Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to methods and systems for protecting a pre-charge circuit. The present invention is further directed to related computer-implemented program product. The method comprises monitoring the current flowing through the current limiting device, calculating the energy loading of the current limiting device over time, and managing the system state to prevent damaging operation of the pre-charge circuit.

Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to methods for estimating a degradation of an electronically controlled electro-mechanical switch. The methods comprise determining a change of state of the contactor. They also comprise, computing, for each determined change of state, a wear increment WI of the contactor by: identifying a wear coefficient using a mapping between a last measured current through the contactor and a current range associated with a given wear coefficient; computing the actual wear WN of the contactor by adding the computed wear increment WI to a former known wear WI?1 of the contactor.

Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to methods for estimating a degradation of an electronically controlled electro-mechanical switch. The methods comprise determining a change of state of the contactor. They also comprise, computing, for each determined change of state, a wear increment WI of the contactor by: identifying a wear coefficient using a mapping between a last measured current through the contactor and a current range associated with a given wear coefficient; computing the actual wear WN of the contactor by adding the computed wear increment WI to a former known wear WI?1 of the contactor.

Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to methods and systems for protecting a pre-charge circuit. The present invention is further directed to related computer-implemented program product. The method comprises monitoring the current flowing through the current limiting device, calculating the energy loading of the current limiting device over time, and managing the system state to prevent damaging operation of the pre-charge circuit.

Abstract: A distributed data storage system is provided for offering shared data to one or more clients. In various embodiments, client systems operate on shared data while having a unique writeable copy of the shared data. According to one embodiment, the data storage system can be optimized for various use cases (e.g., read-mostly where writes to shared data are rare or infrequent (although writes to private data may be frequent. Some implementations of the storage system are configured to provide fault tolerance and scalability for the shared storage. For example, read-only data can be stored in (relatively) high latency, low cost, reliable storage (e.g. cloud), with multiple layers of cache supporting faster retrieval. In addition, some implementations of the data storage system offer a low-latency approach to data caching. Other embodiments improve efficiency with access modeling and conditional execution cache hints that can be distributed across the data storage system.

Abstract: A distributed data storage system is provided for offering shared data to one or more clients. In various embodiments, client systems operate on shared data while having a unique writeable copy of the shared data. According to one embodiment, the data storage system can be optimized for various use cases (e.g., read-mostly where writes to shared data are rare or infrequent (although writes to private data may be frequent. Some implementations of the storage system are configured to provide fault tolerance and scalability for the shared storage. For example, read-only data can be stored in (relatively) high latency, low cost, reliable storage (e.g. cloud), with multiple layers of cache supporting faster retrieval. In addition, some implementations of the data storage system offer a low-latency approach to data caching. Other embodiments improve efficiency with access modeling and conditional execution cache hints that can be distributed across the data storage system.

Abstract: Provided is a system for building and validating an application (including e.g., various software versions and revisions, programming languages, code segments, among other examples) without any scripting required by a system user. In one embodiment, an SDLC system is configured to construct a build and test environment, by automatically analyzing a submitted project. The build environment is configured to assemble existing user code, for example, to generate an application to test. Code building can include any one or more of code compilation, assembly, and code interpretation. The system can include a user interface provided to clients, users, and/or customer environments to facilitate user interaction and control of build and test validation. The system can accept user specification of configurations that controls the way the system runs the user's tests. The system can also provide flexible billing models for different customers.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing and/or executing cloud compute instances that may be pre-empted by their providers, known in at least one provider as “spot instances”. Various aspects manage early termination (i.e., before customer deallocation or compute task completion) of spot instances, enabling improved utilization, and increasing reliability of executing tasks on spot instances. In some embodiments, systems and/or methods are provided for prediction of when spot instance kills are likely to occur. These systems and/or methods can gracefully handle spot kills issued by Providers (e.g., trigger preservation operations), trigger transitions to spot instances at another Provider, trigger increased bidding to preserve current spot instances, and/or trigger a premium payment to allow for execution of preservation operations, among other options. Other embodiments enable customers to directly manage instance kill operations (e.g.

Abstract: Provided is a system for building and validating an application (including e.g., various software versions and revisions, programming languages, code segments, among other examples) without any scripting required by a system user. In one embodiment, an SDLC system is configured to construct a build and test environment, by automatically analyzing a submitted project. The build environment is configured to assemble existing user code, for example, to generate an application to test. Code building can include any one or more of code compilation, assembly, and code interpretation. The system can include a user interface provided to clients, users, and/or customer environments to facilitate user interaction and control of build and test validation. The system can accept user specification of configurations that controls the way the system runs the user's tests. The system can also provide flexible billing models for different customers.

Abstract: A method and system for securely transmitting order information among multiple parties and enabling third-party verification of the order information while maintaining the secrecy of the order information.

