Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method of communication between a plurality of processes, each process being responsible for a region of a space, and each process maintaining a routing tree, each node of the routing tree representing a respective one of the plurality of processes and containing an indication of the represented process and an indication of an associated region for which the represented process is responsible. The method comprises: receiving, by a first process, a message addressed to a target region of the space; determining, by the first process and using the routing tree of the first process, a set of subregions of the target region and associated processes; and for each of the determined subregions in the set, sending the message from the first process to the process associated with the determined subregion in the set.

Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method comprising, at an intermediary process acting as an intermediary between a publisher system and a plurality of subscriber processes, the intermediary process having a publisher data store storing one or more subscriptions for which the intermediary process is a publisher and a subscriber data store storing one or more subscriptions for which the intermediary process is a subscriber.

Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method comprising, at an intermediary process acting as an intermediary between a publisher system and a plurality of subscriber processes, the intermediary process having a publisher data store storing one or more subscriptions for which the intermediary process is a publisher and a subscriber data store storing one or more subscriptions for which the intermediary process is a subscriber.

Abstract: There is provided a computer-implemented method of communication between a plurality of processes, each process being responsible for a region of a space, and each process maintaining a routing tree, each node of the routing tree representing a respective one of the plurality of processes and containing an indication of the represented process and an indication of an associated region for which the represented process is responsible. The method comprises: receiving, by a first process, a message addressed to a target region of the space; determining, by the first process and using the routing tree of the first process, a set of subregions of the target region and associated processes; and for each of the determined subregions in the set, sending the message from the first process to the process associated with the determined subregion in the set.

Abstract: A transfer assembly and method for transferring a flexible sheet of material which is subject to wrinkling, folding and/or creasing. The assembly and method includes a vacuum manifold having a cavity which is connected to an evacuation source for drawing a vacuum on the cavity, and an opening on the manifold of a given size and shape and communicating with the cavity. A sheet of porous material for supporting the flexible sheet of material for transfer thereon covers the opening and has a plurality of fine pores extending therethrough. The pores are profusely and uniformly distributed entirely over an area of the sheet of porous material which area is at least substantially of the same size and shape as the flexible sheet of material which is to be transferred thereon, so that substantially the entire area of the flexible sheet of material which is to be transferred is exposed to the pores.