Abstract: A vehicle guidance system and method includes at least one guidance sensor configured to mount on or adjacent to a pantograph along a lateral width of the pantograph. The pantograph installs on a vehicle and conducts electrical energy from a conductive pathway as the vehicle travels along a route. The vehicle guidance system and method includes a controller that receives one or more sensor signals generated by the at least one guidance sensor and determines a lateral position of the conductive pathway relative to the pantograph based on the one or more sensor signals.

Abstract: Virtual agents may be deployed to conduct a communication with a customer to determine and resolve a work item. During the communication, the virtual agent may need to obtain or provide information to other entities. However, coding a virtual agent to perform such communications is difficult and error prone. By providing a messaging system with a central repository, the virtual agent may register an interest in another entity, group of entities, the state of one or more entities, or information contained therein via messaging to a central repository. The central repository then provides callback messages to the virtual agent that matches the interest or any other conditions specified.

Abstract: A method of identifying a vehicle total loss claim includes retrieving a plurality of historical vehicle records, labeling the records as repaired or total loss, calculating mean cost values, training a regression model, optimizing a probability threshold, analyzing a plurality of inputs to generate a prediction, and transmitting the prediction. A computing system includes a transceiver; a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to receive answers, transmit the answers, receive a prediction, when the prediction is repairable, generate a repair suggestion, and when the prediction is total loss, generate a settlement offer. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions that when executed, cause a computer to receive answers, transmit the answers, receive a prediction, when the prediction is repairable, generate a repair suggestion, and when prediction is total loss, generate a settlement offer.

Abstract: Making the best customer-agent matching decision to engage in a communication to resolve a work item is a primary objective of any contact center. In addition to or as an alternative to standard routing decisions, a real-time agent-matching module is selected from a pool of agent-matching modules, each real-time agent-matching module being unique in its ability to match a resource (e.g., agent) to a customer. The real-time agent-matching modules may differ from one another in terms of information gathered and/or utilizing logic unique to that particular agent-matching module. An orchestration layer is provided to select a single agent-matching module or a series or parallel number of agent-matching modules to select a resource and connect to the customer.

Abstract: A system and a method for locally controlling delivery of electrical power along the distribution feeder by measuring certain electricity parameters of a distribution feeder line using a substation phasor measurement unit (PMU) electrically coupled to a substation distribution bus at a first node on the feeder line, and at least one customer site PMU electrically coupled to a low voltage end of a transformer at a customer site, wherein the transformer is coupled by a drop line to a second node on the distribution feeder line and the customer site is coupled by another drop line to the transformer, and by controlling at least one controllable reactive power resource and optionally a real power resource connected to the second node or at the customer site. Related apparatus, systems, articles, and techniques are also described.

Abstract: A foam control composition includes a component (A) and a component (B). Component (A) includes units of the formula [SiO4/2]a[(R1O)SiO3/2]b[(R2O)SiO3/2]b?[(R1O)2SiO2/2]c[(R1O)(R2O)SiO2/2]c?[(R2O)2SiO2/2]c?[(R1O)3SiO1/2]d[(R1O)2(R2O)SiO1/2]d?[(R1O)(R2O)2SiO1/2]d?[(R2O)3SiO1/2]d??. Component (B) comprises a filler.

Abstract: A foam control composition includes a component (A) and a component (B). Component (A) includes units of the formula (R1O)a(R2O)b(R3O)cR4dR5eR6fSiO[SiR7R8O]x[SiR9(OR10)O]ySi(R1O)a(R2O)b(R3O)cR4dR5eR6f. Component (B) comprises a filler.

Abstract: A method for manipulating voice attributes includes receiving, by a processor, a voice sample of a natural voice of a user, analyzing, by the processor, the voice sample for at least one attribute of the voice sample, receiving, by the processor, entered values for the at least one attribute of the voice sample and applying, by the processor, the entered values to the at least one attribute of the voice sample. The method further includes adjusting, by the processor, the at least one attribute of the voice sample based on the applied entered values to generate a manipulated voice sample, replacing, by the processor, the natural voice of the user with a modified voice of the user based on the manipulated voice sample and outputting, by the processor, the modified voice of the user.

Abstract: Working from home is becoming more and more commonplace. Ensuring that remote workers are following prescribed data protection measures becomes more important, and challenging. Safe and Secure Remote Working Environment (SSRWE) monitors an environment and determines if a non-compliant element is present. For example, a condition of working from home may be that no notetaking or electronic devices, especially ones comprising a camera, be visible to a system camera capturing the field of view in front of a display. If a non-compliant situation is discovered, the display may be redacted and/or other action taken to protect sensitive information.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for evaluating and/or removing slack in an elongate shaft of a medical instrument are discussed herein. For example, an instrument feeder device can be configured to engage with the elongate shaft to facilitate axial motion of the elongate shaft. An amount of slack between the instrument feeder device and an instrument handle of the medical instrument can be determined. Further, slack in the elongate shaft can be removed by moving the instrument handle in a direction away from the instrument feeder device and/or controlling the instrument feeder device to insert the elongate shaft.

