Abstract: A novel method and system is disclosed for using a commodity RFID system for automatically measuring levels of soil moisture in planting containers. A large number of planting containers are used to grow pots in soil in a greenhouse. An RFID reader interrogates passive RFID tags affixed to the planting containers. The RFID reader can be attached to a robotic arm configured to move above multiple rows and columns of containers. Signal features of specific passive RFID tags affixed to specific ones of the containers are automatically monitored, including a minimum response threshold of RFID reader transmission power to activate the passive RFID tag (“MRT”), based on the wireless interrogation of specific tags by the reader. Soil moisture levels of specific containers are then automatically determined based on the signal features of the attached tags, and effects of soilure moisture on electromagnetic fields of antennas of tags.

Abstract: Methods are provided for achieving consensus among an order in which write requests are received by various ones of a plurality of nodes in a distributed system using a shared data structure. The plurality of nodes are organized into groups of nodes and successively larger groupings of groups, based on physical proximity. A consensus protocol is used to achieve consensus among groups of nodes, and then among the groupings of groups of nodes in a logical tree structure up to a root level virtual node. Recovery from failure of all nodes in a group is supported.

Abstract: A commodity RFID system is used for automatically measuring levels of soil moisture in planting containers. A large number of planting containers are used to grow pots in soil in a greenhouse. An RFID reader interrogates passive RFID tags affixed to the planting containers. The RFID reader can be attached to a robotic arm configured to move above multiple rows and columns of containers. Signal features (e.g., MRT, RSS, DMRT) of specific passive RFID tags affixed to specific ones of the containers are automatically monitored, based on the wireless interrogation of the specific tags by the reader. Soil moisture levels of specific containers are then automatically determined based on the signal features of the attached RFID tags, and effects of soilure moisture on electromagnetic fields of antennas of passive RFID tags.

Abstract: Methods are provided for achieving consensus among an order in which write requests are received by various ones of a plurality of nodes in a distributed system using a shared data structure. The plurality of nodes are organized into groups of nodes and successively larger groupings of groups, based on physical proximity. A consensus protocol is used to achieve consensus among groups of nodes, and then among the groupings of groups of nodes in a logical tree structure up to a root level virtual node.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for managing the supply of energy of a client device connected to an energy transport network, said system comprising a switching device connected to said network, said system comprising an energy storage means connected to said network via the switching device, wherein the switching device is able to be configured according to three configuration modes, the system also comprising a control device comprising means for comparing a level of energy stored in the storage means and a local threshold of charge of the storage means and means for determining and assigning to the switching device a configuration mode from among the three configuration modes according to the result of said comparison.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for managing the supply of energy for a number n of local energy networks where n?2, each local energy network comprising at least one client device. Said system comprises a switching device connected to each network, an energy storage means, and a station for supplying the n networks with energy via switching devices, the station receiving the energy from a supply system, and the station is configured to determine and assign to each switching device: A first mode wherein the energy storage means supplies energy to said network; or A second mode wherein the station supplies energy simultaneously to said network and to said energy storage means.

Abstract: Activity levels are controlled and transmission costs are reduced for wireless mobile devices. Power consumption is optimized. Mobile device based activities are categorized according to importance, and associated with power thresholds. Actions are specified to perform responsive to the level of the battery dropping below specific power thresholds. The battery is periodically polled to determine its current level. Responsive to the current level dropping below a given power threshold, the associated action(s) are performed. Communication activity is also optimized in compliance with a service plan. A current service plan copy is maintained on the mobile device. Actions are specified to take when communication reaches given usage thresholds within a plan period. Communication use is tracked, and compared with usage thresholds. Responsive to communication reaching a threshold within a plan period, the associated action(s) are performed.

Abstract: The short-range wireless communication on a mobile communication device is optimized to balance between preserving battery power and processing urgent data without delay. A wireless access schedule identifying time periods during which the mobile communication device is assumed to have access to short-range wireless communication is created or provided. Data to be transmitted or received by the mobile communication device is classified as being urgent or non-urgent. When data is to be transmitted or received by the mobile communication device, the transmission or receipt of the data is managed according to 1) whether or not the data is urgent, and 2) whether the current time is within a time period during which the mobile communication device is assumed to have access to short-range wireless communication.

Abstract: A mobile communication device has both an (expensive) long-range wireless network interface and an intermittently available less expensive network interface. Requests are received to communicate data items to and from remote computing devices. Each data item is associated with a transmission deadline and an urgency rating. A transmission schedule is created by assigning data items to specific times for transmission over the long-range wireless network interface, based on their deadlines and urgency ratings. When the lower cost network interface is not available, data items are transmitted according to the transmission schedule. When the lower cost network interface is available, data items are transmitted over the lower cost network interface, based on their positions in the transmission schedule, until it is no longer available.

