Abstract: A lighting assembly is provided including a base configured to support the lighting assembly, a plurality of gobo sections configured to be vertically stacked upon the base, at least one illumination element located internal to the lighting assembly, such that light from the at least one illumination element is cast through at least one of the plurality of gobo sections, and an assembly top configured to enclose a top side of an upper most gobo section of the plurality of gobo sections. The base and the plurality of gobo sections comprises complementary alignment couplings that are removably connected when stacked.

Abstract: An automated natural dialogue system provides a combination of structure and flexibility to allow for ease of annotation of dialogues as well as learning and expanding the capabilities of the dialogue system based on natural language interactions.

Abstract: Implementations of the disclosure provide for unmarshaling objects from a back-end server graph database as they would be available in local memory at a client device. An apparatus is provided that comprises a memory and a processing device to inspect a graph model associated with an object comprising a plurality of node data structures. The graph model defines one or more services provided by each node of the object. Using a graph database, graph data elements are identified for at least one node data structure of the object in view of the inspected graph model. Metadata that describes the object associated with the inspected graph mode is generated. Thereupon, the metadata is provided to reconstruct using the graph data elements the one or more services associated with the object at a client device.

Abstract: A landscape lighting assembly is provided that comprises a support stanchion having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the support stanchion is configured to be connected to a surface. A lamp housing is located at the distal end of the support stanchion and an illumination element (e.g., one or more light emitting diodes) is located inside of the lamp housing. A power supply configured to supply power to the illumination element is also provided. The lamp housing includes a cylindrical gobo comprising a decorative pattern configured to cause a shadow of the decorative pattern to be cast on the surface when the illumination element is lighted.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for monitoring information-security coverage to identify a vulnerability or risk in the information-security coverage. An information-security system can include computing systems, databases, a security server, etc. that can communicate data via a network. The server can be used to obtain data indicating a process for managing or monitoring information-security in the system and data indicating activity on the network, computing systems, server, or databases. The server then determines a metric based on the obtained data and the metric can indicate a risk or vulnerability in information-security coverage in the system. The server can then aggregate the data and transmit the aggregated data to a computing device. The computing device can generate an interface for outputting data for monitoring information-security coverage or identifying a vulnerability or risk in information-security coverage, which can improve the security of the information-security system.

Abstract: Graphical data-visualizations can be converted into sonified output. For example, a computing device can detect metadata that describes data points for a graphical visualization. The computing device can generate an interactive interface that is different from the graphical visualization based on the metadata. The interactive interface may include a matrix of cells corresponding to the data points in the metadata. The computing device can detect an interaction with a cell in the matrix. The interaction can indicate that a sonified representation of a data point corresponding to the cell is to be output. The computing device can responsively determine at least two sound characteristics for the sonified representation of the data point using a portion of the metadata describing the data point. The at least two sound characteristics can each audibly represent different aspects of the data point. The computing device can then cause the sonified representation to be output.

Abstract: Graphical data-visualizations can be converted into sonified output. For example, a computing device can detect metadata that describes data points for a graphical visualization. The computing device can generate an interactive interface that is different from the graphical visualization based on the metadata. The interactive interface may include a matrix of cells corresponding to the data points in the metadata. The computing device can detect an interaction with a cell in the matrix. The interaction can indicate that a sonified representation of a data point corresponding to the cell is to be output. The computing device can responsively determine at least two sound characteristics for the sonified representation of the data point using a portion of the metadata describing the data point. The at least two sound characteristics can each audibly represent different aspects of the data point. The computing device can then cause the sonified representation to be output.

Abstract: An interaction assistant conducts multiple turn interaction dialogs with a user in which context is maintained between turns, and the system manages the dialog to achieve an inferred goal for the user. The system includes a linguistic interface to a user and a parser for processing linguistic events from the user. A dialog manager of the system is configured to receive alternative outputs from the parser, and selecting an action and causing the action to be performed based on the received alternative outputs. The system further includes a dialog state for an interaction with the user, and the alternative outputs represent alternative transitions from a current dialog state to a next dialog state. The system further includes a storage for a plurality of templates, and wherein each dialog state is defined in terms of an interrelationship of one or more instances of the templates.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are related to the use of Lactobacillus species in a composition for respiratory administration to prevent the pathogenic inflammatory sequelae of respiratory virus infections.

