Abstract: In some example, a computerized method includes sorting mail, wherein sorting mail for a mail piece comprises reading an encoded value located on the mail piece. Sorting the mail also includes decoding the encoded value to determine an identification of a class of the mail piece and an identification of a service type of the mail piece. Sorting the mail includes performing the following operation in response to determining that the mail piece is undeliverable as addressed: performing final disposition of the mail piece using at least one of the identification of the class of the mail piece or the identification of the service type of the mail piece derived from the encoded value, in response to a determination that the mail piece is an actual undeliverable as addressed mail piece.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for providing access to media segments using a tag cloud comprises receiving a request to play streaming media, identifying deep tags associated with the streaming media, and determining preferences of a user based on information provided by the user. The method can also comprise selecting a group of the deep tags based on the information provided by the user and displaying the group of the deep tags in a tag cloud, wherein the deep tags hyperlink to segments within the streaming media. The method can also include presenting, in response to activation of a deep tag in the group, one of the segments within the streaming media.

Abstract: Described herein are some embodiments that use smart objects in a virtual universe to conserve computing resources. Some embodiments describe a first object that detects an indication to reduce resource usage of a computing resource that supports a virtual universe. Some embodiments further describe reducing, based on detection of the indication to reduce resource usage, display quality of the first virtual object according to an order of degrees of display quality reduction that corresponds to one or more degrees of resource reduction required for the computing resource. Further, some embodiments describe a second virtual object that is not reduced in display quality while simultaneously the first virtual object is reduced in display quality.

Abstract: Functionality can be implemented within a cloud manager to leverage energy consumption data of cloud processing and their associated facility resources when selecting computing nodes to complete the job. The cloud manager can determine possible computing nodes to complete the job based on the job attributes. The cloud manager can determine aggregate energy data of the cloud resources from an energy usage database. The cloud manager can analyze the energy usage data to determine a configuration of the computing nodes to perform the job that reduces total energy consumption. For example, a configuration of servers can be based on a number of servers and processor utilization at the servers to perform the job. The cloud manager can assign the job to the servers and set the processor utilization at the servers in accordance with the resource configuration determined to minimize energy consumption.

Abstract: Controlling electrical power consumption of a display monitor screen involves grouping screen pixels into different resolution cells, detecting display of one or more windows on the screen, and selectively controlling the cells by providing power only to the pixels in cells corresponding to one or more windows of interest to the user, and reducing power to pixels in remaining cells.

Abstract: A common coexistence timer can be implemented on collocated or proximate wireless radio devices so that timing information associated with scheduled communications of each of the wireless radio devices is communicated with a common time reference. The coexistence timer provides the common time reference for the wireless radio devices. A transmitting wireless radio device can calculate a difference time associated with the timing information of a scheduled communication and can provide the difference time to a receiving wireless radio device. The receiving wireless radio device can convert the difference time into a time format corresponding to the receiving wireless radio device's local time reference. This can minimize interference between the collocated or proximate wireless radio devices, thus minimizing performance degradation, packet collision, and interference.

Abstract: A mechanism for weak signal packet detection in a wireless receiver. Cross-correlation and self-correlation operations are performed on a plurality of short training field symbols associated with a plurality of RF signals received at a plurality of receiver chains of the wireless receiver. A plurality of self-correlation outputs generated in the plurality of receiver chains are summed and the sum of the self-correlation outputs is accumulated over a predetermined number of STF symbol periods. A moving sum operation is performed on the accumulation output when the accumulation output is greater than a first predetermined threshold. A signal indicating a data packet has been detected is generated when the moving sum output is greater than a second predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method includes removing a code segment from a hardware description language design to create a modified hardware description language design. The code segment represents at least one time sensitive path in the hardware description language design. The method includes creating a delta list of differences between the modified hardware description language design and a physical hardware representation that is logically equivalent to the hardware description language design. The method includes extracting a portion of the physical hardware representation that corresponds to the time sensitive path based, at least in part, on the delta list. The method also includes creating a structured hardware description language design of the time sensitive path using the extracted portion of the physical hardware representation, wherein the structured hardware description language design comprises structural information of the extracted portion of the physical hardware representation.

Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include determining possible wagering game events that can occur for a wagering game. The operations can further include determining a subset of the possible wagering game events and configuring an award ladder game to award prizes in a stair-step fashion based on occurrence of the subset of possible wagering game events. The operations can further include ordering a plurality of awards, or prizes, on an award ladder in an order of value and configuring the award ladder to award the plurality of awards in a sequential order of value according to an order of occurrence of the subset of possible wagering game events. The operations can further include configuring the award ladder to reset when the plurality of awards have been awarded.

