Abstract: A method enabling digital automation of virtual events comprises providing a virtual environment enabling interactions between users represented by user graphical representations created from media feeds received from corresponding user cameras; responsive to a session request received from at least one client device, setting up a virtual event session between at least two users; obtaining an event flow rule set comprising a plurality of rules, the rule set determining an event flow sequence comprising presentation of media streams of the users in the virtual event session; applying the event flow rule set to the media streams of the users in the virtual event session; and, responsive to the application of the event flow rule set to the media streams, triggering an event flow action in real time in the virtual event session, wherein the triggered event flow action comprises modifying presentation of a media stream in the virtual event session.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques for providing an in-line AI virtual assistant are provided. A system includes a session border controller coupled to an end-user device, and a session initiation protocol stack. The session initiation protocol stack includes a processor, and non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions executable by the processor to: receive, from the session border controller, a call invite request; provision, via the AI virtual assistant service, an AI virtual assistant instance in response to the call invite request; and join the AI virtual assistant instance to a call with the end-user device.

Abstract: Techniques for dynamically converting a communication channel associated with a communication channel from a communication channel associated with a single organization to a shared communication channel associated with two or more organizations. The communication channel may have associated therewith member profiles associated with a first organization and one or more guest profiles associated with one or more other organizations that are different from the first organization. A server computing system may convert the communication channel to a shared communication channel based on a determination of eligibility for conversion. The server computing system may generate one or more user interfaces associated with the member profiles and the one or more guest profiles, enabling members and guests to communicate via the shared communication channel.

Abstract: The techniques disclosed herein provide controlled user interface transitions for private breakout communication sessions. A system provides a Together Mode user interface that gives participants of a communication session a feeling that they are in the same room. When a person joins a communication session, a system uses a seating policy to determine a location of that user. That user is placed near or next to a select user meeting one or more conditions. If a number of people join the communication session, each person is ranked according to an organizational chart and each person is positioned and ordered relative to the select user according to each person's rank. The system configures the updated user interface arrangement to maintain the position of the select group of the participants.

Abstract: A contents sharing network is provided. An operating method of a control device includes determining a current state of possible states in a contents sharing process over a network; and displaying an icon indicating the current state among a plurality of predefined icons. The states are defined as a combination of at least one item of network connection, device discovery, a type of the discovered device, the number of the discovered devices, and existence of an available additional service.

Abstract: A communication/collaboration system enables a first user at a first entity to define a collaboration object, and to invite a second entity to collaborate on the collaboration object in accordance with a hierarchy with corresponding permissions. A second user at a second entity is enabled to collaborate on the collaboration object. A communications log regarding the collaboration between the first user and the second user is maintained. A communications log between the first user and other users at the first entity is maintained. A communication interface is displayed on the first user computer system that displays the log of communications between the first user and the second user on the collaboration object, together with the log of communications regarding the collaboration object between the first user and other users at the first entity, and excluding communications regarding the collaboration object between the second user and other users at the second entity.