Abstract: Many computing projects involve an automated generation of a media collage from media captured from a variety of devices. Some projects may involve the collection of media from devices owned or operated by different users; however, coordinating the participation of the users in the collage project may be difficult. Presented herein are techniques for generating an automated media collage, wherein an initiating user designates an invitee list of invitees. The device of each invitee may present an invitation to participate in the media collage as a participant. For each invitee who agrees to participate, the device of the participant may automatically capture media according to the media capture invitation, and automatically transmit the media capture for inclusion in the collage. A media collage is generated from the media captures of the participants, and is transmitted to the device of each participant, which presents the media collage to the participant.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for reserving airspace for UAV operations. In some implementations, a flight planning system can reserve and allocate airspace for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations. For example, a UAV operator device can submit a flight plan to the flight planning system. The flight planning system can submit a flight authorization request to an airspace management system to reserve airspace necessary for the flight plan. The flight planning system can receive approval and/or a reservation of the airspace for the flight plan from the airspace management system, generate a flight data package, and send the flight data package to the operator's device.

Abstract: A method for configuring an automated dialogue system uses traces of interactions via a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application. Each trace includes interactions in the context of a plurality of presentations of the GUI. Elements of one or more presentations of the GUI are identified, and templates are associated with portions of the trace. Each template has one or more defined inputs and a defined output. For each template of the plurality of templates, the portions of the traces are processed to automatically configure the template by specifying a procedure for providing values of inputs to the template via the GUI and obtaining a value of an output. The automated dialogue system is configured with the configured templates, thereby avoiding manual configuration of the dialogue system.

Abstract: An interaction assistant conducts multiple turn interaction dialogs with a user in which context is maintained between turns, and the system manages the dialog to achieve an inferred goal for the user. The system includes a linguistic interface to a user and a parser for processing linguistic events from the user. A dialog manager of the system is configured to receive alternative outputs from the parser, and selecting an action and causing the action to be performed based on the received alternative outputs. The system further includes a dialog state for an interaction with the user, and the alternative outputs represent alternative transitions from a current dialog state to a next dialog state. The system further includes a storage for a plurality of templates, and wherein each dialog state is defined in terms of an interrelationship of one or more instances of the templates.

Abstract: An approach to providing communication assistance to an operator of a vehicle makes use software having a first component executing on a personal device of the operator as well as a second component executing on a server in communication with the personal device. In some implementations, handling a call involves establishing a first two-way audio link between the server and the calling device is established, and a second two-way audio link between a server and the user device. The server passes some of the audio from the calling device to the user device, and monitors a user's voice input, of lack thereof, to determine how to handle the call.

Abstract: A system for performing electronic payment validation and authorization wherein a user of an electronic device transmits transaction data to an electronic payment validation and authorization system. The same user of the electronic device may nearly simultaneously transmit a cryptographic hash of transaction data to a merchant who uses a payment processing system to process the transactions. In this example, the payment-processing system may be an electronic payment system operated by the merchant and configured to accept transaction data generated by an electronic device. A payment processing system may cryptographically sign the hash and send the resulting data to an electronic payment validation and authorization system. After both data parts are received by an electronic payment validation and authorization system, validation and decryption may be performed and new transaction data which may include the user card data may then be sent to a payment processing system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight planning. One of the methods includes receiving a location for an aerial survey to be conducted by a UAV. One or more images depicting the location are obtained, and a geofence boundary to limit flight of the UAV is determined. A survey area is determined, and a flight data package is created for transmission that includes information describing a flight plan. After the flight plan is conducted, flight log data and sensor data are received. The flight log data and sensor data are processed, and at least a portion of the processed sensor data is displayed.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems for tracking movements of golf clubs and alerting a golfer when one or more golf clubs are misplaced from a group of golf clubs. A peripheral unit is associated with and affixed to each of a number of golf clubs, and transmits signals that are detected and collectively processed by a base unit to determine the status of those clubs. A club may be designated as misplaced based on the sequence and timing of status events, upon which an alarm is activated to alert the golfer. Also the base unit may process signals regarding movement of golf clubs in conjunction with location data from a Global Positioning System device to obtain information regarding the user's golf performance.

Abstract: A tightening system can be used with a helmet or other wearable article. The tightening system can have a forehead strap that is space apart from a yoke, which can be configured to engage a back side of a wearer's head. A lace can extend between the forehead strap and the yoke and a tightening mechanism can be configured to adjust tension on the lace. One or more intermediate tenders can engage the lace in the gap between the forehead strap and the yoke so that the lace path between the forehead strap and the yoke is non-linear. The yoke can have a height adjustment mechanism. The tightening mechanism can be configured to provide a clicking sound during rotation in both the tightening direction and the loosening direction. The tightening mechanism can include a rotation limiter to prevent over-tightening and/or over-loosening of the tightening mechanism.

Abstract: A user interface for a virtual world controls and allows registering new characters and also registering achievement when the user has carried out a number of different items.