Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080213740 | System and Method for Creating, Executing and Searching through a form of Active Web-Based Content - Xml pages are obtained from knowledge bases that contain step by step instructions. The xml pages are presented as “active content,” by which we mean a series of prompted questions and answers. A user's interactions with the active content is recorded so that the results may be copied to the user's clipboard for automatic transfer to a problem management/ticketing system. Active content that contains embedded questions asked of the user may be used to infer answers to some of the questions from a search query, and, thus, alleviate the need for the user to answer them. | 09-04-2008 |
20080225326 | POLICY BASED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING OUTPUT DEVICE SUBMISSION, USE AND WAIT TIMES - Disclosed is a system and method for optimizing submission of output jobs to a network of output devices, using an output job manager to assign jobs to devices. The assignments are done automatically, based on policies associated with users, output devices, organizations responsible for the output devices, and the system as a whole. User output preferences are expressed as one or more user policies. System and organizational constraints associated with users and output devices and the managing of groups of output devices are also expressed as policies. An optimizing scheduler calculates tradeoffs between user preferences, and factors in constraints to optimize submission of jobs to output devices, and to optimize use and wait times on the output devices. | 09-18-2008 |
20080227066 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTHORING AND OPTIMIZING FLOWCHARTS - A method and system for generating problem resolution flowcharts, whereby users do not author flowcharts directly but instead author a dependency matrix of questions and answers related by state or underlying problem cause. After creation of a matrix of questions and answers, a corresponding flowchart is then calculated based on the information in the dependency matrix, and also based on the likelihood of the various problems and their causes. The probabilities of problems and their causes may be estimated or may be calculated from historical data accumulated by use of the flow chart, or some combination of the two. These probabilities are incorporated into the answer cells of the dependency matrix. The resulting flowchart is tested and evaluated, and the results of testing and evaluation are used to make modifications in the matrix of questions and answers. The flowchart is then made available for execution by a problem determination engine, usable by staff at a help center or directly as self-help to a customer over a network. Experience from use of the problem determination engine is accumulated for use in further refinements of the dependency matrix and its probabilities. | 09-18-2008 |
20080256052 | METHODS FOR DETERMINING HISTORICAL EFFICACY OF A DOCUMENT IN SATISFYING A USER'S SEARCH NEEDS - Documents returned by a search engine may be good keyword matches to the search query terms, but may not historically have been very effective in addressing user needs. Documents which have historically been effective in addressing user needs are said to have high efficacy. Disclosed are methods that try to assess the beginning and ending of user search sessions, assume that documents that are the last document looked at are those with the highest efficacy, and incorporate this notion of efficacy in returning-search results. | 10-16-2008 |
20080270406 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADDING COMMENTS TO KNOWLEDGE DOCUMENTS AND EXPEDITING FORMAL AUTHORING OF CONTENT - A method for modifying knowledge documents, includes: retrieving an authored document per a client request; wiki-fying a copy of the retrieved authored document; accepting client comments into the wiki-fied authored document, while maintaining the integrity of the authored documents; notifying one or more authors of the authored document of the client comments in the wiki-fied copy of the authored document; modifying the authored document based on the determination of the one or more authors to the validity of the client comments; and replacing the authored document with the modified authored document. | 10-30-2008 |
20080270444 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND TOOL FOR WEB-BASED INTERACTIVE GRAPHICAL VISUALIZATION AND AUTHORING OF RELATIONSHIPS - A graphical user interface for allowing an end-user to navigate and edit a hierarchy of objects and relationships is disclosed. The user can add or remove patent and children data objects to or from the view by clicking on a given node, allowing the hierarchy to be examined to any desired level of detail. The user can drag-and-drop nodes from a palette to add new nodes to the database. Similarly, the user can add new relationships by drawings a link between two nodes in the view. The user can delete objects or relationships by clicking on them. The user can modify objects or relationships by clicking on them and changing their properties. The graphical user interface automatically scales and re-adjusts to accommodate the modified object relationships. | 10-30-2008 |