Abstract: Embodiments for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) scenes updates at VR/AR devices in a network are described. Network traffic for the scene updates is divided into traffic layers such as coarse grain (CG) layer traffic and a fine grain (FG) layer traffic for a give VR/AR scene update. The CG layer traffic is scheduled first in resource units (RUs) of a plurality a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for a VR device and FG layer traffic is scheduled in remaining RUs during the TXOP to provide synchronous viewing experiences to users of the VR/AR devices.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for content delivery. A user of a first computing device that is playing back content may want to transfer or cast the content to a second computing device. When the first computing device receives the request to cast the content to the second computing device, the content may continue to be received and played back by the first computing device while it establishes a seamless transition to the second computing device. The first computing device may contact the content origin and send to the second computing device a manifest file that instructs the second computing device to request an initial portion of the segments of the content from the first computing device. The content origin may then process the cast request from the first computing device and begin providing subsequent segments of content to the second computing device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing video content in a Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (DASH) streaming session may be provided. The method may include obtaining a pre-session-based description (PreSBD) information of the DASH streaming session instructing a PreSBD client to generate customized session-based description (SBD) document uniform resource locator (URL) for a plurality of SBD descriptors of the DASH streaming session. The method may further include instantiating the PreSBD client and passing PreSBD descriptor information. Then, the method may include controlling generation of a customized SBD document URL associated with a first SBD descriptor from the plurality of SBD descriptors of the DASH streaming session. The method may further include launching a first SBD client based on the customized SBD document URL and passing the first SBD descriptor.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing encoding or decoding of adaptive bitrate streams. In various embodiments, one or more first computing systems may divide a live media content stream into one or more segments, each segment might include a starting segment boundary and an ending segment boundary. The one or more first computing systems might encode the one or more segments into one or more primary adaptive bitrate streams. The one or more first computing systems might also divide the one or more segments of the live media content stream into one or more subsegments. Each subsegment might be less than a length of a corresponding segment of the one or more segments. The one or more first computing systems might the encode and/or a second computing system might decode the one or more subsegments into or from one or more secondary adaptive bitrate streams.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for facilitating the following operations are disclosed. A first content composite that is configured with a containerization object may be transmitted. The containerization object may be configured with one or both of containerization specifications and a container flag to facilitate performance of operations by an endpoint media device with respect to the first content composite. The first content composite may include a set of one or more audio and/or video packets corresponding to audio and/or video content. One or more communications corresponding to one or more indications of one or more detected operations associated with the endpoint media device may be received consequent to the endpoint media device performing the operations. Based at least in part on the one or more communications, a set of observation data mapped to the endpoint media device and the first content composite may be aggregated.

Abstract: A method and processing unit for creating and rendering synchronized content for content rendering environment are described in present disclosure. Initially, live content rendered to users in content rendering environment is received. Further, inputs from first user, and optionally from one or more second users is collected during rendering of live content. The inputs comprises user inputs provided in at least one of virtual environment and user actions in real-world environment. Inputs are collected along with at least one of corresponding time stamp and corresponding spatial stamp in content rendering environment. Upon collecting inputs, live content is synchronized with the inputs based on at least one of the time and spatial stamp, and context mapping of the inputs with segments of the live content to output a synchronized content. By rendering such synchronized content to the user, replication of live rendering of the content may be experienced by the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for selecting video formats for adaptive video streaming are provided.

Abstract: A method of automatically identifying state information in different middlebox programs first identifies relevant program portions by expanding outward from a packet processing loop to statements dependent either by control or data dependency on that packet processing loop. Persistent variables in the statements are then collected and optionally winnowed by whether they are “used” or modified by those statements. The identified state variables may be segregated according to flow-spaces and/or output function so that a request for state data may be tailored precisely to the necessary state data greatly reducing network burden in state data transfer.

Abstract: An operating method of a server to provide an advertisement, which includes: receiving HTTP request from a client; acquiring HTTP response to the HTTP request, which includes first advertisement information; amending the HTTP response—including obfuscating at least a partial field of the HTTP response including the first advertisement information; and transferring the amended HTTP response to the client.

Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods to enable a mobile device to be used as a remote control, in order to control one or more remotely controllable objects. In possible embodiments of the invention, proximity-based (or other) remote controls include control authorization to enable the transfer or sharing of control between different remote controls being implemented on different mobile devices, in order to permit different users to transfer or share control of a same remotely controllable object, for example. In other possible embodiments of the invention, a proximity-based (or other) remote control uses control authentication to enable the pairing of a remote control implemented on a device and a remotely controllable object, for example. Various embodiments of control authority and control authentication are possible and anticipated by the invention to address a wide range of practical remote control applications and provide many benefits to users.

Abstract: A method and a system for arranging a user multi-session from a plurality of user sessions, where the sessions are received from a plurality of computerized client devices communicatively coupled via a communication network to at least one content server. At least some of the client devices may be operated by a same user, and the data content may include at least part of data communicated between any client device and any content server. The method including dividing the received data content into a plurality of sessions, where at least two sessions are associated with the same user, selecting at least two sessions received from at least two respective client devices associated with the same user, and associating the selected at least two sessions to form a multi-session.

