Abstract: A method resizes input images by first constructing a grid graph. The grid graph includes one node for each pixel in the input image, and adjacent nodes in the grid graph are connected by arcs. Each arc is directed and has an associated cost. A cut is applied to the arcs of the grid graph using a cost function. A seam of pixels is determined from the cut so that coordinates of the pixels in the seam enforce monotonicity and connectivity constraints. Then, the input image is resized according to the seam to produce an output image while minimizing a change of energy in the output image when compared with the input image.

Abstract: A location and orientation in an environment is determined by acquiring a set of one or more real omni-directional images of an unknown skyline in the environment from an unknown location and an unknown orientation in the environment by an omni-directional camera. A set of virtual omni-directional images is synthesized from a 3D model of the environment, wherein each virtual omni-directional image is associated with a known skyline, a known location and a known orientation. Each real omni-directional image is compared with the set of virtual omni-directional images to determine a best matching virtual omni-directional image with the associated known location and known orientation that correspond to the unknown location and orientation.

Abstract: A method edits an input video to produce an output video. Pixels of the input video are partitioned into sets of pixels, wherein the pixels in the sets are adjacent, and for each set of pixels performing the following steps. A trellis having nodes connected by directed links is constructed. Each node corresponds to one of the pixels in the set of pixels, and each node is associated with an action and location of the pixel in the output image. Costs are assigned to the nodes and the links, wherein the costs are on apparent motion in the input video. A least cost path is determined through the trellis. Then, for each node on the path, apply the action associated the node to the corresponding pixel in the input video to edit the corresponding pixel at the location in the output video associated with the node.

Abstract: A method and camera apparatus touches up a source image to produce a target image. The source image is partitioned into non-overlapping tiles of pixels. Each tile is labeled. A probability distribution of the labels is inferred, in which the probability distribution is a conditional random field. Weights are determined from the conditional random field. Then, each tile of the source image is transformed according to the weights to produce a corresponding tile of a target image. The transforming maximizes a conditional likelihood of the target image given the source image, while marginalizing over all possible labelings of the source image.

Abstract: A method transmits a message of a source entropy from a source node, via a set of relay nodes, to a destination node, the set of relay nodes includes a node and a next node connected by a wireless link, wherein the next node is guaranteed to receive accumulated nats from one or more previous transmissions of the message, in which a transmission of the message from the node to the next node includes determining the accumulated nats guaranteed to be received by the next node; calculating minimal nats of the message to be transmitted from the node to the next node, such that a sum of the minimal nats and the accumulated nats is not less than the source entropy; and transmitting the message having the minimal nats from the node to the next node.

Abstract: A method resizes input images by first constructing a grid graph. The grid graph includes one node for each pixel in the input image, and adjacent nodes in the grid graph are connected by arcs. Each arc is directed and has an associated cost. A cut is applied to the arcs of the grid graph using a cost function. A seam of pixels is determined from the cut so that coordinates of the pixels in the seam enforce monotonicity and connectivity constraints. Then, the input image is resized according to the seam to produce an output image while minimizing a change of energy in the output image when compared with the input image.

Abstract: A location and orientation in an environment is determined by acquiring a set of one or more real omni-directional images of an unknown skyline in the environment from an unknown location and an unknown orientation in the environment by an omni-directional camera. A set of virtual omni-directional images is synthesized from a 3D model of the environment, wherein each virtual omni-directional image is associated with a known skyline, a known location and a known orientation. Each real omni-directional image is compared with the set of virtual omni-directional images to determine a best matching virtual omni-directional image with the associated known location and known orientation that correspond to the unknown location and orientation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe a method for transmitting a message of a source entropy from a source node, via a set of relay nodes, to a destination node, the set of relay nodes includes a node and a next node connected by a wireless link, wherein the next node is guaranteed to receive accumulated nats from one or more previous transmissions of the message, in which a transmission of the message from the node to the next node includes determining the accumulated nats guaranteed to be received by the next node; calculating minimal nats of the message to be transmitted from the node to the next node, such that a sum of the minimal nats and the accumulated nats is not less than the source entropy; and transmitting the message having the minimal nats from the node to the next node.

Abstract: A method edits an input video to produce an output video. Pixels of the input video are partitioned into sets of pixels, wherein the pixels in the sets are adjacent, and for each set of pixels performing the following steps. A trellis having nodes connected by directed links is constructed. Each node corresponds to one of the pixels in the set of pixels, and each node is associated with an action and location of the pixel in the output image. Costs are assigned to the nodes and the links, wherein the costs are on apparent motion in the input video. A least cost path is determined through the trellis. Then, for each node on the path, apply the action associated the node to the corresponding pixel in the input video to edit the corresponding pixel at the location in the output video associated with the node.