20090063125 | METHOD FOR GLOBALIZING SUPPORT OPERATIONS - Techniques are provided for globalizing handling of service management items. The techniques include obtaining a service management item in a language convenient to a first of two or more actors, translating the service management item into a language-neutral format to obtain a language-neutral service management item, applying one or more annotators to the service management item, translating the language-neutral service management item into a language convenient to a second of two or more actors acting on the service management item, and routing the translated service management item to the second of two or more actors. Techniques are also provided for generating a database of service management items in a language-neutral format. | 03-05-2009 |
20090248401 | System and Methods For Using Short-Hand Interpretation Dictionaries In Collaboration Environments - A method for creating and using a short-hand interpretation dictionary in a collaboration environment includes creating or editing a document in a collaboration environment, said document comprising at least one short-hand notation; and replacing the at least one short-hand notation with an interpretation from at least one short-hand dictionary. | 10-01-2009 |
20100005384 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OFFERING MULTIPLE REPRESENTATIONS OF AN IPC TICKET - A system and method for rendering different views of an incident, problem or change (IPC) ticket relating to an incident based on attributes of the user looking at or working with the ticket includes determining relevant information. An environment related to a usage by the user is determined. Based upon the relevant information and the environment, an IPC ticket generated with different views where only a relevant view of the different views is provided to each particular user. | 01-07-2010 |
20100268681 | Increasing Knowledge Sharing Success Rates Using Real Time Match Making - A method of knowledge sharing using a computer system is provided. The method includes: receiving a question electronically submitted by a user; forwarding the question and at least one response option to at least one expert using a first computer interface; monitoring selected response options from the at least one expert; and selectively presenting the selected response options to the user using a second computer interface. | 10-21-2010 |
20110218773 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIONING AND CONTROLLING AIR CONDITIONING TILES FOR OPTIMAL COOLING USING VORONOI DIAGRAMS - A system and method is disclosed that utilizes a Voronoi diagram to position and/or control perforated ventilation tiles in rooms of equipment requiring cooling air. The Voronoi sites used for constructing the Voronoi diagram are the air inlets of the equipment, and the Voronoi edges of the computed Voronoi diagram are used as the locations for placing (or controlling) perforated tiles. | 09-08-2011 |
20120004976 | Dynamic Internet Advertising System - Methods and apparatus are provided for the dynamic placement, management and monitoring of Internet advertising. A provider of Internet content distributes the Internet content by embedding an advertisement placeholder in the Internet content; and provides the Internet content to an aggregator web site. The aggregator web site presents the Internet content to at least one end user with at least one advertisement in the advertisement placeholder. The advertisement placeholder is processed by a third party agent to automatically share revenue from the at least one advertisement with the provider of the Internet content and a provider of the aggregator web site. The advertisement placeholder can optionally be embedded in the Internet content using one or more templates. The third party agent also evaluates the content and at least one policy of multiple parties to identify at least one advertisement to present in the advertisement placeholder. The advertisement placeholder embodies a three party agreement between the provider of the Internet content, the provider of the aggregator web site and at least one advertiser. | 01-05-2012 |
20120078417 | Detecting Energy and Environmental Leaks In Indoor Environments Using a Mobile Robot - Techniques for energy and environmental leak detection in an indoor environment using one or more mobile robots are provided. An energy leak detection system is provided. The energy leak detection system includes one or more mobile robots configured to move throughout at least a portion of a building and to take temperature and air flow measurements at a plurality of locations within the building. An environmental leak detection system is also provided. The environmental leak detection system includes one or more mobile robots configured to move throughout at least a portion of a building and to take airborne matter measurements at a plurality of locations within the building. | 03-29-2012 |
20120226493 | System and Methods for Using Short-Hand Interpretation Dictionaries in Collaboration Environments - A method for creating and using a short-hand interpretation dictionary in a collaboration environment includes creating or editing a document in a collaboration environment, said document comprising at least one short-hand notation; and replacing the at least one short-hand notation with an interpretation from at least one short-hand dictionary. | 09-06-2012 |
