Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control system is provided. The system includes one or more sources of controlled air, a network of portable sensors that are configured to measure one or more parameters of an environment, one or more environmental condition controllers that are configured to operate the one or more sources of controlled air, and a computing device, including a processor and memory. The memory stores programming instructions that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor to generate an initial lumped-element model of the environment, update the initial lumped-element model using the one or more parameters of the environment to generate an adapted lumped-element model of the environment, and cause the one or more environmental condition controllers to adjust an output of the one or more sources of controlled air based on the adapted lumped-element model.

Abstract: Systems and methods for indexing blockchain data in a blockchain system. These systems and methods receive a set of transactions from one or more transaction blocks of a blockchain, wherein the transactions in the set have been validated by one or more peer systems of the blockchain. The systems and methods further generate an index to one or more fields of one or more transactions in the set of transactions of the transaction block generate an index representative of at least one field in the set of transactions of the transaction block and provide the generated index for validation by a peer system of the blockchain. After receiving verification from at least a threshold number of peer systems that the generated index has been validated by the peer system, the generated index is stored as an index block in the blockchain.

Abstract: Systems and methods for indexing blockchain data in a blockchain system. These systems and methods receive a set of transactions from one or more transaction blocks of a blockchain, wherein the transactions in the set have been validated by one or more peer systems of the blockchain. The systems and methods further generate an index to one or more fields of one or more transactions in the set of transactions of the transaction block generate an index representative of at least one field in the set of transactions of the transaction block and provide the generated index for validation by a peer system of the blockchain. After receiving verification from at least a threshold number of peer systems that the generated index has been validated by the peer system, the generated index is stored as an index block in the blockchain.

Abstract: A system for collecting building environmental sensor data includes a first data collection device having a first transceiver that is configured to receive data from proximate building environmental sensors and a second transceiver that is configured to communicate with an external service. The device will, upon detecting that the first transceiver is within a receiving range of a first building environmental sensor, communicatively connect with the first building environmental sensor to receive a data stream that comprises sensor data captured by the first building environmental sensor. The device will continue to receive the data stream until the first transceiver either receives all of the sensor data or moves out of the receiving range. The device will repeat this process for additional building environmental sensors. The device will use its second transceiver to transfer the sensor data to the external service.

Abstract: A system for collecting building environmental sensor data includes a first data collection device having a first transceiver that is configured to receive data from proximate building environmental sensors and a second transceiver that is configured to communicate with an external service. The device will, upon detecting that the first transceiver is within a receiving range of a first building environmental sensor, communicatively connect with the first building environmental sensor to receive a data stream that comprises sensor data captured by the first building environmental sensor. The device will continue to receive the data stream until the first transceiver either receives all of the sensor data or moves out of the receiving range. The device will repeat this process for additional building environmental sensors. The device will use its second transceiver to transfer the sensor data to the external service.

Abstract: A building environmental sensor includes a sensing element for collecting measurements of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, light, sound or the absence or presence of gas. The sensor will: (a) detect that a data collection device is within a communication range of the sensor; (b) generate a data stream that includes the data that the sensor collected; (c) transmit the data stream to the first data collection device; (d) determine that a communication link between the sensor and the first data collection device was lost before the first data stream was fully transmitted; (e) detect that a second data collection device is within the communication range of the sensor; (f) generate a second data stream that includes the remaining data; and (g) transmit the second data stream to the second data collection device.

Abstract: A method of reducing the storage requirements of blockchain metadata via dictionary-style compression includes receiving a request to add a transaction block to a blockchain. The method further includes determining an identifier (ID) of a dictionary block most recently stored on the blockchain. The method further includes compressing, by a processing device, one or more transactions of the transaction block based on the dictionary block to generate a compressed transaction block. The method further includes adding the ID of the dictionary block to the compressed transaction block. The method further includes providing the compressed transaction block, including the ID of the dictionary block, for storage on the blockchain.

Abstract: Systems and methods for indexing blockchain data in a blockchain system. These systems and methods receive a set of transactions from one or more transaction blocks of a blockchain, wherein the transactions in the set have been validated by one or more peer systems of the blockchain. The systems and methods further generate an index to one or more fields of one or more transactions in the set of transactions of the transaction block generate an index representative of at least one field in the set of transactions of the transaction block and provide the generated index for validation by a peer system of the blockchain. After receiving verification from at least a threshold number of peer systems that the generated index has been validated by the peer system, the generated index is stored as an index block in the blockchain.

Abstract: Systems and methods for indexing blockchain data in a blockchain system so that search may proceed more quickly, efficiently, and reliably in all of the blockchain peers. These systems and methods receive a set of transactions from one or more transaction blocks of a blockchain, wherein the transactions in the set have been validated by one or more peer systems of the blockchain. The systems and methods further generate an index to one or more fields of one or more transactions in the set of transactions of the transaction block generate an index representative of at least one field in the set of transactions of the transaction block and provide the generated index for validation by a peer system of the blockchain. After receiving verification from at least a threshold number of peer systems that the generated index has been validated by the peer system, these systems and methods store the generated index as an index block in the block chain.

Abstract: A method of reducing the storage requirements of blockchain metadata via dictionary-style compression includes receiving a request to add a transaction block to a blockchain. The method further includes determining an identifier (ID) of a dictionary block most recently stored on the blockchain. The method further includes compressing, by a processing device, one or more transactions of the transaction block based on the dictionary block to generate a compressed transaction block. The method further includes adding the ID of the dictionary block to the compressed transaction block. The method further includes providing the compressed transaction block, including the ID of the dictionary block, for storage on the blockchain.

