Abstract: There is provided a method and system for making payment for a service at a service station which allow users to make payment even when their mobile devices lose data connectivity and when there is a high turnover of users at the service station. In addition, the method and system can lead to enhanced revenues at the service stations as well as improved user experiences when making payments at service stations.

Abstract: A method for originating a vending transaction via machine-readable code includes storing, in a memory of a computing device, an account identifier associated with a transaction account, reading, by an optical imaging device of the computing device, a machine-readable code displayed on a vending machine, wherein the machine-readable code is encoded with at least a device identifier, electronically transmitting, by a transmitting device of the computing device, at least the device identifier and an account identifier to a third party system, and receiving, by a receiving device of the computing device, a transaction confirmation indicating approval of a payment transaction involving the transaction account and the vending machine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are disposed in parallel and opposite to each other; alignment layers are disposed on the sides of said first and second substrates that are close to said liquid crystal composition; and said alignment layers are provided with vertical alignment films that allow liquid crystal molecules in said liquid crystal composition to be arranged roughly perpendicular to said first and second substrates, with said liquid crystal molecules having a pretilt angle of 88.5° to 89.5°.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate, wherein said first substrate and said second substrate are disposed in parallel and opposite to each other, with the distance between said first substrate and said second substrate being 2.5 ?m to 3.2 ?m; alignment layers are disposed on the sides of said first and second substrates that are close to said liquid crystal composition; and said alignment layers are provided with vertical alignment films that allow liquid crystal molecules in said liquid crystal composition to be arranged roughly perpendicular to said first or second substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate, wherein a surface of said first substrate in contact with said liquid crystal composition is provided with an alignment layer, while said second substrate has no alignment layer; and said liquid crystal composition comprises a liquid crystal compound, a self-aligning agent, and a polymerizable compound represented by Formula I,

Abstract: An intelligent identification method of sludge bulking based on type-2 fuzzy-neural-network belongs to the field of intelligent detection technology. The sludge volume index (SVI) in wastewater treatment plant is an important index to measure the sludge bulking of activated sludge process. However, poor production conditions and serious random interference in sewage treatment process are characterized by strong coupling, large time-varying and serious hysteresis, which makes the detection of SVI concentration of sludge volume index extremely difficult. At the same time, there are many types of sludge bulking faults, which are difficult to identify effectively. Due to the sludge volume index (SVI) is unable to online monitoring and the fault type of sludge bulking is difficult to determined, the invention develop soft-computing model based on type-2 fuzzy-neural-network to complete the real-time detection of sludge volume index (SVI).

Abstract: A payment network system for authenticating a card-not-present transaction comprising an authentication server, the authentication server comprising at least a first computer processor and a first data storage device, the first data storage device comprising instructions operative by the first computer processor to: (i) receive an authentication request comprising a payment amount associated with the card-not-present transaction, a customer account identifier and a preferred mode of authentication, and (ii) query a payment network database for a customer device identifier associated with the preferred mode of authentication and the customer account identifier, (iii) identify a device service provider server associated with the customer device identifier; (iv) transmit a request for authorisation to proceed with the card-not-present transaction; (v) receive, from the device service provider server, and a response for authorisation indicating if the card-not-present transaction is authorised.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a negative dielectric anisotropic liquid crystal composition, a liquid crystal display element, and a liquid crystal display. The negative dielectric anisotropic liquid crystal composition of the present invention comprises a first component composed of one or more compounds represented by formula I and a second component composed of one or more polymerizable compounds: The negative dielectric anisotropic liquid crystal composition disclosed by the present invention has a low rotary viscosity, a fast response speed and a good stability, and is very suitable for manufacturing liquid crystal display elements, particularly suitable for PS (polymer-stabilized) or PSA (polymer-stabilized alignment)-type liquid crystal displays.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method performed at a computing device for obtaining a service from a first device. The method comprises, at the computing device, establishing user credentials at a computing device and establishing a local communication with the first device and establishing with the first device a service identification for a service to be performed by the first device. The method further comprises sending request a message to a service platform to obtain approval of performance of the service. This message comprises the user credentials, a request for the service, and the service identification. The method further comprises receiving an approval message from the service platform comprising at least the service identification and signed on behalf of a service provider, and sending the signed approval message to the first device for validation in order to obtain a service.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating detection and payment of a product. The product has a radio frequency tag attached thereon and the system comprises: two or more scanners attachable to a container for holding the product, wherein each scanner is configured to: (i) receive tag identification data from the tag when the tag is within communication range of the scanner; (ii) generate a signal that is associated with the tag identification data and a time of receipt of the tag identification data; and a computer server communicatively coupled with the two or more scanners, wherein the computer server is configured to: (i) receive the signals from the two or more scanners; and (ii) determine an identity of the product and a presence of the product in the container based on the signals, wherein the presence of the identified product is used for facilitating payment of the product.

