Patents Issued in March 20, 2018
  • Patent number: 9922265
    Abstract: A system for performing global scale object detection using satellite imagery, comprising an object detection server that receives and analyzes image data to identify objects within an image via a curated computational method, and a curation interface that enables a user to curate image information for use in object identification, and a method for a curated computational method for performing global scale object detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DigitalGlobe, Inc.
    Inventors: Muhammad Hamid, Stephen O'Hara
  • Patent number: 9922266
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of visual saliency estimation comprising receiving an input sequence of image frames. Each image frame has one or more channels, and each channel has one or more pixels. The method further comprises, for each channel of each image frame, generating corresponding neural spiking data based on a pixel intensity of each pixel of the channel, generating a corresponding multi-scale data structure based on the corresponding neural spiking data, and extracting a corresponding map of features from the corresponding multi-scale data structure. The multi-scale data structure comprises one or more data layers, wherein each data layer represents a spike representation of pixel intensities of a channel at a corresponding scale. The method further comprises encoding each map of features extracted as neural spikes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Andreopoulos, Steven K. Esser, Dharmendra S. Modha
  • Patent number: 9922267
    Abstract: Techniques for locating features of interest in warped images are described. For example, a destination image is generated from a source image based on warping a portion of the source image according to a backward map. Each of the two images is associated with a mesh having a tile-based geometry. The backward map maps points from the destination mesh to pixels in the source image. Triangles are formed from the tiles of the destination mesh. A forward map is generated based on the triangles and the backward map. The forward map maps points from the source mesh to pixels in the destination image. A point from the source mesh is identified that corresponds to a pixel of a feature of interest. The forward map is applied to this point to locate a pixel in the destination image. This pixel corresponds to the location of the feature in the destination image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: John Worthington
  • Patent number: 9922268
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image interpretation report creating apparatus that creates an image interpretation report including a finding and is associated with a key image, includes a key image selecting unit, a position detecting unit, a first local structure information generating unit, and a display. A key image selecting unit selects a sub-image as the key image from among a plurality of sub-images comprising a medical image. A position detecting unit detects a position of a characteristic local structure in a human body from the medical image. A first local structure information generating unit identifies a local structure in the key image or in a vicinity of the key image and generates information on the identified local structure as first local structure information. A display displays the first local structure information as a candidate to be entered in an entry field for the finding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Taisuke Iwamura, Kousuke Sakaue, Masashi Yoshida, Shigeyuki Ishii, Satoshi Ikeda, Hitoshi Yamagata, Takashi Masuzawa, Naoki Sugiyama, Muneyasu Kazuno, Yosuke Okubo, Hiroyuki Yamasaki, Jun Kawakami, Takashi Kondo, Guang Yi Ong
  • Patent number: 9922269
    Abstract: Defect classification includes acquiring one or more images of a specimen including multiple defects, grouping the defects into groups of defect types based on the attributes of the defects, receiving a signal from a user interface device indicative of a first manual classification of a selected number of defects from the groups, generating a classifier based on the first manual classification and the attributes of the defects, classifying, with the classifier, one or more defects not manually classified by the manual classification, identifying the defects classified by the classifier having the lowest confidence level, receiving a signal from the user interface device indicative of an additional manual classification of the defects having the lowest confidence level, determining whether the additional manual classification identifies one or more additional defect types not identified in the first manual classification, and iterating the procedure until no new defect types are found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Sankar Venkataraman, Li He, John R. Jordan, III, Oksen Baris, Harsh Sinha
  • Patent number: 9922270
    Abstract: Systems and methods of generating a compact visual vocabulary are provided. Descriptor sets related to digital representations of objects are obtained, clustered and partitioned into cells of a descriptor space, and a representative descriptor and index are associated with each cell. Generated visual vocabularies could be stored in client-side devices and used to obtain content information related to objects of interest that are captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC
    Inventors: Bing Song, David McKinnon
  • Patent number: 9922271
    Abstract: Object detection and across disparate fields of view are provided. A first image generated by a first recording device with a first field of view, and a second image generated by a second recording device with a second field of view can be obtained. An object detection component can detect a first object within the first field of view, and a second object within the second field of view. An object classification component can determine first and second level classification categories of the first object. Object components can correlate the first object with the second object based on the descriptor of the first object or a descriptor of the second object, and can determine a characteristic or the first object or the second object based on the correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NETRA, INC.
