Abstract: Social media networking applications, web sites, and services creates implicit relationships between users based on their interest or participation in real-world and optionally virtual or online activities in addition to explicitly defined peer relationships. User profiles, activity entities, and expressions may be associated with metadata to assist in searching and navigation. Metadata is implicitly associated with user profiles, activity entities, expressions, or other data entities based on user behavior using metadata collector. A metadata collector is a poll, survey, list, questionnaire, census, test, game, or other type of presentation adapted to solicit user interaction. A metadata collector is associated with metadata elements. When users interact with a metadata collector, their user profiles and the data entities included in their interactions become associated with the metadata elements of the metadata collector. These metadata element associations may then be used for any purpose.

Abstract: Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Abstract: Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Abstract: Social media networking applications, web sites, and services creates implicit relationships between users based on their interest or participation in real-world and optionally virtual or online activities in addition to explicitly defined peer relationships. User profiles, activity entities, and expressions may be associated with metadata to assist in searching and navigation. Metadata is implicitly associated with user profiles, activity entities, expressions, or other data entities based on user behavior using metadata collector. A metadata collector is a poll, survey, list, questionnaire, census, test, game, or other type of presentation adapted to solicit user interaction. A metadata collector is associated with metadata elements. When users interact with a metadata collector, their user profiles and the data entities included in their interactions become associated with the metadata elements of the metadata collector. These metadata element associations may then be used for any purpose.

Abstract: Social media networking applications, web sites, and services creates implicit relationships between users based on their interest or participation in real-world and optionally virtual or online activities in addition to explicitly defined peer relationships. User profiles, activity entities, and expressions may be associated with metadata to assist in searching and navigation. Metadata is implicitly associated with user profiles, activity entities, expressions, or other data entities based on user behavior using metadata collector. A metadata collector is a poll, survey, list, questionnaire, census, test, game, or other type of presentation adapted to solicit user interaction. A metadata collector is associated with metadata elements. When users interact with a metadata collector, their user profiles and the data entities included in their interactions become associated with the metadata elements of the metadata collector. These metadata element associations may then be used for any purpose.

Abstract: Social media networking applications, web sites, and services creates implicit relationships between users based on their interest or participation in real-world and optionally virtual or online activities in addition to explicitly defined peer relationships. User profiles, activity entities, and expressions may be associated with metadata to assist in searching and navigation. Metadata is implicitly associated with user profiles, activity entities, expressions, or other data entities based on user behavior using metadata collector. A metadata collector is a poll, survey, list, questionnaire, census, test, game, or other type of presentation adapted to solicit user interaction. A metadata collector is associated with metadata elements. When users interact with a metadata collector, their user profiles and the data entities included in their interactions become associated with the metadata elements of the metadata collector. These metadata element associations may then be used for any purpose.

Abstract: Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Abstract: Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Abstract: Social media networking applications, web sites, and services creates implicit relationships between users based on their interest or participation in real-world and optionally virtual or online activities in addition to explicitly defined peer relationships. User profiles, activity entities, and expressions may be associated with metadata to assist in searching and navigation. Metadata is implicitly associated with user profiles, activity entities, expressions, or other data entities based on user behavior using metadata collector. A metadata collector is a poll, survey, list, questionnaire, census, test, game, or other type of presentation adapted to solicit user interaction. A metadata collector is associated with metadata elements. When users interact with a metadata collector, their user profiles and the data entities included in their interactions become associated with the metadata elements of the metadata collector. These metadata element associations may then be used for any purpose.

Abstract: Social media networking applications, web sites, and services creates implicit relationships between users based on their interest or participation in real-world and optionally virtual or online activities in addition to explicitly defined peer relationships. User profiles, activity entities, and expressions may be associated with metadata to assist in searching and navigation. Metadata is implicitly associated with user profiles, activity entities, expressions, or other data entities based on user behavior using metadata collector. A metadata collector is a poll, survey, list, questionnaire, census, test, game, or other type of presentation adapted to solicit user interaction. A metadata collector is associated with metadata elements. When users interact with a metadata collector, their user profiles and the data entities included in their interactions become associated with the metadata elements of the metadata collector. These metadata element associations may then be used for any purpose.

Abstract: A unitary garment heating device that integrates with a garment to provide uniform heat throughout the garment. The device includes a plurality of nodes that position on various areas of the garment to distribute the heat. The nodes are fabricated from a conductive metallic yarn. A continuous conduit having no junctions carries current for generating heat, and connects the nodes to form a unitary heating device. The conduit is fabricated from the same material as the nodes, thereby forming a unitary device. The lack of junctions on the conduit helps eliminate problems such as shorts, and moisture exposure form rain or sweat. The conduit runs in a series circuitry to minimize shorts and arcing. The conduit is covered with a laminate and urethane to inhibit contact with moisture. A communication apparatus, such as a smart phone, monitors and regulates the temperature. A power supply and microprocessor are also attached.

