Abstract: Described herein is a disinfectant system in the form of an autonomous device for performing a disinfectant operation within an enclosed space defined by the walls, ceiling and floor of a room when a predefined condition, in the form of the absence of a human being within the room, is met. The purpose of the system is environmental decontamination and specifically to inactivate pathogenic organisms. The device includes a disinfectant module for carrying out the disinfectant operation when there is an absence of a human being within the room, and a sensing module for sensing the presence of a substantially stationary human being within the room.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of thermo-chemical energy storage by carrying out reversible chemical reactions for storing heat energy in the form of chemical energy in one or more ammine complexes of transition metal salts of the formula [Me(NH3)n]X, wherein Me is at least one transition metal ion and X is one or more counterions in an amount sufficient for charge equalization of the complex, by using the following chemical equilibrium: [Me(NH3)n]X+?HRMeX+nNH3, characterized in that said heat storage is performed by endothermic cleavage of the NH3 ligands from the ammine complex and/or that the heat release is performed by exothermic loading of the transition metal salt with the NH3 ligands in at least two steps at different temperatures.

Abstract: Described herein is a disinfectant system in the form of an autonomous device for performing a disinfectant operation within an enclosed space defined by the walls, ceiling and floor of a room when a predefined condition, in the form of the absence of a human being within the room, is met. The purpose of the system is environmental decontamination and specifically to inactivate pathogenic organisms. The device includes a disinfectant module for carrying out the disinfectant operation when there is an absence of a human being within the room, and a sensing module for sensing the presence of a substantially stationary human being within the room.

Abstract: A method for thermo-chemical energy storage involves carrying out reversible chemical reactions for the storage of heat energy in the form of chemical energy in one or more chemical compounds for later re-release in the form of heat energy using chemical equilibrium reactions. Equilibrium reactions of ammine complexes of transition metal salts are carried out for the storage and re-release of the energy. Specifically, ammine complexes of transition metal salts are formed and decomposed according to the following reversible total reactions: [Me(NH3)n]X+?HR?MeX+n NH3, wherein Me represents at least one transition metal ion and X represents one or more counterion(s) in a quantity sufficient for charge equalizing the complex, according to the valence thereof and that of the transition metal ion. Also, one or more transition metal salt(s), carried on a carrier material that is inert with regard to the reaction, is/are used.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to reduce the number of redirected subscriber packet flows while performing sticky hierarchical load balancing. An Nth head end network element may be activated such that a plurality of N head end network elements are active and capable of receiving and processing one or more packet flows. A primary load balancer may then be directed to overwrite a portion of pointers of a hash table in an evenly distributed manner with pointers to the Nth head end network element such that packet flows are forwarded to the Nth head end network element, wherein the hash table retains a static number of entries as the number of head end network elements is modified.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a physical device (e.g., packet switching device, computer, server) is booted using custom-created frozen partially-booted virtual machines, avoiding the time required for an end-to-end boot process. In one embodiment while the system is operating under a current version, a partially-booted virtual image of a new operating version for each of multiple processing elements of the device is produced according to static configuration information specific to the device, with each of these partially-booted virtual machines frozen. The device is rebooted to a fully operational device by unfreezing these partially-booted virtual machines, thus removing this portion of a boot process from the real-time booting of the device. The generation of the frozen partially-booted virtual machines is advantageously performed by the device itself based on current static configuration information and the availability of the specific hardware configuration of the device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a physical device (e.g., packet switching device, computer, server) is booted using custom-created frozen partially-booted virtual machines, avoiding the time required for an end-to-end boot process. In one embodiment while the system is operating under a current version, a partially-booted virtual image of a new operating version for each of multiple processing elements of the device is produced according to static configuration information specific to the device, with each of these partially-booted virtual machines frozen. The device is rebooted to a fully operational device by unfreezing these partially-booted virtual machines, thus removing this portion of a boot process from the real-time booting of the device. The generation of the frozen partially-booted virtual machines is advantageously performed by the device itself based on current static configuration information and the availability of the specific hardware configuration of the device.

Abstract: An example method for topology aware provisioning in a software-defined network environment is provided and includes receiving, at a provider edge device (PE), access network topology information associated with a customer edge device in a network environment, synthesizing the access network topology information and a local router information associated with the PE into a topology message, and publishing the topology message to a central controller in the network environment. The synthesizing can include aggregating the access network topology information and the local router information, modeling the aggregated information in a representation-independent format and encoding the representation-independent formatted aggregated information in standardized machine-parsable format.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to reduce the number of redirected subscriber packet flows while performing sticky hierarchical load balancing. An Nth head end network element may be activated such that a plurality of N head end network elements are active and capable of receiving and processing one or more packet flows. A primary load balancer may then be directed to overwrite a portion of pointers of a hash table in an evenly distributed manner with pointers to the Nth head end network element such that packet flows are forwarded to the Nth head end network element, wherein the hash table retains a static number of entries as the number of head end network elements is modified.