Abstract: A computer implemented method finds a path having a minimal expected cost through a network of nodes connected by arcs, in which the path is from a source node to a destination node, and in which a traversal time for traversing each arc is a random variable. An expected cost of traversing each possible path from the source node to the destination node is determined as an average value of a nonlinear cost function applied to each possible total travel time for traversing the path. The expected cost is weighted according to a probability of each possible total travel time. For each node in the network and for each possible time to start, a particular path from the source node to the node having a minimal expected cost and an optimal time to start on that path is determined.

Abstract: A method and system determine peak power consumption over time by a bank of elevator for servicing a set of passenger hall calls and delivery requests, and selecting elevator schedules that keep peak power consumption below a predetermined threshold. For each car in response to receiving a hall call, a set of all possible paths to service all hall calls assigned to the car are determined, in which each path includes a set of all possible segments. A peak power consumption for each possible segment is also determined. The peak power consumptions for the set of all possible segments for each time instant are added to determine a total peak power consumption for each time instant, and a particular path is selected as a schedule to operate the bank of elevator cars, if the total peak power consumption for any instant in time while operating according to the selected schedule is below a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method finds an optimal path from a source to a destination. The possible paths from the source to the destination are represented as a stochastic graph of nodes connected by edges. Each edge has an independent probability distribution over a cost of the edge. A constraint for reaching the destination is defined. The graph is reduced to a relatively small set of deterministic minimum cost problems, which can be solved to determine an optimal path that maximizes a probability of reaching the destination within the constraint.

Abstract: A method finds an optimal path from a source to a destination. The possible paths from the source to the destination are represented as a stochastic graph of nodes connected by edges. Each edge has an independent probability distribution over a cost of the edge. A constraint for reaching the destination is defined. The graph is reduced to a relatively small set of deterministic minimum cost problems, which can be solved to determine an optimal path that maximizes a probability of reaching the destination within the constraint.

Abstract: A method schedules cars of an elevator system, the elevator system including a set of cars, and a set of hall calls. For each car, a waiting time is determined independently if the hall call is the only hall call assigned to the car. For each car, a mutual delay ?W(h|g) is determined for each possible pair of unassigned hall calls h and assigned hall calls g. The waiting time and mutual delays are summed. Then, the assignments are made to the set of cars so that the sum is a minimum.

Abstract: A method and camera apparatus touches up a source image to produce a target image. The source image is partitioned into non-overlapping tiles of pixels. Each tile is labeled. A probability distribution of the labels is inferred, in which the probability distribution is a conditional random field. Weights are determined from the conditional random field. Then, each tile of the source image is transformed according to the weights to produce a corresponding tile of a target image. The transforming maximizes a conditional likelihood of the target image given the source image, while marginalizing over all possible labelings of the source image.

Abstract: A method schedules cars of an elevator system. Each possible assignment of a set of hall calls to a set of cars is represented by a solution vector maintained as a node in a search tree. Each solution vector is evaluated using an ESA-DP process according to an immediate policy to determine initially a best solution. A branch-and-bound process is applied to each solution vector using the initial best solution and the search tree to determine a globally optimal solution for scheduling the cars according to a reassignment policy.

Abstract: A method and system recommends items such as products and services to consumers. Rating on items are received from consumers as a sequential stream of data. A thin singular value decomposition is updated, one rating at the time, while receiving the ratings. A prediction of a recommendations of particular items for a particular consumer is based on the updated singular value decomposition while receiving the ratings and updating the singular value decomposition. The ratings are discarded after the updating so that a size, structure, and content of an underlying preference matrix is unknown.

Abstract: A method and system determine peak power consumption over time by a bank of elevator for servicing a set of passenger hall calls and delivery requests, and selecting elevator schedules that keep peak power consumption below a predetermined threshold. For each car in response to receiving a hall call, a set of all possible paths to service all hall calls assigned to the car are determined, in which each path includes a set of all possible segments. A peak power consumption for each possible segment is also determined. The peak power consumptions for the set of all possible segments for each time instant are added to determine a total peak power consumption for each time instant, and a particular path is selected as a schedule to operate the bank of elevator cars, if the total peak power consumption for any instant in time while operating according to the selected schedule is below a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method represents a class of objects. A set of samples for the objects in the class is acquired, there being one sample for each object, and each sample includes a plurality of data values representing characteristics of the object. The samples are grouped into subsets such that each subset intersects at least one other subset. For each subset, a low-dimensional parameterization is determined. Nullspaces of the low-dimensional parameterizations are averaged to obtain a matrix whose nullspace contains a low-dimensional representation of the class of objects.

Abstract: A method models data values acquired by measuring a natural phenomena. Samples are acquired of the natural phenomena, each sample is arranged as a vector c of the data values. Some of the data values may be missing. The vectors c are decomposed into five matrices, respectively, a subspace Upxr, singular values srxl, an encoding Vqxr, a subspace rotation U?rxr, an encoding transform V?rxr, where p indicates the number of discrete data values in each sample, q is a number of samples, and r is a rank of a decomposition of the data values. The five matrices can then be multiplied according to UU?diag(s)V?TVT to obtain a best linear approximation of the natural phenomena for any value of r less than both p and q, where T is a matrix transpose operator.