Abstract: A computing system causes a plurality of display devices to display user interfaces containing portions of a canvas shared by a plurality of users. The canvas is a graphical space containing discrete graphical elements located at arbitrary locations within the canvas. Each of the discrete graphical elements graphically represents a discrete resource. When a user interacts with a resource in the set of resources, the computing system modifies the canvas to include an interaction element indicating that the user is interacting with the resource. The computer system then causes the display devices to update the user interfaces such that the user interfaces reflect a substantially current state of the canvas. In this way, the users may be able to understand which ones of the users are interacting with which ones of the resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for linking an application service provider to a chipholder during a post issuance operation involving the chipholder. The method and apparatus is implemented by a set of extensible markup language structures for transmitting promotional content and application content information to a chipholder in a smart card system. The smart card system comprises a chip management system (CMS), a distribution server, a security server, an application provider (AP), and a computer system connected by a network. Extensible markup language (SML) is used for post issuance data transactions. Specific XML structures are used to transmit application promotional data (APD) and application content data (ACD) to a CMS for packaging to chipholder during post issuance transactions. The APD and ACD are prepared by the application provider and stored in a marketing file.

Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer program product manages update operations for a hardware resource. A time, date, and location of the future meeting for which a predetermined feature from a hardware resource has been designated as being required for the future meeting is retrieved from a calendar. A determination is made as to whether or not the predetermined feature of the hardware resource is scheduled for updating during the time and date of the future meeting at said location. A level of detriment that will occur to the future meeting if the future meeting proceeds without the updating of the predetermined feature from the hardware resource is determined. A schedule for updating the hardware resource is then adjusted according to the level of detriment that will occur to the future meeting if the future meeting proceeds without the updating of the predetermined feature from the hardware resource.

Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method to effect automated adjustments at a communication device is described. The method may include receiving first contextual data of the communication device. The first contextual data may indicate conditions of a first predetermined setting at the communication device and a setting adjustment associated with the conditions. The method may also generate a second predetermined setting, based on the setting adjustment. The method may also apply the second predetermined setting at the communication device in place of the first predetermined setting under conditions indicated by second contextual data that are similar to conditions indicated by the first contextual data.

Abstract: Systems and method for deploying CO2 emission and financial cost optimized secured algorithms to cloud computing environments are disclosed. Algorithms are converted into a single state assignment representation that includes a combination of statements that represent sub operations of the algorithm. Runtime and power consumption cost values associated with executing the statements in the cloud are calibrated by executing the statements in a particular configuration of a cloud some number of time with multiple security protocols and then analyzing the results. CO2 emission and financial cost values are mapped to the calibrated runtime and power consumption cost values. The mapped CO2 emission and financial cost values and the calibrated runtime and power consumption cost values are used by a linear program to optimize a partitioning vector of indicators that define which security protocol will be used to execute each statement in the cloud when the algorithm is deployed.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing shipment release from a storage area in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to determine that a shipment including multiple units is expected to be conveyed from a storage area to a packing station in a materials handling facility. The system may also be configured to evaluate each respective unit of the shipment according to one or more criteria related to physical characteristics of the unit in order to generate an order in which the units of the shipment are to be provided to the packing station. The system may also be configured to generate an instruction to provide the units of the shipment to the packing station according to the generated order.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for process management in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a process control component configured to generate a model of multiple unit handling processes of a materials handling facility. For each process, the model may indicate a measured throughput rate. The process control component may be configured to, based on at least one target output rate that is a goal for the output rate of a given unit handling process, evaluate the model to generate a particular target throughput rate that is a goal for the respective throughput rate of a particular unit handling process that is performed prior to the given unit handling process. The process control component may be configured to, based on the particular target throughput rate, generate one or more instructions to control the respective throughput rate of units processed by the particular unit handling process.

Abstract: In a method of determining cooling resource capacity allocations for resource units in a shared environment for optimized operations, cost parameters associated with operating the resource units in at least one of delivering and receiving cooling resources are identified, one or more constraints associated with operating the resource units are identified, in which at least one of the one or more constraints comprises meeting at least a total cooling demand of components in the shared environment, a cost function that correlates the plurality of identified cost parameters is developed, a minimized cost function is solved for through application of a Lagrange multiplier subject to the identified one or more constraints, and cooling resource capacity allocations for the resource units that result in optimized operations in the shared environment based upon the minimized cost function solution are determined.

Abstract: A lifecycle obsolescence forecasting system. The system may include a data integrator configured to receive part information for a plurality of parts. The system may include a sustainability optimizer configured to receive one or more sustainability requirements for a part in the plurality of parts. The system may include a forecaster coupled to the data integrator and the sustainability optimizer, wherein the forecaster may be configured to analyze the part information and the one or more sustainability requirements to establish a component stock-out date for the part, wherein the component stock-out date may comprise a date when a last spare of the part is forecast to be removed from stock, and wherein the component stock-out date may be established as a function of at least the part usage rate and a corresponding failure rate of the part.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for managing shipment release from a storage area in a materials handling facility are described. Embodiments may include a system configured to identify multiple shipments that each includes one or more units that are eligible to be conveyed from a storage area to a respective packing station in a materials handling facility. The identification of a given shipment may include determining that shipment is compatible with a packing capability of the packing station. The system may be configured to evaluate each respective shipment according to one or more shipment-related criteria to generate a ranking of at least some of the multiple shipments. The system may, in response to determining that a particular shipment is ranked highest relative to other shipments of the ranking, generate an instruction to convey the units of that particular shipment from the storage area to the respective packing station.

