Abstract: The present invention enables people to propose campaigns for crowd-source funding intended to label some public claim as bogus or to label some public claim that's being widely denied as true. A fee and several inputs are required to submit the proposed campaign application for vetting, review, editing and approval. Approved campaigns are published on a website so people can find them and contribute to them. A cash bounty is offered as a reward to any challenger who can refute (falsify) the campaign message. A fee and several inputs are required to submit a challenge for evaluation and decision. Challenges are processed sequentially until one is sustained (upheld as proving the campaign position is wrong), or until the campaign duration expires. When a challenge is sustained, the bounty is paid to the challenger, other pending challenges are closed and their fees are returned, and the campaign ends as “falsified” (“unsuccessful”).

Abstract: An open community model for information exchange enables individuals to plan and attain superior outcomes in a dynamic environment. A continually “world model” maintains information about the dynamic environment that is valuable for individuals of the open community. An open community model application publicizes a specification of relevant types of information it receives from suppliers and provides to consumers. Suppliers provide information consistent with the specification. Consumers utilize received information to reduce uncertainties or errors in the assumed environment so they can generate improved plans or improve their expected outcomes. Consumers give feedback to the open community model about the quality of information they received. A “world model” application combines information received to update and improve its understanding of the dynamic environment and its estimates of relevant parameters.

Abstract: A hook-up assistant (HUA) capable of assisting people in hooking up with other people, in various business and social settings, and of achieving decision-making, planning, and commitment activities asynchronously, thereby advantageously off-loading an event requester's tedious tasks of communicating with multiple potential participants and resource/service providers for an intended event/activity. The HUA effectively eliminates “phone tag” problems and beyond, by enabling a user to simply “make a wish,” e.g., “make an event happen.” The HUA takes appropriate actions to “make the wish a reality,” i.e., contacting all parties involved, determining mutually agreeable dates, times, arranging necessary devices, resources, and services, securing reservations, purchasing admission tickets, etc., to ensure all parties involved can actually participate in the event at the planned time and place.

Abstract: The present invention provides a secure information exchange mechanism that can be seen as a portal or gateway to his or her digital information. The invention is sometimes referred to as an “n-by-m lockbox” because it allows n suppliers to submit information accessible by m accessors. Each lockbox owner specifies and controls who or what can provide what information to the lockbox, who or what can access what information stored therein, and when and how the stored information is accessed. The information may be encrypted and only authorized accessors would be able to decipher it. The lockbox may comprise multiple compartments that segregate information based on pertinent criteria and may incorporate multiple encryption/decryption mechanisms that respectively correspond to each of the multiple compartments.

Abstract: An open community model for information exchange enables individuals to plan and attain superior outcomes in a dynamic environment. A continually “world model” maintains information about the dynamic environment that is valuable for individuals of the open community. An open community model application publicizes a specification of relevant types of information it receives from suppliers and provides to consumers. Suppliers provide information consistent with the specification. Consumers utilize received information to reduce uncertainties or errors in the assumed environment so they can generate improved plans or improve their expected outcomes. Consumers give feedback to the open community model about the quality of information they received. A “world model” application combines information received to update and improve its understanding of the dynamic environment and its estimates of relevant parameters.

Abstract: A hook-up assistant (HUA) capable of assisting people in hooking up with other people, in various business and social settings, and of achieving decision-making, planning, and commitment activities asynchronously, thereby advantageously off-loading an event requester's tedious tasks of communicating with multiple potential participants and resource/service providers for an intended event/activity. The HUA effectively eliminates “phone tag” problems and beyond, by enabling a user to simply “make a wish,” e.g., “make an event happen.” The HUA takes appropriate actions to “make the wish a reality,” i.e., contacting all parties involved, determining mutually agreeable dates, times, arranging necessary devices, resources, and services, securing reservations, purchasing admission tickets, etc., to ensure all parties involved can actually participate in the event at the planned time and place.

Abstract: The present invention provides a secure information exchange mechanism that can be seen as a portal or gateway to his or her digital information. The invention is sometimes referred to as an “n-by-m lockbox” because it allows n suppliers to submit information accessible by m accessors. Each lockbox owner specifies and controls who or what can provide what information to the lockbox, who or what can access what information stored therein, and when and how the stored information is accessed. The information may be encrypted and only authorized accessors would be able to decipher it. The lockbox may comprise multiple compartments that segregate information based on pertinent criteria and may incorporate multiple encryption/decryption mechanisms that respectively correspond to each of the multiple compartments.

Abstract: The present invention provides a human-like customizable expert agent capable of having personalized conversational interactions with human users. The customizable expert agent combines natural language conversation, animated gestures, general expertise, and subject expertise to create enjoyable and effective online experiences in a variety of contexts. Each customizable expert agent is preferably a computer-controlled improvisational character having distinct personality, moods, and other life-like qualities. The customizable expert agent can act as a sales agent or a course coach and may proactively initiate a conversation with the user at any time. The present invention further provides an integrated software system and program products, including an application shell and an authoring tool, for desktop online application authoring and enterprise hosted web deployment.