20120254024 | Pay-Per-Use License Management for Software Applications - Methods and apparatus are provided for managing pay-per-use licensing models that determine a licensing fee based on user consumption. A client-side method is provided for monitoring usage of a portion of a software application by a user, by monitoring actions of the user at an image level; determining if one or more predefined user actions are detected, wherein the predefined user actions comprise usage of a function of the software application; and providing a notification of the predefined user actions to a mediation server for payment processing. The notifications are optionally performed periodically for a plurality of the notifications. Execution of the software application can optionally be suspended if payment is not made for the usage, or if the notification is not received by the mediation server. | 10-04-2012 |
20120290135 | UNIFIED AND FLEXIBLE CONTROL OF MULTIPLE DATA CENTER COOLING MECHANISMS - Techniques are described for controlling the climate in a data center. Using the input of an administrator, multiple desired attributes of a data center (e.g., temperature, energy consumption, costs, or system performance) may be balanced using a utility function that maximizes the utility of the computing systems in the data center according to the administrator's preferences. Additionally, a cooling model is generated that represents the affect of a control parameter (e.g., the fan speed of a CRAC) on the desire attributes of the data center. The cooling model may then be substituted into the utility function to replace the desired attributes. Using this new utility function, the control parameters may be varied such that the maximum utility is achieved. | 11-15-2012 |
20120303717 | INCREASING KNOWLEDGE SHARING SUCCESS RATES USING REAL TIME MATCH MAKING - An embodiment provides for knowledge sharing using a computer system. An aspect of the invention includes receiving a question electronically submitted by a user. The question is forwarded and at least one response option to at least one expert using a first computer interface. The selected response options from the at least one expert are monitored. The selected response options are selectively presented to the user using a second computer interface. | 11-29-2012 |
20130085611 | UNIFIED AND FLEXIBLE CONTROL OF MULTIPLE DATA CENTER COOLING MECHANISMS - Techniques are described for controlling the climate in a data center. Using the input of an administrator, multiple desired attributes of a data center (e.g., temperature, energy consumption, costs, or system performance) may be balanced using a utility function that maximizes the utility of the computing systems in the data center according to the administrator's preferences. Additionally, a cooling model is generated that represents the affect of a control parameter (e.g., the fan speed of a CRAC) on the desire attributes of the data center. The cooling model may then be substituted into the utility function to replace the desired attributes. Using this new utility function, the control parameters may be varied such that the maximum utility is achieved. | 04-04-2013 |
20130096831 | AUTOMATIC, ADAPTIVE AND OPTIMIZED SENSOR SELECTION AND VIRTUALIZATION - A system, method and computer program product for managing sensors. One example of embodiment includes a data reader to receive sensor measurements from sensors. A user value collector receives user values from users representing a user's measurement of an abstract concept. A data store saves the sensor measurements and the user values in computer readable memory. The system further includes a virtual sensor generator. The virtual sensor generator determines a mapping function based on the stored sensor measurements and user values. Furthermore, given a new set of sensor measurements from the sensors, the virtual sensor generator employs the mapping function to generate a new virtual sensor value. | 04-18-2013 |
20130159351 | Asset Identity Resolution Via Automatic Model Mapping Between Systems With Spatial Data - Techniques for mapping between data models where objects represented in the data models include common physical objects or assets are provided. In one aspect, a method for mapping between data models, each of which describes a location of objects in a physical area includes the following steps. Common attributes are found in each of the data models. Location attributes are found among the common attributes in each of the data models, i.e., those attributes that describe the location of the objects in the physical area. The location attributes are used to identify a given one of the objects common to each of the data models, based on a placement of the given object by the data models at a same location (at a same time) in the physical area to establish a common identity of the object within the models. Attributes other than location attributes may then be mapped. | 06-20-2013 |
20130184864 | Discovery and Monitoring of an Environment Using a Plurality of Robots - Techniques are provided for discovery and monitoring of an environment using a plurality of robots. A plurality of robots navigate an environment by determining a navigation buffer for each of the robots; and allowing each of the robots to navigate within the environment while maintaining a substantially minimum distance from other robots, wherein the substantially minimum distance corresponds to the navigation buffer, and wherein a size of each of the navigation buffers is reduced over time based on a percentage of the environment that remains to be navigated. The robots can also navigate an environment by obtaining a discretization of the environment to a plurality of discrete regions; and determining a next unvisited discrete region for one of the plurality of robots to explore in the exemplary environment using a breadth-first search. The plurality of discrete regions can be, for example, a plurality of real or virtual tiles. | 07-18-2013 |
