Abstract: A computing system includes: a context module configured to determine a transfer context for invoking a state transfer between a source device and a target device; a modulation module, coupled to the context module, configured to generate a transfer modulation based on the transfer context for adjusting to a modulation scheme suited for the transfer context; and a transmission module, coupled to the modulation module, configured to send a communication packet based on the transfer modulation for detecting the source device and the target device.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for tracking and distributing annotations for a video stream. During operation, the system receives, at an annotation server, the video stream originating from a remote field computer, extracts a number of features from the received video stream, and identifies a group of features that matches a known feature group, which is associated with an annotation. The system further associates the identified group of features with the annotation, and forwards the identified group of features and the annotation to the remote field computer, thereby facilitating the remote field computer to associate the annotation with a group of locally extracted features and display the video stream with the annotation placed in a location based at least on locations of the locally extracted features.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for facilitating document printing from a portable device. During operation, the system receives a document at a server. Next, the system generates a document optical code corresponding to the document. Subsequently, the system communicates the document optical code to the portable device, thereby allowing the portable device to display the document optical code to a scanning mechanism associated with a printer, Next, the system receives a request, indicating the optical code, from the printer. Subsequently, the system retrieves the document in response to the request, and sends the document to the printer.

Abstract: A computing system includes: a status module configured to determine a process profile for capturing a pause point in processing a task; a content module, coupled to the status module, configured to identify a process content for capturing the pause point; an upload module, coupled to the content module, configured to store the process profile and the process content; and a trigger synthesis module, coupled to the upload module, configured to generate a resumption-trigger with a control unit when storing the process profile and the process content for resuming the task from the pause point and for displaying on a device.

Abstract: An electronic system includes: a vibration broadcast module configured to provide a vibration; a sensor query module, coupled to the vibration broadcast module, with a motion sensor and a sound sensor configured to detect the vibration; and an operation module, coupled to the sensor query module, configured to invoke an operation based on the vibration detected.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed technology provide a system and method for automatically filling paper form with electronic data. The system receives from a user a scanned image of a paper form that includes a plurality of fields. The system then retrieves a schema map that maps the plurality of fields in the paper form to a plurality of fields in an electronic data record associated with the user. Next, the system retrieves data values of the fields in the electronic data record based on the schema map. The system also synthesizes the retrieved data values and the scanned image to create an image of the paper form in which the fields are filled with the retrieved data values.

Abstract: A content delivery system includes: a registration module configured to identify a registration type for calibrating a current location of a device; a tracker module, coupled to the registration module, configured to track a subject of interest based on a context; a source module, coupled to the tracker module, configured to determine an information source based on the registration type; and a content module, coupled to the source module, configured to generate an overlay content based on the information source for displaying the overlay content for the subject of interest on the device.

Abstract: A recommender system determines a probability threshold for an activity-prediction model, and uses the probability threshold to predict whether a user is performing a target activity. To determine the probability threshold, the system computes a set of activity probabilities based on contextual information for a set of historical activities, and based on an activity-prediction model for a target activity. The system then compares a set of probability thresholds with the set of activity probabilities to determine a prediction success rate for each probability threshold. The system computes a utility score for each probability threshold based on the prediction success rates and a utility function, and selects a probability threshold whose utility score is optimal amongst the utility scores of the set of thresholds and greater than or equal to a baseline utility score. The system then assigns the probability threshold to the activity-prediction model.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for printing a document from a portable device. During operation, the system captures an image of an optical code that identifies a printing device, wherein the optical code is displayed on a panel of the printing device or is printed by the printing device. Next, the system transfers information identifying the printing device to a remote printing service, thereby allowing the remote printing service to print a document at the printing device.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for tracking and distributing annotations for a video stream. During operation, the system receives, at an annotation server, the video stream originating from a remote field computer, extracts a number of features from the received video stream, and identifies a group of features that matches a known feature group, which is associated with an annotation. The system further associates the identified group of features with the annotation, and forwards the identified group of features and the annotation to the remote field computer, thereby facilitating the remote field computer to associate the annotation with a group of locally extracted features and display the video stream with the annotation placed in a location based at least on locations of the locally extracted features.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for transferring a file from a portable device to a scanning device. During operation, the system displays an optical code associated with the file on the portable device. Next, the system detects successful scanning of the current optical code by the scanning device. Subsequently, the system displays a next optical code associated with the file on the portable device, thereby allowing the scanning device to decode the file after a sequence of optical codes are scanned.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for facilitating document printing from a portable device. During operation, the system receives at an email server an email which includes an attached document. Next, the system generates at the email server a document optical code associated with the document, wherein the document optical code can be scanned and recognized by a scanning mechanism associated with a printer. Subsequently, the system attaches the optical code as an additional attachment to the email, thereby allowing a portable device to print the attached document by displaying the optical code to the scanning mechanism associated with the printer.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system for printing a document from a portable device. During operation, the system obtains the document to be printed. Next, the system obtains a document optical code that identifies the document. Subsequently, the system displays the document optical code on the portable device in such a way that the document optical code can be scanned and recognized by a scanner associated with the printer. Next, the system allows the printer to retrieve and print the document based at least on the document optical code.