Abstract: A method for conducting a transaction between a merchant and a customer, a merchant device, and a computer storage medium for instructing a computing device to execute a method for conducting a transaction between a merchant and a customer are disclosed. The method includes establishing a secure wireless connection between a merchant device and a customer device, real-time synchronizing, via the secure connection, a shopping cart of the customer between the merchant and the customer devices, determining, via the secure connection, at least one payment option for checking out the shopping cart, and processing, at a transaction processing device, the payment based on a selected payment option out of the at least one payment option.

Abstract: A method of transaction between a mobile payment device and a vending machine is described, together with a system and elements of a system supporting such a method of transaction. The method comprises establishing wireless contact between the mobile payment device and the vending machine. Vending machine transaction details are established between the mobile payment device and the vending machine. These vending machine transaction details are sent to a vending platform associated with a payment infrastructure where the vending machine transaction is authorized. The vending platform then provides an authorization token for the vending machine transaction, allowing the vending machine to enable vending when the authorization token has been received.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of identifying a payment card design includes partitioning an image of a detected payment card into a plurality of blocks, the image comprising predetermined portions irreversibly masked; and generating an individual numerical representation of each respective one of the plurality of blocks, thereby generating a collective numerical representation of the design of the detected payment card. The method also includes selecting, from a database storing a plurality of payment card designs, one or more payment card designs based on the collective numerical representation of the design of the detected payment card. The method further includes generating a similarity score between the design of the detected payment card and each of the one or more selected payment card designs; and associating the design of the detected payment card with one of the one or more selected payment card designs based on the similarity score.

Abstract: There is provided a data processor implemented method for dynamic authentication of an object. There is also provided non-transitory computer readable storage mediums and systems for carrying out dynamic authentication of an object.

Abstract: System and method for facilitating user identification of a product. The system includes: a receiver unit configured to receive a signal; a memory module in communication with the receiver unit, the memory module having stored thereon product data that is stored in association with a transmittable product identity, wherein the receiver unit is further configured to (i) convert the received signal into its corresponding transmittable product identity and (ii) retrieve the product data from the memory module based on a comparison between the stored transmittable product identity and the converted transmittable product identity; and an output unit configured to output the retrieved product data to a user for facilitating user identification of the product.

Abstract: The present invention belongs to the technical field of elemental analysis, and more particularly, relates to a dynamic calibration method for echelle spectrometer in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, comprising: S1: collecting a standard light source by using an echelle spectrometer; S2: in combination with a calibration function, calculating a pixel position coordinate ({circumflex over (x)},?) corresponding to a spectral wavelength ?; S3: performing dynamic searching and filtering near the pixel position coordinate ({circumflex over (x)},?) to obtain a set D of all pixel position coordinates, and adjusting all original intensity values in the set D to obtain intensity values F(Ix,y), and S4: calculating a spectral line intensity value after dynamic calibration by summing the adjusted intensity values F(Ix,y), thereby completing dynamic calibration of the result of the echelle spectrometer. The method in the present invention can overcome the shortcoming, i.e.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a system and a method of transmitting identity verification information to a merchant include receiving an account identifier from a user in response to the user interacting with a merchant. The user is authenticated based on the account identifier and identity verification information is transmitted to the merchant.

Abstract: The present invention belongs to the field of laser plasma emission spectrometry, and in particular relates to a method for improving the detection sensitivity on a carbon element in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Abstract: A foreign currency transaction system and method can allow both users and merchants to carry out foreign currency transactions without using a point-of-sale (POS) device. In addition, users can carry out foreign currency transactions without knowing much of a foreign language in order to engage with a merchant in a foreign country. In addition, a user may lock-in a foreign currency exchange rate so that the user is able to have some certainty in relation to the foreign currency transaction, and can simplify the use of payment cards for foreign currency transactions by capturing an electronic image of a pricing indicator at a juncture of initiating a foreign currency transaction, and processing the electronic image to automatically determine a required payment amount represented on the pricing indicator.

Abstract: A device and methods for facilitating a sale of an item from a seller to a customer are disclosed. The device comprises a lockable compartment configured to contain the item, wherein the compartment unlocks upon receiving a sale initiation instruction. The device further comprises a sensor configured to detect a presence of the item in the compartment. The device also comprises a gateway module configured to transmit a sale completion instruction for completing the sale of the item if upon an occurrence of a predetermined event, the sensor detects that the item is absent from the compartment.