Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying Frequency Vibrations of Sound and Light (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “FVSL”) to a user for the administration of therapeutic treatment including relaxation and other benefits.

Abstract: A process, apparatus, and system for evaluating a projected cache size implement and manage one or more projected cache lists that each contains directory entries corresponding to a projected cache size. The projected cache size may be either smaller or larger than the actual size of a cache installed in a computer system. Using the projected cache list entries, performance statistics such as cache hit ratio and average access time are tracked for each list. The process, apparatus, and system may calculate performance parameters that describe the performance specific to the actual cache list and each projected cache list. The resulting performance statistics may be used to formulate an optimization parameter to be communicated to a user or an administrator application.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for mitigating signal asymmetry. An analog to digital converter samples an analog signal from a read head and converts the sample to a digital input signal. The digital input signal addresses a look-up module, and the look-up module outputs a modified digital signal. The modified digital signal value is a specified function of the digital input signal value, wherein the specified function is configured to mitigate the asymmetry of the digital input signal. The modified digital signal value may be periodically recalculated to adjust for read head wear.

Abstract: A master dynamic aging value associated with the client is calculated responsive to an operator command to perform the global refresh. When receiving a request from a user associated with the client, a sub-dynamic aging value associated with a cached user security profile for the user is compared to the master dynamic aging value. If the sub-dynamic aging value is not equal to the master dynamic aging value, then the cached user security profile is refreshed.

Abstract: A fault tolerant synchronized virtual memory manager for use in a load sharing environment manages memory allocation, memory mapping, and memory sharing in a first processor, while maintaining synchronization of the memory space of the first processor with the memory space of at least one partner processor. In one embodiment, synchronization is maintained via paging synchronization messages such as a space request message, an allocate memory message, a release memory message, a lock request message, a read header message, a write page message, a sense request message, an allocate read message, an allocate write message, and/or a release pointer message. Paging synchronization facilitates recovery operations without the cost and overhead of prior art fault tolerant systems.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for copying a virtual volume to multiple physical volumes within a virtual tape system. The virtual tape system may include a virtual tape server (VTS), a library manager, and a plurality of tape drive units into which cartridges may be individually mounted. The virtual tape system stores virtual volumes, each of which represents a physical volume, although one or more virtual volumes are actually stored on a real physical volume. The library manager contains a volume database with a plurality of constructs and associated storage management actions. The constructs are received from a host computer connected to the VTS, but the storage management actions may be entered directly into the library manager, independently of the host. The library manager reads the management action associated with one or more constructs of a virtual volume and, along with the VTS, determines whether multiple physical copies of the virtual volume are to be made.

Abstract: A duplicate record processing method, apparatus, and system sorts a plurality of data records, identifies duplicate data records, and uses duplicate selection criteria to select at least one instance of the duplicate data records. The duplicate selection criteria may be specified by parameters contained within control statements. An instance is selected when initial duplicate selection criteria are met. The sort method saves initial data record selections and continues to process subsequent records. Records that meet duplicate selection criteria are saved over previously selected records. In response to determining that the last saved record meets the final duplicate selection criteria, the saved record is output. Records that are not selected may be deleted.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, system and article of manufacture for performing analytic modeling on a computer system by handling a plurality of predefined system criteria directed to a modeled computer system. The present invention provides means for the user of an analytic model to specify (i.e. enable) any number of predefined system criteria that must all be simultaneously satisfied. The modeling methodology uses a variation of the well-known Mean Value Analysis technique in its calculations. Response times, resource utilizations, and resource queue lengths are initially estimated for a small user arrival rate. An iterative method is used to gradually increase the user arrival rate by a constant value. For each iteration, response times, resource utilizations, and resource queue lengths are calculated. Then for all the criteria, which have been enabled, it is checked to see if the value limits specified for those criteria have exceeded.

Abstract: A unique printer pass code system and method provide the ability to remotely generate a unique pass code for printers operating under the system and method. A printer is configured to independently verify that a submitted pass code is the correct pass code for that printer. The pass code may be generated based upon a unique character string or other characteristic resident within the printer. The unique character string may comprise a serial number programmed into a printer controller during manufacturing of the printer. The unique character string is accessed and passed through a mathematical manipulation algorithm which transforms the character string into a pass code. The pass code may be a truncated result of the mathematical manipulations. One version of the algorithm may be remote to the printer for generating the pass code and a second version may be resident within the printer for validating submitted pass codes.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for determining brush contact with a magnetic head. A digitally generated signal is provided in a system and a first gain constant is adjusted without the brush in contact with the magnetic head until the signal achieves unity gain. A second gain constant is adjusted with the brush in contact with the magnetic head until the signal once again achieves unity gain. The difference between the first and second gain constants is calculated. If the difference satisfies a predetermined threshold, a monitoring message is provided indicating insufficient contact between the brush and the magnetic head. The message may serve to warn the user that the brush arm assembly may be inoperative or a failure message indicating that the entire brush assembly needs to be replaced.