Abstract: Systems and methods include generating an urgency score associated with data associated with a communication session based on processing the data and using the urgency score to modify a behavior of a bot or a call center agent and optimize a contact center. Systems and methods include modifying behavior of a bot or an agent during the communication session in response to the data. Systems and methods include modifying dialog of a bot, or a script of an agent, and modifying a control flow for the communication session. Optimizing a contact center includes adjusting a workload of an agent associated with the communication session.

Abstract: An antenna assembly including flexible antenna elements connected to a non-flexible antenna element which connects to a counterpoise where the non-flexible antenna element is between the counterpoise and the flexible antenna elements. The flexible antenna elements are a plurality of peripheral flexible antenna elements and a central flexible antenna element. The plurality of peripheral flexible antenna elements are separated from and surrounding the central flexible antenna element. The non-flexible antenna element is a biconical antenna, formed from two tapered shapes connected at a central feed point such that a constant electrical impedance as the currents radiate outward from the central feed point. A total length of the flexible antenna elements connected to the non-flexible antenna element is ?43.0 cm, and the flexible antenna elements connected to the non-flexible antenna element has a realized gain of at least 2 dB over at least a frequency range of 200-7000 MHz.

Abstract: Customers often call a contact center to resolve an issue only to find the contact center cannot resolve the customer's issue and instead requires a third party to perform some action. By monitoring a customer's communication with an agent, an automated process may generate a workflow to address the issue comprising at least one action to be performed by a third party. The third party is then contacted, in real-time or offline, and provided with their actions to be performed. Records are written to a blockchain describing authentications, actions to take and by whom, and the completion of such actions. The resulting success, or lack thereof, is provided as feedback to further refine the accuracy of the automatic determinations of the workflow and/or the identity of the particular third parties.

Abstract: Compounds of Formula (I): pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, deuterated derivatives of any of the foregoing, and metabolites of any of the foregoing are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, methods of treating cystic fibrosis using the same, and methods for making the same are also disclosed. Also disclosed are solid state forms of Compound 1 and salts and solvates thereof.

Abstract: Users of a networked communication device may omit updating their availability state, and that of an associated communication device, if the state change is sudden or believed to be of sufficiently short duration. By quickly changing their state, a routing component may more accurately know whether or not a communication routed to the communication device will or will not be answered. By utilizing a camera and gesture processing logic, a user may naturally and quickly update their state without the need to navigate menus or select options with manual, tactile interactions with the communication device.

Abstract: A method for initiating a virtual currency exchange includes a merchant computing device a) receiving a message including a user account identifier, payment credential data, and a request for an amount of virtual currency to be delivered; b) transmitting a message delivering the requested amount of virtual currency; and c) receiving a user assignment message that assigns to the merchant an amount of assigned virtual currency from the delivered virtual currency. Steps a, b, and c are performed while the merchant computing device is in a first physical location. The method also includes, subsequent to steps a, b, and c, connecting to a payment network while the merchant computing device is at a second physical location and transmitting, to a virtual currency payment system via the payment network, an assignment completion message including the user account identifier, a merchant account identifier associated with the merchant, and the assigned virtual currency.

Abstract: An antenna includes a dielectric substrate having a planar shape. The dielectric substrate has a first side and a second side. An elongated feed is disposed on the first side of the substrate. A ground plane is disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the feed on the first side of the substrate. A meander has a first end coupled to the elongated feed. The meander comprises a second end disposed opposite the first end. A first extension extends from the second end adjacent to the meander. A second extension extends from the second end adjacent to the meander.

Abstract: Moisture-curing coating compositions, processes for making the same and uses for the same. The composition includes a Component (A) of one or more linear hydroxyl terminated organopolysiloxanes, a Component (B) of one or more organopolysiloxane resins, a Component (C) of one or more organosilicates, a Component (C) of one or more organosilicates, a Component (D) of one or more alkoxysilanes having at least one tertiary amino group, a Component (E) of one or more alkoxysilanes having at least one primary or secondary amino group and a Component (F) of one or more UV-fluorescent pigments. Where the one or more alkoxysilanes having at least one tertiary amino groups (D) have the following general formula (IV) R3R4N—(CR52)—Si(R2)3-x(OR1)x.

Abstract: Systems, asset tag devices, and methods are described herein to provide asset, or object, tracking using a plurality of beacons. The asset tag devices may be affixed, or coupled to, the asset, or object, and may receive beacon advertising packets from the beacons, and then transmit, or broadcast, tag advertising packets including information from the received beacon advertising packets, which may be used to determine an approximate location of the asset tag device, and in turn, the asset or object.

Abstract: The present invention describes immunogenic compositions containing immunogenic polypeptides of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV), including immunogenic compositions containing antigens other than RHDV antigens, including antigens that may be used in immunization against pathogens that cause diarrheal diseases. Methods of eliciting an immune response with the immunogenic compositions as disclosed and methods of treating a RHDV infection are also described.