20130184865 | Discovery and Monitoring of an Environment Using a Plurality of Robots - Techniques are provided for discovery and monitoring of an environment using a plurality of robots. A plurality of robots navigate an environment by determining a navigation buffer for each of the robots; and allowing each of the robots to navigate within the environment while maintaining a substantially minimum distance from other robots, wherein the substantially minimum distance corresponds to the navigation buffer, and wherein a size of each of the navigation buffers is reduced over time based on a percentage of the environment that remains to be navigated. The robots can also navigate an environment by obtaining a discretization of the environment to a plurality of discrete regions; and determining a next unvisited discrete region for one of the plurality of robots to explore in the exemplary environment using a breadth-first search. The plurality of discrete regions can be, for example, a plurality of real or virtual tiles. | 07-18-2013 |
20130198860 | Identity Verification for at Least One Party to a Text-Based Communication - Methods and apparatus are provided for identity verification for at least one user to a text-based communication. An identity of at least one user to a text-based communication is verified by obtaining a plurality of characteristic features of at least one prior text-based communication between the at least one user and at least one additional user; comparing the plurality of characteristic features to a current session of the text-based communication; and verifying the identity of the at least one user based on a result of the comparison. The text-based communication can optionally be suspended if a user is not verified and/or an alarm can be generated. | 08-01-2013 |
20130198862 | Identity Verification for at Least One Party to a Text-Based Communication - Methods and apparatus are provided for identity verification for at least one user to a text-based communication. An identity of at least one user to a text-based communication is verified by obtaining a plurality of characteristic features of at least one prior text-based communication between the at least one user and at least one additional user; comparing the plurality of characteristic features to a current session of the text-based communication; and verifying the identity of the at least one user based on a result of the comparison. The text-based communication can optionally be suspended if a user is not verified and/or an alarm can be generated. | 08-01-2013 |
20130311406 | Automated Object Classification Using Temperature Profiles - Methods and apparatus are provided for automated object classification using temperature profiles. An object in an environment (such as an exemplary data center) is classified by obtaining a surface temperature profile of the object; and classifying the object as a particular type of equipment based on the obtained surface temperature profile. The surface temperature profile of the object can be compared to a plurality of predefined characteristic surface temperature profiles each associated with a given type of equipment. | 11-21-2013 |
20130311407 | Automated Object Classification Using Temperature Profiles - Methods and apparatus are provided for automated object classification using temperature profiles. An object in an environment (such as an exemplary data center) is classified by obtaining a surface temperature profile of the object; and classifying the object as a particular type of equipment based on the obtained surface temperature profile. The surface temperature profile of the object can be compared to a plurality of predefined characteristic surface temperature profiles each associated with a given type of equipment. | 11-21-2013 |
20130318100 | Method and Apparatus for Maintaining and Navigating a Non-Hierarchical Personal Spatial File System - A self-organizing personal file system is disclosed that evaluates the “importance” of terms and phrases in a document in a personal corpus relative to usage in a reference corpus. A personalized term weighting scheme assigns a weight to terms or phrases based on the frequency of occurrence of the corresponding term or phrase in a reference corpus. Documents are positioned in a visual file space associated with a personal corpus by storing each of the documents with an indication of the term weight for terms appearing in the corresponding document. A singular value decomposition is performed based on the term weights to position a given document in the visual file space based on a relative frequency distribution of terms of the document compared to the occurrence of such terms in a reference corpus. | 11-28-2013 |
20140006671 | Location of Computing Assets within an Organization | 01-02-2014 |
20140006672 | Location of Computing Assets within an Organization | 01-02-2014 |