Abstract: Systems and methods are discussed for providing multiple network interfaces to devices to communicate with each other using various policies, for using a proxy to maintain a connection with a legacy system such that a data connection to the legacy system may be continued when an end device connects with the proxy, and for maintaining application states when devices become disconnected such that their activities may be resumed when reconnected. Multiple wireless networks allow communication sessions to transfer across each of the multiple wireless networks in a seamless fashion. One wireless network may control the handoff to another wireless network or a mobile device with an OCMP may control the handoff.

Abstract: The short-range wireless communication on a mobile communication device is optimized to balance between preserving battery power and processing urgent data without delay. A wireless access schedule identifying time periods during which the mobile communication device is assumed to have access to short-range wireless communication is created or provided. Data to be transmitted or received by the mobile communication device is classified as being urgent or non-urgent. When data is to be transmitted or received by the mobile communication device, the transmission or receipt of the data is managed according to 1) whether or not the data is urgent, and 2) whether the current time is within a time period during which the mobile communication device is assumed to have access to short-range wireless communication.

Abstract: Systems and methods are discussed for providing multiple network interfaces to devices to communicate with each other using various policies, for using a proxy to maintain a connection with a legacy system such that a data connection to the legacy system may be continued when an end device connects with the proxy, and for maintaining application states when devices become disconnected such that their activities may be resumed when reconnected.

Abstract: Super-user privileges are virtualized by designating a virtual super-user for each of a plurality of virtual processes and intercepting system calls for which actual super-user privileges are required, which are nevertheless desirable for a virtual super-user to perform in the context of his or her own virtual process. In one embodiment, a computer operating system includes multiple virtual processes, such as virtual private servers. Each virtual process can be associated with one or more virtual super-users. When an actual process makes a system call that requires actual super-user privileges, the call is intercepted by a system call wrapper.

Abstract: Multiple virtual processes are each associated with a unique virtual process identifier. For each virtual process, a separate initialization process is started, from which all other processes included in the virtual process originate. The initialization process is associated with the appropriate virtual process identifier. System calls that create new processes are intercepted, and created processes are associated with the virtual process identifier of the appropriate initialization process. Multiple virtual processes are provided on a single, physical computer system.

Abstract: A system and a method dynamically adjusts the quality of service guarantees for virtual servers based upon the resource demands experienced by the virtual servers. Virtual server resource denials are monitored to determine if a virtual server is overloaded based upon the resource denials. Virtual server resources are modified dynamically to respond to the changing resource requirements of each virtual server. Occasionally, a physical host housing a virtual server may not have additional resources to allocate to a virtual server requiring increased resources. In this instance, a virtual server hosted by the overloaded physical host is transferred to another physical host with sufficient resources.

Abstract: A method facilitates providing appropriate quality of service guarantees to a plurality of virtual hosts on a single physical host computer. A server application program and its child processes service communication requests made to the plurality of virtual hosts. Quality of service parameters associated with the virtual hosts are stored. Communication requests made to a specific one of the virtual hosts are detected. The quality of service parameters associated with the specific virtual host are obtained. Operating system resources are utilized to guarantee, to a child process of the server application program, a quality of service according to the obtained quality of service parameters associated with the virtual host. Communication between the virtual host and the client is allowed to proceed, the communication being managed by the child process.

Abstract: A system and a method dynamically adjusts the quality of service guarantees for virtual servers based upon the resource demands experienced by the virtual servers. Virtual server resource denials are monitored to determine if a virtual server is overloaded based upon the resource denials. Virtual server resources are modified dynamically to respond to the changing resource requirements of each virtual server. Occasionally, a physical host housing a virtual server may not have additional resources to allocate to a virtual server requiring increased resources. In this instance, a virtual server hosted by the overloaded physical host is transferred to another physical host with sufficient resources.

Abstract: Super-user privileges are virtualized by designating a virtual super-user for each of a plurality of virtual processes and intercepting system calls for which actual super-user privileges are required, which are nevertheless desirable for a virtual super-user to perform in the context of his or her own virtual process. In one embodiment, a computer operating system includes multiple virtual processes, such as virtual private servers. Each virtual process can be associated with one or more virtual super-users. When an actual process makes a system call that requires actual super-user privileges, the call is intercepted by a system call wrapper.

Abstract: A system and a method dynamically adjusts the quality of service guarantees for virtual servers based upon the resource demands experienced by the virtual servers. Virtual server resource denials are monitored to determine if a virtual server is overloaded based upon the resource denials. Virtual server resources are modified dynamically to respond to the changing resource requirements of each virtual server. Occasionally, a physical host housing a virtual server may not have additional resources to allocate to a virtual server requiring increased resources. In this instance, a virtual server hosted by the overloaded physical host is transferred to another physical host with sufficient resources.

Abstract: File access rates of processes are regulated according to file type. An association table stores entries associating processes to be regulated with specific access rates for various file types. System calls that access files are intercepted, and a system call wrapper executes. The system call wrapper determines the type of file that is being accessed by the process. The system call wrapper examines the association table in order to determine if the calling process is associated with an access rate for the file type being accessed. If so, the system call wrapper regulates access to the file according to the appropriate rate.