Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating an automated response to a catastrophic event, that includes (1) analyzing a sample set of data generated in association with a catastrophic event to determine a threshold pattern; (2) receiving, with customer permission or affirmative consent, home sensor data from a smart home controller via wireless communication or data transmission, the home sensor data including data regarding at least one of (i) structural status; (ii) wind speed; (iii) availability of electricity; (iv) presence of water; (v) temperature; (vi) pressure; and/or (vii) presence of pollutants in the air and/or water; (3) determining, based upon or from computer analysis of the home sensor data, whether the home sensor data indicates a match to the threshold pattern; and (4) automatically generating a response if the home sensor data indicates a match to the threshold pattern. As a result, catastrophic events and responses thereto may be improved through usage of a remote network of home sensors.

Abstract: A method for automatically pairing an input device to a user is provided herein. According to one embodiment, the method includes receiving an input from an unpaired input device within an observed scene, and calculating a position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input. The method further includes detecting one or more users within the observed scene via a capture device, creating a candidate list of the one or more detected users determined to be within a vicinity of the unpaired input device, and assigning one detected user on the candidate list to the unpaired input device to initiate pairing.

Abstract: Unique Media Access Control (MAC) addresses are determined for dynamically addressable synthetic and physical network devices by requesting a MAC address anonymously from a server acting as an address allocator and arbiter, confirming the use of the requested MAC address, and relinquishing the address to the server for reuse when the MAC address is no longer needed. Alternatively, an agent with a known or established MAC address may be used to request a unique MAC address for the device from the server and to inform the server when the device no longer requires the requested MAC address. Also, instead of requesting a MAC address from a server acting as an address allocator and arbiter, the device instead may send a broadcast Ethernet packet with a broadcast source address having a payload indicating an intent to use a specific MAC address.

Abstract: A method for automatically pairing an input device to a user is provided herein. According to one embodiment, the method includes receiving an input from an unpaired input device within an observed scene, and calculating a position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input. The method further includes detecting one or more users within the observed scene via a capture device, creating a candidate list of the one or more detected users determined to be within a vicinity of the unpaired input device, and assigning one detected user on the candidate list to the unpaired input device to initiate pairing.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed herein related to scheduling of virtualized runtime threads to hardware threads that share hardware resources to improve processing performance. For example, one embodiment provides a computing system that includes a scheduler to schedule execution of virtualized source code. The virtualized source code may include virtualized runtime threads that may be scheduled by the scheduler onto hardware threads that share hardware resources. The scheduler may include a decoder to catalogue hardware resource parameters used by the virtualized source code. Furthermore, the scheduler may include a virtualization engine to schedule execution of the virtualized runtime threads onto the hardware threads based the hardware resource parameters and a hardware-specific profile of the computing system.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for integrating partitions in a virtual machine environment. Specifically, a partition bus is provided, where the partition bus operatively connects partitions in such a way that it functions as a data transport mechanism allowing for data transfer and device sharing between partitions. The partition bus relies on virtualizing software in order to establish itself and to establish channels of communication between partitions and to inject interrupts to partitions where it is appropriate to do so. Furthermore, the partition bus employs such mechanisms ring buffers, transfer pages, and memory map changes to transfer information (requests and data). Furthermore, it uses policy agents to decide when information should be transferred or when devices should be shared among partitions. Lastly, it employs various mechanisms to ensure smooth integration between partitions, which includes remote services that have proxy devices and device versioning functionalities.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for integrating partitions in a virtual machine environment. Specifically, a partition bus is provided, where the partition bus operatively connects partitions in such a way that it functions as a data transport mechanism allowing for data transfer and device sharing between partitions. The partition bus relies on virtualizing software in order to establish itself and to establish channels of communication between partitions and to inject interrupts to partitions where it is appropriate to do so. Furthermore, the partition bus employs such mechanisms ring buffers, transfer pages, and memory map changes to transfer information (requests and data). Furthermore, it uses policy agents to decide when information should be transferred or when devices should be shared among partitions. Lastly, it employs various mechanisms to ensure smooth integration between partitions, which includes remote services that have proxy devices and device versioning functionalities.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed herein related to scheduling of virtualized runtime threads to hardware threads that share hardware resources to improve processing performance. For example, one embodiment provides a computing system that includes a scheduler to schedule execution of virtualized source code. The virtualized source code may include virtualized runtime threads that may be scheduled by the scheduler onto hardware threads that share hardware resources. The scheduler may include a decoder to catalogue hardware resource parameters used by the virtualized source code. Furthermore, the scheduler may include a virtualization engine to schedule execution of the virtualized runtime threads onto the hardware threads based the hardware resource parameters and a hardware-specific profile of the computing system.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for integrating partitions in a virtual machine environment. Specifically, a partition bus is provided, where the partition bus operatively connects partitions in such a way that it functions as a data transport mechanism allowing for data transfer and device sharing between partitions. The partition bus relies on virtualizing software in order to establish itself and to establish channels of communication between partitions and to inject interrupts to partitions where it is appropriate to do so. Furthermore, the partition bus employs such mechanisms ring buffers, transfer pages, and memory map changes to transfer information (requests and data). Furthermore, it uses policy agents to decide when information should be transferred or when devices should be shared among partitions. Lastly, it employs various mechanisms to ensure smooth integration between partitions, which includes remote services that have proxy devices and device versioning functionalities.

