Abstract: A method for controlling operation of an autonomous vehicle and a related system includes: comparing, at a remote computing system operably connected with a processor in the autonomous vehicle, a first signal indicative of an environment in which the autonomous vehicle is arranged and a second signal indicative of the environment in which the autonomous vehicle is arranged. The method also includes generating, at the remote computing system, a restriction command to restrict operation of the autonomous vehicle if the comparison indicates that the first signal and the second signal do not correspond. The first signal is generated by the remote computing system based on input received from the processor of the autonomous vehicle. The second signal is a processed signal received from an external computing system operably connected with both the remote computing system and the processor in the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A method for determining optimal path arrangements for an infrastructure link between two geographic locations. The method includes modelling a geographic terrain containing the two geographic locations; optimizing an arrangement cost and a repair rate for two or more potential paths based on the modelled geographic terrain, an arrangement cost model, and a repair rate model, taking into account at least two design levels; and determining the optimal path arrangements each including multiple path portions and respective design levels associated with the path portions based on the optimization.

Abstract: A method for determining optimal path arrangements for an infrastructure link between two geographic locations, in particular, in uneven terrain. The method includes modelling a geographic terrain containing the two geographic locations; optimizing an arrangement cost and a repair rate for two or more potential paths based on the modelled geographic terrain, an arrangement cost model, and a repair rate model, taking into account at least two design levels, wherein the arrangement cost model incorporates direction-dependent factor and direction-independent factor associated with the path arrangements; and determining the optimal path arrangements each including multiple path portions and respective design levels associated with the path portions based on the optimization.

Abstract: A method for determining an optimal laying arrangement of a new infrastructure link for connection from a new site to an existing infrastructure network includes modeling a terrain of a region around and at the new site and the existing infrastructure network near the new site; modeling each factor affecting the laying arrangement as a respective cost function; applying a respective weighting to each of the cost function to determine a life-cycle cost function; and determining, based on the determined life-cycle cost function, an optimized laying arrangement with minimal life-cycle cost from the new site to a connection point in the existing infrastructure network.

Abstract: A method for operating a communication system and a communication system includes the steps of: powering a plurality of base stations each operating in at least a sleep mode and an active mode, wherein the base station operates in the sleep mode with less power consumption than in the active mode; analyzing an overall power consumption for powering the plurality of base stations with respect to a quality of service of the communication system; and a switching at least one of the plurality of base stations to operate between the sleep mode and the active mode based on a result associated with the overall power consumption and/or the quality of service.

Abstract: A communication system and method for operating or evaluating the communication system includes powering a plurality of base stations each operating in at least a sleep mode and an active mode, wherein the base station operates in the sleep mode with less power consumption than in the active mode; analyzing an overall power consumption for powering the plurality of base stations with respect to a grade of service of the communication system; and switching at least one of the plurality of base stations to operate between the sleep mode and the active mode based on a result associated with the overall power consumption and/or the grade of service. Each of the plurality of base stations in sleep mode is further arranged to pass a service request to a nearby base station in the plurality of base stations such that the service request is handled by the respective nearby base station.

Abstract: A method for managing admission of patients into one of a plurality of intensive care units in a hospital network includes classifying a patient arriving at a first intensive care unit as one of an external emergency patient, an internal emergency patient, and an elective patient; and determining whether to admit the patient to the intensive care units in the hospital network based on the classification. An external emergency patient is admitted to the first intensive care unit if a vacancy in the first intensive care unit is above a first threshold. An internal emergency patient is admitted to the first intensive care unit if the first intensive care unit has vacancy. An elective patient is admitted to the first intensive care unit if a vacancy in the first intensive care unit is above a second threshold. The first and second thresholds are independent of patient classification.

Abstract: A method for operating a server farm with a plurality of servers operably connected with each other includes the steps of: sorting the plurality of servers according to a respective energy efficiency value associated with each of the plurality of servers; defining a virtual server by selectively joining two or more of the servers with the highest energy efficiency values; receiving a job request of a computational task to be handled by the server farm; and assigning the computational task to one of the plurality of servers for processing based on a job assignment policy, the job assignment policy being arranged to give preference to assigning the computational task to the servers of the virtual server for processing so as to maximize an energy efficiency of the server farm.

Abstract: A method for determining an optimal laying arrangement of a new infrastructure link for connection from a new site to an existing infrastructure network includes modeling a terrain of a region around and at the new site and the existing infrastructure network near the new site; modeling each factor affecting the laying arrangement as a respective cost function; applying a respective weighting to each of the cost function to determine a life-cycle cost function; and determining, based on the determined life-cycle cost function, an optimized laying arrangement with minimal life-cycle cost from the new site to a connection point in the existing infrastructure network.

Abstract: A method for operating a server farm with a plurality of servers operably connected with each other includes: receiving a job request of a computational task to be handled by the server farm; determining, from the plurality of servers, one or more servers operable to accept the job request; determining a respective effective energy efficiency value associated with at least the one or more servers; and assigning the computational task to a server with the highest effective energy efficiency value. The effective energy efficiency value is defined by a service rate of the respective server divided by a difference between an energy consumption rate value when the respective server is busy and an energy consumption rate value when the respective server is idle. The present invention also relates to a server farm operated by the method.

