Abstract: A motorized vehicle that is capable of operating in a mode in which motive power is being supplied wholly or partially from electric power is provided with an exterior indicator showing this mode of operation to other vehicle operators. In this way other drivers are alerted to the fact that the vehicle is under electric power and is not likely to be accelerated, particularly uphill.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus and a recording medium are provided for communicating message payload data, especially noncontiguous message data, from a first node of a network to a second node of the network in response to a request to transmit a message. Such method includes dividing the length of a data payload to be transmitted into a plurality of submessage payload lengths, i.e., into at least a first submessage payload length and a second submessage payload length. Then, a first ordered submessage is transmitted from the first node for delivery to the second node, the first ordered submessage having the first submessage payload length. A first state of an environment is then determined in the first node as if the step of transmitting the first ordered submessage were already completed.

Abstract: A patient angle sensor is employed in conjunction with gastric feeding devices to shut off or to reverse the flow of fluid in the tube when the angle of a bed ridden patient becomes sufficient to allow gastric juices to percolate up through the esophagus and into the patient's lungs. In this way incidents of aspirational pneumonia in hospitalized patients is significantly reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a warning apparatus for an automotive vehicle. The apparatus includes an air pressure sensor mounted on a side of the vehicle. This sensor provides an indication which is a function of sensed local air pressure. A connection mechanism is provided between the sensor and an indicator which provides an indication of the pressure to a driver of the vehicle. The pressure sensor thus provides an indication, alert, warning or indicator with respect to the closeness of a passing vehicle.

Abstract: A built-in self test system for testing a clock and data recovery circuit. The present invention provides a built-in self test circuit which operates with high speed phase lock loop. The built-in circuit comprises data generating means for generating a test data byte and serializing means coupled to the data generating means for converting the test data byte into serial test data. The clock and data recovery means are coupled to the output of the serializing means for recovering the clock and test data from the serial test data. A deserializing means coupled to the output of the clock and data recovery means converts the recovered serial test data into a recovered test data byte, and analyzing means connected to the output of the deserializing means compares the recovered test data byte to the initial test data byte.

Abstract: Space is allocated on data storage devices in proportion to weights associated with the storage devices. The weights can be dynamically adjusted at any time in order to accommodate changes in the system and to better utilize the storage devices. The technique used to perform the allocating is independent of the weights used by the allocating. Further, the allocation technique can accommodate general purpose data streams having varying lengths and/or varying access patterns, as well as special purpose data streams, such as video streams.

Abstract: Sockets of a computing environment are optimally tuned, even though the environment is dynamic. The tuning is based on information dynamically determined at the time a socket is opened. The information includes, for instance, application specific information and/or socket specific information. Based on the information, one or more parameters of the socket, such as a socket send buffer size and/or a socket receive buffer size, are set to reflect the current configuration of the environment.

Abstract: Concurrent access to data is managed through concurrency control techniques. Various types of techniques are employed to manage the access, including locking-based techniques and non-locking-based techniques. A dynamic switch from one type of concurrency control technique (e.g., a locking-based technique) to a different type of concurrency control technique (e.g., a non-locking-based technique) is enabled. This switching is based on access patterns and/or application requirements for each file. The switching allows enhanced performance for both coarse-grain sharing and fine-grain sharing of data.

Abstract: The management and use of replicated distributed transactions is facilitated. A distributed synchronous transaction system protocol is provided to manage the replication of distributed transactions for client application instances. The distributed synchronous transaction system allows transactions to be replicated without having the client application instances be aware of other instances to receive the transaction. Further, if a failure occurs during processing of a distributed replicated transaction, the distributed synchronous transaction system manages the recovery of the failure.

Abstract: The management and use of replicated distributed transactions is facilitated. A distributed synchronous transaction system protocol is provided to manage the replication of distributed transactions for client application instances. The distributed synchronous transaction system allows transactions to be replicated without having the client application instances be aware of other instances to receive the transaction. Further, if a failure occurs during processing of a distributed replicated transaction, the distributed synchronous transaction system manages the recovery of the failure.

Abstract: Various components are provided to manage a clustered environment. These components include a System Registry that provides a global data storage; a Configuration manager that stores data locally on nodes of the clustered environment and globally within the System Registry; a Liveness component to provide status of communications paths of the cluster; a Group Services component that provides services to one or more other components of the clustered environment; and a Resource Management component that communicates with one or more resource controllers of the clustered environment. Each of the components of the clustered environment has one or more data and/or functional dependencies on one or more other components of the environment. However, relationships between the components are created such that the data and functional dependencies form an acyclic graph (i.e., a cycle of dependency relationships is avoided).