Abstract: A self-service tanning system and method allows salon owners to offer tanning customization in order to meet the personal needs of various customers and to meet the various FDA regulations associated with each state. The present invention allows salon owners to customize each tanning customer session to prevent over exposure for new patrons, while allowing patrons who are already tanning to tan at a more progressive rate. In addition to tanning customization, the present invention offers built-in safety features, payment options, and networkability.

Abstract: A system for managing distribution of a cooling medium includes a sensor configured to detect a condition, a first agent configured to receive the detected condition and to determine whether a characteristic of the cooling medium controlled via a first actuator is to be manipulated based upon the detected condition. The system also includes a second agent configured to receive at least one of the detected condition and the flow manipulation determination of the first actuator and to determine whether a characteristic of the cooling medium controlled by a second actuator is to be manipulated based upon the at least one of the detected condition and the characteristic manipulation determination of the first actuator.

Abstract: It is possible to provide a specification modification estimation method and a specification modification estimation system which can build-in a specification modification in a development plan in advance when performing software development. The system includes: I/O unit (1) which inputs development information associated with specification modification and outputs a calculation result of a development scale obtained by the specification modification; a database (3) which accumulates a digitalized environment affect in the software development; and specification modification estimation calculation unit (2) which calculates a product amount of the entire development scale in the specification modification according to the aforementioned development information and the information accumulated in the database. Thus, it is possible to estimate a final entire development scale which fluctuates according to the specification modification at a pre-stage of a software development or during the development.

Abstract: A method for facilitating greenhouse gas emission control in an enterprise is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, such a method may include taking an inventory of GHG-producing assets of an enterprise and monitoring the GHG emission rate for each of the GHG-producing assets. If the GHG emission rate for a specific GHG-producing asset exceeds a specified rate limit, or if the growth rate of the GHG emission rate for the specific GHG-producing asset exceeds a specified growth rate limit, maintenance may be automatically scheduled for that GHG-producing asset.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of managing trading is provided. In a market for a particular type of instrument, buy orders and sell orders are received from a plurality of traders. Each buy order has an associated bid price and each sell order has an associated offer price. A determination is made of whether the particular trading order is an outlying trading order by determining whether the particular trading order differs from at least one comparison price by more than a threshold value. If it is determined that the particular trading is an outlying trading order, a restrictive action is taken regarding the outlying trading order. For example, if a trader subsequently submits another trading order that would trade with the outlying trading order, an alert message may be sent to the trader and the subsequent trading order may be prevented from trading with the outlying trading order at least temporarily.

Abstract: A system and method provides electronic management and processing of bankruptcy-related claims and payments. The method includes receiving loan servicer data from a loan servicer portfolio. The method also includes receiving trustee data from a repository of trustee information. The method includes comparing one or more data fields related to the claims from the service provider data to corresponding one or more data fields related to the claims from the trustee data and assigning a score to the comparison results for the data fields related to the claims based on one or more business rules. The method includes calculating the total score for the comparison results for the claims, designating the claim as being valid if the total score for the claim is greater or equal to a predetermined value, and designating the claim as being invalid if the total score for the claim is less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: Schedules which include reciprocal events, such as schedules for youth hockey leagues, can be created using a system in which users can invite one another to schedule games based on information selected through an interface and reciprocal dates which are automatically identified by a suitably programmed computer. Information related to games and schedules can be stored in a database which can be accessed and modified by different users depending on their roles and the permissions associated with those roles.

Abstract: Method and systems for testing services are described which use a virtual world. Observational data is extracted from the virtual world and input to the service. The output of the service is observed and/or may be fed back into the virtual world and its effects observed in the virtual world.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium comprising instructions for providing a survey to a user comprises accessing a web site by the user, determining if the user is qualified to partake in a survey related to the web site, tracking the user's interaction with the web site when the user is qualified to partake in the survey, presenting the survey to the user based on the user's interaction, receiving responses to the survey, tracking the user's further interaction with the web site, determining if a page unload event followed by a page load event occurs within a period of time, determining if the user has left the web site when the page unload event followed by the page load event does not occur within the period of time, presenting a static first portion of an additional survey to the user, and presenting a dynamic second portion of the additional survey to the user based on at least one of: the user's further interaction with the web site, the user's interaction with the web site, and the user's re

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for an order handling data model with item-level granularity are described. Embodiments may include an order handling system configured to, for a given purchase order received from an ordering entity, generate within a data store a purchase order data object, item data objects for items of the purchase order, and message data objects for messages associated with item data objects. In various embodiments, the order handling system may also generate in the data store mapping information for mapping each of the different data objects for a given purchase order together. The order handling system may also provide to the ordering entity a notification for a particular item. The notification may be based on information accessed from the item data object corresponding to the particular item or information accessed from other data objects associated with that item data object according to the mapping information.