Abstract: A strip casting system for aluminium and/or aluminium alloys comprising a casting furnace and a revolving chill mould having a casting gap. The revolving chill mould is designed as a roll pair, roller pair, caterpillar pair or belt pair. The strip casting system has an active means for transporting metal melt from the casting furnace to the casting gap and a casting region arranged in front of the casting gap. The casting region is delimited on one side by the revolving chill mould. A melt pool is formed in the casting region, from which metal melt flows or is drawn into the casting gap. The casting furnace is connected to the casting region by a pipe system with means for feeding the metal melt into the casting region, which can feed the metal melt to the casting region below the surface of the melt pool formed in the casting region.

Abstract: A strip casting system for aluminium and/or aluminium alloys comprising a casting furnace and a revolving chill mould having a casting gap. The revolving chill mould is designed as a roll pair, roller pair, caterpillar pair or belt pair. The strip casting system has an active means for transporting metal melt from the casting furnace to the casting gap and a casting region arranged in front of the casting gap. The casting region is delimited on one side by the revolving chill mould. A melt pool is formed in the casting region, from which metal melt flows or is drawn into the casting gap. The casting furnace is connected to the casting region by a pipe system with means for feeding the metal melt into the casting region, which can feed the metal melt to the casting region below the surface of the melt pool formed in the casting region.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing an adaptive dialogue system is provided. Here, there is an automatic capture of at least one dialogue segment from a dialogue participant communicating with the dialogue system. There is an automatic comparison of the captured dialogue segment with dialogue segments of a stored dialogue segment model. After the comparison, there is an automatic assignment of at least one corresponding dialogue segment to the captured dialogue segment according to the dialogue segment model if the captured dialogue segment is contained in the dialogue segment model or there is an automatic addition of the captured dialogue segment to a dialogue segment group if the captured dialogue segment is not contained in the dialogue segment model. A dialogue segment is generated depending on the dialogue segments of the dialogue segment group and the generated dialogue segment is stored in the dialogue segment model.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing an adaptive dialogue system is provided. Here, there is an automatic capture of at least one dialogue segment from a dialogue participant communicating with the dialogue system. There is an automatic comparison of the captured dialogue segment with dialogue segments of a stored dialogue segment model. After the comparison, there is an automatic assignment of at least one corresponding dialogue segment to the captured dialogue segment according to the dialogue segment model if the captured dialogue segment is contained in the dialogue segment model or there is an automatic addition of the captured dialogue segment to a dialogue segment group if the captured dialogue segment is not contained in the dialogue segment model. A dialogue segment is generated depending on the dialogue segments of the dialogue segment group and the generated dialogue segment is stored in the dialogue segment model.

Abstract: Provided is a method and a system for providing authors of user-generated data with a transparent and fair share in the economic profit produced from these data within the scope of a social commerce platform of a user community, in which a respective relative game result share is calculated for a respective author of user-generated data, for example annotated travel movement profiles, on the basis of gamification categories relevant to a performance indicator, for example the number of calls and user ratings, in which the total economic profit of the social commerce platform produced from the user-generated data is determined on the basis of at least one performance indicator of the social commerce platform, and in which a respective share in the economic profit is determined for the respective author of user-generated data by multiplying the total economic profit by the respective relative game result share.

Abstract: A method poses requests in a social networking site by a submitting user by a terminal connected to a communication network to a previously unknown group of receiving users is disclosed. A relationship data model is provided which comprises objects linked to each other by semantic and/or a social relations. The question, i.e. content of the request, generally includes a question text in a text format, preferably in a natural language such as English. The question text includes one or more request meta data terms, whereby each request meta data term includes an identifier symbol, a connector symbol and a connector. The at least one request meta data term is then mapped to objects of the relationship data model. This mapping results in generating at least one group of receiving users. The submitted message is finally distributed via the communication network to the group of receiving users.

Abstract: An automatic access control system for controlling access to a physical object or admission to a physical object with an identification mechanism is configured to identify a person and/or a device and with a release mechanism, which is configured to grant the identified person and/or the identified device access to the physical object or admission to the physical object when an automatically calculated distance metric of the identified person and/or of the identified device to the physical object is smaller than a prespecified threshold value for the distance metric.

Abstract: A message distribution apparatus and method for distribution of a message submitted by a user by a terminal connected to a communication network to a previously unknown group of receiving users has an access to a database which stores a semantic network data model with terms linked to each other by semantic relations and/or a social network data model with users linked to each other by social relations; a mapping engine which maps at least one term being associated with the submitted message to terms being associated with users of the social network data model and/or with terms of the semantic data model for generating a group of potential receiving users for the submitted message; and a distribution engine which distributes the submitted message of the submitting user via the communication network to a group of receiving users filtered from the at least one generated group of potential receiving users.

Abstract: A method poses requests in a social networking site by a submitting user by a terminal connected to a communication network to a previously unknown group of receiving users is disclosed. A relationship data model is provided which comprises objects linked to each other by semantic and/or a social relations. The question, i.e. content of the request, generally includes a question text in a text format, preferably in a natural language such as English. The question text includes one or more request meta data terms, whereby each request meta data term includes an identifier symbol, a connector symbol and a connector. The at least one request meta data term is then mapped to objects of the relationship data model. This mapping results in generating at least one group of receiving users. The submitted message is finally distributed via the communication network to the group of receiving users.

