Abstract: A mobile vehicle communication system and a method carried out by the system to determine at a remotely-located vehicle a performance criteria of a communication network connection in the vehicle. Steps of the method include: monitoring the vehicle's communication network connection for at least one of a plurality of parameters, wherein the plurality of parameters are associated with the performance criteria of the network connection; correlating a performance status test indicative of the performance criteria of the network connection with at least one of the plurality of parameters; and determining the performance criteria of the network connection based on the correlation.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an energy-management system for managing energy within a predominantly closed power system. The system includes an upper-level energy-management module, at least one lower-level energy-management module coupled to the upper-level energy-management module, and at least one component coupled to the lower-level energy-management module. The component is configured to provide a performance model associated with the component to the lower-level energy-management module. The lower-level energy-management module is configured to provide an aggregated model to the upper-level energy-management module.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique frame for a gas turbine engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engine frames. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique frame for a gas turbine engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engine frames. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for multi-domain clustering. During operation, the system collects domain data for at least two domains associated with users, wherein a domain is a source of data describing observable activities of a user. Next, the system estimates a probability distribution for a domain associated with the user. The system also estimates a probability distribution for a second domain associated with the user. Then, the system analyzes the domain data with a multi-domain probability model that includes variables for two or more domains to determine a probability distribution of each domain associated with the probability model and to assign users to clusters associated with user roles.

Abstract: A method for detecting a persistent change in a dynamically varying scene includes: obtaining a set of reference images of the scene; transforming the reference images into an abstract feature space; classifying pixels of the reference images in the abstract feature space; generating a stable reduced-reference image based on the classifications of corresponding pixels; obtaining a set of test images of the scene; transforming the test images into the abstract feature space; classifying pixels of the test images in the abstract feature space; generating a stable test image based on the classifications of corresponding pixels; and comparing the stable reduced-reference and test images to one another to detect a difference therein, the difference corresponding to a persistent change in the dynamically varying scene occurring between when the reference images and the test images were obtained.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for clustering heterogeneous events. During operation, the system finds a partition of events into clusters such that each cluster includes a set of events. In addition, the system estimates probability distributions for various properties of events associated with each cluster. The system obtains heterogeneous event data, and analyzes the heterogeneous event data to determine the distribution of event properties associated with clusters and to assign events to clusters.

Abstract: A distorter is provided that allows a musician/sound engineer to affect the operation of a distortion circuit using a second musical instrument or a sound modifier, enabling the musician/audio engineer to vary the behavior of the distorter in real time. The invention enables a musician and/or sound engineer to achieve sounds and effects that are impossible to create using conventional distorters. The invention enables a user to provide a primary audio signal representing a musical instrument that is to undergo audio signal distortion; and to provide a secondary audio signal representing a sound modifier or a second musical instrument that is used to modify psycho-acoustic and/or musical effects of the audio signal distortion. An output signal is produced having substantially non-clipped parts for conveying the sound of the musical instrument, and having clipped parts for conveying psycho-acoustic and/or musical effects responsive to the second musical instrument or the sound modifier.

Abstract: A system for compiling a machine operable diagnostic system includes a header unit, a component unit, an effects unit, a test unit, and an instantiation unit. The header unit identifies general properties of a system from a generic description in an electronic format which includes at least one category of a plurality of variations. The component unit identifies a plurality of components of a modeled system from the generic description, and adds and separates the plurality of variations to the plurality of components, and each identified component includes at least one type of failure and a probability of the at least one type of failure. The effects unit identifies from the generic description a plurality of observable effects. The test unit identifies a plurality of tests and test outcomes designed to elicit the observable effects. The instantiation unit constructs a procedural instantiation of the machine operable diagnostic system.