Abstract: A method for operating a server farm with a plurality of servers operably connected with each other includes: receiving a job request of a computational task to be handled by the server farm; determining, from the plurality of servers, one or more servers operable to accept the job request; determining a respective effective energy efficiency value associated with at least the one or more servers; and assigning the computational task to a server with the highest effective energy efficiency value. The effective energy efficiency value is defined by a service rate of the respective server divided by a difference between an energy consumption rate value when the respective server is busy and an energy consumption rate value when the respective server is idle. The present invention also relates to a server farm operated by the method.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting data in a network comprising the steps of determining a traffic congestion variable of a data transmission node arranged to receive data from one or more source nodes of the network, using the traffic congestion variable to select a preferred transmission mode for use by the one or more source nodes to transmit data to the data transmission node, and switching an operating transmission mode of each of the one or more source nodes to the preferred transmission mode such that the one of more source nodes transmit data to the data transmission node with the preferred transmission mode.

Abstract: A method for operating a server farm with a plurality of servers operably connected with each other includes the steps of: sorting the plurality of servers according to a respective energy efficiency value associated with each of the plurality of servers; defining a virtual server by selectively joining two or more of the servers with the highest energy efficiency values; receiving a job request of a computational task to be handled by the server farm; and assigning the computational task to one of the plurality of servers for processing based on a job assignment policy, the job assignment policy being arranged to give preference to assigning the computational task to the servers of the virtual server for processing so as to maximize an energy efficiency of the server farm.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting data in a network includes the steps of determining a traffic congestion variable of a data transmission node arranged to receive data from one or more source nodes of the network; using the traffic congestion variable to select a preferred transmission mode for use by the one or more source nodes to transmit data to the data transmission node; and switching an operating transmission mode of each of the one or more source nodes to the preferred transmission mode such that the one of more source nodes transmit data to the data transmission node with the preferred transmission mode, wherein the one or more source nodes are arranged to transmit data in only one operating transmission mode.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting data in a network includes the steps of determining a traffic congestion variable of a data transmission node arranged to receive data from one or more source nodes of the network; using the traffic congestion variable to select a preferred transmission mode for use by the one or more source nodes to transmit data to the data transmission node; and switching an operating transmission mode of each of the one or more source nodes to the preferred transmission mode such that the one of more source nodes transmit data to the data transmission node with the preferred transmission mode, wherein the one or more source nodes are arranged to transmit data in only one operating transmission mode.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting data in a network comprising the steps of determining a traffic congestion variable of a data transmission node arranged to receive data from one or more source nodes of the network, using the traffic congestion variable to select a preferred transmission mode for use by the one or more source nodes to transmit data to the data transmission node, and switching an operating transmission mode of each of the one or more source nodes to the preferred transmission mode such that the one of more source nodes transmit data to the data transmission node with the preferred transmission mode.

Abstract: An active queue management (AQM) process for network communications equipment. The AQM process is queue based and involves applying at a queue size threshold congestion notification to communications packets in a queue of a link via packet dropping; and adjusting said queue size threshold on the basis of the congestion level. The AQM process releases more buffer capacity to accommodate more incoming packets by increasing said queue size threshold when congestion increases; and decreases buffer capacity by reducing said queue size threshold when congestion decreases. Network communications equipment includes a switch component for switching communications packets between input ports and output ports, packet queues for at least the output ports, and an active queue manager for applying congestion notification to communications packets in the queues for the output ports via packet dropping.

Abstract: An active queue management (AQM) process for network communications equipment. The AQM process is queue based and involves applying at a queue size threshold congestion notification to communications packets in a queue of a link via packet dropping; and adjusting said queue size threshold on the basis of the congestion level. The AQM process releases more buffer capacity to accommodate more incoming packets by increasing said queue size threshold when congestion increases; and decreases buffer capacity by reducing said queue size threshold when congestion decreases. Network communications equipment includes a switch component for switching communications packets between input ports and output ports, packet queues for at least the output ports, and an active queue manager for applying congestion notification to communications packets in the queues for the output ports via packet dropping.

Abstract: An active queue management (AQM) process for network communications equipment. The AQM process is queue based and involves applying at a queue size threshold congestion notification to communications packets in a queue of a link via packet dropping; and adjusting said queue size threshold on the basis of the congestion level. The AQM process releases more buffer capacity to accommodate more incoming packets by increasing said queue size threshold when congestion increases; and decreases buffer capacity by reducing said queue size threshold when congestion decreases. Network communications equipment includes a switch component for switching communications packets between input ports and output ports, packet queues for at least the output ports, and an active queue manager for applying congestion notification to communications packets in the queues for the output ports via packet dropping.

Abstract: An active queue management (AQM) process for network communications equipment. The AQM process is rate based and involves applying at a rate congestion notification to communications packets in a queue of a link, and adjusting the rate of congestion notification on the basis of the difference between an arrival rate for the packets and a target capacity of the link. Network communications equipment includes a switch component for switching communications packets between input ports and output ports, packet queues for at least the output ports, and an active queue manager for applying congestion notification to communications packets in the queues for the output ports. The congestion notification is applied at respective rates for the queues, and the rates of congestion notification adjusted on the basis of the respective arrival rates of the packets for the queues of the output ports. The AQM process can be applied to a class based DiffServ architecture.