Abstract: A client device can receive information about a population to which a user belongs. During operation, the client device determines information about a user, determines a group identifier for the user, and communicates the determined information about the local user and the group identifier to a group-modeling server. The client device then receives a group-activity model that corresponds to the group identifier, and generates a user-activity model for the local user based on the group-activity model and the determined information about the local user. The client device uses the user-activity model to compute an activity probability for a corresponding target activity. The group-modeling server receives user information from a plurality of client devices of a group, and generates a group-activity model for the group based on the user information. The server then sends the group-activity model to users of the identified group.

Abstract: A recommender system uses an activity decision tree to model the changes in a user's behavior according to a plurality of time-related features. The system determines historical activities for the user, and generates a decision tree for the user's historical activities. Each leaf node of the decision tree is associated with an activity-prediction model that computes a probability for a corresponding activity. The system selects a path of the decision tree from a root node to a leaf node of the decision tree based on a target time. The selected path traverses two or more non-leaf nodes that are each associated with a temporal decision model that compares the target time against a temporal classifier. The system then determines a probability for a user activity based on an activity-prediction model of the selected path.

Abstract: A recommender system determines a probability threshold for an activity-prediction model, and uses the probability threshold to predict whether a user is performing a target activity. To determine the probability threshold, the system computes a set of activity probabilities based on contextual information for a set of historical activities, and based on an activity-prediction model for a target activity. The system then compares a set of probability thresholds with the set of activity probabilities to determine a prediction success rate for each probability threshold. The system computes a utility score for each probability threshold based on the prediction success rates and a utility function, and selects a probability threshold whose utility score is optimal amongst the utility scores of the set of thresholds and greater than or equal to a baseline utility score. The system then assigns the probability threshold to the activity-prediction model.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that selectively transfers code to a data producer in a networked system. In this system, the data producer generates data and then sends the data to a device. The device receives the data from the data producer, and then uses code on the device to perform a processing operation on the data. Next, the system analyzes characteristics of the data to determine whether performing the processing operation on the data producer can reduce resource usage. If so, the system transfers the code from the device to the data producer, and subsequently executes the code on the data producer. By executing the code on the data producer, the system can optimize resource usage in the networked system.

Abstract: Methods and printing devices herein establish a current physical position of a printing device and then receive current physical position readings from different portable computing devices (when the portable computing devices or its users are physically interacting with the printing device). The portable computing devices each have a physical position locator. The method then processes the current physical position readings to refine the current physical position of the printing device.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating social networking based on fashion-related information. During operation, the system receives fashion-related information from a user. Next, the system extracts the user's fashion preferences from the received information and compares the user's fashion preference with other users' fashion preferences. Finally, the system groups users based on similarity of their fashion preferences.

Abstract: A mirror system includes an image sensor coupled to a mirror, and gathers consumer shopping preferences for merchandise items. During operation, the system gathers one or more sequential images, from the image sensor, of a consumer wearing a first wearable merchandise item in front of the image sensor. Next, the system identifies in the one or more sequential images a first merchandise item being worn by the consumer. Then, the system determines a demographic group associated with the consumer, and detects behavior patterns for the consumer, wherein the behavior pattern indicates an interest level of the consumer for the identified merchandise item. The system then determines a mapping between the identified consumer demographic group and an interest level for the identified merchandise item, and produces a model which encodes the mapping.