Abstract: Techniques are provided for discovery and monitoring of an environment using a plurality of robots. A plurality of robots navigate an environment by determining a navigation buffer for each of the robots; and allowing each of the robots to navigate within the environment while maintaining a substantially minimum distance from other robots, wherein the substantially minimum distance corresponds to the navigation buffer, and wherein a size of each of the navigation buffers is reduced over time based on a percentage of the environment that remains to be navigated. The robots can also navigate an environment by obtaining a discretization of the environment to a plurality of discrete regions; and determining a next unvisited discrete region for one of the plurality of robots to explore in the exemplary environment using a breadth-first search. The plurality of discrete regions can be, for example, a plurality of real or virtual tiles.

Abstract: Amount of distance and/or time spent driving off-road by a vehicle during a specified drive may be detected. Readings from a location device and accelerometer sensor of the vehicle may be compared with historical readings of other vehicles taking similar drives, and for example, with similar driving behaviors, to detect off-road driving by the vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for localizing a source of a set of radio signals, such as radio signals received from an RFID tag at various locations. A source of a set of radio signals (such as radio signals received from an RFID tag at various locations) is localized by obtaining a plurality of radio signals in the set from a different location in an environment; determining a magnitude and received location for each of the plurality of radio signals; determining a direction for each of the plurality of radio signals by comparing each given radio signal to other radio signals in the set; and determining a location of the source of the set of radio signals by determining an intersection of the direction for each of the plurality of radio signals. The direction for each of the plurality of radio signals optionally comprises a net directional vector determined using a weighted circular mean.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for localizing a source of a set of radio signals, such as radio signals received from an RFID tag at various locations. A source of a set of radio signals (such as radio signals received from an RFID tag at various locations) is localized by obtaining a plurality of radio signals in the set from a different location in an environment; determining a magnitude and received location for each of the plurality of radio signals; determining a direction for each of the plurality of radio signals by comparing each given radio signal to other radio signals in the set; and determining a location of the source of the set of radio signals by determining an intersection of the direction for each of the plurality of radio signals. The direction for each of the plurality of radio signals optionally comprises a net directional vector determined using a weighted circular mean.

Abstract: A method for detecting fraudulent payment activity comprises designating one or more objects as typically being in a proximity of a payment mechanism when the payment mechanism is used in a payment transaction, verifying, when attempting to use the payment mechanism for a given payment transaction, whether the designated one or more objects are in the proximity of the payment mechanism, wherein the verifying is based on an electronic communication from at least one of the payment mechanism and the designated one or more objects, establishing whether a threshold number of the designated one or more objects are in the proximity of the payment mechanism, permitting processing of the given payment transaction if the threshold number of the designated one or more objects are in the proximity of the payment mechanism, and preventing processing of the given payment transaction if less than the threshold number of the designated one or more objects are in the proximity of the payment mechanism.

Abstract: A business card information storing method, system, and computer program product include scanning a business card of an attendees of a meeting, capturing an image of the attendee met at the meeting and associating the image with the scanned business card of the attendee, surveying for a seat location of the attendee by matching the seat location with the captured image of the attendee, and associating the seat location of the attendee, the image of the attendee, and the business card of the attendee together.

Abstract: Embodiments for determining ownership of intellectual property data by a processor. Various communications provided by one or more contributors relating to the intellectual property data are tracked using one or more immutable ledgers. The communications maintained in the one or more immutable ledgers may be analyzed to identify a degree of contribution by the one or more contributors to the intellectual property. A degree of ownership may be assigned to the intellectual property data for the one or more contributors according to the analyzed content.

Abstract: A method of managing lifelong learner events on a blockchain includes detecting an event related to a learner using a blockchain-enabled digital learning system, determining a concern/risk level of the learner by performing a risk assessment, determining parameters to generate a transaction related the learner's event based on the parameters and the concern/risk level, determining the values of the parameters by measuring the value or importance of the event and its associated metadata and documents, generating a list of transactions corresponding to the parameters, and validating the transactions using validating distributed peer-to-peer devices that run one or more chaincodes related to the management of the lifelong learner events.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for discovery and monitoring of an environment using a plurality of robots. A plurality of robots navigate an environment by determining a navigation buffer for each of the robots; and allowing each of the robots to navigate within the environment while maintaining a substantially minimum distance from other robots, wherein the substantially minimum distance corresponds to the navigation buffer, and wherein a size of each of the navigation buffers is reduced over time based on a percentage of the environment that remains to be navigated. The robots can also navigate an environment by obtaining a discretization of the environment to a plurality of discrete regions; and determining a next unvisited discrete region for one of the plurality of robots to explore in the exemplary environment using a breadth-first search. The plurality of discrete regions can be, for example, a plurality of real or virtual tiles.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for discovery and monitoring of an environment using a plurality of robots. A plurality of robots navigate an environment by determining a navigation buffer for each of the robots; and allowing each of the robots to navigate within the environment while maintaining a substantially minimum distance from other robots, wherein the substantially minimum distance corresponds to the navigation buffer, and wherein a size of each of the navigation buffers is reduced over time based on a percentage of the environment that remains to be navigated. The robots can also navigate an environment by obtaining a discretization of the environment to a plurality of discrete regions; and determining a next unvisited discrete region for one of the plurality of robots to explore in the exemplary environment using a breadth-first search. The plurality of discrete regions can be, for example, a plurality of real or virtual tiles.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for presenting a user interface on a display of a computer system. A presence of a second person in a proximity of a computer system other than a first person using the computer system is determined. A user interface is automatically selected based on the determined presence of the second person. In an absence of the second person, a voice interface is selected. When the second person is present, a text entry interface is selected. The selected user interface is presented to the first person on a display of the computer system.