Abstract: An interactive messenger method sends a computer-controlled interactive agent to a recipient via a communication channel such as email. A sender of the messenger provides content specific to one or many recipients and typically has a particular objective for sending the messenger, such as to invite the recipient to an event, introduce the sender to a new product, or conduct a survey. When the recipient selects a link in the received email message, an interaction between the messenger and recipient is initiated, for example, through a desktop application that opens on the recipient's computer. In addition to having a standard character persona, the agent delivers to and receives from the recipient specific information tailored to the recipient or the sender. For example, a Naughty Cupid messenger invites the recipient on a date, on behalf of a sender, but can also engage in conversation related to Cupid's personality and history.

Abstract: A system and method for directing the improvisational behavior of a computer-controlled character which enables the character to reflect personality, mood, and other life-like qualities. The method includes the step of storing in the system a set of possible behaviors for the character and state data representative of a current state of the character. The possible behaviors include both physical and verbal behaviors. The current state includes the character's current mood, directing state, activity state, and location in a virtual world. The method also includes the step of identifying from the set of possible behaviors a subset of feasible behaviors for the character in the current state. Each of the feasible behaviors is evaluated to determine a respective desirability rating of the feasible behavior in the current state. The method further includes the step of selecting a behavior to be executed by the character from the subset of feasible behaviors.

Abstract: A method for authoring content of a computer-controlled agent includes the steps of identifying a potential context of the agent to an author; receiving content for the agent in the potential context from the author; and storing the content such that it can be accessed by a run-time agent. The run-time agent uses the content to control behavior of the agent in an actual context that matches the potential context. Context is typically presented to the author via a graphical user interface that allows the author to enter content without having any technical understanding of the run-time engine or the system's computer code. When the agent is authored using the authoring method, it can interact with a user through dialogue and gestures that are specific to contexts defined by user input, internal states or events of the agent, or input from other systems.

Abstract: A system and method for directing the improvisational behavior of a computer-controlled character which enables the character to reflect personality, mood, and other life-like qualities. The method includes the step of storing in the system a set of possible behaviors for the character and state data representative of a current state of the character. The possible behaviors include both physical and verbal behaviors. The current state includes the character's current mood, directional state, activity state, and location in a virtual world. The method also includes the step of identifying from the set of possible behaviors a subset of feasible behaviors for the character in the current state. Each of the feasible behaviors is evaluated to determine a respective desirability rating of the feasible behavior in the current state. The method further includes the step of selecting a behavior to be executed by the character from the subset of feasible behaviors.

Abstract: An intelligent network agent intercepts transactions between clients and servers to perform Distributed Information Logistics Services (DILS) functions such as automatically retrieving updated files from remote servers and delivering them to local client programs. For example, HTTP clients and HTTPD servers are connectionless and stateless, thus there is no way for a server to update a browser automatically when an HTML document is changed. The invention provides a method to update any number of clients from any number of servers without making any changes to currently existing HTTP clients or HTTPD servers. Furthermore, the invention can provide various other DILS services for clients to reduce latency and communication costs for members of a group with interests in similar objects.

Abstract: A Multi-Level Architecture for developing intelligent computer systems composes computational modules uniformly across diverse developmental framework. The modules interact via message passing and are assembled to form application-specific systems. A first level of the Multi-Level Architecture includes a cooperative operating system which provides support for message passing and resource allocation and is preferably based on a module-oriented programming (MOP) model. The first level, for example, defines a virtual machine which is mapped onto an underlying hardware and operating system environment. A second level of the Multi-Level Architecture supports a plurality of application-independent problem-solving frameworks (PSF's) or programming environments for building modules and combining modules of different frameworks into complex systems.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing steel with a very low carbon content of as low as 0.015% by continuously maintaining a foaming slag layer at a particular volume, and using as the charge a pre-reduced sponge with a specified carbon/oxygen ratio. The process includes utilizing a slag with a specific content of iron and magnesium oxide.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are provided for producing steel of more uniform grade on a continuous basis by maintaining a comparatively thick slag layer and a larger quantity of molten steel product in an electric arc resistance furnace. This is achieved partially by including in or combined with a quantity of the charge a quantity of iron sponge, or by using a pre-reduced and/or agglomerated or otherwise pelleted ore charge. By using a charge which is comprised of comparatively small-sized particles in combination with a thick slag layer, the charge is readily assimilated into the thick slag layer. This reduces the exposure of large particle size charge material surfaces to hot spots caused by arcing at the charge-slag interface. The comparatively thick slag layer and the continuously maintained large metal bath balance and assimilate additional charge quantities to produce an ultimately more uniform product.