion dimensioned to be capable of insertion within a female interface component of an object, such as a building block, to mechanically attach the object with the flexible band. In some embodiments, each of the male interface components may be separated from each other by at least a common or standard distance, such as the distance defined between two adjacent female interface components of the object. Furthermore, adjacent male interface components may be separated by the standard distance for interfacing with adjacent female interface components of an object.

Abstract: Traffic between a first device and a second device across a plurality of communication lanes of a communication link is stalled. A first device side of the communication lane is powered-down on at least one of the plurality of communication lanes to deactivate the at least one communication lane. A power-down request is sent from the first device to the second device to power-down a second device-side of the at least one communication lane. Traffic between the first device and the second device is restarted over the active communication lanes.

Abstract: A system with at least one device including a hardware processor, performs the steps of receiving, by the system, a packet from a second system to be transmitted to a third system, forwarding, by the system to the third system, the packet received from the second system; modifying a portion of the packet to obtain a modified packet that falsely identifies a fourth system as a source of the modified packet, and transmitting, by the system to the third system, the modified packet identifying the fourth system as the source of the modified packet.

Abstract: Individual multipath components of digital data symbols sent from a transmitter on at least two carrier frequencies generated from a common clock signal, are received (401) with individual delays and processed by a receiver unit having at least two fingers. Successive channel estimates are determined (402) from received symbols for each finger and each carrier, and an estimated frequency error is determined (404) for each finger and each carrier. A linear equation system is constructed (405), in which each determined frequency error is expressed as a function of a first variable indicative of frequency drift and a second variable indicative of frequency error caused by Doppler effect. The equation system is solved (406) to provide a solution with estimates of the first and second variables for each finger, and an estimated frequency drift is determined (407) from the solution and utilized (408) as feedback signal for adjusting receiver clock frequency.

Abstract: A method comprising receiving radio frequency tracker identifiers stored by tags associated with items; evaluating the radio frequency tracker identifiers based on radio frequency tracker identifiers previously received or concurrently received; identifying one or more radio frequency tracker identifiers based on the evaluating; selecting a rule from a set of rules when it is determined that an event occurred with respect to the identified one or more radio frequency tracker identifiers, wherein the set of rules correlates with information included in the radio frequency tracker identifiers and the selected rule pertains to an occurrence of the event; selecting a responsive action based on the selected rule; and generating a notification defined by the selected responsive action.