Abstract: A Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system is specially configured to account for the physical condition of emergency personnel, which can affect their ability to effectively handle a particular incident. The CAD system tracks health, stress, and biometric status of each available emergency responder automatically and in real-time based on a wide range of collected information and to assess the suitability of available emergency responders to respond to a given emergency incident based upon such status information. Based on such status information, the CAD system can make intelligent recommendations to the emergency dispatcher by taking into account such things as the emergency responder's past experiences with a particular type of emergency incident, the current and cumulative status of the emergency responder, and projections as to the future condition of the emergency responder if dispatched to handle the emergency incident.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for ordering vertices in an image frame within a data stream, wherein the image frame corresponds to Earth-viewing data. A point of intersection of a primary pair of lines is determined and loaded into computer memory, and interrogated as to a sign of a signed remainder with respect to each of two secondary lines defined by the pairwise ordered sets of vertices. In the case of opposite remainder sign with respect to the two secondary lines, two provisional indices are swapped to obtain a rectified index for each of the four vertices. The process is repeated with respect to the signed remainder of the intersection point of the secondary lines relative to the primary lines. The four vertices are then fit, in accordance with index ordering, into a tiling of the surface of the Earth based on the rectified index of each of the four vertices.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating an image that depicts shadowing for a specified light source even though the input data is not three-dimensional and is limited to elevation data that associates an elevation value with each of a plurality of spatial coordinates. Plumb line walls are generated between elevation points of neighboring grid cells for each elevation point meeting a specified delta elevation criterion. A shadow map is accumulated based on visibility of each pixel to the light source position, and then, in a subsequent pass through the coordinate pixels of the data, an image is created in a tangible medium with each pixel correspondingly visible or shadowed, either totally or partially. Values along one dimension may be spread over a Z-buffer range to optimally resolve visibility features.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product compare images of a physical activity or object. Pixel data from first and second registered color images defined in an N-dimensional color model are concatenated to form an image in a 2N-dimensional color model. Principal component analysis is performed on the composite image and those components representing a change rather than a correlation are identified. In the composite image, coordinates for each pixel are determined along the principal components representing change, and a normalized pixel change value is computed. Pixels in the composite image may be segmented according to their respective normalized pixel change values, where segments do not cross pre-defined geospatial parcel boundaries. Parcel change probabilities are calculated as a function of segment change probabilities, themselves functions of the normalized pixel change values. Finally, parcels are ranked by their change probabilities and highlighted in a graphical user interface.

Abstract: A method for establishing or reinforcing a path through an asymmetric network of interconnected nodes includes storing navigation data at one or more nodes, for use by an agent in traveling from that node to a subsequent node, while ultimately traveling from a first terminal node (for example, a source node) to a second terminal node (for example, a destination node). As the agent travels from a first terminal node to a second terminal node via an intermediate node, the agent modifies the navigation data intended for use by an agent traveling from the second terminal node to the first terminal node via the intermediate node. Agents traveling complementary routes reinforce each other paths, allowing paths to be determined and reinforced.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided that improve graphical software applications, by filtering the data for display according to techniques for defining and manipulating visual indicia. Data may be filtered according to multiple filters that are combined in a number of ways to form the set of data for display. Data may be filtered ontologically and geometrically according to their relationships with other data. Visual indicia that represent filters may be drag-and-dropped between input areas to facilitate ease of use. Data selected according to a filter may be displayed at the same time as non-selected data by applying visually distinctive characteristics to the selected data. A virtual environment may be shown simultaneously on several different video displays at a single workstation.

Abstract: A method of manipulating a three-dimensional object displays a first view of a three-dimensional object on a touchscreen. The touchscreen has three-dimensional views associated with at least one pre-specified visually undelineated portion of the touchscreen. The method receives a touch input on the touchscreen in a visually undelineated portion, and determines a second view of the three-dimensional object based on the view assigned to the visually undelineated portion that received the touch input. The method displays the second view of the three-dimensional object on the touchscreen.

Abstract: A 3-D view manipulation apparatus surrounds a 3-D model displayed on a display device, and allows a user to manipulate the view of the model by manipulating the apparatus, without having to divert the user's view from the model. The apparatus is transparent or semi-transparent, such that all of its surfaces are simultaneously visible. The apparatus may include control features on its surface, edges, or corners to facilitate changing the view of the model to a vantage point from or through that control feature. The apparatus may include a set of orthogonal axes at its center, about which the model may be made to rotate.

Abstract: Modifying 2.5D GIS data for a 2D GIS system involves displaying 3D graphic indicia on a display device, the graphic indicia being displayed in a geospatial manner as a function of 2.5D GIS data in a GIS database associated with a 2D GIS system, and further involves modifying the 2.5D GIS data in the GIS database using the 3D graphic indicia displayed on the display device, including mapping user selections relating to the 3D graphic indicia to 2D geo-location coordinates and modifying the 2.5D GIS data based on the 2D geo-location coordinates.