Abstract: Examples of the disclosure include a microserver system comprising a plurality of microservers, a common hardware bus interconnecting the microservers, each microserver of the plurality of microservers being configured to execute one or more applications, and a controller coupled to the plurality of microservers, the controller being configured to determine, based on application-load data associated with the one or more applications, a first application load of a first set of one or more applications executed by a first microserver of the plurality of microservers and a second application load of a second set of one or more applications executed by a second microserver of the plurality of microservers, determine that a combination of the first application load and the second application load is below a maximum-application-load threshold of the second microserver, and migrate the first set of one or more applications from the first microserver to the second microserver.

Abstract: Systems, computer program products, and methods are described herein for dynamically determining data center transmissions by implementing load balancers in an electronic network.

Abstract: Anomalies are detected in a distributed application that runs on a plurality of nodes to execute at least first and second workloads. The method of detecting anomalies includes collecting first network traffic data of the first workload and second network traffic data of the second workload during a first period of execution of the first and second workloads, collecting third network traffic data of the first workload and fourth network traffic data of the second workload during a second period of execution of the first and second workloads, and detecting an anomaly in the distributed application based on a comparison of the third network traffic data against the first network traffic data or a comparison of the fourth network traffic data against the second network traffic data. Anomalies may also be detected by comparing network traffic data of two groups of containers executing the same workload.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for peer to peer discovery of remote applications are presented. A client device may discover available remote peers and remotely access applications hosted thereon. The client device may send a discovery message over a network and locate one or more peer devices with available remote access. The peer device may respond with a list including applications installed and currently executing application instances that the client device may remotely access. The peer device may dynamically generate the list based on analyzing applications installed on the peer device and application instances executing on the peer device. The client device may initiate remote access of a selected application hosted on the peer device. The peer device may execute the selected application in a remote mode by hooking input and output interfaces associated with the application, and the application may be executed in a shadow desktop environment.

Abstract: A node synchronization method and apparatus, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium, include: acquiring node data sent by each slave node; obtaining a target cluster parameter from each piece of node data, and obtaining a standard cluster parameter by using the target cluster parameter based on an event queue length; determining an authorized slave node according to the standard cluster parameter, and judging whether a quantity of authorized slave nodes is greater than a quantity threshold; and if the quantity is greater than the quantity threshold, performing event playback on the authorized slave node by using a cluster event based on the standard cluster parameter; or if the quantity is not greater than the quantity threshold, controlling the authorized slave node to perform status synchronization on an unauthorized slave node, and performing event playback on the authorized slave node by using a cluster event after status synchronization.

Abstract: Organizing and publishing content in a content management system wherein content, including text, images and video, is received and segmented into content atoms. One or more tags are associated with the content atoms to allow device specific presentation of the content atoms.

Abstract: Data transmission delays can be significantly reduced by a method comprising by a client computer, receiving a command for downloading distributed information being identified by a primary location on a server sending information about the primary location to a proxy server, and retrieving at a primary piece of information of the distributed information being wherein the primary piece of information includes instructions for obtaining secondary pieces of information each being identified by secondary locations and determining a sequence of importance of the secondary pieces of information. The proxy server as well determines the sequence of importance and sends a first data stream comprising at least a portion of the secondary pieces of information to the client computer according to the sequence.

Abstract: A distributed, web-services based storage system. A system may include a web services interface configured to receive, according to a web services protocol, a given client request for access to a given data object, the request including a key value corresponding to the object. The system may also include storage nodes configured to store replicas of the objects, where each replica is accessible via a respective unique locator value, and a keymap instance configured to store a respective keymap entry for each object. For the given object, the respective keymap entry includes the key value and each locator value corresponding to replicas of the object. A coordinator may receive the given client request from the web services interface, responsively access the keymap instance to identify locator values corresponding to the key value and, for a particular locator value, retrieve a corresponding replica from a corresponding storage node.

