Abstract: A real-time wireless parking enforcement system is provided that includes a remote parking enforcement system having a plurality of parking sensors disposed to gather parking occupancy data and at least one source of parking payment data, where the parking occupancy data and parking payment data is communicated to a central server in real-time, and a plurality of wireless mobile platforms are operated by a plurality of parking enforcement officers (PEO's). The wireless mobile platforms send and receive real-time and continuous parking occupancy data and parking payment data to and from the central server, where bidirectional communication exists between the central server and the wireless mobile platforms. When the PEO enters response information to a potential violation to the wireless mobile platform, the bidirectional communication updates the status of the potential violation to all the wireless platforms in real-time, where the information is used to reduce enforcement redundancies by the PEO's.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for navigating through information associated with physical objects or locations. During operation, the system detects a multi-resolution visual code placed on or in the vicinity of a physical object or location. The system then determines a level of resolution for the detected code, and decodes the code at the determined level of resolution to obtain the information. Subsequently, the system presents the information to a user, thereby allowing the user to navigate through information associated with the physical object or location.

Abstract: A method for specifying utility in an information delivery system having data sources and receiving nodes includes specifying utility for a set of possible information delivery patterns of data samples, where the specification of the utility depends on characteristics of delivery patterns observed by a receiving node, if any, located at a specified location.

Abstract: A computer-controlled method of determining costs of power consumption in a data center includes monitoring power consumption for a customer, determine a cost of the power consumption for the customer, adjusting a cost of operation for the customer to include the cost of power consumption to produce an adjusted cost of operation for the customer, and comparing the adjusted cost of operation for the customer to a price for the customer.

Abstract: A power control system in a data center has a plurality of physical servers, each server having a local controller, at least one virtual server coupled to at least some of the physical servers, and a central controller to control task loading on the physical servers through the virtual servers. A method of controlling power consumption in a data center includes receiving inputs from local controllers residing on loads, the inputs including data about power consumption on the loads, receiving as an input at least one quality of service requirement, and allocating tasks to at least one server based upon the quality of service and the power consumption on the loads.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that hierarchically groups principals to facilitate collision warning. During operation, the system obtains information on a number of principals and constructs one or more first-level groups of principals. Within a first-level group, the system constructs one or more second-level groups, thereby facilitating an assessment of probability of collision between a second-level group and a primary principal.

Abstract: A method of transmitting data includes determining how much data is desired to be transmitted from a data source. A utility function is used to determine a pattern of microutilities to be associated with data samples from the data source. The pattern of microutilities specifies a pattern of data delivery to at least one predetermined location relative to the data source. The data samples are propagated according to the pattern of microutilities.

Abstract: A method of disseminating information in system having data sources and data recipients includes receiving a generic utility function at a data source for information to be delivered to a data recipient based upon an application for which the information is to be used. Data related to an environment in which the information is to be propagated is used to modify the generic utility function.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that locates a set of target transmitting mechanism using a mobile sensing infrastructure. During operation, the system determines a reference frame of a sensing mechanism by detecting signals from at least two transmitting mechanisms. The system further determines locations of the target transmitting mechanism relative to the reference frame using the sensing mechanism. In addition, the system produces a result to indicate the locations of the target transmitting mechanisms.

Abstract: A real-time wireless parking enforcement system is provided that includes a remote parking enforcement system having a plurality of parking sensors disposed to gather parking occupancy data and at least one source of parking payment data, where the parking occupancy data and parking payment data is communicated to a central server in real-time, and a plurality of wireless mobile platforms are operated by a plurality of parking enforcement officers (PEO's). The wireless mobile platforms send and receive real-time and continuous parking occupancy data and parking payment data to and from the central server, where bidirectional communication exists between the central server and the wireless mobile platforms. When the PEO enters response information to a potential violation to the wireless mobile platform, the bidirectional communication updates the status of the potential violation to all the wireless platforms in real-time, where the information is used to reduce enforcement redundancies by the PEO's.

Abstract: A method of managing traffic in an ad hoc network determines local data traffic levels at a node, and uses the local data traffic levels to define a criteria. The criteria is applied to a microutility associated with the data sample to determine if the data sample should be propagated, temporarily delayed or dropped.