Abstract: A computer system and method for communicating in a virtual environment. The computer system may include a first partition and a virtual service client implemented at a first position in the first partition. The computer system may also include a second partition, and a virtual service provider implemented at a second position in the second partition. The first partition and the second partition may be in operative communication via the virtual service client and the virtual service provider. The first position and the second position may enable the virtual service client and the virtual service provider to reduce processing overhead associated with communicating in the virtual environment by eliminating a processing step, a buffer copy, a software interrupt, and/or a context switch.

Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media and systems for preparing for the disconnection of a device from a network. In the method, a pending disconnection of a network device is detected and a message indicative of the pending disconnection is generated. The message is sent to at least one component of the network and the disconnection of the device is paused.

Abstract: Unique Media Access Control (MAC) addresses are determined for dynamically addressable synthetic and physical network devices by requesting a MAC address anonymously from a server acting as an address allocator and arbiter, confirming the use of the requested MAC address, and relinquishing the address to the server for reuse when the MAC address is no longer needed. Alternatively, an agent with a known or established MAC address may be used to request a unique MAC address for the device from the server and to inform the server when the device no longer requires the requested MAC address. Also, instead of requesting a MAC address from a server acting as an address allocator and arbiter, the device instead may send a broadcast Ethernet packet with a broadcast source address having a payload indicating an intent to use a specific MAC address.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for integrating partitions in a virtual machine environment. Specifically, a partition bus is provided, where the partition bus operatively connects partitions in such a way that it functions as a data transport mechanism allowing for data transfer and device sharing between partitions. The partition bus relies on virtualizing software in order to establish itself and to establish channels of communication between partitions and to inject interrupts to partitions where it is appropriate to do so. Furthermore, the partition bus employs such mechanisms ring buffers, transfer pages, and memory map changes to transfer information (requests and data). Furthermore, it uses policy agents to decide when information should be transferred or when devices should be shared among partitions. Lastly, it employs various mechanisms to ensure smooth integration between partitions, which includes remote services that have proxy devices and device versioning functionalities.

Abstract: A method of agreeing on the utilization of at least one computer resource between two virtual machines includes sending a first resource request by a first virtual machine to a second virtual machine having computer resources to allocate to the first virtual machine. The second virtual machine responds by sending at least one available resource for use by the first virtual machine. The first virtual machine can select from the at least one available resource. Both the first and second virtual machines can then execute on the agreed resource utilization by the first virtual machine and begin using the resource. When conditions change, either the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine can request a renegotiation of the agreement to use computer resources.

Abstract: A method of managing resources in a host computer includes generating a virtual service provider in two different computer partitions and linking them in a serial manner. The virtual service providers are associated with a computer resource. Virtual service clients in different partitions may use the virtual service provider software to access the related computer resources. The virtual service providers provide a transparent interface to the associated hardware. Virtual service clients can use the combination of series computer resource functions or can access the a lesser number of the series connected virtual service providers. Fault tolerance can be built into the scheme using multiple virtual service providers located in different partitions accessible to virtual service clients using a failover control technique.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing the cost of framing network packets in a virtual machine environment combines certain network objects to eliminate the cost of fully framing packets between the combined objects. In a virtual environment, for example, this allows a virtual NIC in one partition to send only data to a network provider partition and to rely on the latter to frame and route the data. A source network object, destination network object, or an intermediate network object may enable a separate intermediate network object to frame its data so that the network system may take advantage of offload framing when one or more of the intermediate network object's ports has the capacity to offload framing. Alternatively, the intermediate network object may perform the offload itself.

Abstract: A system and method is provided that enables older legacy guest operating systems like Windows NT 4.0 and Windows95® to take advantage of newly developed NDIS Intermediate (IM) drivers that support firewalls, quality of service, IP security, intrusion detection, and other functionality for monitoring/filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic in contemporary host operating systems such as Windows XP operating in a virtual machine (VM) environment. The invention thus makes such older legacy operating systems less susceptible to Internet viruses, and worms, network denial of service (DOS) attacks, and the like. For each Virtual Network Interface Card (VNIC) in a guest VM, a corresponding VNIC is created on the host OS, and a point to point connection is established between the guest and host VNICs. The NDIS IM drivers bind themselves on top of the host VNIC and effectively place themselves as a filter on the point to point connection.