Abstract: One or more data packets at a storage node of a storage cluster system is received via a virtual network associated with a storage tenant. A connection between the storage tenant and a tenant communication component of the storage cluster system is terminated. A new connection is established between the tenant communication component of the storage cluster system and a destination associated with the one or more data packets. The one or more data packets are provided to the destination associated with the one or more data packets using a virtual network associated with storage nodes of the storage cluster system.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for a communication between a sensor and a satellite, and sensors for carrying out such a method. The sensor has a transmission unit for transmitting sensor data from the sensor to the satellite and a computing unit for calculating the position of the satellite at a specified point in time. The satellite is configured to receive and forward the sensor data. The method includes calculating a coverage duration using path parameters of the satellite and the position of the sensor, activating the transmission unit of the sensor during a transmission duration based on the calculated coverage duration, and transmitting the sensor data from the sensor to the satellite during the transmission duration.

Abstract: A mobile Internet-of-Things (IoT) edge device, comprising a reconfigurable processor unit including a substrate; a die stack coupled to the substrate and having a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) die element and a reconfigurable die element capable of serving as storage memory or as configuration memory based on configuration information; and a processor coupled to the substrate and configured to cooperate with the die stack for processing data; and a processor-independent connectivity unit coupled to the reconfigurable processor unit and including an antenna; a radio-frequency chip (RFIC) coupled to the antenna and configured to receive incoming signals and transmit outgoing signals over the antenna; circuitry configured to translate the incoming signals to incoming data or transmit the outgoing data to outgoing signals; and a system interface configured to transmit the incoming data to the reconfigurable processor unit for processing, and configured to receive the outgoing data from the reconfigurable p

Abstract: A wrapper layer over a target interface receives requests from client devices over a different interface, converts the requests into a format that is compatible with the target interface, and transmits each converted request over the target interface for processing by a service. The wrapper layer also processes a request by a client device to subscribe to a certain type of update made via the target interface by verifying that the client device is authorized to access a resource associated with that type of update and creating a subscription that identifies the client device and the type of update. When the wrapper layer subsequently receives a request corresponding to that type of update, the wrapper layer matches attributes of the request to the subscription by the client device and transmits a message notifying the client device of the request.

Abstract: Techniques for resource monitoring and managed message reordering in a data center are described. In one example, a computing system comprises an ingress engine to receive a message from a network device in a data center comprising a plurality of network devices and the computing system; and in response to receiving the message from a network device in the data center, communicate the message to an appropriate collector application corresponding to the message's protocol type in compliance with at least one requirement for data stored in a message flow communicated from one or more network devices to the computing system.

Abstract: Some embodiments establish for an entity a virtual network over several public clouds of several public cloud providers and/or in several regions. In some embodiments, the virtual network is an overlay network that spans across several public clouds to interconnect one or more private networks (e.g., networks within branches, divisions, departments of the entity or their associated datacenters), mobile users, and SaaS (Software as a Service) provider machines, and other web applications of the entity. The virtual network in some embodiments can be configured to optimize the routing of the entity's data messages to their destinations for best end-to-end performance, reliability and security, while trying to minimize the routing of this traffic through the Internet. Also, the virtual network in some embodiments can be configured to optimize the layer 4 processing of the data message flows passing through the network.

Abstract: In various examples there is a session border controller, SBC, connected between two communications networks. The SBC comprises a store holding statistics of events in the networks. The SBC also has an ingress receiving messages from the first communications network, the ingress having a memory storing an ingress message manipulation function MMF comprising a plurality of rules. The SBC has a session border controller processing unit connected to the ingress and receiving the messages from the ingress. The SBC has an egress connected to the session border controller processing unit, the egress receiving the messages from the session border controller processing unit and forwarding the messages, to the second communications network, the egress having a memory storing an egress message manipulation function MMF comprising a plurality of rules. At least some of the rules of the ingress MMF or egress MMF are for computing and storing the statistics.

Abstract: Example aspects include techniques for efficient updates in IoT event driven architectures. These techniques may include receiving, from a source application via a publish/subscribe broker service a first block using a first IoT messaging session, the first block including a first portion of a file and a first plurality of communication parameters, and transmitting a first acknowledgement corresponding to the first block, the first acknowledgement approving a proposed parameter of the first plurality of communication parameters. Further, the techniques may include receiving, based on the proposed parameter, from the source application via the publish/subscribe broker service, a second block using a second IoT messaging session, the second block including a second portion of the file and a second plurality of communication parameters, and transmitting a second acknowledgement corresponding to the second block.