20140015952 | Automatic Un-Muting of a Telephone Call - Methods and apparatus are provided for automatic un-muting of a telephone call. A muted telephone of a user is automatically un-muted during a telephone call by evaluating whether the user is facing the telephone while speaking during the telephone call. The telephone can optionally be automatically muted when the user stops speaking and is not facing the telephone. A telephone call of a user can also be processed by evaluating whether the user is facing the telephone while speaking during the telephone call; and providing a message to the user indicating that the telephone is muted if the user is facing the telephone while speaking during the telephone call. | 01-16-2014 |
20140039685 | Sensor Installation in a Building Management System - A sensor is installed in a building management system by determining a sensor type of the sensor from among a plurality of supported sensor types based on information collected by a mobile device of a user; identifying configuration information required by the building management system for the determined sensor type; obtaining the required configuration information from the user using an interface on the mobile device, wherein at least a portion of the interface is generated to accommodate one or more requirements of the building management system with respect to the determined sensor type; and providing the obtained required configuration information to the building management system. The sensor type and unique identifier of the sensor can be automatically determined. Portions of the required configuration information for the determined sensor type can be automatically populated using default information for the determined sensor type. | 02-06-2014 |
20140122693 | Web Navigation Tracing - A navigation to a plurality of visited web sites is traced and a navigation map is generated comprised of a node for each visited web site. Each node in the navigation map is connected by an edge to at least one other node in the navigation map, and the edge is associated with the link from the given visited web site to the next web site. For each visited web site, the corresponding node stores an address for the given web site, a time stamp of the visit to the given visited web site, a link from the given visited web site to a next web site and optionally a title of the web site. A keyword search of the nodes can be processed to identify a given web site in the navigation map. A signature portion of the given web site can be used to identify a new location of the given web site. A navigation map can be designated as a searchable public navigation map. | 05-01-2014 |
20140122701 | Web Navigation Tracing - A navigation to a plurality of visited web sites is traced and a navigation map is generated comprised of a node for each visited web site. Each node in the navigation map is connected by an edge to at least one other node in the navigation map, and the edge is associated with the link from the given visited web site to the next web site. For each visited web site, the corresponding node stores an address for the given web site, a time stamp of the visit to the given visited web site, a link from the given visited web site to a next web site and optionally a title of the web site. A keyword search of the nodes can be processed to identify a given web site in the navigation map. A signature portion of the given web site can be used to identify a new location of the given web site. A navigation map can be designated as a searchable public navigation map. | 05-01-2014 |
20140150709 | System for Preventing Undue Bending of Cables - A cable system is disclosed including a central cable; an inner membrane having a higher minimum bend radius than the central cable and surrounding the cable, thereby forming an inner chamber around the central cable, the inner chamber containing a gas or at least one chemical; and an outer membrane surrounding the inner membrane and forming an outer chamber around the inner chamber, the outer chamber comprising a gas or at least one chemical. When the minimum bend radius of the inner membrane is exceeded, the inner membrane fractures or breaks, and the gas or at least one chemical from the inner chamber enters the outer chamber to create a chemiluminescence reaction, color, or smell. | 06-05-2014 |
20140150710 | System for Preventing Undue Bending of Cables - A cable system is disclosed including a central cable; an inner membrane having a higher minimum bend radius than the central cable and surrounding the cable, thereby forming an inner chamber around the central cable, the inner chamber containing a gas or at least one chemical; and an outer membrane surrounding the inner membrane and forming an outer chamber around the inner chamber, the outer chamber comprising a gas or at least one chemical. When the minimum bend radius of the inner membrane is exceeded, the inner membrane fractures or breaks, and the gas or at least one chemical from the inner chamber enters the outer chamber to create a chemiluminescence reaction, color, or smell. | 06-05-2014 |
20140191575 | HIERARCHIC MACROSCOPIC INCENTIVIZATION FOR ELECTRIC UTILITY LOAD BALANCING - A method of balancing a demand for electricity is disclosed. Consumers of the electricity are organized into a hierarchical set of nodes. A demand for a node at a first level of the hierarchy is defined. A rate structure is defined at nodes of a second level of the hierarchy so that a sum of the electricity demands at the second level obtained in response to the defined rate structure is substantially the same as the defined demand at the first level | 07-10-2014 |