    Inventor: Shashi Kant
  • Patent number: 9922272
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate to machine learning for multimodal image data. By way of introduction, the present embodiments described below include apparatuses and methods for learning a similarity metric using deep learning based techniques for multimodal medical images. A novel similarity metric for multi-modal images is provided using the corresponding states of pairs of image patches to generate a classification setting for each pair. The classification settings are used to train a deep neural network via supervised learning. A multi-modal stacked denoising auto encoder (SDAE) is used to pre-train the neural network. A continuous and smooth similarity metric is constructed based on the output of the neural network before activation in the last layer. The trained similarity metric may be used to improve the results of image fusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Xi Cheng, Li Zhang, Yefeng Zheng
  • Patent number: 9922273
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for establishing a network connection in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes a controller, an image acquisition unit, and a code image analyzer. The controller establishes a network connection with a peripheral terminal using network information acquired through a code image. The image acquisition unit captures the code image generated by the peripheral terminal. The code image analyzer analyzes the code image acquired by the image acquisition unit and acquires the network information of the peripheral terminal. The code image includes at least any one of network information of the peripheral terminal, code image generation information, and information on an automatic execution program to be automatically executed after code image recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hun Lim
  • Patent number: 9922274
    Abstract: A test apparatus comprising a portable reference element having color and spectrophotometrically neutral gray elements of predetermined hues and saturations, and a digital software file provides identical color and spectrophotometrically neutral grayscale data which, when printed or otherwise reproduced accurately, may be compared with the test colors and grayscale provided by the portable reference element, enabling appropriate adjustments to be made to the printer as required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Ferrand D. E. Corley
  • Patent number: 9922275
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit, a punch mechanism, a display unit, a hole formation request receiving unit, a demand input receiving unit, a region designating unit, an extraction unit, a selection unit, and a punch mechanism control unit. The demand input receiving unit receives an input of a demand about punch hole formation from a user. The region designating unit designates a region in which a punch hole is to be formed by the punch mechanism through the display unit. The extraction unit extracts punch hole formation portion candidates having a printing rate lower than a predetermined value in the designated region. The selection unit causes a user to select the hole formation portion satisfying the demand. The punch mechanism control unit performs control so that the punch hole formation by the punch mechanism is carried out in the selected hole formation portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Yukihiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 9922276
    Abstract: Component circuitry for a replaceable printer component, including a dynamic address generator which selectively generates component addresses, wherein substantially immediately following an event, the component circuitry performs in succession a plurality of sets of operations, each set of operations including receiving an address change request from a master and generating a new component address by the dynamic address generator in response, a last one of the new component addresses generated being available as the component address for the component circuitry in one or more subsequent communications with the master.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Zachary Nathan Fister, Gregory Scott Woods
  • Patent number: 9922277
    Abstract: A barrier for concealing text of a transactional card has a layer of adhesive and a layer of foam. The barrier has a primary side connected to a secondary side at a hinge point. The hinge point has a plurality of perforations. The primary side of the barrier is configured to overlay at least a portion of text on the front face of a transactional card. The secondary side of the barrier is configured to overlay at least a portion of text located on the rear of a transactional card. The barrier has a tab protruding from an outer perimeter edge of the barrier and at least one recess configured to be oriented to overlay the embossed text of a transactional card. The barrier can have an opening configured to make at least a portion of the text of a transactional card visible through the opening to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Jesse James Hess
  • Patent number: 9922278
    Abstract: For ensuring the integrity of a physical document, an apparatus is disclosed. A system, method, and program product also perform the functions of the apparatus. The apparatus for ensuring the integrity of a physical document includes a processor, a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The processor identifies an integrity symbol within a physical document, the first integrity symbol representative of content of the physical document, and converts the integrity symbol into an integrity map having at least two values, the integrity symbol being a symbolic representation of the integrity map suitable for printing. The processor compares content of the physical document to the integrity map to verify integrity of the physical document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Robert James Kapinos, Timothy Winthrop Kingsbury, Scott Wentao Li, Russell Speight VanBlon
  • Patent number: 9922279
