International Business Machines Corporation

Nicholas R Sandonato

Jeremy A Greenberger

Lisa Seacat DeLuca

Edward L Chatelain

Ciaran Hannigan

Pooja M Kotecha

Andrew B Cornwall

Jana Helton Jenkins

Adrian Xavier Rodriguez

Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The method computer program products, and systems can include, for instance: receiving, from a user, voice data defining a candidate directive invoking vocal utterance for invoking a directive to execute a first text based command to perform a first computer function of a computer system, wherein the candidate directive invoking vocal utterance includes at least one word or phrase of the text based command, wherein the computer system is configured to perform the first computer function in response to the first text based command and wherein the computer system is configured to perform a second computer function in response to a second text based command; determining, based on machine logic, whether a word or phrase of the candidate vocal utterance sounds confusingly similar to a speech rendering of a word or phrase defining the second text based command.

Filtering directive invoking vocal utterances

Approaches presented herein enable creating a dynamic geofence based on an availability of a product to optimize a flow of customers to a venue. Specifically, a geofence at a venue (e.g., retail outlet, restaurant, ticket office, etc.) is established based on a reference point and an area having a range. A campaign related to a product (e.g., a sales promotion, etc.) is associated with the established geofence. An aspect of the established geofence is dynamically modified based on an availability of the product in order to optimize the flow of customers to the venue.

Dynamic geofencing based on an availability of a product

Systems and methods for modifying campaign dependent geofences by creating marketing campaigns and linking the marketing campaign to a specific geofence. Each campaign-linked geofence may be capable of delivering the campaign messages to geofence participants during the duration of a marketing campaign and the geofence system may subsequently deactivate the geofence automatically after the marketing campaign has concluded. The systems and methods may map a geofence with a defined boundary to specified location on the map coinciding with the marketing campaign. As the tracked computer devices impinges on the borders of the market campaign's geofence, select messages may be received by the tracked computer devices, corresponding specifically to the events, promotions and advertisements of the campaign events during the time frame the events are active.

Ephemeral geofence campaign system

Devices and methods for prioritizing alert recipients using activity monitoring data are disclosed. A method includes: receiving, by a computing device, an incoming alert; receiving, by the computing device, activity data corresponding to a first on-call person; determining, by the computing device, whether or not the first on-call person is available using the activity data corresponding to the first on-call person; in response to determining that the first on-call person is available, the computing device sending the incoming alert to the first on-call person; and in response to determining that the first on-call person is not available, the computing device sending the incoming alert to a second on-call person.

Prioritizing alert recipients using activity monitoring data

In one embodiment, a method for dynamically adjusting a location based geo-fence based on current or predicted weather is provided. The method includes determining a target number of users to be reached for an area using a geo-fence and receiving an indication of a predicted meteorological event for the area covered by the geo-fence. The method further includes generating a predicted number of users that will trigger the geo-fence based on: a desired location, a current size, and a predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number users that trigger the geo-fence. The method further includes, responsive to the predicted number of users being below a threshold, increasing the size of the geo-fence such that the predicted number of users at least meets the threshold and sending a notification to a given user of the number of users in response to the given user triggering the geo-fence.

Dynamic geo-fence size adjustment

Information about a signal device is received at a first location in a first physical environment. The signal device broadcasts a signal to a computing device. A first indication is received from the computing device. The first indication includes a first strength of signal of the signal device received by the computing device. Whether the first strength of signal is above a threshold is determined. A second location is determined. The second location is where the computing device is located when the first strength of signal is above the threshold. The second location is within the first physical environment. A first visual representation of the first physical environment is displayed. The first visual representation includes one or more of the following: the signal device at the first location, at least one physical item found in the physical environment, a broadcasting power of the signal device, and the second location.

Visual representation of signal strength using machine learning models

Applying an image overlay to an image is provided. A relationship type and a relationship strength between two or more people identified in a first image is determined based on profile data corresponding to each of the two or more people and a set of data elements determined to be common to the profile data corresponding to each of the two or more people. An image overlay is selected to apply to the first image based on the relationship type and the relationship strength between the two or more people and the set of data elements determined to be common to the profile data corresponding to each of the two or more people. The image overlay is applied to the first image generating a second image that includes the first image and the applied image overlay.

Applying an image overlay to an image based on relationship of the people identified in the image

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for synchronizing time across a plurality of devices connected to a network are provided. Embodiments include detecting, by a particular device, a synchronization initiation event; in response to detecting the synchronization initiation event, broadcasting, by the particular device to each device of the plurality of devices, a synchronization request; receiving, by the particular device, a plurality of time acknowledgments from the plurality of devices, each time acknowledgement indicating a current time of a device and a device initialization time indicating a time that the device last set the current time of the device; selecting, from the plurality of time acknowledgements the time acknowledgement with the shortest duration between an indicated device initialization time and an indicated current time of a device; and setting a current time of the particular device based on the current time indicated in the selected time acknowledgment.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Nicholas R Sandonato