Abstract: A system and method for navigating a collection of toolbar items that are displayed on an electronic display screen. The toolbar items, such as buttons, are organized into an ordered set of toolbar pages. Each toolbar page contains a fixed number of toolbar items. One toolbar page from the set is displayed at a time in a fixed display area, e.g., a tile, on the display screen. User input causes the currently displayed toolbar page to be replaced by another toolbar page in the ordered set. The user input, such as a continuous swipe gesture across the toolbar display tile, determines the direction of navigation through pages in the ordered set and the speed of the page navigation. The toolbar display area can show the position of the currently displayed toolbar in the ordered set and animated transitions between toolbar items may be displayed to signal toolbar page replacements. A user input, such as a tap of a finger, can select the replacement toolbar.

Abstract: A method for creating a line drawing associated with a point cloud provides a line drawing representing a three-dimensional object and a point cloud of the same. The line drawing has line drawing coordinate data, and the point cloud has point cloud coordinate data. The point cloud also has point cloud distance data of the three-dimensional object. The method also associates the line drawing coordinate data with the point cloud coordinate data. Further, the method uses the associated coordinate data to apply the point cloud distance data to the line drawing.

Abstract: A system and method of distributing a file maintained on a first device located at the top tier of a secured network having at least a second device at a lower tier, without needing to change security parameters of the secured network, is disclosed. Network administrators may access the top tier of the network, may add files into the system, and may generate a file privilege file. The file privilege file can include configuration information for a computer on a tier and may include information about files accessible to a computer on a specific tier. The network propagates the file privilege file from the first device through intermediate devices and onto the second device. The second device may then receive a file authorized from the first device via a connection in the secured network. The second device may also propagate files up to the first device.

Abstract: Modifying 2.5D GIS data for a 2D GIS system involves displaying 3D graphic indicia on a display device, the graphic indicia being displayed in a geospatial manner as a function of 2.5D GIS data in a GIS database associated with a 2D GIS system, and further involves modifying the 2.5D GIS data in the GIS database using the 3D graphic indicia displayed on the display device, including mapping user selections relating to the 3D graphic indicia to 2D geo-location coordinates and modifying the 2.5D GIS data based on the 2D geo-location coordinates.

Abstract: A large number of objects, such as objects representing beams and columns in an object-oriented enterprise engineering system, may be geometrically transformed in a model database by dividing the objects according to criteria into a number of ordered partitions and transforming the objects in each partition as an atomic operation. Objects that are to be transformed are organized into the ordered partitions, and the partitions are transformed in sequential order, such that all predecessors of a given object are transformed before, or in the same operation as, the given object. If a large transformation operation abnormally terminates before all the small transformation operations have been completed, the model database is, nevertheless, left in a consistent state. The transformation operation may be resumed from the point of interruption. Furthermore, the number of objects that may be transformed is not constrained by the amount of memory available in the system.

Abstract: A computing system as described in which individual instructions are executable in parallel by processing pipelines, and instructions to be executed in parallel by different pipelines are supplied to the pipelines simultaneously. The system includes storage for storing an arbitrary number of the instructions to be executed. The instructions to be executed are tagged with pipeline identification tags indicative of the pipeline to which they should be dispatched. The pipeline identification tags are supplied to a system which controls a crossbar switch, enabling the tags to be used to control the switch and supply the appropriate instructions simultaneously to the differing pipelines.

Abstract: A computing system as described in which individual instructions are executable in parallel by processing pipelines, and instructions to be executed in parallel by different pipelines are supplied to the pipelines simultaneously. The system includes storage for storing an arbitrary number of the instructions to be executed. The instructions to be executed are tagged with pipeline identification tags indicative of the pipeline to which they should be dispatched. The pipeline identification tags are supplied to a system which controls a crossbar switch, enabling the tags to be used to control the switch and supply the appropriate instructions simultaneously to the differing pipelines.

Abstract: A method for maintaining consistency between objects in a computer system by defining relationship patterns. A relationship pattern is a collection of entities having relationships with a common entity called an active entity. A semantic entity is associated with the active entity describing the actions to be performed for updating one or more entities of the relationship pattern in response to modification, copying, or deletion of one or more entities participating in the relationship pattern.

Abstract: A computing system as described in which individual instructions are executable in parallel by processing pipelines, and instructions to be executed in parallel by different pipelines are supplied to the pipelines simultaneously. The system includes storage for storing an arbitrary number of the instructions to be executed. The instructions to be executed are tagged with pipeline identification tags indicative of the pipeline to which they should be dispatched. The pipeline identification tags are supplied to a system which controls a crossbar switch, enabling the tags to be used to control the switch and supply the appropriate instructions simultaneously to the differing pipelines.

Abstract: A disk system includes a disk cage having a spring and an interior wall that forms a disk drive chamber. The disk system also includes a disk drive removably coupled within the disk drive chamber. The spring in the disk cage preferably is coupled with the interior wall and extends into the disk drive chamber to form a receiving chamber. The spring contacts the disk drive to dampen disk drive vibration.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for a computer-aided design (CAD) system for dynamically switching from one CAD platform to another CAD platform. The invention includes building a library of generic CAD functions, each for directing a graphical manipulation process. Each one of the generic CAD functions is based on a platform-specific CAD function, there being a large number of common CAD functions among many different CAD platforms. The invention interprets received function calls and translates the call to a generic function call for invoking a generic CAD function. A processor then executes the generic CAD function, irrespective of the platform used to call the function.