Abstract: A hierarchical publish/subscribe network is employed to produce and distribute special effects to users to complement displayed video information. A top level broker in the network receives a plurality of data streams corresponding to a respective plurality of primary special. A service provider makes a subscription request for one of said primary special effects and receives the corresponding selected data stream. The selected data stream is transformed into at least one further data stream, corresponding to a further special effect. The further data stream is published to a lower level broker associated with the service provider. In response to a user subscription request for the further special effect, the lower level broker publishes the further data stream to a user interface for presentation to the user in association with the displayed video information.

Abstract: A publish/subscribe interface is used to enable a non-publish/subscribe first system (such as an IP network device) to obtain status information about a publish/subscribe device that cannot be pinged by the first system. The first system sends a status request to a domain name server associated with a system known to include the publish/subscribe device. The status request includes a domain name for the publish/subscribe device. Topic space maintained by a message broker in the publish/subscribe system includes status topics associated with publish/subscribe devices. The status topics contents reflect the current availability of the associated publish/subscribe device. The domain name is mapped to a status topic associated to the publish/subscribe device identified in the status request and the contents of that status topic are retrieved. If the contents have a first value, a “good” IP address is returned to the first system. If the contents have the second value, a “bad” IP address is returned.

Abstract: A moulding for sealing a horizontal structure with a finishing layer of a vertical structure at a corner joint. In cross-section, the moulding has a rectangular base portion for insertion into a gap between the horizontal structure and the vertical finishing layer, and a cap portion with an upper lip for sealing against the finishing layer and a lower lip jutting downwardly for sealing against the horizontal structure. Double sided foam tape is applied only to an underside of the rectangular portion of the body. A bead of caulking at an inner face of the upper lip below an upper tip forms a flexible secondary seal of the moulding to the finishing layer of the vertical structure. While providing a secondary seal for maximum water-tightness, the caulking is protected from water exposure by the primary seal provided by the upper lip of the moulding to prevent mold build up.

Abstract: A moulding for sealing a horizontal structure with a finishing layer of a vertical structure at a corner joint. In cross-section, the moulding has a rectangular base portion for insertion into a gap between the horizontal structure and the vertical finishing layer, and a cap portion with an upper lip for sealing against the finishing layer and a lower lip jutting downwardly for sealing against the horizontal structure. Double sided foam tape is applied only to an underside of the rectangular portion of the body. A bead of caulking at an inner face of the upper lip below an upper tip forms a flexible secondary seal of the moulding to the finishing layer of the vertical structure. While providing a secondary seal for maximum water-tightness, the caulking is protected from water exposure by the primary seal provided by the upper lip of the moulding to prevent mold build up.

Abstract: For managing the retention of publications in a publish/subscribe system, a publisher sends a new publication to a publish/subscribe broker with an indication of whether the new publication should be retained in association with a previous retained publication. The publish/subscribe broker responds to such indications by retaining the new publication with the previous retained publication. The contents or ‘payload’ of the new published message may be appended to a previous retained message, resulting in a single retained message that contains information from multiple published messages.

Abstract: The method and system guides a user to easily and effectively communicate with a potential recipient via an integrated communication server. The integrated communication server will track and aggregate user presence information about the potential recipient. The aggregated user presence information includes the current state, activity, and/or availability of the potential recipient. The integrated communication server dynamically analyzes and compares the aggregated user presence information with user preference information of the potential recipient in order to identify an appropriate communication method. The identified appropriate communication method is published to the user indicating that it has a great likelihood of reaching the potential recipient successfully in the right way at the right time.

Abstract: An identification method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing system from a first entity, first data indicating that an electronic device is missing. The computing system receives from a transaction device reader, second data comprising first identification information associated with the electronic device and third data comprising second identification information associated with a second entity and a transaction device belonging to the second entity. The computing system transmits notification data indicating that the electronic device, the second entity, and the transaction device are located within a specified vicinity of the transaction device reader. The computing system receives log data associated with the second entity and fourth data associated with missing electronic devices. The computing system compares the fourth data to the log data and generates results data to determine if the second entity is associated the missing electronic devices or the electronic device.

Abstract: A method for republication of published messages includes receiving a published message on a topic from a publisher, storing the published message as an appended retained message, republishing the appended retained message on a history topic, receiving a request from a subscriber to view at least a portion of the appended retained message, and transmitting the republished message to a subscriber subscribing to the topic after the published message has been published via the history topic.

Abstract: A method and system for providing source information of data being published are provided. The method includes making available source information (311) for a message (310) being published. The source information includes: a topic of the published message (310); any source topics the topic of the published message (310) is derived from; and a message of the published message (310). The method further includes subscribing (314) to source information for a message topic. The subscribing (314) may include recursively subscribing to source information for a source topic in order to obtain live source information for a message (310).