Abstract: An example method for topology aware provisioning in a software-defined network environment is provided and includes receiving, at a provider edge device (PE), access network topology information associated with a customer edge device in a network environment, synthesizing the access network topology information and a local router information associated with the PE into a topology message, and publishing the topology message to a central controller in the network environment. The synthesizing can include aggregating the access network topology information and the local router information, modeling the aggregated information in a representation-independent format and encoding the representation-independent formatted aggregated information in standardized machine-parsable format.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for card customization including a centralized issuer hub providing a single point of website integration for applicants in different countries or affiliations, the system comprising a centralized issuer hub comprising a server that coordinates data exchange among a plurality of country- or affiliate-specific websites, a card customization services for processing applicant requests, and an image administrator for customizing applicant submitted images. In operation, a local issuer country website provides a browser-based user interface for an applicant. Card customization services includes a website that recognizes an issuer country or affiliation of the applicant and launches a dedicated country- or affiliate-specific website for the applicant based upon on a country of origin or affiliation of the local issuer country website.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for card customization including a centralized issuer hub providing a single point of website integration for applicants in different countries or affiliations, the system comprising a centralized issuer hub comprising a server that coordinates data exchange among a plurality of country- or affiliate-specific websites, a card customization services for processing applicant requests, and an image administrator for customizing applicant submitted images. In operation, a local issuer country website provides a browser-based user interface tor an applicant. Card customization services includes a website that recognizes an issuer country or affiliation of the applicant and launches a dedicated country- or affiliate-specific website for the applicant based upon on a country of origin or affiliation of the local issuer country website.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing long term storage of customized transaction card images, comprising the steps of approving or rejecting a selected customized image, marking the customized image as approved or rejected, packaging the customized image into an image file for a transaction card issuer, sending the image file to the transaction card issuer via a secure transfer process, and sending the image file to long term storage.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for providing stand-in services for transaction card customization, wherein a transaction card franchiser provides the stand-in services for the transaction card issuer with regard to transaction card applicant email notification with respect to approval/rejection decisions and/or billing the transaction card applicant for the cost of a new transaction card on behalf the transaction card issuer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for card customization including a centralized issuer hub providing a single point of website integration for applicants in different countries or affiliations, the system comprising a centralized issuer hub comprising a server that coordinates data exchange among a plurality of country- or affiliate-specific websites, a card customization services for processing applicant requests, and an image administrator for customizing applicant submitted images. In operation, a local issuer country website provides a browser-based user interface for an applicant. Card customization services includes a website that recognizes an issuer country or affiliation of the applicant and launches a dedicated country- or affiliate-specific website for the applicant based upon on a country of origin or affiliation of the local issuer country website.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing transaction card customization image review, wherein image review is performed by an image reviewer using an online extranet provided by a transaction card franchiser. The method comprises the steps of logging onto the online extranet using a web browser, selecting an image administrator application from a licensed product list of the transaction card franchiser, selecting a customized image for review, and approving or rejecting the customized image, wherein information pertaining to approving or rejecting the customized image is automatically saved in a database of the transaction card franchiser.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for billing a transaction card applicant for the cost of a new customized transaction card as a stand-in service on behalf of a transaction card issuer. In some embodiments, the method comprises the steps of: (a) sending an approved customized transaction card image of an applicant to a database of the transaction card issuer; (b) sending information about the applicant and the cost of the new transaction card to a transaction formatter; (c) reformatting the information to produce a billing authorization record and submitting the record to a clearing system of a transaction card franchiser; (d) directly applying the cost of the new transaction card to an account of the applicant within a billing system of the transaction card issuer; and (e) mailing an invoice statement to the applicant including the cost of the new transaction card.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for providing stand-in services for transaction card customization, wherein a transaction card franchiser provides the stand-in services for the transaction card issuer with regard to transaction card applicant email notification with respect to approval/rejection decisions and/or billing the transaction card applicant for the cost of a new transaction card on behalf the transaction card issuer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for card customization including a centralized issuer hub providing a single point of website integration for applicants in different countries or affiliations, the system comprising a centralized issuer hub comprising a server that coordinates data exchange among a plurality of country—or affiliate—specific websites, a card customization services for processing applicant requests, and an image administrator for customizing applicant submitted images. In operation, a local issuer country website provides a browser-based user interface for an applicant. Card customization services includes a website that recognizes an issuer country or affiliation of the applicant and launches a dedicated country—or affiliate—specific website for the applicant based upon on a country of origin or affiliation of the local issuer country website.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for providing stand-in services for transaction card customization, wherein a transaction card franchiser provides the stand-in services for the transaction card issuer with regard to transaction card applicant email notification with respect to approval/rejection decisions and/or billing the transaction card applicant for the cost of a new transaction card on behalf the transaction card issuer.