Abstract: A method for determining an amount of electricity to purchase includes determining electrical power consumption characteristics of an electrical load at an end user of the electricity. A preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load is ascertained. The output varies with a rate of electrical power consumption by the load. A mathematical model is created of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load as a function of time and of monetary cost of the electricity. The model is dependent upon the electrical power consumption characteristics of the electrical load and the preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load. An amount of electricity is purchased based on the mathematical model of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load, and based on the monetary cost of the electricity.

Abstract: A method for determining an amount of electricity to purchase includes determining electrical power consumption characteristics of an electrical load at an end user of the electricity. A preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load is ascertained. The output varies with a rate of electrical power consumption by the load. A mathematical model is created of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load as a function of time and of monetary cost of the electricity. The model is dependent upon the electrical power consumption characteristics of the electrical load and the preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load. An amount of electricity is purchased based on the mathematical model of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load, and based on the monetary cost of the electricity.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an adaptive external vehicle lighting system includes a vehicle communication network, a memory including program instructions for generating a model of a vehicle and the environment outside of the vehicle, identifying an object of interest based upon the generated model, analyzing rendering criteria associated with the identified object of interest, and rendering object of interest data based upon the analysis, a processor operably connected to the vehicle communication network and to the memory for executing the program instructions, and at least one rendering system operably connected to the processor through the vehicle communication network for rendering the object of interest data using an associated external lighting system of the vehicle.

Abstract: A wireless communication method has computer-implemented steps including identifying a location of a dead spot region within an expected route of a vehicle. The vehicle has a loss of wireless connectivity within the dead spot region. Lengths of time before the vehicle will arrive at the dead spot region and before the vehicle will exit the dead spot region are estimated. Audio content and/or video content are accessed from at least one source inside the vehicle and/or at least one source outside the vehicle such that playing of the content is uninterrupted while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, the accessing being dependent upon the estimated lengths of time.

Abstract: A wireless communication method includes providing a plurality of vehicles, and sensing a plurality of dead spot regions encountered by the vehicles while traveling. The sensing is performed within the vehicles. Locations of the sensed dead spot regions are recorded within the vehicles. The dead spot region locations sensed by the vehicles are transmitted from the vehicles to a central controller. The dead spot region locations transmitted by the vehicles are sent back to the vehicles such that each vehicle has access to ones of the dead spot region locations sensed by other ones of the vehicles. The dead spot regions are mitigated, within the vehicles, by use of the sent dead spot region locations.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a three dimensional imaging system includes a portable housing configured to be carried by a user, microelectrical mechanical system (MEMS) projector supported by the housing sensor supported by the housing and configured to detect signals emitted by the MEMS projector, a memory including program instructions for generating an encoded signal with the MEMS projector, emitting the encoded signal, detecting the emitted signal after the emitted signal is reflected by a body, associating the detected signal with the emitted signal, comparing the detected signal with the associated emitted signal, determining an x-axis dimension, a y-axis dimension, and a z-axis dimension of the body based upon the comparison, and storing the determined x-axis dimension, y-axis dimension, and z-axis dimension of the body, and a processor operably connected to the memory, to the sensor, and to the MEMS projector for executing the program instructions.

Abstract: A wireless communication method includes providing a plurality of vehicles, and sensing a plurality of dead spot regions encountered by the vehicles while traveling. The sensing is performed within the vehicles. Locations of the sensed dead spot regions are recorded within the vehicles. The dead spot region locations sensed by the vehicles are transmitted from the vehicles to a central controller. The dead spot region locations transmitted by the vehicles are sent back to the vehicles such that each vehicle has access to ones of the dead spot region locations sensed by other ones of the vehicles. The dead spot regions are mitigated, within the vehicles, by use of the sent dead spot region locations.

Abstract: A method for non-intrusively monitoring a load including a plurality of appliances includes retrieving a plurality of mathematical models for modeling operation of a respective subset of the appliances. A value of a respective operational parameter is predicted for each of the subsets of appliances. An output of the load is measured. A respective value of each of the operational parameters is calculated based on the mathematical models and the outputs of the load. The predicting, measuring and calculating steps are repeated until a metric pertaining to a difference error between the measured output and the predicted output calculated from the operational parameter and the mathematical models is equal to or below a threshold for one of the subsets of appliances. It is decided that the one subset of appliances is currently operating whose metric pertaining to a difference error is equal to or below the threshold.

Abstract: A wireless communication method includes identifying a location of a dead spot region within an expected route of a vehicle. It is estimated whether the vehicle will arrive at the dead spot region before a wireless application is completed. It is determined whether an expected time period that the vehicle will be disposed within the dead spot region is greater than a maximum allowable disconnection time. A dead spot mitigation technique is initiated dependent upon the estimating and determining steps.

Abstract: A method for determining an amount of electricity to purchase includes determining electrical power consumption characteristics of an electrical load at an end user of the electricity. A preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load is ascertained. The output varies with a rate of electrical power consumption by the load. A mathematical model is created of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load as a function of time and of monetary cost of the electricity. The model is dependent upon the electrical power consumption characteristics of the electrical load and the preference of the end user for an output of the electrical load. An amount of electricity is purchased based on the mathematical model of an amount of electrical power to be consumed by the load, and based on the monetary cost of the electricity.

