Abstract: A system and method for providing a user of communications services with free market based pricing may include providing for communications over one of multiple network paths serviced by multiple respective communications service providers via at least one communications network. One of the network paths over which to communicate based on current pricing from the multiple communications service providers may be selected and communications may be performed over the selected network path.

Abstract: The technology disclosed for configuring a transcoder-router to direct incoming communications to desired receivers includes receiving a selection by a user from an icon-based GUI, of an incoming voice, video, image, short message, or email media type to configure for routing. Incoming communications gets routed in the context of the incoming media type, with the transducer-router receiving a combination of routing conditions with which to determine the routing of the incoming media type: a time zone against which routing schedules are measured; a time window for the routing schedules that covers both time of day and day of week; and available receiver devices for the routing under the selected combination of the incoming media type, time zone and time window. The disclosed systems and methods include committing routing rules based on the user selections to tangible machine readable memory; and using the committed rules to route incoming media type messages.

Abstract: A gaming device for awarding a beverage to a player playing a wagering game. A display displays a graphical representation of a complimentary item or service. A game controller controls play of the wagering game and randomly determines an amount of the complimentary item or service to be graphically added to the displayed complimentary item or service in response to a play of the wagering game. An output mechanism awards the complimentary item or service when the graphical representation of the complimentary item or service is completely accumulated and activated by the player.

Abstract: In certificate chain validation, a parent certificate is used to validate a child certificate. The child certificate can indicate which parent certificate can be used to validate it. In some situations, a child certificate may not contain a certificate authority identifier that can be used to identify the parent certificate. Instead, the child certificate can contain a hash value of a modulus of the parent public key that can be used to identify the parent certificate. The hash value of the modulus of the parent public key can be associated with the parent public key. As such, the parent public key used in certificate chain validation of the child certificate can be identified using the hash value of the modulus of the parent public key.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also disclosed herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Also disclosed herein are methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also disclosed herein are methods for preparing dense thin (<50 um) free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device. Also disclosed herein are sintering techniques, e.g.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (UE) may conduct wireless communications using one or more antennas according to multiple radio access technologies (RAT) associated with corresponding operating frequency bands. The UE may perform adaptive antenna tuning, for example, application-based antenna tuning for increasing the operating efficiency of the UE, which may improve user experience. The UE may periodically identify one or more applications running on the UE, the respective RATs that support the (running) applications, and which of the corresponding frequency bands are used by the (running) applications. The UE may determine the tuner device settings for tuning the one or more antenna(s) based on the (running) applications or the type and/or priority of the (running) applications, which RATs support the running applications, which of the corresponding frequency bands are used by the (running) applications, and operating conditions associated with the frequency bands used by the (running) applications.

Abstract: A payment card system comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) platform configured to: acquire, via a first communication channel, payment card information associated with a user; identify a payment card account of the user based on the payment card information; receive from the user, via the first communication channel, a command related to a function to be performed with respect to the payment card account; and transmit the command, via a second communication channel, to a remote device in a bank-related network; and the remote device of the bank-related network. The payment card system also comprises a remote device. The remote device comprises: a memory; a receiver configured to receive the command transmitted from the AI platform; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to: authenticate the user in the bank-related network, wherein the first communication channel is different from the second communication channel.

Abstract: A crowd-sourced cloud environment allows for, and benefits from, modes of interaction between among the service providers (including the “resource providers” and the “cloud provider”) and consumers (also referred to herein as “tenants”) that are not practiced in a DC-centric cloud environment—specifically, the use of Internet-based social networking technology and Internet-based online marketplace technology to facilitate resource pooling and interaction between crowd-sourced cloud resource providers, the cloud provider, and crowd-sourced cloud consumers.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for allowing a mobile device (e.g., a key fob or a consumer electronic device, such as a mobile phone, watch, or other wearable device) to interact with a vehicle such that a location of the mobile device can be determined by the vehicle, thereby enabling certain functionality of the vehicle. A device may include both RF antenna(s) and magnetic antenna(s) for determining a location of a mobile device relative to the vehicle. Such a hybrid approach can provide various advantages. Existing magnetic coils on a mobile device (e.g., for charging or communication) may be re-used for distance measurements that are supplemented by the RF measurements. Any device antenna may provide measurements to a machine learning model that determines a region in which the mobile device resides, based on training measurements in the regions.

Abstract: A payment card system including: an artificial intelligence (AI) platform configured to: identify a first payment card account of a cardholder; receive, via a message or messenger-based channel, an inquiry related to a purchase the cardholder desires to make using the first payment card account; interactively communicate with the cardholder via the message or messenger-based channel using artificial intelligence; determine a cost of the purchase relative to the balance of the first payment card account; if the cost of the purchase exceeds the balance of the first payment card account, identify a second payment card account of the cardholder; and initiate creation of a third payment card account that combines at least a portion of the balance of the first payment card account and at least a portion of a balance of the second payment account. The payment card system also includes one or more entities of a bank-related network.