Abstract: Social media networking applications, web sites, and services creates implicit relationships between users based on their interest or participation in real-world and optionally virtual or online activities in addition to explicitly defined peer relationships. User profiles, activity entities, and expressions may be associated with metadata to assist in searching and navigation. Metadata is implicitly associated with user profiles, activity entities, expressions, or other data entities based on user behavior using metadata collector. A metadata collector is a poll, survey, list, questionnaire, census, test, game, or other type of presentation adapted to solicit user interaction. A metadata collector is associated with metadata elements. When users interact with a metadata collector, their user profiles and the data entities included in their interactions become associated with the metadata elements of the metadata collector. These metadata element associations may then be used for any purpose.

Abstract: A unitary garment heating device that integrates with a garment to provide uniform heat throughout the garment. The device includes a plurality of nodes that position on various areas of the garment to distribute the heat. The nodes are fabricated from a conductive metallic yarn. A continuous conduit having no junctions carries current for generating heat, and connects the nodes to form a unitary heating device. The conduit is fabricated from the same material as the nodes, thereby forming a unitary device. The lack of junctions on the conduit helps eliminate problems such as shorts, and moisture exposure form rain or sweat. The conduit runs in a series circuitry to minimize shorts and arcing. The conduit is covered with a laminate and urethane to inhibit contact with moisture. A communication apparatus, such as a smart phone, monitors and regulates the temperature. A power supply and microprocessor are also attached.

Abstract: Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Abstract: Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Abstract: Data values are cached by dynamically determining the dependencies of computation nodes on input parameters and on other results of computation nodes. Cache data structures are maintained for computation nodes. When a node accesses a parameter, the parameter and its current value are added to the node's cache data structure. The cache data structure stores the result value of the computation node. When one computation node calls another node, the parameters and parameter values accessed by the second computation node may be added to the first and second computation nodes' cache data structures. When a computation node is called with parameter values, the cache data structure of the computation node is searched for a cached result value corresponding to at least a portion of the parameter values. If a cached result value is not found, the computation node is executed to determine and optionally cache the result value.

Abstract: Multiple scheduling producers such as content management systems, advertisement systems, and emergency broadcast systems can independently send scheduling events to scheduling consumers such as streaming servers, guide generators, and playlogs. The scheduling consumers maintain state machines with persistent storage to process scheduling events from scheduling producers and output media channel playlists, channel guides, and/or content. Scheduling producers can contribute independently to define a channel playout while information at scheduling consumers remains synchronized.

Abstract: The determination of the final posed position is optimized by tracking the changes in animation variables associated with the sequence of deformers over two or more poses. The earliest deformer of the sequence affected by a changed animation variable is designated the cached deformer, and the input to this deformer is stored for future use. For a subsequent pose, the animation variables changed from the previous pose are identified, and the earliest deformer of the sequence affected by these changed animation variables is compared with the cached deformer. If the earliest deformer affected is the cached deformer or is to be processed after the cached deformer, the final posed position of the control point can be determined from the stored intermediate value of the control point, rather than from the initial position of the control point.

Abstract: The determination of the final posed position is optimized by tracking the changes in animation variables associated with the sequence of deformers over two or more poses. The earliest deformer of the sequence affected by a changed animation variable is designated the cached deformer, and the input to this deformer is stored for future use. For a subsequent pose, the animation variables changed from the previous pose are identified, and the earliest deformer of the sequence affected by these changed animation variables is compared with the cached deformer. If the earliest deformer affected is the cached deformer or is to be processed after the cached deformer, the final posed position of the control point can be determined from the stored intermediate value of the control point, rather than from the initial position of the control point.

Abstract: The determination of the final posed position is optimized by tracking the changes in animation variables associated with the sequence of deformers over two or more poses. The earliest deformer of the sequence affected by a changed animation variable is designated the cached deformer, and the input to this deformer is stored for future use. For a subsequent pose, the animation variables changed from the previous pose are identified, and the earliest deformer of the sequence affected by these changed animation variables is compared with the cached deformer. If the earliest deformer affected is the cached deformer or is to be processed after the cached deformer, the final posed position of the control point can be determined from the stored intermediate value of the control point, rather than from the initial position of the control point.