Abstract: The system provides a method and apparatus for writing a unique copy of data associated with each of a plurality of individual users, without the need for storing duplicate copies of the entire data file. The system provides for creating an unusable copy of a portion of the data that is to be shared by all users of the complete data. The system will store and optionally encrypt and/or watermark a unique copy of the remainder portion of the data for each unique user. When accessed from storage, the system will combine the shared portion with the unique remainder to reconstitute the entire file for access by the user. Deleting the unique remainder associated with a particular user makes all of the data useless to that user. In one embodiment, the system first compresses the entire data file using index frames and delta.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for simplifying cloud compute markets. A compute marketplace can be configured to determine, automatically, attributes and/or constraints associated with a job without requiring the consumer to provide them. The compute marketplace provides a clearing house for excess compute resources which can be offered privately or publically. The compute environment can be further configured to optimize job completion across multiple providers with different execution formats, and can also factor operating expense of the compute environment into the optimization. The compute marketplace can also be configured to monitor jobs and/or individual job partitions while their execution is in progress.

Abstract: Provided is a system for building and validating an application (including e.g., various software versions and revisions, programming languages, code segments, among other examples) without any scripting required by a system user. In one embodiment, an SDLC system is configured to construct a build and test environment, by automatically analyzing a submitted project. The build environment is configured to assemble existing user code, for example, to generate an application to test. Code building can include any one or more of code compilation, assembly, and code interpretation. The system can include a user interface provided to clients, users, and/or customer environments to facilitate user interaction and control of build and test validation. The system can accept user specification of configurations that controls the way the system runs the user's tests. The system can also provide flexible billing models for different customers.

Abstract: A distributed data storage system is provided for offering shared data to one or more clients. In various embodiments, client systems operate on shared data while having a unique writeable copy of the shared data. According to one embodiment, the data storage system can be optimized for various use cases (e.g., read-mostly where writes to shared data are rare or infrequent (although writes to private data may be frequent. Some implementations of the storage system are configured to provide fault tolerance and scalability for the shared storage. For example, read-only data can be stored in (relatively) high latency, low cost, reliable storage (e.g. cloud), with multiple layers of cache supporting faster retrieval. In addition, some implementations of the data storage system offer a low-latency approach to data caching. Other embodiments improve efficiency with access modeling and conditional execution cache hints that can be distributed across the data storage system.

Abstract: A loading device is attachable to the front of a front-loading laundry machine comprising a drum, a drum port and a drum port door for selectively closing the drum port. The loading device comprises a deformable chute mounted on a collapsible frame, and a pair of brackets for mounting the collapsible frame to the laundry machine such that the loading device is configurable between: a use condition in which he collapsible frame is open and the deformable chute is taut for directing laundry through the drum port into the laundry machine, and a storage condition in which the collapsible frame is closed for allowing the drum port door of the laundry machine to be closed. A front-loading laundry machine provided with the loading device located adjacent the drum port. The front-loading laundry machine may be a washing machine or a tumble dryer.

Abstract: A loading device is attachable to the front of a front-loading laundry machine comprising a drum, a drum port and a drum port door for selectively closing the drum port. The loading device comprises a deformable chute mounted on a collapsible frame, and a pair of brackets for mounting the collapsible frame to the laundry machine such that the loading device is configurable between: a use condition in which he collapsible frame is open and the deformable chute is taut for directing laundry through the drum port into the laundry machine, and a storage condition in which the collapsible frame is closed for allowing the drum port door of the laundry machine to be closed. A front-loading laundry machine provided with the loading device located adjacent the drum port. The front-loading laundry machine may be a washing machine or a tumble dryer.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing and/or executing cloud compute instances that may be pre-empted by their providers, known in at least one provider as “spot instances”. Various aspects manage early termination (i.e., before customer deallocation or compute task completion) of spot instances, enabling improved utilization, and increasing reliability of executing tasks on spot instances. In some embodiments, systems and/or methods are provided for prediction of when spot instance kills are likely to occur. These systems and/or methods can gracefully handle spot kills issued by Providers (e.g., trigger preservation operations), trigger transitions to spot instances at another Provider, trigger increased bidding to preserve current spot instances, and/or trigger a premium payment to allow for execution of preservation operations, among other options. Other embodiments enable customers to directly manage instance kill operations (e.g.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for simplifying cloud compute markets. A compute marketplace can be configured to determine, automatically, attributes and/or constraints associated with a job without requiring the consumer to provide them. The compute marketplace provides a clearing house for excess compute resources which can be offered privately or publically. The compute environment can be further configured to optimize job completion across multiple providers with different execution formats, and can also factor operating expense of the compute environment into the optimization. The compute marketplace can also be configured to monitor jobs and/or individual job partitions while their execution is in progress.

Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for simplifying cloud compute markets. A compute marketplace can be configured to determine, automatically, attributes and/or constraints associated with a job without requiring the consumer to provide them. The compute marketplace provides a clearing house for excess compute resources which can be offered privately or publically. The compute environment can be further configured to optimize job completion across multiple providers with different execution formats, and can also factor operating expense of the compute environment into the optimization. The compute marketplace can also be configured to monitor jobs and/or individual job partitions while their execution is in progress.

Abstract: The system provides a method and apparatus for writing a unique copy of data associated with each of a plurality of individual users, without the need for storing duplicate copies of the entire data file. The system provides for creating an unusable copy of a portion of the data that is to be shared by all users of the complete data. The system will store and optionally encrypt and/or watermark a unique copy of the remainder portion of the data for each unique user. When accessed from storage, the system will combine the shared portion with the unique remainder to reconstitute the entire file for access by the user. Deleting the unique remainder associated with a particular user makes all of the data useless to that user. In one embodiment, the system first compresses the entire data file using index frames and delta.