Abstract: A new class of energetic nanoparticles, and a method to produce the same. The energetic nanoparticles are differentiated from other metallic energetic nanoparticles by their core-shell nanostructure including an intermediate boride layer that provides oxidation protection and acts as an active mass. An intermetallic reaction occurs between aluminum and nickel. Aluminum based nanoparticles were used for the examples, but the principle is applicable to other materials as well.

Abstract: A system and a method for the determination of product shelf life in a supply chain environment are discussed. The system receives periodic readings from various sensors that are associated with a shipment of produce. The system determines ambient deviations throughout the supply chain for temperature, humidity and ethylene. The system determines a product shelf life based on a calculated sensitivity and exposure to temperature, humidity, and ethylene. The system determines a remaining shelf life based on the determined product shelf life, and generates an event based on the remaining shelf life meeting a threshold. The system updates an indication of the remaining shelf life on a graphical interface for action.

Abstract: In a device comprising a serial bus and a plurality of devices, register/address mappings and/or unique group identifiers are used to convey additional information in messages/datagrams over the serial bus without explicitly sending such information in the message/datagram. Such register/address mappings may be done beforehand, and in conjunction with group-specific identifiers, may reduce transmission latency by keeping the size of the messages/datagrams small. Since all devices on the serial bus have prior knowledge of such register/address mappings and/or group-specific identifiers, recipient devices are able to infer information from the group-specific identifiers and/or register/address sent in each message/datagram that is not explicitly sent within such message/datagram.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed which allow a secondary storage system to provide data to non-production workloads in conjunction with performing data backup and protection tasks. As disclosed, a secondary storage system exposes backup data stored by the secondary storage system to other workloads, such as test and development applications, data analytics, etc. These non-production workloads can run at the same time the secondary storage system provides backup services to a primary storage system. This consolidation eliminates the need for an enterprise to deploy separate storage clusters for analytics, test and development applications, etc. and eliminates unnecessary copies of data.

Abstract: A telemetry manager receives, from a network server, global data collection information about network components in an optical network device. The global data collection information includes identifiers for network nodes in the network components from which telemetry data are to be collected, and reporting frequency and encoding format for sending collected telemetry data to the network server. The telemetry manager identifies, from the global data collection information, local data collection information specified for a network component, and sends this information to a telemetry agent in the network component. The telemetry manager receives telemetry data generated by a network node of the network component, where the data is provided according to instructions in the local data collection information. The telemetry manager converts the telemetry data from its native format to an encoding format specified by the global data collection information, and sends the encoded telemetry data to the network server.

Abstract: A method implemented by a processing device for gridless optical routing and spectrum assignment on links in an optical network includes, responsive to one or more new channel requests, performing a path computation utilizing frequency markers to determine feasibility of the one or more new channel requests, wherein the optical spectrum is represented as a real line with the frequency markers indicative of used optical spectrum; allocating the one or more new channel requests based on the path computation and allocation criteria; and responsive to allocating the one or more new channel requests, updating the associated frequency markers on the real line.

Abstract: A method for introducing augmented reality components to a lottery game encourages players to visit retail establishments that sell lottery tickets. A game server is configured for communication with mobile devices to implement the augmented reality aspects, the game server receiving real-world location data from the player's mobile device. Via an application running on the player's mobile device, a retail establishment location is identified where the player can purchase a lottery ticket. Via the application, at least one geographic location between the player's actual real-world location and the retail establishment is tagged. Upon the player reaching the tagged location, the game server enables an overlay of a virtual objet on a screen image of the geographic location on the player's mobile device. The player interacts with the virtual object, wherein the interaction causes a code to be downloaded to the mobile device, the code associated with a value.

Abstract: Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device.

Abstract: An industrial workflow tracking and identification system captures optimal employee workflows for addressing maintenance issues or operating industrial systems, and renders these workflows at appropriate times in order to guide operators and maintenance personnel through optimal sequences for carrying out operations or addressing maintenance issues. The system monitors and indexes both plant-wide system data as well as employee behaviors, and identifies correlations between operational outcomes and user workflows. In this way, the system tracks and captures optimal employee workflows for addressing particular maintenance issues, performing certain procedures, or achieving preferred production outcomes.

Abstract: A virtual private cloud (VPC) that includes one or more computing devices (e.g., a physical computing device, a virtual computing device, etc.) that each implement a service present in an actual production environment is provided herein. For example, at the request of a user, an instance deployment manager may replicate one or more of the services provided by an actual production environment such that the services can be executed by the computing devices within the VPC. The computing devices within the VPC may be configured to communicate with each other. However, the computing devices may not communicate with devices outside the VPC. Thus, the VPC may represent a sandboxed or isolated test stack that allows a user to independently test code within a replicated production environment.