Abstract: A wireless communication method has computer-implemented steps including identifying a location of a dead spot region within an expected route of a vehicle. The vehicle has a loss of wireless connectivity within the dead spot region. Lengths of time before the vehicle will arrive at the dead spot region and before the vehicle will exit the dead spot region are estimated. Audio content and/or video content are accessed from at least one source inside the vehicle and/or at least one source outside the vehicle such that playing of the content is uninterrupted while the vehicle is within the dead spot region, the accessing being dependent upon the estimated lengths of time.

Abstract: A method for non-intrusively monitoring a load including a plurality of appliances includes retrieving a plurality of mathematical models for modeling operation of a respective subset of the appliances. A value of a respective operational parameter is predicted for each of the subsets of appliances. An output of the load is measured. A respective value of each of the operational parameters is calculated based on the mathematical models and the outputs of the load. The predicting, measuring and calculating steps are repeated until a metric pertaining to a difference error between the measured output and the predicted output calculated from the operational parameter and the mathematical models is equal to or below a threshold for one of the subsets of appliances. It is decided that the one subset of appliances is currently operating whose metric pertaining to a difference error is equal to or below the threshold.

Abstract: Embodiments of a name recognition process for use in dialog systems are described. In one embodiment, the name recognition process assigns weighting values to names used in a dialog based on the usage of these names. This process takes advantage of the general tendency of people to speak names, either full or partial, only after they have heard or read these names. Name input is taken in several different forms, including a static background database that contains all possible names, a background database that contains commonly used names (such as common trademarks or references), a database that contains names from a user model, and a dynamic database that constantly takes the names just mentioned. The names are then appended with proper weighting values. A high weight is given to names that have been mentioned recently, a lower weight is given to common names, and a lowest weight is given to names for the ones that have never been used or mentioned.

Abstract: A method and system to parameterize a spoken language dialog system, includes providing a storage area to store at least one parameter value, integrating a subcomponent with at least one module of the spoken language dialog system, and configuring the subcomponent to access the at least one parameter value and to adjust an operation or output of the module based on the at least one parameter value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a three dimensional imaging system includes a portable housing configured to be carried by a user, microelectrical mechanical system (MEMS) projector supported by the housing. sensor supported by the housing and configured to detect signals emitted by the MEMS projector, a memory including program instructions for generating an encoded signal with the MEMS projector, emitting the encoded signal, detecting the emitted signal after the emitted signal is reflected by a body, associating the detected signal with the emitted signal, comparing the detected signal with the associated emitted signal, determining an x-axis dimension, a y-axis dimension, and a z-axis dimension of the body based upon the comparison, and storing the determined x-axis dimension, y-axis dimension, and z-axis dimension of the body, and a processor operably connected to the memory, to the sensor, and to the MEMS projector for executing the program instructions.

Abstract: A wireless communication method includes identifying a location of a dead spot region within an expected route of a vehicle. It is estimated whether the vehicle will arrive at the dead spot region before a wireless application is completed. It is determined whether an expected time period that the vehicle will be disposed within the dead spot region is greater than a maximum allowable disconnection time. A dead spot mitigation technique is initiated dependent upon the estimating and determining steps.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an adaptive external vehicle lighting system includes a vehicle communication network, a memory including program instructions for generating a model of a vehicle and the environment outside of the vehicle, identifying an object of interest based upon the generated model, analyzing rendering criteria associated with the identified object of interest, and rendering object of interest data based upon the analysis, a processor operably connected to the vehicle communication network and to the memory for executing the program instructions, and at least one rendering system operably connected to the processor through the vehicle communication network for rendering the object of interest data using an associated external lighting system of the vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method to interactively converse with a cognitively overloaded user of a device, includes maintaining a knowledge base of information regarding the device and a domain, organizing the information in at least one of a relational manner and an ontological manner, receiving speech from the user, converting the speech into a word sequence, recognizing a partial proper name in the word sequence, identifying meaning structures from the word sequence using a model of the domain information, adjusting a boundary of the partial proper names to enhance an accuracy of the meaning structures, interpreting the meaning structures in a context of the conversation with the cognitively overloaded user using the knowledge base, selecting a content for a response to the cognitively overloaded user, generating the response based on the selected content, the context of the conversation, and grammatical rules, and synthesizing speech wave forms for the response.

Abstract: Embodiments of a name recognition process for use in dialog systems are described. In one embodiment, the name recognition process assigns weighting values to names used in a dialog based on the usage of these names. This process takes advantage of the general tendency of people to speak names, either full or partial, only after they have heard or read these names. Name input is taken in several different forms, including a static background database that contains all possible names, a background database that contains commonly used names (such as common trademarks or references), a database that contains names from a user model, and a dynamic database that constantly takes the names just mentioned. The names are then appended with proper weighting values. A high weight is given to names that have been mentioned recently, a lower weight is given to common names, and a lowest weight is given to names for the ones that have never been used or mentioned.

Abstract: A system for generating language modeling data for a speech recognition system includes an expression extractor to extract expression from domain-specific data of an existing domain using a base of linguistic knowledge, a concept structure mapper to map extracted expression to expression in a new domain using vocabulary for the new domain, a concatenation module to concatenate extracted expression with domain-general data, and a filter arrangement to identify and filter out unrealistic expression in the mapped or concatenated expression.