Abstract: A user of a terminal connected to a communication network sends a message to a previously unknown group of receiving users based on a relationship data model of objects linked to each other by semantic and/or a social relations. The message is associated with metadata objects, e.g., two or more tags for defining a technical field, location, management level, of desired recipients, associated with the message. Subsequently, a weighted metadata object is generated using a quantifier determining a weight of metadata object(s) to which the quantifier is assigned. The at least one weighted metadata object associated with the submitted message is then mapped to objects of the relationship data model which results in generating at least one group of potential receiving users. The message is distributed via the communication network to a group of receiving users which are a subset of, e.g., filtered from, the group of potential receiving users.

Abstract: A device for providing context-sensitive help for a user when using a program includes a determination unit for determining continuously a contextual pattern of an actual status of the program, a retrieving unit for retrieving help information from at least one external source based on the determined contextual pattern, a comparing unit for comparing the determined contextual pattern with the retrieved help information and for selecting a subset of help information from the retrieved help information based on a result of the comparison, and a display unit for displaying continuously the subset of help information to the user, the subset of help information providing the context-sensitive help for the actual status of the program.

Abstract: Methods of identifying subject matter experts are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a search profile corresponding to a particular subject matter. Resources including content describing the particular subject matter are retrieved. One or more potential subject matter experts associated with the resources are identified. An expert score representing an estimated level of expertise for each potential subject matter expert is calculated. By retrieving one or more social media repositories, an impact rating for each potential subject matter expert is calculated with regard to the particular subject matter. The potential subject matter experts are subsequently ranked in dependence upon the expert score and in dependence of the impact rating assigned to a potential subject matter expert. The potential subject matter experts are eventually returned in the order of this ranking.

Abstract: A method, by which a life-cycle data of a component is obtained, is provided. The life-cycle data is indicative of one or more factors occurring during a life-cycle of the component and affecting a length of the life-cycle of the component. The life-cycle of the component is assessed in a context of at least parts of the equipment in which the component is installed. Properties of the component including an assessed life-cycle are registered in an exchange system. The exchange system is configured for supplying components. The components are at least specified by a life-cycle and an operating environment.

Abstract: Automatic identification and prioritization of user profiles in network-based application systems are provided. When creating network-based content, references to a plurality of user profiles within the entire network system may be automatically identified by specifying a user identifier, and references to one or more of these user profiles may then be determined according to user specifications or specified guidelines. The content of a network-based application may then always be supplemented with references to user profiles according to the user profiles identified in this manner.

Abstract: A method generates tag proposals for tagging of a content, wherein the generating of said tag proposals is performed by combining at least two tag proposing procedures in dependence of a work context of a user. The method can be applied with regard to each area where tagging of contents is desired. By use of the method an effective, computing resource saving, and/or flexible tagging is enabled, by which a sufficient number of tags with high quality can be identified.

Abstract: Unstructured knowledge may be utilized to derive an action to be initiated by a technical system based on a problem that occurred on said technical system (e.g., a device). Such action may be derived by posting the problem, e.g., in textual form, in a social network, e.g., a forum of the Internet. Comments or answers to such posting may be automatically analyzed, e.g., by textual understanding, and a promising action may be mapped and executed (if applicable, e.g., associated with an appropriate level of confidence). This solution may provide a cost-efficient and automated exploration of unstructured knowledge in a social network to solve the problem of the technical system. The solution may be applicable for all kinds of technical systems, e.g., industry and automation systems, e.g., energy processing means, air conditioning systems, processing or delivery systems.

Abstract: A method for calculating at least one relationship metric of a relationship between objects has the steps of providing a multi-layered relationship network with a first relationship layer derived from potential relations between objects, a second relationship layer derived from interactions between objects, a third relationship layer derived from explicit relations between objects, and an aggregated relationship layer derived from at least two layers of the relationship layers, and wherein each layer has a graph with one vertex for every object represented in the network and at least one unidirectional and/or bidirectional edge between at least two of the objects, and calculating the edge weights based on the edge weights of at least two relationship layers, selecting at least the relationship with a highest edge weight between an object and other objects, and finally outputting the weights of the selected relationships as the calculated relationship metrics.

Abstract: An automatic access control system for controlling access to a physical object or admission to a physical object with an identification mechanism is configured to identify a person and/or a device and with a release mechanism, which is configured to grant the identified person and/or the identified device access to the physical object or admission to the physical object when an automatically calculated distance metric of the identified person and/or of the identified device to the physical object is smaller than a prespecified threshold value for the distance metric.

Abstract: A method for calculating at least one relationship metric of a relationship between objects has the steps of providing a multi-layered relationship network with a first relationship layer derived from potential relations between objects, a second relationship layer derived from interactions between objects, a third relationship layer derived from explicit relations between objects, and an aggregated relationship layer derived from at least two layers of the relationship layers, and wherein each layer has a graph with one vertex for every object represented in the network and at least one unidirectional and/or bidirectional edge between at least two of the objects, and calculating the edge weights based on the edge weights of at least two relationship layers, selecting at least the relationship with a highest edge weight between an object and other objects, and finally outputting the weights of the selected relationships as the calculated relationship metrics.

Abstract: A message distribution apparatus and method for distribution of a message submitted by a user by a terminal connected to a communication network to a previously unknown group of receiving users has an access to a database which stores a semantic network data model with terms linked to each other by semantic relations and/or a social network data model with users linked to each other by social relations; a mapping engine which maps at least one term being associated with the submitted message to terms being associated with users of the social network data model and/or with terms of the semantic data model for generating a group of potential receiving users for the submitted message; and a distribution engine which distributes the submitted message of the submitting user via the communication network to a group of receiving users filtered from the at least one generated group of potential receiving users.