Abstract: A physical device may include an embedded microprocessor and memory. The memory is loadable with information associated with a holder of the card device. The microprocessor communicates with another device responsive to detecting said another device is within a threshold proximity. The microprocessor further may negotiate for exchanging of the information with said another device based on current context.

Abstract: A vehicular medical assistant configured to access a medical data store of interrelated diagnostic data, medical conditions, and mitigation actions. The vehicular medical assistant detects a medical event based on the medical data store and a set of data associated with the passenger. The set of data associated with the passenger can include biometric data, aural data, visual data, and environmental data. The vehicular medical assistant can implement a mitigation action in response to detecting the medical event. The mitigation action can include interacting with the passenger and/or modifying the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and system including a processor, a memory device accessible by the processor, and circuitry to selectively communicate with an on-the-go user device located at a location different from a location of the apparatus. The memory device stores instructions to permit the apparatus to selectively serve as an at-home user device that receives data from a wireless ad hoc network formed by sensors located within a link range of the circuitry of the on-the-go user device, data from the sensors of the wireless ad hoc network providing data for consumption by the at-home user device to permit an at-home user to be immersed in an experience of the location of the on-the-go user device.

Abstract: An estimate is made of a time since a given presenting cancer would have first been detectable using a known diagnostic technique, and an estimate is also made of initial characteristics of the given presenting cancer at the time when it would have first been detectable using the known diagnostic technique. A first probability of the cancer being present in a first set of one or more clinically significant remote sites is determined based on the estimated initial characteristics. A second probability of the cancer being present in the first set of one or more clinically significant remote sites is determined based on actual current characteristics of the given presenting cancer. The first and second probabilities are used to estimate incremental risk of incurring presence of the cancer at the first set of one or more clinically significant remote sites by delaying therapy for a unit time.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reminding a user or a group of users about one or more items related to an upcoming event. The upcoming event is identified based on user data and a context for determining a list of items useful for the upcoming event is obtained. The list of items for the identified upcoming event is determined, using the context, and item reminder enhancement factors are determined in response to the upcoming event and the determined list of items. Content selection models are determined based on the context, the user data, and the item reminder enhancement factors. Conversational content for engaging the user or group of users is generated by applying the content selection models to a plurality of potential content. A conversation trigger signal is determined, and the conversational content is presented to the user via a computing device in response to receiving the conversation trigger signal.

Abstract: A system, a computer program product, and method for controlling synthesized speech output on a voice-controlled device. A sensor is used to capture an image of a face of a person. A database of previously stored images of facial features is accessed. In response to i) not recognizing the at least one person the voice-controlled device selects a first set of conversational starters; ii) recognizing the person and recognizing previous communications with the person, the voice-controlled device selects a second set of conversational starters; iii) recognizing the person and not recognizing previous communications with the person, the voice-controlled device selects a third set of conversational starters; or iv) recognizing the at least one person and recognizing previous communications with the person selecting but do not know the person's name selecting a fourth set of conversational starters. The voice controlled device outputs the selected set of conversational starters.

Abstract: A method and system are provided. The method includes receiving, by a microphone and camera, user utterances indicative of user commands and associated user gestures for the user utterances. The method further includes parsing, by a hardware-based recognizer, sample utterances and the user utterances into verb parts and noun parts. The method also includes recognizing, by a hardware-based recognizer, the user utterances and the associated user gestures based on the sample utterances and descriptions of associated supporting gestures for the sample utterances. The recognizing step includes comparing the verb parts and the noun parts from the user utterances individually and as pairs to the verb parts and the noun parts of the sample utterances. The method additionally includes selectively performing a given one of the user commands responsive to a recognition result.

Abstract: The disclosure provides systems and methods for maintaining integrity of documents and activities associated with examinations. The systems and methods store such activities and documents in a distributed blockchain such that integrity is maintained through transparency and redundancy of the records and activities. The systems monitor for any anomalies and notify appropriate individuals when an anomaly is detected, as well as maintaining a log of such anomalies.

Abstract: A system, a computer program product, and method for controlling synthesized speech output on a voice-controlled device. One or more sensors are used to detect whether one person or more than one person is within a first settable distance from the voice-controlled device. Next a determination is made whether the audio input received is recognized as speech. In response to only one person being detected within the settable distance, begin outputting synthesized speech based on the audio input without waiting for an attention word to be recognized and otherwise wait for additional criteria before outputting synthesized speech based on the speech input. The additional criteria includes determining that more than one person is detected and recognizing that the attention word is received before outputting synthesized speech based on the audio input.