Abstract: A natural language processor receives a document and accesses commentary related to the document. In response to accessing commentary related to the document, the natural language processor processes the commentary to generate data structures corresponding to the commentary. Rules are executed on these data structures to generate metadata for the document. The resulting metadata is associated with the document, which can be harnessed by the features of the document management systems to provide additional operations on the document.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for referencing message elements in an application message in a messaging environment that include: establishing a message model on a computer, the message model comprising message element specifications that each specify a message element for storing data in the application messages, each message element specification comprising element characteristics; creating, by a messaging module on the computer in dependence upon the message model, a message element designator map that maps a separate message element designator to each message element specified by the message model; receiving, in the messaging module from a requesting module, a request for an element designator for a specific message element identified by the element characteristics for the specific message element; and providing, by the messaging module to the requesting module, the requested element designator in dependence upon the message element designator map and the element characteristics for the spe

Abstract: Despite the availability of mashup editors, people without programming knowledge cannot easily access the data sources to create data feeds. A data feed engine allows a user to create a data feed without protocol and/or formatting knowledge for the data source. The data feed engine automatically builds a search command with search parameters and a data source identity (e.g., server name, network address, port number, etc.). The data feed engine also encodes the built search command as a data feed and publishes a link for the data feed in a data feed catalog. After publication, users can access the catalog to combine data feeds, edit data feeds, etc., and create mashups.

Abstract: Described herein are some embodiments that use smart objects in a virtual universe to conserve computing resources. Some embodiments describe a first object that detects an indication to reduce resource usage of a computing resource that supports a virtual universe. Some embodiments further describe reducing, based on detection of the indication to reduce resource usage, display quality of the first virtual object according to an order of degrees of display quality reduction that corresponds to one or more degrees of resource reduction required for the computing resource. Some embodiments further describe reducing the display quality of the first virtual object based on the first virtual object being a first category. Further, some embodiments describe a second virtual object that is not reduced in display quality while simultaneously the first virtual object is reduced in display quality. The second virtual object is second category different from the first category.

Abstract: Embodiments of a portable wagering game machine and a stationary wagering game machine are described herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of portable wagering game machines are associated with a stationary wagering game machine. Group wagering game data is displayed on the stationary wagering game machine. The group wagering game data includes wagering content for viewing by multiple players. At each of the plurality of portable wagering game machines, individual wagering game data is displayed. The individual wagering game data and the group wagering game data relate to a wagering game.

Abstract: An architecture that employs an internal entity that controls import and export of data (“import/export controller”) and an external entity that operates as a liaison (“data liaison”) between the import/export controller and one or more online social communities allows online social community access in a secure manner. The import/export controller and the data liaison handle data transmissions (e.g., data feeds, data updates, etc.) between the secure entity and the one or more online social communities. The import/export controller applies rules that regulate import and export of data, and the data liaison allows the import/export controller to operate in obscurity. Funneling data transmissions through the import/export controller and the data liaison allows players to securely access an online social community from a wagering game machine while in a wagering game establishment.

Abstract: A retail environment can include a plurality of client devices communicatively coupled with the server. A first client device of the plurality of client devices begins downloading a new boot image from the server via a first connection. The first client device monitors a transfer rate of the new boot image against a threshold. If the first client device determines that the transfer rate falls below the threshold, then the first client device broadcasts a request to other client devices of the plurality of client devices for the boot image. If a second client device of the plurality of client devices affirmatively responds to the request, then the first client device begins downloading a second portion of the boot image from the second client device via a second connection, and monitoring a cumulative transfer rate of the downloading over the first and the second connections.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter include one or more machine readable media including instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform operations comprising: loading, into a main memory of the machine, a wagering game software program configured to, upon execution, determine results for wagering games and to provide the results to remote wagering game terminals; executing the wagering game software program in the machine; deactivating the wagering game software program, wherein the deactivating includes, for each one of the wagering game terminals, determining that the one of the wagering game terminals has been idle for a specified time period; discontinuing determination of the results and provision of the results to the one of the wagering game terminals; and ceasing execution of the wagering game software.

Abstract: A computerized method includes sorting mail that comprises a multiple pass mail sort operation, wherein the multiple pass mail sort operation for a mail piece that is undeliverable as addressed comprises performing a first pass of the multiple pass mail sort operation, wherein performing the first pass comprises capturing data to identify a feature of the mail piece. The multiple pass mail sort operation also includes generating a first fingerprint for the mail piece between performing the first pass and performing a second pass of the multiple pass mail sort operation. The multiple pass mail sort operation also includes performing the second pass of the multiple pass mail sort operation. Performing the second pass includes determining a final disposition of the mail piece that is undeliverable as addressed.

Abstract: A method for market segmentation analysis includes a computer collecting virtual universe data associated with interactions between avatars, entities, and objects in a virtual universe. The computer collecting the virtual universe data includes the computer recording portions of the virtual universe data as the interactions occur. The method includes the computer determining criteria with which to perform a market segmentation analysis on the virtual universe data. The method further includes the computer performing the market segmentation analysis on the virtual universe data, which includes the computer analyzing a plurality of groups of the virtual universe data. The groups are formed based on whether an avatar activity includes social activity and business activity in the virtual universe relative to a time of day. The method further includes the computer generating a report indicating results of the market segmentation analysis.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method comprises initiating a plurality of skill-based bonus games across a plurality of wagering game machines; collecting game result data associated with the plurality of skill-based bonus games; during a normalization process for one of the plurality of skill-based bonus games, determining a rate of awarding a secondary economy asset for the skillbased bonus game is not within a range based on the game result data; adjusting parameters of the skill-based bonus game to normalize the rate of awarding the secondary economy asset across the plurality of skill-based bonus games; and deploying the skill-based bonus game with the adjusted parameters across one or more of the wagering game machines.