Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.

Abstract: A user feedback system for improving a performance of a software application is described. The feedback system includes a telemetry collection system and a user feedback collection system. A context aggregator collects data from both the telemetry collection system and the user feedback collection system, and constructs a data model that characterizes the data. Using this data model, the feedback system is able to provide or enable software support in a timely, convenient, and useful way. Specifically, data in the data model is standardized across a number of software applications and/or users, so that multiple data models, along with other data sources, may be meaningfully compared to identify a problem, and possibly a solution, associated with an operation of the software application. Additionally, users of the feedback system may be connected with a virtual community of other users who the system has determined may be helpful in assisting one another.

Abstract: A feedback system for visual content is described that allows individual users to obtain feedback regarding selected visual content. A user of the system uploads any desired visual content, and associates the content with a feedback campaign having user-defined characteristics. The user also may associate feedback elements with the visual content, such as comments regarding the visual content or the type of feedback that is desired. The feedback system provides the visual content and feedback elements to selected other users, perhaps by sending a link to the other users via email. In this way, the receiving users may provide feedback regarding the visual content. In particular, the receiving users may generate a virtual note to be placed on a selected portion of the visual content, so as to provide comment specific to the selected portion. As a result, individual users are enabled to create and manage multiple feedback campaigns.

Abstract: A feedback system for visual content is described that allows individual users to obtain feedback regarding selected visual content. The feedback system includes a content navigation enhancer that provides useful navigation and feedback features to a feedback-providing user. When the selected visual content includes a plurality of screens of visual content, the content navigation enhancer may associate an identifier with each of the screens, where each identifier provides a link to its respective screen. The content navigation enhancer may ensure that all of the identifiers are displayed on a user interface, regardless of which screen of visual content is simultaneously displayed on the user interface. Thus, the feedback-providing user has access to all of the screens, regardless of which screen is currently being displayed. Accordingly, the feedback-providing user may select a desired screen to submit corresponding feedback, and may understand a flow or order of the screens of visual content.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.

Abstract: A survey generation system is described that allows a survey designer to design and implement a survey for obtaining feedback from participants of the survey. Survey components are displayed within a first portion of a user interface, where each survey component is associated with a type of survey question. The survey designer may select one or more of the survey components by “dragging and dropping” the selected survey component to a second portion of the user interface, where the survey generation system automatically creates an editable instance of the selected survey component and corresponding question type. The survey designer may enter a desired question, and associated answer choices, if any. In this way, the survey designer designs the survey in an easy, fast, and intuitive manner, and, in particular, views the survey as it will appear to the participant, even during the design of the survey.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time and context-aware tracking of items. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The disposition information can be mapped to a world model that tracks the items and circumstances affecting the items, for example, geo-spatial events and traffic delays. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents.

Abstract: An electronic location code (eLC) is described that provides location information for an object. The eLC is capable of high levels of accuracy, but uses a relatively low data volume for expressing such high levels of accuracy. Moreover, the eLC may easily be adjusted to represent lower levels of accuracy, when high levels of accuracy are not available or required. The eLC has a standardized format that allows easy transmission, sharing, and storage between a plurality of users. Due to these and other features, the eLC provides many advantages and possibilities for the use of location data, and, for example, allows for individual tracking of locations of a huge number of items.

Abstract: A system for providing adaptive virtual communities is described. The system monitors or has access to a plurality of users or contact information for users (e.g., e-mail addresses). By determining a technical or business context of a particular user, the system is able to match that user with other users who are likely to be able to assist the user within that context. As a result, virtual communities are dynamically created and disbanded on an as-needed basis, so that individual users do not need to wait for, or search for, assistance.

Abstract: An electronic location code (eLC) is described that provides location information for an object. The eLC is capable of high levels of accuracy, but uses a relatively low data volume for expressing such high levels of accuracy. Moreover, the eLC may easily be adjusted to represent lower levels of accuracy, when high levels of accuracy are not available or required. The eLC has a standardized format that allows easy transmission, sharing, and storage between a plurality of users. Due to these and other features, the eLC provides many advantages and possibilities for the use of location data, and, for example, allows for individual tracking of locations of a huge number of items.

Abstract: Data corresponding to one or more data dimensions is obtained from a data source. A smart radar chart graphical user interface is generated. The smart radar chart graphical user interface includes a visual representation of the obtained data corresponding to the one or more data dimensions. Each data dimension is displayed radiating from a central point, and data corresponding to a data dimension is displayed at a position indicating the value of the data in relation to a reference value so as to enable the identification of an exception.

Abstract: Techniques are described for selecting and displaying specific content elements from within content of a media asset, such that the content elements may be displayed within a reserved portion of a user display, thereby providing a visual summary of the media asset content. The content elements may be provided along with a graphical representation of the content elements indicating, for example, their importance within the media asset relative to one another and/or to a user preference. In this way, the user may quickly and easily assess his or her level of interest in the media asset.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for context-aware and real-time tracking of articles.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for updating information on a writable tag bound to an article. In one aspect, a method includes: receiving in a system first attribute information for a first article derived from data read automatically from a first tag bound to the article; similarly receiving second attribute information for a second article; receiving sensor information derived from a sensor coupled to the second article; receiving relationship information specifying a relationship between the articles; maintaining first and second virtual articles representing the first article and the second article and sensor information, respectively, and maintaining a context object representing the relationship; recognizing an alert condition relating to the first article; generating updated attribute information; detecting the presence of the first tag at a tag writer station after the alert condition; and causing the tag writer station to write the updated information to the first tag.

Abstract: A robot system, operable to perform a task, is integrated on a robot with a sensor, a control module, and a virtual world. The virtual world represents a generic continuum including a collection of information replicating the spatial and temporal properties of a number of articles and related circumstances in an environment of the robot system. As the virtual world provides a common space-time reference for all of the articles, including the robot system itself, the robot system may perform its task in an efficient and robust manner. For example, the robot may move about its environment without colliding with the other articles. Further, the virtual world may include predicted information about the articles, including an anticipated position or condition of the article at a particular time. In this way, the robot system may perform its task in a timely manner, since its operations can be synchronized with the other articles and an idle time may be reduced.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for making information available between enterprises. In one aspect, a method includes: receiving from a first enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data for first articles including information read automatically from tags bound to the articles, article locations, and data derived from a first data processing system of the first enterprise; receiving from a second enterprise multiple instances of tag-read-data for second articles and data derived from a second data processing system of the second enterprise; using the tag-read-data to maintain virtual representatives for the articles in a virtual world, where tag-read-data received from either enterprise for a particular article is used to update the virtual representative corresponding to the article; and making available information from updated virtual representatives and from the virtual world to both the first enterprise and the second enterprise.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing multiple enterprises real-time access to information about items in a supply chain. Tags bound to items are read and information read from the tags and location information about the tags is provided by at least two enterprises and used to maintain disposition information about the items, which is made visible to enterprises in the supply chain. The tags can be radio-frequency identification tags having each having an ePC (electronic product code) as unique tag identifier. Visibility of the disposition information can be controlled through authorization. Visible information can include relationships between particular items and business documents such as order and shipping documents. With shipping documents visible, information read from item tags can be used to confirm the identify or completeness of a shipment.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for determining a return on investment includes determining a total benefit of visibility, determining a total benefit of access, and determining a total cost of ownership.