Abstract: An identification method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing system from a first entity, first data indicating that an electronic device is missing. The computing system receives from a transaction device reader, second data comprising first identification information associated with the electronic device and third data comprising second identification information associated with a second entity and a transaction device belonging to the second entity. The computing system transmits notification data indicating that the electronic device, the second entity, and the transaction device are located within a specified vicinity of the transaction device reader. The computing system receives log data associated with the second entity and fourth data associated with missing electronic devices. The computing system compares the fourth data to the log data and generates results data to determine if the second entity is associated the missing electronic devices or the electronic device.

Abstract: A publish/subscribe interface is used to enable a non-publish/subscribe first system (such as an IP network device) to obtain status information about a publish/subscribe device that cannot be pinged by the first system. The first system sends a status request to a domain name server associated with a system known to include the publish/subscribe device. The status request includes a domain name for the publish/subscribe device. Topic space maintained by a message broker in the publish/subscribe system includes status topics associated with publish/subscribe devices. The status topics contents reflect the current availability of the associated publish/subscribe device. The domain name is mapped to a status topic associated to the publish/subscribe device identified in the status request and the contents of that status topic are retrieved. If the contents have a first value, a “good” IP address is returned to the first system. If the contents have the second value, a “bad” IP address is returned.

Abstract: A hierarchical publish/subscribe network is employed to produce and distribute special effects to users to complement displayed video information. A top level broker in the network receives a plurality of data streams corresponding to a respective plurality of primary special. A service provider makes a subscription request for one of said primary special effects and receives the corresponding selected data stream. The selected data stream is transformed into at least one further data stream, corresponding to a further special effect. The further data stream is published to a lower level broker associated with the service provider. In response to a user subscription request for the further special effect, the lower level broker publishes the further data stream to a user interface for presentation to the user in association with the displayed video information.

Abstract: Accesses to locally-relevant and contextually-relevant services information within a mobile communications environment are enabled. The solutions include an improved location determination in which a first mobile communications device processes location information broadcast by other devices via short-range wireless signals to determine its approximate location. The described solutions include a context-based selection of the most relevant of a set of locally-available services, including filtering services according to whether the first mobile device is currently moving and filtering according to a personal profile of the device user.

Abstract: A method and system are for conferencing by exchanging conference communications between two or more participants includes publishing a conference communication to a message broker and subscribing to conference communications at a message broker. A subscription topic specifies one or more type or source of the communication. A conference communication may be one of a text input, transcribed text, audio input, synthesized audio speech, or video input including real or animated images. The method and system of conferencing using publish/subscribe communications allows participants with different communication needs to be accommodated in a flexible manner.

Abstract: In a publish/subscribe system, messages may be received from one or more publishers and forwarded to one or more subscribers who have registered an interest in receiving messages on topics to which the messages pertain. An improved retention mechanism is implemented by identifying a message is one for which retention may be applicable. Once the message has been identified, an algorithm is executed to establish a retention policy for the message. The algorithm may be based on the message contents or upon the state of the publish/subscribe system or the history of publish/subscribe transactions relating to the topic to which the message pertains.

Abstract: The method and system guides a user to easily and effectively communicate with a potential recipient via an integrated communication server. The integrated communication server will track and aggregate user presence information about the potential recipient. The aggregated user presence information includes the current state, activity, and/or availability of the potential recipient. The integrated communication server dynamically analyzes and compares the aggregated user presence information with user preference information of the potential recipient in order to identify an appropriate communication method. The identified appropriate communication method is published to the user indicating that it has a great likelihood of reaching the potential recipient successfully in the right way at the right time.

Abstract: For managing the retention of publications in a publish/subscribe system, a publisher sends a new publication to a publish/subscribe broker with an indication of whether the new publication should be retained in association with a previous retained publication. The publish/subscribe broker responds to such indications by retaining the new publication with the previous retained publication. The contents or ‘payload’ of the new published message may be appended to a previous retained message, resulting in a single retained message that contains information from multiple published messages.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer programs for flexible topic identification in a publish/subscribe communications network. Publishers and subscribers are able to specify their intentions regarding the topic classification schemes to be used by a publish/subscribe broker during subscription matching, and the broker is responsive to the specified intentions of either or both of the publisher or the subscriber to invoke a respective subscription matching component. The invoked matching components each implement a subscription matching process that is consistent with a specified topic classification scheme.

Abstract: A facility for annotating media files is described. In various embodiments, the facility displays a timeline indicating a duration of the media file, determines that an annotation is associated with the media file, and displays in an area near the timeline an indication of the associated annotation. In various embodiments, the facility displays a timeline indicative of a duration of the media file, receives an indication to add an annotation at an annotation time relative to the duration of the timeline, receives and stores an annotation, associates the annotation with the annotation time, and displays an indication of the stored annotation at an area near the timeline.

Abstract: A facility is described for automatically sending goodbye messages. In various embodiments, the facility receives an indication to terminate a conversation session that was previously established to exchange messages with a converser. The facility then retrieves a goodbye message, sends the goodbye message to the converser, and terminates the conversation session.