Abstract: A gaming system comprises a plurality of common objects, a plurality of application objects, and a central system. The common objects are shared by a plurality of applications and include gaming devices and games. Each gaming device includes at least one of the games. The application objects are used in one of the applications. The central system is linked to the gaming devices and includes a common database and an application database. The common database defines the common objects and first associations between the common objects. The application database defines the application objects, second associations between the application objects, and third associations between the common objects and the application objects. The central system is adapted to dynamically configure the one of the applications based on a change to one or more of the first, second, and third associations.

Abstract: A system and method for adapters to provide nodes of a network access to a distributed search mechanism. Network nodes operating as consumer or requesting nodes generate search requests. Nodes operating as hubs are configured to route messages in the network. Individual nodes operating as provider nodes receive search requests and may generate results according to their own procedures in return. Hub nodes may resolve the search requests to a subset of the provider nodes in the network, for example by matching search requests with registration information from nodes. Communication between nodes in the network may use a common query protocol. Adapters may be implemented in the network to reformat messages exchanged in the network. Adapters may customize results. Adapters may enable nodes to function in a distributed search mechanism.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing search requests in a network. The system and method may also route search responses. Network nodes operating as consumer or requesting nodes generate the search requests. Nodes operating as hubs are configured to route the search requests in the network. Individual nodes operating as provider nodes receive the search request and in response may generate search results according to their own procedures and return them. Communication between nodes in the network may use a common query protocol. Hub nodes may resolve the search requests to a subset of the provider nodes in the network, for example by matching search requests with registration information from nodes. Search results may be customized at various stages in the network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for resolving search queries to information providers in a distributing search network. In a network including nodes generating search requests and nodes providing information, a node may operate as hub to route search requests from requesting nodes to provider nodes. Providers may register with a network hub. Registration information may include address information and data indicating they queries or type of queries for which that provider may have relevant data. A hub may resolve search queries against provider registrations to determine a set of providers to which to route each search query. Several systems and methods of selecting some of the providers are described, including the use of bidding, ranking, and statistical data.

Abstract: A method for verifying that an integrated circuit design tool kit has not been modified in an unauthorized manner is accomplished by providing a verification procedure that, when an executable subrule of the tool kit has been selected to be part of the rule system, the executable subrule reads a table of time stamps. This table of time stamps and a key are provided, as representative data, to an authentication subrule by the executable subrule. The executable subrule and the authentication subrule perform an authentication check algorithm upon the representative data to produce remotely and locally checked data respectively. The executable subrule then provides the locally checked data to the authentication subrule which compares the locally checked data with the remotely checked data. When a match occurs between the data, the authentication subrule indicates that the executable subrule has not been modified in an unauthorized manner.

Abstract: In order to efficiently execute a complex task within a computer system, the task is partitioned into a plurality of entities. A master process and a slave process are started for each entity. The master processes schedule operations to be performed, while the slave processes perform the operations. One slave process is coupled to one or more other slave processes because of path interconnections between the entities. Communication is established between any coupled slave processes such that one slave process may directly communicate with another slave process without involving the master processes. The master and slave processes execute in parallel on a plurality of processors.