Abstract: A recommender system uses an activity decision tree to model the changes in a user's behavior according to a plurality of time-related features. The system determines historical activities for the user, and generates a decision tree for the user's historical activities. Each leaf node of the decision tree is associated with an activity-prediction model that computes a probability for a corresponding activity. The system selects a path of the decision tree from a root node to a leaf node of the decision tree based on a target time. The selected path traverses two or more non-leaf nodes that are each associated with a temporal decision model that compares the target time against a temporal classifier. The system then determines a probability for a user activity based on an activity-prediction model of the selected path.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for identifying anomalies. During operation, the system obtains work practice data associated with a plurality of users. The work practice data includes a plurality of user events. The system further categorizes the work practice data into a plurality of domains based on types of the user events, models user behaviors within a respective domain based on work practice data associated with the respective domain, and identifies at least one anomalous user based on modeled user behaviors from the multiple domains.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for generating one or more recommendations for a customer. During operation, the system obtains transaction and image data for a plurality of existing customers. The system then trains one or more parameters of conditioning variables associated with one or more clusters based on image data as part of a predictive model. Next, the system determines a list of recommendable items for each cluster, based on the transaction data. The system obtains transaction and image data for a customer. The system then determines that the customer is a member of a cluster associated with the predictive model, based on the obtained transaction and image data. The system generates a recommendation for one or more recommendable items for the customer based on the determined cluster membership.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides managing component driver for an energy-management system that manages energy within a predominantly closed power system. The component driver includes a receiving mechanism configured to receive current status information for a component associated with the component driver, a model-construction mechanism configured to construct a performance model for the component, and a transmitting mechanism configured to transmit the performance model to an optimization and control module.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for causing scheduler software to produce code which executes more rapidly by ignoring some of the normal constraints placed on its scheduling operations and simply scheduling certain instructions to run as fast as possible, raising an exception if the scheduling violates a scheduling constraint, and determining steps to be taken for correctly executing each set of instructions about which an exception is raised.

Abstract: A method (100) is provided for detecting an obstruction within a field of view of a camera (12) from an image (200) captured by the camera (12). The method (100) includes: analyzing the image (200) by applying edge detection (104) to the image (200), identifying (108) regions of the image (200) lacking edge content and comparing (112) a size of the identified regions to a threshold; and determining if there is an obstruction based upon a result of said comparison.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of processors programmed to perform distributed, iterative computations on aggregate statistics of a data set. Each of the processors maintains global statistics describing the data set. The processors are programmed to iteratively perform a plurality of Gibbs sampling sweeps over a corresponding subset of the data set to update the corresponding global statistics. The processors are further programmed to maintain differential vectors representing the changes made to the global statistics by local computation. These can be broadcast to other processors to create a consistent global statistic across processors. The differential vectors can be saved for a number of past generations to provide updates for slow processors, processors that have been down for some time and newly added processors to the network. Additional methods are described for efficiently compressing multiple differential vector updates in to a smaller number of equally informative updates.

Abstract: A system for providing an oxygen enriched localized environment in a user compartment on an aircraft that can include a gas separation system having an oxygen output channel that outputs a flow of oxygen enriched air, and a duct network coupled to the oxygen output channel and to direct the flow of oxygen enriched air to the user compartment, localized volume.

Abstract: A system directing oxygen enriched air to locations on an aircraft. A nitrogen generating system may be configured for generating nitrogen enriched air and oxygen enriched air.

Abstract: A method and system collects diagnostic data for use in diagnosing existing and potential image quality issues related to a printer. Document cover sheets and/or electronic versions of the cover sheets are routinely collected, even when there has been no reported image quality issue, to preserve a historical record of the output of the printer over an extended time period. The historical record of the images on the routinely collected cover sheets and/or electronic versions of the cover sheets include data useful in diagnosing existing and potential image quality issues related to substantive pages of the documents processed by the printer.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an energy-management system for managing energy within a predominantly closed power system. The system includes an identifying mechanism configured to identify a number of components coupled to the energy-management system, a receiving mechanism configured to receive current status information of the components, an evaluating mechanism configured to evaluate future energy need, a planning mechanism configured to plan future energy activities based on the energy need and the current status information, and a controlling mechanism configured to control operations of the components based on the planned energy activities.