Abstract: Example communication methods and apparatus are described. One example method includes determining a first encapsulation identifier corresponding to an Ethernet session by a control plane network element and sending the first encapsulation identifier corresponding to the Ethernet session to a user plane network element, where the first encapsulation identifier is used to instruct the user plane network element to process a data packet corresponding to the Ethernet session based on the first encapsulation identifier. The terminal device determines the first encapsulation identifier corresponding to the Ethernet session and encapsulates an uplink data packet based on the first encapsulation identifier, where the uplink data packet is a data packet triggered by an application program bound to the Ethernet session. The encapsulated data packet is mapped to the Ethernet session corresponding to the first encapsulation identifier for transmission based on the first encapsulation identifier.

Abstract: The invention comprises a universal session protocol configured to initiate, authenticate, and manage the session of an application data stream. The universal session protocol governs the interaction between sending applications and sending agents as well as receiving applications and receiving agents to establish authenticated data streams between applications or systems.

Abstract: Updating a user social network profile of a user based on relevant activities posted by other users in a same social network.

Abstract: An apparatus, such as a computing node, includes a storage device for storing program instructions and a service processor for processing the program instructions to: send an out-of-band request for access to an operator panel, wherein the out-of-band request is sent over a local network domain operatively coupling a plurality of computing nodes; receive a first out-of-band reply identifying an address and one or more capabilities of an operator panel accessible over the local network domain; and negotiate an active link to the operator panel over the local network domain. Another apparatus is similar but further includes an operator panel operatively coupled to a service processor, the service processor for processing the program instructions to: receive the out-of-band request over the local network domain; send the first out-of-band message; and negotiate an active link between the operator panel and a computing node.

Abstract: A multitenancy system that includes a host provider, a programmable device, and multiple tenants is provided. The host provider may publish a multitenancy mode sharing and allocation policy that includes a list of terms to which the programmable device and tenants can adhere. The programmable device may include a secure device manager configured to operate in a multitenancy mode to load a tenant persona into a given partial reconfiguration (PR) sandbox region on the programmable device. The secure device manager may be used to enforce spatial isolation between different PR sandbox regions and temporal isolation between successive tenants in one PR sandbox region.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed that collect media metrics on computing devices. An example apparatus includes at least one memory, instructions in the apparatus, and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to determine a permission level of a meter and, in response to the determination, request a permission to access media data of an application programming interface (API), in response to determining a media session notification is available as indicated by the API, package media session data associated with the media session notification, the media session data extracted from metadata of the media session notification, obtain foreground information; and generate a package of metrics, the package of metrics including the packaged media session data and the foreground information.