Abstract: Various components are provided to manage a clustered environment. These components include a System Registry that provides a global data storage; a Configuration manager that stores data locally on nodes of the clustered environment and globally within the System Registry; a Liveness component to provide status of communications paths of the cluster; a Group Services component that provides services to one or more other components of the clustered environment; and a Resource Management component that communicates with one or more resource controllers of the clustered environment. Each of the components of the clustered environment has one or more data and/or functional dependencies on one or more other components of the environment. However, relationships between the components are created such that the data and functional dependencies form an acyclic graph (i.e., a cycle of dependency relationships is avoided).

Abstract: Communication between different entities of a computing environment is facilitated by an address mapping capability. Messages are sent between the entities to have desired tasks performed. Instead of providing within the messages the actual non-logical addresses (e.g., virtual, real addresses) used to perform the tasks, logical addresses are provided. The logical addresses are then mapped to the non-logical addresses. Each logical address can map to a plurality of non-logical addresses.

Abstract: A deterministic, non-deadlocking technique to achieving distributed consensus in a multithreaded multiprocessing computing environment is provided. A communicator is established across multiple processes in the multithreaded computer environment notwithstanding that multiple groups of threads may be simultaneously trying to establish communicators. The technique includes communicating across the multiple processes to establish a candidate identifier for the communicator for a group of participating threads of the multiple processes; and communicating across the multiple processes to check at each participating thread of the multiple processes whether the candidate identifier can be claimed at its process, and if so, claiming the candidate identifier as the new identifier thereby establishing the communicator. As one example, the technique can be implemented via a subroutine call within a message passing interface (MPI) library.

Abstract: A facility is provided for managing a service connection between a client process having a single threaded library and a server process. The facility includes monitoring activity of a client code of the client process by the client library, and commensurate therewith monitoring activity of the client library across a service connection to the server process, wherein activity of the client library on the service connection is indicative of activity of the client code. The service connection between the client process and the server process is terminated if a message is not received at the server process from the single threaded client library within a defined tolerance interval. Upon termination of the service connection, any locked client resource is recovered at the server process.

Abstract: An updating capability updates a component of a computing environment, while maintaining the availability of the computing environment. In particular, a component of the computing environment which is associated with at least a portion of a unit of work is updated from one version to another version. Subsequently, the updated component emulates the original version, or operates in a compatibility mode, while other components of the computing environment, which are similarly associated with the same unit of work, remain at the original version.

Abstract: A non-integer fractional divider divides a reference clock signal having period P by a non-integer ratio K. The divider includes multiplexers to receive a plurality N of clock signals wherein each clock signal is equally phase shifted by a P/N delay. Incrementers coupled to the multiplexers select first and second clock signals between the N clock signals. Such that the phase shift delay between the two selected clock signals is representative of the non-integer value of K. The selected clock signals are combined to output a divided clock signal. The enabling time of each selected clock signal is respectively representative of the duration of the low level and the high level of the divided clock signal.

Abstract: Various components are provided to manage a clustered environment. These components include a System Registry that provides a global data storage; a Configuration manager that stores data locally on nodes of the clustered environment and globally within the System Registry; a Liveness component to provide status of communications paths of the cluster; a Group Services component that provides services to one or more other components of the clustered environment; and a Resource Management component that communicates with one or more resource controllers of the clustered environment. Each of the components of the clustered environment has one or more data and/or functional dependencies on one or more other components of the environment. However, relationships between the components are created such that the data and functional dependencies form an acyclic graph (i.e., a cycle of dependency relationships is avoided).

Abstract: At least a portion of a table stored in a global data repository is selected to be accessed and modified. The selected portion is stored in a local table in local memory of a node of a client-server environment. The local table is modified, and then at least a portion of the modified local table is merged with the global table. The merger is performed without requiring any user locking of the global table.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an image processing apparatus includes an original image data input unit 11 for receiving the original low resolution image data; a connection detector 13 for detecting a connection of a target pixel in the original image data and neighboring pixels; a rule application unit 17 for employing a relationship between a coordinate position of a pixel in the original image data and a coordinate position of a resultant pixel in the expansion image data to define a plurality of types into which the relationship can be sorted, and for applying a specific rule for the plurality of types; and a results output unit 19 for determining the value of the resultant pixel in accordance with the rule, and for outputting the expansion image data, wherein, when the connection detector 13 ascertains that the target pixel constitutes a one-pixel width line, the rule application unit 17 applies a rule that will maintain the one-pixel width even in the expansion image data.