International Business Machines Corporation

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

Tong Yu

Al Chakra

Michael Scott Thomason

Yongan Wang

Shaobo Dou

Angela Richards Jones

Maryam Ahmed

Scott Graham

Yingxin Xing

Craig Compton

Xianhua Liu

Sally Ierston

D Williams

Edna Novido

Charles Kurtz

Paul Kokkelenberg

Eric Richard Kern

Andrew Lewis Schirmer

Timothy Wayne Crockett

Henri Fouotsop Meli

Craig W Turner

Paul Morton Wilson

Duane Scott Miller

Jose R Figueroa

David Robert Woodham

Michael Scott Rollins

Suzanne M Bleakley

Prasad Lakshmi Imandi

Torez Smith

Stephanie Lee Walter

Paul K Scrutton

Ashley Lanier Trimpey

Logan S Gabriel

John A Hibbard

Xianhua Lu

David R Chiluk

Janae V Simons

Meli Henri Fouotsop

John Hibbard

Craig Turner

Paul Wilson

Ashley Trimpey

Techniques for self-checkout alert reduction based on packaging detection. A deflection in a first bag reservoir associated with a self-checkout kiosk is determined. The first bag reservoir is positioned adjacent to a packing area and includes a first type of bags. The self-checkout kiosk includes a terminal scale and further includes a platform scale in the packing area. That an empty bag is retrieved from the first bag reservoir is determined based on the deflection in the first bag reservoir. A bag type and a weight range are identified for the empty bag. An allowed weight range of a combination of the empty bag and a desired item is then determined. Presence of the empty bag on the platform scale is prevented from causing a loss prevention alert to be generated when the desired item has been placed in the empty bag on the platform scale.

Self-checkout alert reduction based on packaging detection

The present disclosure provides improved packaging detection at self-checkout kiosks by identifying a given bag type for a bag selected at a self-checkout kiosk out of a plurality of bag types available from a bag dispenser associated with the self-checkout kiosk; identifying a weight range for the given bag type; in response to determining that the bag has been moved to a packing area of the self-checkout kiosk, comparing a first weight in the packing area from before the bag was moved to the packing area with a second weight in the packing area that includes the bag; and in response to a difference between the first weight and the second weight falling outside of the weight range, generating a loss prevention alert and pausing a transaction at the self-checkout kiosk.

Packaging detection for self checkout

A Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal in a retail environment is communicatively connected to one or more POS peripheral devices. Each POS peripheral device is associated with a configuration file that defines configuration settings for the POS peripheral device and environmental context information for the POS terminal and the POS controller. The configuration files are prioritized according to various criteria, and used to re-configure POS applications executing on the POS to operate optimally with the particular POS peripheral device. Additionally, the prioritized configuration files control the POS applications to update the configuration information.

Configuring point-of-sale (POS) applications to communicate with peripheral devices in a POS system

Configuring point-of-sale (POS) applications based on a priority level in order to communicate with peripheral devices in a POS system

An approach for unfiltering a filtered electronic communication is provided. In one aspect, a computer system receives filtered electronic communication, wherein the filtered electronic communication is a status message. Moreover, the computer system determines a requestor of the filtered electronic communication. The computer system also detects an attempt made to communicate with the requestor. Furthermore, the computer system unfilters, in response to the attempt, the filtered electronic communication.

System and method for unfiltering filtered status messages

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for providing a severity of a notification for a communication. A computing device determines a topic and associated information of a current activity, operating on the computing device. The computing device receives a communication and determines the topic and associated information of the communication. The computing device determines a level of relevance between the topic and associated information of the received communication and the topic and associated information of the current activity. The computing device determines whether the level of relevance exceeds a predefined threshold, and in response to determining that the level of relevance exceeds the predefined threshold, the computing device provides a notification, wherein the severity of the notification for the communication is proportional to the level of relevance.

Enhanced notification for relevant communications

Managing the sending of electronic mail (email) messages and responding to requests from indirect recipients for related information. An email message is originated with a first recipient and a recipient request prompt, which comprises a unique recipient request identifier (ID) linking it to the originator's email address. An empty recipient request list is generated, likewise linked to the recipient request ID. The message is then sent to a first recipient, who in turn forwards it to a second recipient. The recipient response prompt is displayed to the second recipient, who uses it to generate a recipient request for related information. The recipient request ID of the originated message and the second recipient's email address are appended to the recipient request, which is then sent to the message originator. The recipient request is received by the email system and parsed. The second recipient's email address is then appended to the recipient request list corresponding to the parsed recipient request ID. The originator is notified of the recipient request and responds accordingly.

Sending related information to indirect email recipients

Computer apparatus, system and method maintain a database of hyperlinks associated with activities and inactions in the past of a user. From a current work space of the user, a recommendation engine searches the database to retrieve hyperlinks based on user-specified context and topic. The recommendation engine displays recommended hyperlinks (candidates) and enables the user to filter the recommended hyperlinks by original source, activity metric or other relevance. To form and maintain the database, a context analysis engine captures activity content links. Each activity content link has a respective hyperlink associated with an activity/inaction of the user. The context analysis engine generates a metric based on the activity and records the respective hyperlink in the database along with the metric. The recommendation engine and context analysis engine may, on user command, further search social media or social networks in order to make hyperlink recommendations to the user.

Intelligent link population and recommendation

A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for managing the spatial coordinates and visual attributes of objects within a user interface (UI). A Web UI ruler is executed within a UI comprising a plurality of objects. A first object and second object are selected. The Web UI Ruler then collects the spatial coordinate and visual attribute values for the first and second object and their relationship values are determined. The spatial coordinate and visual attribute values for the first and second objects, along with their corresponding relationship values, are modified and the modifications are applied to the target objects. The values are then stored in the Web UI ruler. These values can then be subsequently applied to one or more target objects. Alternatively, the stored values are exported as a cascading style sheet (CSS) class, which can then likewise be subsequently applied to one or more target objects.

Multidimensional web page ruler

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to video scaling and compression and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for pre-distribution image scaling for screen size. In one embodiment of the invention, a compressed video delivery method can be provided. The method can include determining a display size for a target computing platform, pre-scaling video imagery to comport with the display size of the target computing platform, compressing the pre-scaled video imagery, and transmitting the compressed, pre-scaled video imagery to the target computing platform over a computer communications network.

Pre-distribution image scaling for screen size

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Tong Yu