Abstract: In general, a method includes determining metric values associated with data quality for one or more child nodes. Metric values are determined for a parent node based on the metric values of at least some of the child nodes, and relationships between one or more parent nodes and one or more child nodes define a hierarchy. The determination of the metric value for the parent node is repeated for multiple instances.

Abstract: The present invention discloses how irrigation canal seepage can be reduced. Such reduction can be accomplished by obtaining aerial data of an irrigation canal obtained with the use of an aerial image acquiring unit, identifying a water body from the aerial image, analyzing water pixel brightness values of the water body to discern water disturbances indicative of water seepage, and outputting the location of the water seepage site on a two-dimensional or three dimensional display.

Abstract: In general, a method includes determining metric values associated with data quality for one or more child nodes. Metric values are determined for a parent node based on the metric values of at least some of the child nodes, and relationships between one or more parent nodes and one or more child nodes define a hierarchy. The determination of the metric value for the parent node is repeated for multiple instances.

Abstract: Systems and methods related to providing an Intelligent Network (in) service to transparently establish a mid-call conference using a Mobile Station (MS), without requiring an intermediate hold state of an existing call connection between the MS and a second telephony device; such systems and methods can be adapted to implementation in any wireless communications network, such as a Global Services for Mobile Communication (GSM) network. In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communications network adapted to provide the IN service includes a Mobile-services Switching Center (MSC), and a Service Control Point (SCP), wherein the MSC is operative to send a request to the SCP to activate the IN service, and the SCP is operative to send a Prompt&Collect_User_Information command to the MSC.

Abstract: A method for efficiently updating as shared data structure in a multiprocessor environment comprises accessing a queue variable associated with time-based data events in the data structure. Information associated with the queue variable is used to determine the point of insertion of a new time-based data event. If a new time based data event is inserted, the data of the queue variable of a preceding time-based data event is altered to identify the new time-based data event. An embodiment employing a contention-free locking mechanism is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for efficiently acquiring and releasing a shared locking mechanism in a multiprocessor environment comprises updating variables associated with the locking mechanism and variables associated with processors seeking to acquire the lock. If the lock is currently occupied, a processor waits in accordance with information initialized in a spin variable associated with the processor. Upon releasing the lock, a relinquishing processor determines whether there are other processors waiting to acquire the lock. If other processors are waiting to acquire the lock, the relinquishing processor alters a successor variable associated with the waiting processor in the waiting processor's local shared memory so that the lock mechanism can be passed on and a first-in and first-out behavior of a waiting queue can be maintained.