Abstract: A sensing system includes a set of sensors and a data-fusing mechanism coupled to at least one of these sensors. In the set of sensors, at least one sensor is configured to store one or more measurement models for one or more phenomenon states. Furthermore, at least one sensor in the set of sensors is configured to sample a measurement value and generate a likelihood function based on the sampled measurement and the measurement models. The data-fusing mechanism coupled to a respective sensor in the set of sensors is configured to collect one or more likelihood functions generated by the one or more sensors and use the collected likelihood functions to compute an aggregate probability of a phenomenon state.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates warning of collision between a primary principal and one or more non-primary principals. The system includes a triggering mechanism and a preliminary assessment mechanism. During operation, the triggering mechanism determines whether a trigger condition is met based on the state of the primary principal. When the trigger condition is met, the preliminary assessment mechanism generates one or more collision scenarios associated with the trigger condition, assesses a preliminary probability of collision in a collision scenario, and, based on the preliminary probability of collision in the collision scenario, activates a specialized assessment mechanism to assess a refined probability of collision in the collision scenario.

Abstract: A method of managing traffic in an ad-hoc network includes receiving, at a local node, a received synopsis of data sample updates in a neighbor storage of a neighboring node, the synopsis being based at least in part on dynamic priorities associated with the data samples. The received synopsis is then compared with data sample updates in a local storage of the local node and the local node determines which data samples will be transmitted.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates assessment of collision between a primary principal and a non-primary principal for early warning. During operation, the system receives information which indicates a state of the primary principal and a state of the non-primary principal. The system divides future time into a number of time intervals, and estimates a number of possible future states of the primary and non-primary principals, wherein each future state corresponds to a time interval. The system further represents the possible future states of the primary or non-primary principal as one or more geometric objects in a space of which at least one dimension indicates the time. In addition, the system determines a probability of collision between the primary and non-primary principals based on the geometric objects.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that for facilitating assessment of collision between a primary principal and a non-primary principal for early warning. During operation, the system periodically performs the following operations: The system obtains a current observation of the primary principal and non-primary principal. The system then assesses one or more future states for the primary and non-primary principals, respectively, based on: the current observation of the primary and non-primary principals, a dynamics model of the primary principal, and a mental-state model of a person associated with the primary principal. The system further produces one or more results which indicate an assessment of collision between the primary and non-primary principals.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for determining threshold probability or confidence levels for associating various types of health information with a set of users. Spatio-temporal information associated with one or more of the subjects is determined. Health information associated with spatial-temporal information is also determined. Candidate health-subject associations are associated with probabilities based on the spatio-temporally tagged identity and spatio-temporally tagged health information. Candidate health-subject associations with probabilities exceeding a threshold probability level are assigned as actual health-subject associations. Treatment plans, reports, remedial procedures and or other health related tests, procedures or the like are determined based on the associated health information.

Abstract: Various implementations provide for a task assignment method that describes a spatial computing application by providing an abstract task graph (ATaG) wherein the abstract task graph specifies the behavior of the application without reference to the number, placement and connectivity of the nodes performing the application and the tasks are automatically mapped to the network. The ATaG specifies a set of tasks, a set of data objects and a set of channels, including various constraints and preferences on where in the network tasks may be performed, how data is moved between locations and the data required at various locations. Moreover, various implementations provide for a task assignment system which maps the abstract tasks and channels to specific nodes and communication links, either at the time of the construction of the system or throughout the time of its operation.

Abstract: A method of managing traffic in an ad hoc network includes measuring local data traffic levels on at least one network resource. Criteria are established for different transmission media. A microutility of a data sample is evaluated and the data sample is transmitted through one or more media, the selection of the media being based upon evaluation of the microutility against the criteria.

Abstract: An information dissemination system has at least one node acting as a data source, at least one node acting as a data recipient, and an information layer residing on all of the nodes in a system. The information layer receives a generic utility function from an application on the node acting as a data source wanting to propagate information, uses the generic utility function at the node acting as data source to produce a microutility and uses the microutility on non-data source nodes of the system to propagate the information through the system to any recipients based upon the microutility.