Abstract: A method of using a blockchain to establish a web of trust that includes receiving a request to add a transaction to a blockchain, wherein the transaction identifies a sale of a good or service. The method further includes determining that a prior transaction identifying the good or service is not already stored on the blockchain. The method further includes, in response to determining that the prior transaction identifying the good or service is not already stored on the blockchain: sending, by a processing device, a first request to a first third-party institution to verify information of the transaction block, in response to sending the first request, receiving a first verification of the information of the transaction from the first third-party institution, and adding, by the processing device, the first verification, in a first verification transaction, to the blockchain.

Abstract: Systems and methods for indexing blockchain data in a blockchain system so that search may proceed more quickly, efficiently, and reliably in all of the blockchain peers. These systems and methods receive a set of transactions from one or more transaction blocks of a blockchain, wherein the transactions in the set have been validated by one or more peer systems of the blockchain. The systems and methods further generate an index to one or more fields of one or more transactions in the set of transactions of the transaction block generate an index representative of at least one field in the set of transactions of the transaction block and provide the generated index for validation by a peer system of the blockchain. After receiving verification from at least a threshold number of peer systems that the generated index has been validated by the peer system, these systems and methods store the generated index as an index block in the block chain.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for flexibly taking actions upon activation of rule-based triggers are provided. A collection of documents is stored in a storage device within a computing environment. An activity of a user performed on a document from the collection is observed. At least one of an application, operation, key word, time, place, project, topic, different document from the collection, and different user is identified. A connection associated with the user is determined to at least one of the application, operation, key word, time, place, project, topic, different document from the collection, and different user based on the observed activity. A rule based on the connection and the observed activity is defined. The rule and a corresponding action are stored as a trigger. Rule satisfaction by at least one of a further activity, event, and stimuli activates the trigger, which causes performance of the corresponding action.

Abstract: By analyzing a web page, the web page can be divided into component parts. Specifically, the web page can be divided into items, templates and the remaining HTML. Then, using dedicated user interfaces, each component part can be separately edited. To facilitate editing, the component parts not being edited can optionally be suppressed or presented in abbreviated form, and all parts can optionally be shown in the same order in which they occur in the web page. The live version of the web page is then updated with the edited version of the component parts, taking into consideration any contributions from other users made during the editing process.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for flexibly taking actions in response to detected activities is provided. A trigger in a computing environment is defined and includes at least one of specifying one or more documents, persons, key words, times, and projects associable with the activities of at least one user, and defining one or more actions associable with the activities of at least one such user. At least one of activities, events, and stimuli occurring within the computing environment is monitored in relation to the documents, persons, key words, times, and projects, and to the activities. Action is taken within the computing environment upon activation of the trigger by the at least one activity, event, and stimuli.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for flexibly taking actions in response to detected activities is provided. A trigger in a computing environment is defined and includes at least one of specifying one or more documents, persons, key words, times, and projects associable with the activities of at least one user, and defining one or more actions associable with the activities of at least one such user. At least one of activities, events, and stimuli occurring within the computing environment is monitored in relation to the documents, persons, key words, times, and projects, and to the activities. Action is taken within the computing environment upon activation of the trigger by the at least one activity, event, and stimuli.

Abstract: Techniques are presented to display values for a set of icons by controlling their assignment to a set of rows and their placement within these rows. A plurality of icons to be displayed is determined. An abacus attribute taking a finite set of values is associated with the set of icons. Icon groups are formed for each abacus attribute value and optionally ordered based on each of one or more sorting attributes. Inter-group indicators such as display characteristic changes, spacing and the like are determined. The inter-group indicators separate each group of icons within a row. An ordering of the icons is determined based on the abacus attribute value and the one or more optional sorting attribute values. The icons are laid out in the display space ordered by the values of the primary abacus attribute and the secondary optional sorting attributes.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for determining a first set of display elements, each display element associated with a first display characteristic. An interesting element in the first set of display elements is determined. A second set of elements related to the interesting element is determined. A third set of elements based on the first and second set of elements is determined using intersection, union, subtraction addition and other logical operations. A third set of elements not yet added to the element collection is determined. The elements in the third set are associated with a second or ghosted display characteristic. The elements in the third set are inserted within the sorted context of the visualization based on spatial distortion rules which help to preserve spatial memory cues in the visualization of the element collection. The elements may be documents in an information repository, linked contact information, linked information records in a database or other types of information.

Abstract: Techniques are presented to semantically zoom information to fit within a bounded display space. A bounded display space optionally constrained by size or shape is determined. Semantically coherent portions of information to be displayed within the bounded space are determined. Transformation rules are applied to the portion of the information to be displayed to produce a plurality of different length representations. A store of semantic zoom level information associates combinations of the different length portion representations. A desired number of information elements to be displayed within the bounded display space is determined. Iterations over the store of semantic zoom information determine combinations of different length representations that fit within the bounded display space.

Abstract: A method for creating secure command-language-based services in the context of a graphical-based services system. The method includes the steps of creating a structured representation of the command-language-based service by using information entered by a service creator via a first user interface; registering the command-language-based service with a generic service provider, the generic service provider being a software module that provides command-language-based services as part of the graphical-based services system; and creating a second user interface corresponding to the command-language-based service created.