    Abstract: A scannable code is used to facilitate copy and paste of content, wherein context information associated with the content is serialized and encoded directly into the scannable code. When the scannable code is decoded, the content is pasted into a desired location in a manner that is consistent with the context information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Wujun Li, Hongrui Zhang, Yi Zhang, Sangeeta Mudnal, Fei Wu
  • Patent number: 9922280
    Abstract: Examples of techniques for encoding data in a 2D symbology are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented comprises assigning a first color representative of a 0-bit and a second color representative of a 1-bit. The method further comprises designating a starting cell pair and an ending cell pair. The method also comprises generating, by a processing device, the 2D symbology. The 2D symbology comprises a series of cells in a cell space starting with the starting cell pair and ending with the ending cell pair. Each cell between the starting cell pair and the ending cell pair corresponds to a bit of a binary string and has a common cell length. The cells corresponding to a 0-bit are colored the first color and the cells corresponding to a 1-bit are colored the second color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erich Guenter, Mark E. Maresh, Colm Nolan, Juan F. Vargas, Michael J. Whitney
  • Patent number: 9922281
    Abstract: At least some aspects of the present disclosure feature a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag adapted to wirelessly communicate with a remote transceiver. The RFID tag includes a substrate; and first and second circuits disposed on the substrate and comprising respective first and second antennas magnetically coupled to one another. At least some aspects of the present disclosure feature a RFID tag having a plurality of RF circuits, where each RF circuit is electronically coupled to a sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Nicholas T. Gabriel, Ronald D. Jesme, Andrew P. Bonifas
  • Patent number: 9922282
    Abstract: Methods and systems for an Automated Readiness Evaluation System (ARES), which is adapted for use with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The ARES (and UAS with such an ARES) is configured for a particular task or application selected by the user based upon their level of specific knowledge. The system may include: hardware components with communication protocols; a task, module data, and skill level repository; a user device; and an optional base system. Methods are provided for configuration, calibration, error checking, and operation of a UAS whereby the ARES serves as a mission planner by calculating the mission parameters for a user-selected task to minimize mission failure by determining the variables for task completion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: LIMITLESS COMPUTING, INC.
    Inventors: Errin T. Weller, Jeffrey B. Franklin
  • Patent number: 9922283
    Abstract: An RFID tag includes: a base portion in a plate shape made of dielectric material; a loop antenna formed by etching and including a first antenna element and a second antenna element disposed in a loop shape along an outer periphery of the base portion; and an IC chip inserted to the loop antenna in series and including a first electrode and a second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Manabu Kai
  • Patent number: 9922284
    Abstract: A wireless communication device includes an antenna resonance circuit and a wireless IC element. The antenna resonance circuit includes a loop-shaped antenna that performs wireless communication by generating a magnetic field and series inductors connected in series to the loop-shaped antenna. The antenna resonance circuit has a resonant frequency corresponding to a carrier frequency. The wireless IC element is connected to the antenna resonance circuit and processes transmission and reception signals. An inductance value of the series inductors is larger than an inductance value of the loop-shaped antenna, and the series inductors are covered with a magnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Takeoka, Noboru Kato
  • Patent number: 9922285
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing predictive assignments pertaining to genetic information. One embodiment is a system that includes a genetic prediction server. The genetic prediction server includes an interface that acquires records that each indicate one or more genetic variants determined to exist within an individual, and a controller. The controller selects one or more machine learning models that utilize the genetic variants as input, and loads the machine learning models. For each individual in the records: the controller predictively assigns at least one characteristic to that individual by operating the machine learning models based on at least one genetic variant indicated in the records for that individual. The controller also generates a report indicating at least one predictively assigned characteristic for at least one individual, and transmits a command via the interface for presenting the report at a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: HumanCode, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher M. Glode, Ryan P. Trunck, Rani K. Powers, Jennifer L. Lescallett
  • Patent number: 9922286
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting and correcting anomalies in computer-based reasoning systems are provided herein. The techniques can include obtaining current context data and determining a contextually-determined action based on the obtained context data and a reasoning model. The reasoning model may have been determined based on multiple sets of training data. The techniques may cause performance of the contextually-determined action and, potentially, receiving an indication that performing the contextually-determined action in the current context resulted in an anomaly. The techniques include determining a portion of the reasoning model that caused the determination of the contextually-determined action based on the obtained context data and causing removal of the portion of the model that caused the determination of the contextually-determined action, to produce a corrected reasoning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Diveplane Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher James Hazard
