Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of transferring sensor data in a delay insensitive network through wireless medium conforming to WiFi standards using smart devices as mules. The method works seamlessly without using extra processing cycles or data bandwidth than what would normally be used by the standards. The method also works without disturbing the owner of the smart device (Mule) for any permission. The innovative method uniquely embeds the sensor data as part of the IP address and uses the address as the carrying mechanism of the data itself. When the smart device reaches the vicinity of the collection hub, the method in the collection hub uniquely elicits the sensor data which is embedded in the IP address by initiating an ARP sequence at the smart device. Once the data is obtained the connection is terminated. The method works in any smart device that uses WiFi standard.

Abstract: A first mobile monitoring system includes one or more mobile monitoring devices, a network, a server and a storage memory. The server is implemented to analyze the collected signals and the traffic information to identify at least one traffic flow according to travel routes of the one or more wireless devices; determine whether the identified at least one traffic flow exceeds an updating threshold based on the collected signals; derive at the server when the traffic flow exceeds the updating threshold, an updating priority indicating an order in which the traffic flows are processed based on the collected signals; and update a dynamic traffic transportation plan map based on the at least one traffic flow, the updating threshold and the updating priority.

Abstract: The present invention relates to receiving information of detected wireless electronic tags, comparing the received information to information stored in the server, and updating the information stored in the server based on the received information. Further, the invention relates to receiving a request regarding location information of an electronic wireless tag, determining whether identification information regarding the electronic wireless tag is available, and transmitting the identification information regarding the electronic wireless tag in response to the request regarding location information after determining that the identification information is available.

Abstract: A first mobile monitoring system includes one or more mobile monitoring devices, a network, a server and a storage memory. The server is implemented to analyze the collected signals and the traffic information to identify at least one traffic flow according to travel routes of the one or more wireless devices; determine whether the identified at least one traffic flow exceeds an updating threshold based on the collected signals; derive at the server when the traffic flow exceeds the updating threshold, an updating priority indicating an order in which the traffic flows are processed based on the collected signals; and update a dynamic traffic transportation plan map based on the at least one traffic flow, the updating threshold and the updating priority.

Abstract: A system and method for crowdfunding and crowdsourcing a project that receives, via communication circuitry, a project from a user, determines, using processing circuitry, whether the project adheres to a predetermined criteria, provides the project to a crowdsourcing community and a crowdfunding community, receives bids from one or more freelancers to implement one or more parts of the project, receives contributions from one or more contributors, selects at least one freelancer based on a predefined rule, determines a total amount of contributions, determines a total amount of funds needed, determines whether the total amount of contributions is at least equal to the total amount of funds needed, assigns the one or more parts of the project to the selected at least one freelancer, transmits an alert to at least on device associated with the selected at least one freelancer, and submits payments to the selected at least one freelancer.

Abstract: First communication circuitry of a first device is made discoverable by a second device via a short-range wireless protocol. A device name for the first communication circuitry is set to a user identifier that is specific to a user of the first device. The second device discovers the first device and the user identifier is transmitted to the second device. A response message can also be included with the user identifier and can be appended to the user identifier. The second device stores the user identifier, and the response message if included, in a log to record a presence of the user of the first device within a range between the first and second devices of the short-range wireless protocol.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for retrieving and organizing geographical address information. Each physical address is assigned a unique code including symbols and alphanumeric characters. This unique code is the electronic address assigned to each physical address. Certain of the electronic addresses and the corresponding physical addresses are assigned aliases. The electronic addresses are assigned on a semi-permanent basis (i.e., the electronic addresses are not changed unless there is change to the physical location); whereas the aliases can be freely changed and reassigned among the electronic addresses.

Abstract: Knowledge of the vehicle's lane position is required for several location-based services such as advanced driver assistance systems, driverless cars, and predicting driver's intent, among many other emerging applications. We present LaneQuest: a system and method that leverages the ubiquitous and low-energy inertial sensors available in commodity smart-phones to provide an accurate estimate of the vehicle's current lane. LaneQuest leverages the phone sensors about the surrounding environment to detect the vehicle's lane. For example, a vehicle making a right turn most probably will be in the right-most lane, a vehicle passing by a pothole will be in a specific lane and the vehicle angular velocity when driving through a curve reflects its lane. The ambiguous location, sensors noise, and fuzzy lane anchors; LaneQuest employs a novel probabilistic lane estimation algorithm.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for combining contributed images from a plurality of imaging devices on a network to create a combined image, such as a group selfie. A group-selfie request is initiated inviting selected network users to contribute images. After receiving the contributed images, sub-images are selected from the contributed images and arranged within a combined image. The border around each sub-image is then blended into the combined image. The sub-images can also be filtered and modified to harmonize with the combined image. Further, each sub-image from the respective contributed image can be assigned to a predefined partition of the combined image, and the sub-images can be continuously updated from the respective contributing network users to provide a real-time combined image.

