Abstract: An approach that detects objects crossing a virtual boundary line is provided. Specifically, an object detection tool provides this capability. The object detection tool comprises a boundary component configured to define a virtual boundary line in a video region of interest, and establish a set of ground patch regions surrounding the virtual boundary line. The object detection tool further comprises an extraction component configured to extract a set of attributes from each of the set of ground patch regions, and update a ground patch history model with the set of attributes from each of the set of ground patch regions. An analysis component is configured to analyze the ground patch history model to detect whether an object captured in at least one of the set of ground patch regions is crossing the virtual boundary line in the video region of interest.

Abstract: A secure computer architecture is provided. With this architecture, data is received, in a component of an integrated circuit chip implementing the secure computer architecture, for transmission across a data communication link. The data is converted, by the component, to one or more first fixed length frames. The one or more first fixed length frames are then transmitted, by the component, on the data communication link in a continuous stream of frames. The continuous stream of frames includes one or more second fixed length frames generated when no data is available for inclusion in the frames of the continuous stream.

Abstract: A benchmark tester retrieves a voltage margin that corresponds to a device that a system includes. The voltage margin indicates an additional amount of voltage to apply to a nominal voltage that, when added, results in the device operating at a power limit while executing a worst-case power workload. Next, the benchmark tester (or thermal power management device) sets an input voltage for the device to a value equal to the sum of the voltage margin and the nominal voltage. The benchmark tester then dynamically benchmark tests the system, which includes adjusting the device's frequency and input voltage while ensuring that the device does not exceed the device's power limit. In turn, the benchmark tester records a guaranteed minimum performance boost for the system based upon a result of the benchmark testing.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and device are provided for detecting and identifying priority inversion. A higher priority thread and a lower priority thread are received. A debugging application for debugging is executed. The lower priority thread requests and holds a resource. A break point is hit by the lower priority thread. The lower priority thread is preempted by the higher priority thread, and debugging stops until the higher priority thread completes. The higher priority thread requests the resource being held by the lower priority thread. It is determined whether priority inversion occurs.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a solution for obtaining trusted recommendations through discovery of common contacts in contact lists. The solution can utilize private contact lists (e.g., address book, phone lists) to permit users to search for and obtain trusted recommendations for a product and/or service. The presence of a contact in a contact list is recognized as recommendation of that contact. Recommendations can be determined through searching private contact lists and obtaining implicit relationships based on common contacts of multiple contact lists. Searches can be customized allowing recommendations to reflect results with high probability of confidence. Recommendations can also be affected by the degrees of separation between contact lists, professional peer relationships, expertise of contact list owner, and the like. Recommendation results can provide trusted recommendations for products and/or services without relying on potentially erroneous input.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems are provided for enabling the selection of a shipping option responsive to an environmental preference. A user indicates a shipping criteria preference including an environmental impact weighting. A cost value of each of a plurality of shipping options is determined including an environmental impact cost. A shipping options is selected and implemented for a shipping of an item as a function of the indicated environmental impact weighting. Each of the plurality of shipping option cost values may be dynamically recalculated and the status of at least one of the shipping options updated, the updating determining a change in value a shipping option cost value, an implemented selected shipping option changed to another of the plurality of shipping options as a function of the status updating.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for recording an event in a virtual world. The method includes acquiring camera view regions of avatars joining the event; identifying one or more key avatars and/or key objects based on information about the targets in the camera view regions of the avatars; setting one or more recorders for the identified one or more key avatars and/or key objects for recording the event such that the one or more key avatars and/or key objects are located in the camera view regions of the one or more recorders. The apparatus includes devices configured to perform the steps of the method.

Abstract: A switch is provided that detects when a computer expansion card has been added, removed or changed. During operation, the switch is held in a depressed position by contact with a card. If the card is removed, the switch is raised and, when a second card is installed in the same slot, the switch is again depressed. The depression of the switch triggers a change signal that initiates the introduction of power to the slot for a period of time long enough for the hypervisor to detect the new device. A delay between a release and subsequent depression of the switch is measured such that when the switch is released enough time is provided to firmly seat a different card in the planar device. Following the delay, power is supplied to the slot so that the hypervisor detects the card and updates the current configuration parameters.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for implementing a community-defined and managed communication network are provided. The method includes creating a profile for a user of the network that includes a user-selected attribute. The method also includes identifying a relationship between the attribute in the profile and data external to the profile. The identification includes analyzing user community-generated descriptors of the attribute and searching the external data for common descriptors. The method further includes initiating an activity responsive to the analysis, which includes one or more of: prompting the user to invite a second user who is not a registered member of the communication network to join the communication network; prompting a third user to evaluate the user with respect to the attribute; and prompting the user to initiate a communication with a fourth user who is a registered member of the communication network.

