Abstract: Under the present invention, a request for a composite service is received from a customer. Based on the request, a delivery task list including one or more tasks required to fulfill the request is defined. The tasks are each then assigned to a service provider for performance, and a schedule for their performance is determined. As the tasks are being performed, a tracking a status thereof is tracked. Once the tasks have been completed, the customer is notified, surveyed and/or invoiced.

Abstract: A method for validating a specific device configuration when the set of all valid configurations is too large to practically enumerate. The method comprises the steps of selecting a set of components to be included in the device configuration, wherein the set has a single sink component in the set with only sink interfaces; defining an interface for each component, wherein each component is characterized as having a source or a sink property; and establishing connections between components based on the interface of each component. Connections are validated by ensuring that source and sink components have the same property values. Connections are established by verifying that the capacity of the sink is greater than or equal to the capacity of the source, and determining that for each source property there is one sink property with the same value and for each source property that there is one sink property with the same value.

Abstract: A method s for specifying and implementing automation of business processes where the specification is independently manipulable by both the business process owner and technical implementers, and resulting technical elements can be tested for compliance with every detail in the specification. The method creates a single shared model suitable for understanding and execution in both the business and technical domains by focusing on the specification problem in the area of business automation. The solution to the specification problem lies in Information, Function, Flow (IFF or IF2) factorization of business processes. Models of the business are constructed by way of the IF2 modeling methodology. This is a complete model which includes, by construction, external specifications of each task included in the business model. The modularization problem is solved by preserving the partitioning of the system created in the business model.

Abstract: A method for relating a specific configuration of complex units constructed from components with standardized interfaces to the user characteristics of the complete unit. The invention provides a bidirectional mapping between a statement of value to the user through the computation of fitness for a particular purpose (or “use”) and a technical configuration. The customer can be presented with a system optimized for a particular use at a particular price point. Through presenting a range of systems around the optimum point and presenting the strength of the system for a variety of uses as the customer varies components, a wide range of customer choice is presented within an understandable range of choices. Each component is characterized by a strength parameter, and the set of components is arranged as a vector. This configuration vector can then be projected on a vector representing a standard use. Particular configuration vectors are characterized by a direction and a magnitude.

Abstract: The location of an object in a work area is established by sweeping a single light beam over the area and employing in coordinate calculations the rotational arc of the light source, and the serial events of the light variation when the beam is reflected from a mirror positioned on the opposite periphery intersects the object and the light variation when the beam directly intersects the object.

Abstract: A fiber optic light pen has been adapted for high resolution use with an interactive display of a computer system. The body of the light pen, which is adapted to be hand held, includes a slightly movable tip for engaging a display screen. When so engaged, a screen sensor within the body signals to the computer system that the pen is in contact with the screen. A principal fiber optic element or conduit within the pen body collects light emitted by the screen without the use of any imaging optics and a two-threshold light detector responding to two different amplitude levels of collected light permits separate and high resolution determination of the vertical and horizontal positions of the light pen with respect to the screen.