Abstract: Method and system embodying the method for scheduling arbitration among a plurality of service requestors encompassing: designating among the plurality of service requestors all the service requestors that have an active request; determining whether at least one of the designated service requestors has an un-served status indicator which is set; and when the determining is positive then: selecting one of the at least one designated service requestors in accordance with a pre-determined policy; and clearing the un-served status indicator for the selected service requestor, is disclosed.

Abstract: Method and system embodying the method for programmable scheduling encompassing: enqueueing at least one command into one of a plurality of queues having a plurality of entries; determining a category of the command at the head entry of each of the plurality of queues; processing each determined non-job category command by a non-job command arbitrator; and processing each determined job category command by a job arbitrator and assignor, is disclosed.

Abstract: Method and system embodying the method for load balancing of scheduled jobs among a plurality of engines encompassing determining a number of cluster credits for each of a plurality of clusters that comprise at least one engine capable of processing a scheduled job; determining a number of engine credits for each of the plurality of engines comprising each of the at least one engine in accordance with a number of jobs assigned to each of the plurality of engines; evaluating the determined number of cluster credits and the determined number of engine credits in accordance with a credit evaluation policy; and assigning the job to one of the plurality of engines in accordance with the evaluation, is disclosed.

Abstract: Method and system embodying the method for for scheduling arbitration among a plurality of service requestors encompassing: designating among the plurality of service requestors all the service requestors that have an active request; determining whether at least one of the designated service requestors has an un-served status indicator which is set; and when the determining is positive then: selecting one of the at least one designated service requestors in accordance with a pre-determined policy; and clearing the un-served status indicator for the selected service requestor, is disclosed.

Abstract: Method and system embodying the method for programmable scheduling encompassing: enqueueing at least one command into one of a plurality of queues having a plurality of entries; determining a category of the command at the head entry of each of the plurality of queues; processing each determined non-job category command by a non-job command arbitrator; and processing each determined job category command by a job arbitrator and assignor, is disclosed.

Abstract: Method and system embodying the method for load balancing of scheduled jobs among a plurality of engines encompassing determining a number of cluster credits for each of a plurality of clusters that comprise at least one engine capable of processing a scheduled job; determining a number of engine credits for each of the plurality of engines comprising each of the at least one engine in accordance with a number of jobs assigned to each of the plurality of engines; evaluating the determined number of cluster credits and the determined number of engine credits in accordance with a credit evaluation policy; and assigning the job to one of the plurality of engines in accordance with the evaluation, is disclosed.

Abstract: An object identification system and method detects the presence of a target object in a field of inspection and in one aspect of the invention, generates a first signal if the object is left in the field of inspection for more than a minimum threshold period of time. In a second aspect a second signal is generated if the object is introduced to the field of inspection more than a minimum threshold number of times (having been withdrawn from the field of inspection in the interim) within a minimum threshold period of time.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification system includes a transponder and a transponder reader. The transponder, responsive to an interrogation signal continuously transmitted by the transponder reader, generates a transponder signal modulated by an identification signal readable by the transponder reader. The identification signal includes a synchronization portion, a data portion, an output format identification portion, and an error detection portion. The output format identification portion is used by the reader to configure itself for communication with an attached controller. In another aspect of the invention, the transponder reader may be configured to read FSK as well as PSK encoded signals from the transponder.