Abstract: An electronic device identifier mapping and resolution system are disclosed which may be used to analyze various device identifiers associated with an online event initiated by a particular device in applying a matching algorithm to determine a unique device identifier and/or device profile for the device. Device identifiers provided from disparate sources (such as web browser cookies, network IP addresses, device-specific identifiers, application-specific identifiers, custom identifiers, probabilistic identifiers, etc.), including both deterministic and/or probabilistic identifiers, may be analyzed according to the matching algorithm to determine a device identifier associated with the device. Matching algorithms may be customized and configured to a high degree of complexity for respective entities, such as to analyze disparate device identifiers according to a variety of identifier comparison functions and matching tiers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to restricting generation and delivery of insights to data source providers. Electronic activities and record objects may be accessed. Each record object may correspond to a record object type and have one or more object field-value pairs. Node profiles may be maintained. Updates to a node graph or corresponding to a record object may be detected. A number of data source providers having respective electronic activities or record objects from which the update to the node graph or corresponding to the record object can be determined. Provisioning of a content item to a second data source provider may be restricted.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for including information in an invitation from a first to connect with a second user that identifies a context regarding how the first user found the second user. A system can include a request component configured to receive, at a first network source, information identifying a second user that a first user has selected to send an invitation to connect with at the first network source, a context component configured to determine a context regarding selection of the second user by the first user, including where the first user found the information identifying the second user, and a generation component configured to generate an invitation that invites the second user to connect with the first user at the first network source. The invitation comprises first user identification information and context information identifying the context regarding the selection of the second user by the first user.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for determining a completion score for a record object based on electronic activities. The method includes accessing record objects, each of which corresponds to a record object type and includes object fields having object field-values. The method includes selecting one of the record objects. The method includes identifying electronic activities transmitted or received associated with the record object. Each of the electronic activities has a timestamp indicating a receipt time or transmission time of the respective electronic activity. The method includes determining a participant of each of the electronic activities. The method includes determining a completion score indicating a likelihood of completing an event associated with the record object based on the timestamp of each of the electronic activities and the participant of each of the electronic activities. The method includes storing an association between the record object and the completion score.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to determining the shareability of values of node profiles. Record objects and electronic activities of a system of record corresponding to a data source provider may be accessed. Each record object may correspond to a record object type and have one or more object field-value pairs. Node profiles may be maintained. Values of fields corresponding to a predetermined type of field including fewer than a predetermined threshold number of data source providers may be identified. A restriction tag used to restrict populating other node profiles may be generated. Provision of the value with a second data source provider may be restricted.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, that enable clients to claims spots on client-initiated segments. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, from a device of a creator, data specifying a client-initiated segment created by the creator through an interface presented at the device. A determination is made, based on the number of spots being claimed by the creator, that the client-initiated segment includes one or more available spots that are available to be claimed by clients other than the creator. A proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available is created from a set of clients. For each client in the proper subset of clients, the notification that the client-initiated segment is available is transmitted to the client and the client is enabled to claim a spot on the client-initiated segment.

Abstract: A system includes a first computing device client associated with a first user in a community of users operable to send content to publish to a data aggregation server. The data aggregation server is operable to receive the content to publish from the first computing device client, host a first user profile associated with the first user of the first computing device client, the first user profile identifying a targeted recipient in the community of users, and disseminate automatically the content received from the first computing device client to a second computing device client associated with the targeted recipient, without receiving input from the first computing device client explicitly specifying the targeted recipient to whom the content is disseminated.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for adaptive compression of stored information includes a memory management computing device programmed to monitor a size of a plurality of data structures stored in a data repository. The computing device compares the size of each of a plurality of data structures to a predetermined threshold. When a size of an uncompressed data structure meets the threshold, the memory management computing device calculates a value of a first compression parameter based on a value of a first parameter and a value of a second parameter of each data element of the uncompressed data structure, calculates a value of a second compression parameter based the value of the first parameter of each data element of the uncompressed data structure, generates a compressed data structure based on the value of the first compression parameter and the second compression parameter; and replaces, in the data repository, the uncompressed data structure with the compressed data structure.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for read-only data store replication to edge locations are disclosed. A read-only data store is replicated to an edge server. A request for content is received at the edge server from a client device. The content is sought from a content cache at the edge server or from an origin server coupled to the edge server. Processing of the request is initiated, comprising encountering an event. The event is associated with a function specified by a customer, and the function specifies the read-only data store as input. The function associated with the event is executed at the edge server, including retrieval of data from the data store. The content is generated based at least in part on execution of the function. The content is sent from the edge server to the client device.

Abstract: A method for content management in a cellular network is provided. The method includes receiving, by an application server, a content request including a file identity from a User Equipment (UE), performing, upon receiving the content request, by the application server, at least one action associated with content caching, content retrieval, and content deletion, assigning, by the application server, one or more assisting parameters in a header of an Internet Protocol (IP) packet, based on the at least one performed action, and assisting, by the application server, at least one of a User Plane Function (UPF) device, and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) device of the cellular network to manage content, based on the one or more assigned assisting parameters.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for user interaction and task completion using multiple devices. A set of devices may be used to perform a task, such that different devices may perform different steps of the task. A device management service may update state information at each device of the set, thereby enabling a user to interact with any of the computing devices to perform the task. A device management service may also automatically determine which device should be used by the user, based on task or step requirements, device characteristics, and device capabilities, among other examples. Thus, rather than being required to continue a task on the same device (even when the device is not well-suited for the current step or task), the user is provided with the option to use and, in some instances, is automatically transitioned to use, different devices within the set.