  • Patent number: 9922287
    Abstract: The present principles are directed to identifying and classifying web traffic inside encrypted network tunnels. A method includes analyzing network traffic of unencrypted data packets to detect packet traffic, timing, and size patterns. The detected packet, timing, and size traffic patterns are correlated to at least a packet destination and a packet source of the unencrypted data packets to create at least one of a training corpus and a model built from the training corpus. The at least one of the corpus and model is stored in a memory device. Packet traffic, timing, and size patterns of encrypted data packets are observed. The observed packet traffic, timing, and size patterns of the encrypted data packets are compared to at least one of the training corpus and the model to classify the encrypted data packets with respect to at least one of a predicted network host and predicted path information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mihai Christodorescu, Xin Hu, Douglas L. Schales, Reiner Sailer, Marc PH. Stoecklin, Ting Wang, Andrew M. White
  • Patent number: 9922288
    Abstract: Systems and methods for checking the consistency of established facts within internal works according to the present disclosure operate by identifying established facts within the internal works and determining whether any of the established facts are contradictory to one another. Facts may be established and conflicts may be identified by any means, such as by determining associations between words of the internal work, or by consulting one or more external resources. If a contradiction between established facts is identified, then an author of the internal work or other user may be notified, and a change to the internal work may be recommended to the author or user, or requested from the author or user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jay Austin Crosley
  • Patent number: 9922289
    Abstract: A technique relates to a microwave device. A pump resonator, at a first pump resonator end, is connected to both a dispersive nonlinear element and a first stub. The pump resonator, at a second pump resonator end, is capacitively coupled to a pump port, where the first stub is terminated in an open circuit. A quantum signal resonator, at a first quantum signal resonator end, is connected to both the dispersive nonlinear element and a second stub. The quantum signal resonator, at a second signal resonator end, is capacitively coupled to a signal port, where the second stub is connected to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Baleegh Abdo
  • Patent number: 9922290
    Abstract: A pair of records is tokenized to form a normalized representation of an entity represented by each record. The tokens are correlated to a machine learning system by determining whether a learned resolution already exists for the two entities. If not, the normalized records are compared to generate a comparison measure to determine whether the records match. The normalized records can also be used to perform a web search and web search results can be normalized and used as additional records for matching. When a match is found, the records are updated to indicate that they match, and the match is provided to the machine learning system to update the learned resolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Satish J. Thomas, Murtaza Muidul Huda Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 9922291
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing personalized configuration of physical supports for the human body, comprising accepting input including an individual's demographic information, neurological attributes, physical history, operational environment, and outcome or use objectives, processing user input employing an artificial intelligence engine, and then returning guidance and/or control parameters directed to seating adjustment and positioning, including incline angles for wheelchair tilt and recline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: University of Central Oklahoma
    Inventor: Jicheng Fu
  • Patent number: 9922292
    Abstract: Various embodiments train a prediction model for predicting a label to be allocated to a prediction target explanatory variable set. In one embodiment, one or more sets of training data are acquired. Each of the one or more sets of training data includes at least one set of explanatory variables and a label allocated to the at least one explanatory variable set. A plurality of explanatory variable subsets is extracted from the at least one set of explanatory variables. A prediction model is trained utilizing the training data. The plurality of explanatory variable subsets is reflected on a label predicted by the prediction model to be allocated to a prediction target explanatory variable set with each of the plurality of explanatory variable subsets weighted respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Katsuki, Yuma Shinohara
  • Patent number: 9922293
    Abstract: Methods and systems for implementing experimental trials on utility grids. Variations in grid parameters are selected to introduce into utility grids to improve the value of learning from each experimental trial and promoting improved utility grid performance by computing expected values for both learning and grid performance. Those trials are used to manage the opportunity costs and constraints that affect the introduction of variations into utility grid parameters and the generation of valid data that can be attributed to particular variations in utility grid parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian E. Brooks, Yang Lu, Andrew T. Tio, Chong Yang Ong, Gilles J. Benoit
  • Patent number: 9922294