Abstract: A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code having programming instructions tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium. The programming instructions are operable to receive an object from an application server and detect that an object encryption is activated for the object. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to inspect an annotation for the object and determine that the object or one or more attributes of the object require encryption based on the inspecting. Furthermore, the programming instructions are operable to encrypt the object or the one or more attributes of the object that require encryption based on the determining using an encryption type and serialize and cache the object in a cache storage.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement and method support instruction target history based register address indexing, whereby register addresses to be used by an instruction are decoded using a target history table of previous target register addresses, and an index into the target history table supplied by an index value in the instruction. An instruction may include at least one index value that identifies a previously used register address. During execution of the instruction, the index is retrieved from the instruction, and then a register address is retrieved from the target history table using the index.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement and method utilize thread pair context caching, where a pair of hardware threads in a multithreaded processor, which are each capable of executing a process, are effectively paired together, at least temporarily, to perform context switching operations such as context save and/or load operations in advance of context switches performed in one or more of such paired hardware threads. By doing so, the overall latency of a context switch, where both the context for a process being switched from must be saved, and the context for the process being switched to must be loaded, may be reduced.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for workload balancing among power switching components in a multiphase switching power supply, the power supply including one set of power switching components for each switching phase, where workload balancing includes: dropping one or more switching phases when output current demand on the power supply drops below a predetermined threshold, leaving at least one active switching phase; and rotating the at least one active switching phase among all sets of power switching components.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for autonomous management of a communication network are provided. The communication network includes a community of registered and unregistered users. The method includes segmenting a body of data according to pre-defined aspects that identify related subject matter and a volume of data stored for each of the segments based on the volume of data. The method also includes classifying each of the registered users according to the segments, and identifying from the classification: a population size of users associated with corresponding segments and a proportion of users to corresponding segments. The method further includes assessing aspects of an unregistered user, based upon a communication, in view of pre-defined growth criteria established for the communication network and, upon determining the aspects fall within limits specified by the pre-defined growth criteria, presenting the unregistered user with an invitation to register with the community.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a computer-implemented method for presenting items in a hierarchy comprising parent items and sub-items. The method comprises the steps of: identifying one or more parent items in the hierarchy, wherein all sub-items of the identified parent items possess a particular property; and presenting the hierarchy in a manner to indicate that all sub-items of the identified parent items possess the particular property.

Abstract: A method including determining a set of clusters of person records from a data source that includes the person records, where the person records include attributes and person identifiers that correspond to the attributes; determining memberships of the person records to the clusters based on a correlation of the attributes across the person records; searching the person identifiers of the person records in the memberships for matches to existing person identifiers in a distribution list; and for the memberships that include person identifiers that are matches to the existing person identifiers, suggesting other person identifiers from these memberships to be added to the existing person identifiers in the distribution list to extend the distribution list.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for controlling electrical current supplied to an electronic device, such as a computer system. The method includes drawing up to a predetermined amount of an electrical input current from a first current source, and supplying a first portion of the drawn electrical input current to the electronic device, wherein the amount of the first portion may change over time to supply the amount of electrical current demanded by the electronic device without exceeding the predetermined amount. A second portion is supplied to charge an energy storage device during a period that the first portion is less than the predetermined amount. The stored energy device is discharged, as needed, to supply supplemental electrical current to the electronic device. A power supply including an energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery, may be used to carry out the method.

Abstract: A system for automatically establishing a connection with an emergency services server. In response to receiving an emergency signal from a mobile communication device, a connection with the mobile communication device is established by a communications server. Location data, audio input data, and visual input data from the mobile communication device is received by the communications server. Personal data for an owner of the mobile communication device is retrieved by the communications server from a storage device connected to a network. A connection with an emergency services server for a current locale of the mobile communication device is automatically established by the communications server. Then, the emergency signal, location data, audio input data, and visual input data received from the mobile communication device, along with the retrieved personal data, is transmitted by the communications server to the emergency services server for use by emergency service personnel.

Abstract: A hybrid data collection and component installation scheme for optimizing equipment cost, throughput, and quality practices in a multi-stage manufacturing environment. A kit comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to an order for a product is received from one of the stages in the multi-stage manufacturing environment. The parts in the kit were validated in the stage using data collected about the plurality of parts in the stage. At a subsequent stage in the manufacturing environment, a determination is made if the product qualifies for mass installation. If the product qualifies for mass installation, a set of parts in the kit is selected for mass installation. The set of parts are re-verified using the data collected in the previous stage in the environment to determine if the set of parts selected for mass installation is valid. If valid, the set of parts are installed en masse.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer usable program product for relating code with intellectual property assets are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An intellectual property asset is identified. A portion of code is located from an entire code of a software application, such that the portion of code corresponds to the intellectual property asset. The portion of code is marked with information identifying the intellectual property asset. The portion of the code is executed during the execution of the software application. The execution of the portion of code is recorded, the recording indicating a use of the intellectual property asset. Additionally, a set of analysis control factors may be accepted. The recording may be analyzed according to the set of analysis control factors. A recommendation for an intellectual property asset related business decision to develop, invest in, or maintain certain intellectual property assets may be produced.