20140211983 | Information Technology Asset Location Using Visual Detectors - Mechanisms are provided for determining the physical location of a physical asset in a physical area. A plurality of physical assets are controlled to cause each physical asset to output a visual output pattern on visual output elements of the physical asset. An image of a target physical asset is captured that has the current state of the visual output elements. An identification of the target physical asset is determined based on the current state of the visual output elements. A physical location of the target physical asset is determined based on a physical location of the image capture device when the image was captured. Location data identifying the determined physical location of the target physical asset is stored in an asset database in association with configuration information for the physical asset. | 07-31-2014 |
20140211984 | Information Technology Asset Location Using Visual Detectors - Mechanisms are provided for determining the physical location of a physical asset in a physical area. A plurality of physical assets are controlled to cause each physical asset to output a visual output pattern on visual output elements of the physical asset. An image of a target physical asset is captured that has the current state of the visual output elements. An identification of the target physical asset is determined based on the current state of the visual output elements. A physical location of the target physical asset is determined based on a physical location of the image capture device when the image was captured. Location data identifying the determined physical location of the target physical asset is stored in an asset database in association with configuration information for the physical asset. | 07-31-2014 |
20140300471 | Self-Detection of Lost Device Status Using Device-to-Device Communications with One or More Expected Neighboring Devices - Methods and apparatus are provided for self-detection of lost device status using device-to-device communications with one or more expected neighboring devices. A device can detect when the device itself is lost, by determining one or more expected neighboring devices for one or more time periods; monitoring a local environment for one or more of the expected neighboring devices using device-to-device communication; detecting when the device is lost based on device-to-device communication and whether a threshold criteria of the expected neighboring devices in proximity to the device for a given interval of time; and sending at least one relay message to notify an owner of the lost device. The threshold criteria comprises, e.g., whether a minimum number of expected neighboring devices are nearby or whether at least one fixed neighboring device is nearby. The device-to-device communications employ one or more of short range relay communications and low-power mesh communications. | 10-09-2014 |
20140300483 | Self-Detection of Lost Device Status Using Device-to-Device Communications with One or More Expected Neighboring Devices - Methods and apparatus are provided for self-detection of lost device status using device-to-device communications with one or more expected neighboring devices. A device can detect when the device itself is lost, by determining one or more expected neighboring devices for one or more time periods; monitoring a local environment for one or more of the expected neighboring devices using device-to-device communication; detecting when the device is lost based on device-to-device communication and whether a threshold criteria of the expected neighboring devices in proximity to the device for a given interval of time; and sending at least one relay message to notify an owner of the lost device. The threshold criteria comprises, e.g., whether a minimum number of expected neighboring devices are nearby or whether at least one fixed neighboring device is nearby. The device-to-device communications employ one or more of short range relay communications and low-power mesh communications. | 10-09-2014 |
20140372335 | Cooperative Path Tracking - An approach is provided in which a tracking device is attached to an object and receives nearby object routes from multiple nearby tracking devices, each attached to respective nearby objects. The tracking device compares an expected route corresponding to the object with the received nearby object routes to determine whether the object is being transported along the expected route. When the tracking device determines that the object has been incorrectly routed, the tracking device generates a notification. | 12-18-2014 |
20150066439 | CREATING THREE DIMENSIONAL MODELS WITH ACCELERATION DATA - Obtaining physical model data for CAD model generation with a process that includes: receiving a first acceleration-based path data set including acceleration data for an accelerometer device as it was traced over a first path along the surface of a physical object, converting the first acceleration-based path data set to a first position-based data set including position data for the accelerometer as it was traced over the first path along the surface of the physical object, and generating a three dimensional object model data set based, at least in part on the position data of the first position-based data set. | 03-05-2015 |