    Abstract: A secure short-distance-based communication and enforcement system validates users in a validation and enforcement area and can check if users in the validation and enforcement area have been validated. Run-time IDs and keys that may be location-specific and device-specific may be generated and utilized for secure communication between mobile devices and zone computers and enforcement computers that execute validation and inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Sunil Raina, Avishek Somani, Alden Cuddihey, Scott Thomas Butler, Douglas Arthur Michael Archibald
  • Patent number: 9922295
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for evolving a shared to-do list into a business process is disclosed. A business process includes one or more business steps and zero or more action rules related to the business steps. Members of a workgroup participate in the business process and are able to view, modify, add and delete business steps and action rules as needed. An action rule is comprised of one or more business actions and one or more events that trigger the actions to be executed. A computer program keeps track of the business steps, interprets the set of rules, and updates states of the business process, notifies the members and validates and accepts modifications by the members to the action rules of a business steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen Dill, James Lin, Thomas P. Moran, Barton Allen Smith
  • Patent number: 9922296
    Abstract: A distribution apparatus includes a reception part that receives first data and a request for execution of a process according to a process definition formed of one or more units of processing with respect to the first data, and one or more processing parts that execute the corresponding one or more units of processing. At least one processing part is a distribution part that distributes, to a distribution destination specified in the process definition, the first data or second data output as a result of execution of a unit of processing executed before a unit of processing corresponding to the at least one processing part. The distribution part distributes the first or second data based on information indicating a distribution method for the specified distribution destination defined in the process definition, when the specified distribution destination is included in multiple distribution destinations to which a communications protocol is common.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideaki Hayano
  • Patent number: 9922297
    Abstract: Queue techniques which use a beacon to detect customers. An example queue method includes receiving a message containing an identifier and contact information from a mobile communication device carried by a customer within communication range of a beacon, establishing a position of the customer in a queue, and sending a reply message to the mobile communication device at the contact information containing queue information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Rafael Yepez
  • Patent number: 9922298
    Abstract: A system for determining asset configuration in a service delivery environment, comprises a simulation module developing a simulation model reflecting features of the service delivery environment, a search module using the simulation model and constraint data to determine a plurality of asset configurations for evaluation, a first evaluation module determining a value of each of the asset configurations, and determining the asset configuration of the plurality of asset configurations that yields a value meeting a predetermined objective, and a second evaluation module determining a deviation from a current configuration that would be caused by each of the asset configurations, and determining the asset configuration that yields a lowest deviation of the plurality of asset configurations, wherein the second evaluation module uses the value meeting the predetermined objective from the first evaluation module as a constraint when determining the asset configuration that yields the lowest deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gargi Dasgupta, Nirmit V. Desai, Yixin Diao, Aliza R. Heching
  • Patent number: 9922299
    Abstract: An apparatus for assessing and controlling the quality of a project in a production environment is provided. The apparatus is configured to: receive a first score, wherein the first score comprises a first numerical value associated with a first level of quality, wherein the first level of quality is associated with a first deliverable; receive a second score, wherein the second score comprises a second numerical value associated with a second level of quality, wherein the second level of quality is associated with the first deliverable; and process the first score and the second score to generate a third score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeannette M. Ross, Shilpi Choudhari, Priyanka Kapoor, Tomy Victor Pathrose, Antonio J. Kinney
  • Patent number: 9922300
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, input data may be received from a data source in an enterprise database in accordance with an enterprise performance management planning model, stored by a processor at the enterprise database. An operation may then be performed on the input data to produce a result. The result may then be stored in a data target, wherein the data target points to a data holding entity in an instantiation of a plan data container at the enterprise database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Jan Rittinger, Bernhard Jaecksch, Daniel Merkel, Gerrit Simon Kazmaier, Lars Volker, Stefan Uhrig, Yeonghee Choi
  • Patent number: 9922301
    Abstract: An information display method is disclosed in a control system in which a lighting mode is selected from among a plurality of lighting modes, and lighting equipment is controlled at a lighting target area in accordance with the selected lighting mode. The method comprising: generating each of the merchandising values representing an index for evaluating a performance of at least one store; classifying each of the merchandising values in according with each of time periods; obtaining lighting mode information from the control system, the lighting mode information indicating the lighting mode selected in each of the time periods; and transmitting to the terminal device, each of the classified merchandising values and each pieces of the obtained lighting mode information corresponding to each of the classified merchandising values, in each of the time periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Toru Tanigawa, Masaki Takahashi, Kento Ogawa, Katsufumi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9922302