Abstract: A first mobile monitoring system includes one or more mobile monitoring devices, a network, a server and a storage memory. The server is implemented to analyze the collected signals and the traffic information to identify at least one traffic flow according to travel routes of the one or more wireless devices; determine whether the identified at least one traffic flow exceeds an updating threshold based on the collected signals; derive at the server when the traffic flow exceeds the updating threshold, an updating priority indicating an order in which the traffic flows are processed based on the collected signals; and update a dynamic traffic transportation plan map based on the at least one traffic flow, the updating threshold and the updating priority.

Abstract: A first mobile monitoring system includes one or more mobile monitoring devices, a network, a server and a storage memory. The server is implemented to analyze the collected signals and the traffic information to identify at least one traffic flow according to travel routes of the one or more wireless devices; determine whether the identified at least one traffic flow exceeds an updating threshold based on the collected signals; derive at the server when the traffic flow exceeds the updating threshold, an updating priority indicating an order in which the traffic flows are processed based on the collected signals; and update a dynamic traffic transportation plan map based on the at least one traffic flow, the updating threshold and the updating priority.

Abstract: First communication circuitry of a first device is made discoverable by a second device via a short-range wireless protocol. A device name for the first communication circuitry is set to a user identifier that is specific to a user of the first device. The second device discovers the first device and the user identifier is transmitted to the second device. A response message can also be included with the user identifier and can be appended to the user identifier. The second device stores the user identifier, and the response message if included, in a log to record a presence of the user of the first device within a range between the first and second devices of the short-range wireless protocol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to receiving information of detected wireless electronic tags, comparing the received information to information stored in the server, and updating the information stored in the server based on the received information. Further, the invention relates to receiving a request regarding location information of an electronic wireless tag, determining whether identification information regarding the electronic wireless tag is available, and transmitting the identification information regarding the electronic wireless tag in response to the request regarding location information after determining that the identification information is available.

Abstract: First communication circuitry of a first device is made discoverable by a second device via a short-range wireless protocol. A device name for the first communication circuitry is set to a user identifier that is specific to a user of the first device. The second device discovers the first device and the user identifier is transmitted to the second device. A response message can also be included with the user identifier and can be appended to the user identifier. The second device stores the user identifier, and the response message if included, in a log to record a presence of the user of the first device within a range between the first and second devices of the short-range wireless protocol.

Abstract: The Map++ as a system and method that leverages standard cell-phone sensors in a crowdsensing approach to automatically enrich digital maps with different road semantics like tunnels, bumps, bridges, footbridges, crosswalks, road capacity, among others is described. Our analysis shows that cell-phones sensors with humans in vehicles or walking get affected by the different road features, which can be mined to extend the features of both free and commercial mapping services. We present the design and implementation of Map++ and evaluate it in a large city. Our results show that we can detect the different semantics accurately with at most 3% false positive rate and 6% false negative rate for both vehicle and pedestrian-based features. Moreover, we show that Map++ has a small energy footprint on the cell-phones, highlighting its promise as a ubiquitous digital maps enriching service.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of transferring sensor data in a delay insensitive network through wireless medium conforming to WiFi standards using smart devices as mules. The method works seamlessly without using extra processing cycles or data bandwidth than what would normally be used by the standards. The method also works without disturbing the owner of the smart device (Mule) for any permission. The innovative method uniquely embeds the sensor data as part of the IP address and uses the address as the carrying mechanism of the data itself. When the smart device reaches the vicinity of the collection hub, the method in the collection hub uniquely elicits the sensor data which is embedded in the IP address by initiating an ARP sequence at the smart device. Once the data is obtained the connection is terminated. The method works in any smart device that uses WiFi standard.