Abstract: A delay interval is calculated for a processor that attempts to reserve a reserved shared resource in a multiprocessing system. The delay interval is based on the relationship of a requesting processor and a reservation holding processor. Each delay interval is unique without consistent bias against a processor. The requesting processor queries the reservation status of a shared resource without invalidating an existing reservation. If a shared resource is reserved, the requesting processor waits for an amount of time corresponding to the delay interval before again attempting to reserve the shared resource. The present invention substantially reduces arbitration conflicts within multiprocessor systems.

Abstract: A device for collecting and gathering loose material such as grain, rocks, leaves, grass clippings, and the like. The device includes a substantially flat sheet with handles associated with opposite edges of the sheet. The sheet may be of various shapes. The device also includes one or more obstructing members that extend outward from a top surface of the sheet. The handles and the obstructing members are sized and shaped such that, when the sheet is rolled in a manner circumscribing the obstructing members, the obstructing members cooperate to obstruct or block one end of a container formed by the sheet and the handles are in close proximity to each other to enable a person to grasp the handles with a single hand. A user may gather material onto the sheet in a planar configuration and then roll the sheet to form a temporary container with the material kept inside by the sheet and the obstructing members.

Abstract: A throttling specification is received by a computer task to direct the computer task's usage of critical computer resources, such as CPU cycles. The computer task comprises units of work, and the elapsed time of each unit of work is calculated as each unit of work completes. Upon the completion of one unit of work, a suspension time is calculated based at least partially on the throttling specification and the elapsed time corresponding to the completed unit of work. Prior to initiating the next unit of work for the computer task, the computer task is suspended for the calculated suspension time. In this manner, other important computing tasks operating in the computer system have access to critical computer resources during the suspension period. Even though the computer task may be given the highest possible priority to ensure a timely and predictable completion, total monopolization of critical computer resources is avoided.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for minimizing NOx in exhaust gasses. The apparatus includes an ionization module configured to at least partially ionize an exhaust gas of an engine. A characterization module is configured to identify NOx ions present in the ionized exhaust gas, and an engine control module is configured to communicate with the characterization module and modify engine parameters in response to identified NOx levels. The system includes an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold configured to deliver an air-fuel mixture to at least one combustion chamber, an exhaust manifold configured to receive exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber, and the apparatus. The method includes controlling an ionization module configured to at least partially ionize an exhaust gas of an engine, identifying NOx ions present in the ionized exhaust gas, and modifying one or more selected engine parameters in response to identified NOx levels.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for inducing an electrical current for use by an electronic device. The apparatus includes an inductor and an interface coupling the inductor to an electronic device. The inductor comprises a continuous wire looped spirally, the inductor deriving power from an insulated conductor positioned within the bore of the inductor. The electronic device is substantially wholly energized by the power induced within the inductor. The system includes a non-conductive tube, an arc lamp tube, a light fixture, an inductor, and an interface. The inductor comprises a continuous wire wound spirally around the non-conductive tube, the inductor deriving inductor and is mounted in the light fixture. The light fixture powers the arc lamp tube. The interface couples the inductor to an electronic device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a robust intelligent system control agent configured to receive user job requests, submit the user job requests to selected qualified clients for servicing, and monitor the progress of the requests. The system is also configured with the capability of relocating a system control agent from one location within a network to another location within the network and for relocating a job request from one client to another. This ability to relocate agents and jobs provides robustness and reliability to the system, allowing the agent to move to a different machine when, for example, its current host system requires maintenance or other downtime. In order to facilitate the relocation of a job request, the state of the request is temporarily stored by the agent or by other means while the job request is relocated to another client.

Abstract: A log list comprising log identifiers is received, wherein the log list delineates a set of logs to be groomed. A log sequence number and a time-stamp are extracted from the first log record of each log in the set of logs. A system ID is extracted from a log record of each log in the set of logs. An appended log list is created wherein the system ID, time-stamp and log sequence number comprise appended information that is logically appended to each of respective ones of the log identifiers. The appended log list is sorted utilizing at least a portion of the appended information, the result comprising a sorted appended log list. An actual log sequence number is extracted from the last log record of each log in the set of logs. Each of the actual log sequence numbers is compared to a corresponding predicted log sequence number, wherein the corresponding predicted log sequence number is computed utilizing the sorted appended log list.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method is provided for flushing data from a cache to secondary storage. The apparatus, system, and method identifies predefined high priority cache structures and predefined low priority cache structures. The apparatus, system, and method selectively flushes low priority cache structures according to a first scheme when the cache is under a demand load and according to a second scheme when the cache is under substantially no demand load. The first scheme is defined to flush low priority cache structures as efficiently as possible and the second scheme is defined to flush low priority cache structures in a less efficient manner.

Abstract: A plurality of patterns such as half-tone patterns, solid patterns, edge patterns, and verbatim data are losslessly represented in a compressed raster data stream. A pattern selection module selects among the various patterns to provide the best combination of lossless representations according to particular criteria such as storage compactness. Half-tone patterns are compressed by exploiting the characteristics of the half-tone threshold screen used to generate the half-tone image. A half-tone pattern codebook is produced by half-tone screening a calibration image. A packet formatting module packs multiple pattern identifiers and lossless representations into a packet which may be transmitted compactly. Upon receipt, a packet deformatting module unpacks the pattern identifiers and lossless representations from the packet. After deformatting, a pattern decoding module uses the pattern identifier to activate appropriate pattern generation modules.