    Abstract: A shipping system and method for tracking customer personal information in electronic devices. The shipping system includes a processor for executing a set of instructions and a memory for storing the set of instructions. The instructions are executed by the processor to receive one or more electronic devices for shipping to a destination, determine whether the one or more electronic devices include CPI, record an identification and metadata of the one or more electronic devices in response to determining CPI is included on the one or more electronic devices, and prevent the shipping system from generating a shipping label to ship the one or more electronic devices in response to determining the CPI is included on the one or more electronic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FedEx Supply Chain Logistics & Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Gventer, Ken Nguyen, Kevin M. Asbury, Joel McCarty, Mike Lowry
  • Patent number: 9922303
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer program products to implement product group mappings. In order for different CRM applications (e.g., sell side and internal side applications) to work in cohesive manner, the disclosed approaches provide mapping functionality that can map product groups captured in one system using one hierarchy to be translated to the other system using the hierarchy that the consuming system understands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene G. Chikovani, Vibhor K. Gaur, Mark David Lewis, Hang Lu
  • Patent number: 9922304
    Abstract: An apparatus senses and records consumption of medical items during performance of a medical procedure. The medical items are enclosed in wrappers having RFID tags in which medical item information is encoded. The apparatus includes a shielded enclosure that attenuates radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags disposed outside the shielded enclosure to levels that are substantially undetectable within the internal space. RFID antennas inside the shielded enclosure receive radio frequency signals emanated from RFID tags on wrappers that are removed from used items and placed inside the enclosure. An RFID reader decodes the medical item information encoded in the RFID tags. A computer processor executes a medical item inventory module including instructions for generating a post-op list of medical items consumed during the medical procedure. Item billing information and usage trend information may be derived from the post-op list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DeRoyal Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. DeBusk, Mary E. Kaylor, Gerald T. Griffith, Timothy J. Waggoner, Jeffrey D. Griffith, Angela M. Sewell, John G. Jacobs, Rex A. Hurd
  • Patent number: 9922305
    Abstract: A method and associated systems for automatically identifying critical resources in an organization. An organization creates a model of the dependencies between pairs of resource types, wherein that model describes how the organization's projects and services are affected when a resource type becomes unavailable. This model may include a system of directed graphs. This model may be used to automatically identify a resource type as critical if unacceptable cost is incurred by resuming projects and services rendered infeasible when the resource type is disrupted. The model may also be used to automatically identify a first resource type as critical for a second resource type when disruption of the first resource type forces the available capacity of the second resource type to fall below a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sreyash D. Kenkre, Sameep Mehta, Krishnasuri Narayanam, Vinayaka D. Pandit
  • Patent number: 9922306
    Abstract: In some examples, a mobile reading device is provided. The mobile reading device may include an movement device and a reader device. The reader device may be configured to read, via one or more antennas, identifying tags associated with items. The one or more antennas may be included as part of the mobile reading device, within a holder structure, or in some other structure or device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Scott Russell, Thomas Matthew Ryle, Jonathan David Phillips, Justin David Kelly, Wesley Scott Lauka, William R. Hazlewood
  • Patent number: 9922307
    Abstract: A semiconductor-transistor-based system and device that are designed to, but are not limited to: electronically outputting electronic-semiconductor-transistor-voltage-level-based-state-machine-assisted-user-menu-selection display associated with electronic-semiconductor-transistor-voltage-level-based-state-machine-assisted collection of user-physiological information, associated with electronic-semiconductor-transistor-voltage-level-based-state-machine-assisted collection of user-conduct information, and associated with electronic-semiconductor-transistor-voltage-level-based-state-machine-assisted obtaining of food-based information. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Eric C. Leuthardt, Royce A. Levien, Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Clarence T. Tegreene, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood
  • Patent number: 9922308
    Abstract: Among other things, at least part of an organizational chart of an enterprise is displayed to a manager, the displayed organizational chart including employee positions and their relationships, and elements are displayed on the displayed organizational chart that can be invoked by the manager to perform actions with respect to the employee positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Peoplefluent, Inc.
    Inventors: Michelle Mudler, Michael Galyen, Tobias Hauner, Mark Munzer
  • Patent number: 9922309
    Abstract: Draft management for new electronic communication messages in a mailbox folder is provided. When a user selects to create a new email message, a draft of the new message may appear in a list view of one or more of the user's mailbox folders. The list view may display aggregated contents from both a mailbox folder and the drafts folder. Drafts may be identified as draft messages so that it may be easy for the user to distinguish between draft messages and other email messages. When a draft is deleted or when a draft is sent, it may be removed from the list view. Additionally, selection controls may be provided in the user interface to sort email items by groupings. Selection of a drafts selection control may cause a display of the draft items in the user's email account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: David Claux, Kristian Lennart Magnus Andaker, Jason Todd Henderson, Oleg Ouliankine, Dmitry Alexeenko
  • Patent number: 9922310
    Abstract: Providing a requisite level of service for an electronic meeting. An embodiment can include receiving a request to schedule a first electronic meeting in a time slot, identifying an electronic meeting system to host the first electronic meeting, identifying a second electronic meeting scheduled to be hosted by the electronic meeting system in the time slot, determining an estimate of resource usage within the electronic meeting system during the time slot at least based on the second electronic meeting being scheduled to be hosted by the electronic meeting system in the time slot, comparing the estimate of resource usage with a threshold value, responsive to determining that the estimate of resource usage exceeds the threshold value, providing the requisite level of service to the first electronic meeting in the time slot by reducing anticipated resource usage of the electronic meeting system by the second electronic meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Judith H. Bank, Patrick J. O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9922311
    Abstract: At a computing device, optionally located in communication with an intermediate node in an electronic bill payment system, access is obtained to a data structure including a plurality of valid customer account numbers for customers of a biller that utilizes or desires to utilize the electronic bill presentment and payment system. With the computing device, each character of each of said valid customer account numbers is replaced with a wild card in accordance with a normalization scheme, to obtain a plurality of normalized valid customer account numbers. At least one pattern of said wild cards in said plurality of normalized valid customer account numbers is designated as a recommended account mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Amy C. Milam, Stephen J. Klaus, Mirza S. Zafar
  • Patent number: 9922312
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for separating the purchase of digital assets from their fulfillment and activation. Digital assets purchase information comprising digital assets identifier information and activation key data, and system identifier information comprising system identifier data, is received. The purchase information and the system identifier information are processed to generate digital assets activation request data, which is then processed by the provider of the digital assets to generate digital assets activation data. Associated digital assets data is provided with the digital assets activation data and then processed with the purchase transaction data to generate digital assets entitlement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
    Inventors: Clint H. O'Connor, Gary D. Huber, Michael Haze
  • Patent number: 9922313
    Abstract: Techniques to custom define transaction sessions are provided. A plugin-based architecture is provided having tasks as units of atomic work that are bound to orchestrators. The orchestrators form plug-in transaction sessions. Specific instances of plugin transaction sessions are deployed and processed from network-based machines, such as but not limited to kiosks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Raymond Cooke, Mark Thomas Alston
  • Patent number: 9922314
    Abstract: An embedded touch POS machine which integrates input and output, remote signal transmission and reception, and printing, is provided. The embedded touch POS machine comprises a touch screen display, a printer and a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket comprises a box-shaped bracket body constructed of a transverse plate and a vertical plate and a movable bracket lid mounted on a top of the box-shaped bracket body. The touch screen display is disposed on a top face of the bracket lid, the printing head is disposed to a side of a bottom face of the bracket lid, the printer body and the printing paper scroll are disposed on the transverse plate of the bracket body, and, the printing board is located at a bottom face of the transverse plate of the bracket body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Zhe Lin