Abstract: A system includes a base configured to be electrically connected to an electrical power source. A shelf mounted to the base includes electrically conductive support arms that are electrically connected to the base. An information display unit is mounted on the shelf and includes electrical contacts. Electrically conductive adapters are positioned to electrically connect the support arms to the electrical contacts of the information display unit. In embodiments, the adapters are wire free. In embodiments, the adapters are hidden from view, particularly from the view of the consumer positioned in front of the shelf. In embodiments, the adapters are configured to be retrofitted into the shelf without modification of the shelf. Also provided are related kits and methods.

Abstract: A method and system for acquiring ratings of local businesses accepts a rating submitted by an individual who is associated with a location near a physical presence of a rated business. Ratings are acquired by receiving from a rater a proposal to submit a rating of a business, identifying a location of the rater, verifying the location of the rater, defining a locality encompassing the location of the rater, determining that the business's local presence is contained in the locality, accepting the rating from the rater, and storing the rating to a database. Several techniques are disclosed for verifying the location of the rater.

Abstract: A video sign based advertising method involves providing a video display that is adapted to display images as an arrangement of pixels; sending video signals representing an advertisement to the video display; capturing an image of a sample of less than all of the pixels of the video display; determining if the captured sample matches a bitmap of the image sample of the image that is being sent to the display; logging play-out of the advertisement if a match is detected; and initiating an error condition action if a match is not detected. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include a vending machine retrofitted with digital signage. According to an embodiment, a display panel is affixed to the window; a media player is coupled to the display panel; a cellular wide area network (WAN) radio is coupled to the media player; and a cellular antenna is coupled to the cellular WAN radio and affixed to the top surface of the vending machine.

Abstract: A video sign based advertising method involves providing a video display that is adapted to display images as an arrangement of pixels; sending video signals representing an advertisement to the video display; capturing an image of a sample of less than all of the pixels of the video display; determining if the captured sample matches a bitmap of the image sample of the image that is being sent to the display; logging play-out of the advertisement if a match is detected; and initiating an error condition action if a match is not detected. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A method of electronic devices arranged on display walls involves a processor receiving information in a self description signal from an electronic device that characterizes it by at least an IP address and a command set which is stored in a database. A video representation is generated for display on a video display. The electronic device is selected from the database to retrieve at least a portion of the self identification information of the device from the database. Instructions are then issued to place an icon representing the device in a location on the video representation of one of the plurality of walls, where the icon is associated with the electronic device in the location on the wall with a selection of the electronic device for remote control. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A demonstration arrangement for controlling a plurality of television sets or other controllable electronic devices has one or more programmed processors. A control interface is adapted to receive user commands. The processors are programmed to, upon receipt of user commands: select one or more television sets or groups of television sets while leaving others of the television sets unselected; select one of the content sources; and send signals that cause the selected content sources to be displayed by the selected one or more television sets or groups of television sets without affecting operation of unselected television sets or groups of television sets. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A demonstration arrangement for controlling a plurality of television sets or other controllable electronic devices has one or more programmed processors. A control interface is adapted to receive user commands. The processors are programmed to, upon receipt of user commands: select one or more television sets or groups of television sets while leaving others of the television sets unselected; select one of the content sources; and send signals that cause the selected content sources to be displayed by the selected one or more television sets or groups of television sets without affecting operation of unselected television sets or groups of television sets. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A method of electronic devices arranged on display walls involves a processor receiving information in a self description signal from an electronic device that characterizes it by at least an IP address and a command set which is stored in a database. A video representation is generated for display on a video display. The electronic device is selected from the database to retrieve at least a portion of the self identification information of the device from the database. Instruction are then issued to place an icon representing the device in a location on the video representation of one of the plurality of walls, where the icon is associated with the electronic device in the location on the wall with a selection of the electronic device for remote control. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A vending machine retrofitted with digital signage has a door with a window in the door, where the door closes to form an interior compartment and where the vending machine has a top surface. A display panel is affixed to the window by double stick tape from the interior compartment so that images displayed on the display panel are visible through the window. A media player is coupled to the display panel to play video content on the display panel. A cellular wide area network (WAN) radio coupled to the media player to receive video content via the cellular WAN. A cellular antenna is coupled to the cellular WAN radio and affixed to the top surface of the vending machine. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Abstract: A storage adapter for use in a data storage subsystem includes a controlling processor, a volatile memory, and a nonvolatile memory “dump device.” The storage adapter also includes a battery that can be used to provide sufficient power to the storage adapter to allow data from the volatile memory to be written to the nonvolatile memory of the storage adapter under the control of the processor in the event of an interruption or failure in the main power supply to the storage adapter, i.e. to preserve data stored in the volatile memory in that event. The processor uses the current state of charge of the battery to determine the amount of data that can be “dumped” to the nonvolatile dump device before the battery is depleted.

Abstract: According to a first general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a logic arrangement for reducing incidence of errors in connections between a power consumer apparatus and a power supply apparatus, the logic arrangement comprising: a pattern-generating component for generating an identifiable pattern in a load to be drawn from a power supply connection to a power supply apparatus; and a testing component for monitoring across a signal connection to the power supply apparatus, the testing component monitoring for a change in the load corresponding to the pattern. A positive result of the testing by the testing component indicates a correct configuration. Additional embodiments are also presented.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of a port name in a loop network is provided, particularly a loop network in the form of a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL). The loop network (100) has a plurality of devices (120) each device (120) having at least one port (211, 212) on the loop network (100). The method includes determining which ports (211, 212) are populated with devices (120) for which the unique port name (WWPN) is not known. The populated ports are then all bypassed and a mode is entered on the loop network (100) in which idle frames are transmitted around the loop network (100). One port is un-bypassed at a time and the port name from the un-bypassed port is received and recorded. The port name is received from the un-bypassed port in a Loop Initialisation Select Master (LISM) frame transmitted by the un-bypassed port.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovery from faults in a loop network (500) is provided. The loop network (500) has a plurality of ports (520, 530, 532, 534) serially connected with means for bypassing the ports (520, 530, 532, 534) from the loop network (500). A control device (522, 524) is provided with bypass control over at least one of the ports (530, 532, 534). A host means (502) sends a command to the control device (522, 524) at regular intervals and the control device (522, 524) has a counter which restarts a time period at the receipt of each command. If the time period expires, the control device (522, 524) activates the means for bypassing all the ports (530, 532, 534) under its control. The loop network (500) may have two loops (516, 518) with at least some of the ports (520, 530, 532, 534) common to both loops (516, 518).

Abstract: An arrangement and method for update of configuration cache data in a disk storage subsystem in which a cache memory (110) is updated using two-phase (220, 250) commit technique. This provides the advantage that known changes to the subsystem do not require an invalidate/rebuild style operation on the cache. This is especially important where a change will invalidate the entire cache.

Abstract: A method for migrating data between heterogeneous data storage devices within a storage area network is disclosed. A first virtualizer presents stored data as a first virtual disk, and then communicates a managed disk representation of the first virtual disk to a second virtualizer. After receiving the managed disk representation, the second virtualizer virtualizes the stored data from the managed disk representation as a second virtual disk. At such point, the stored data can be progressively migrated from the first virtualizer to the second virtualizer.

Abstract: A method for software upgrade in a first node operable in a distributed computing system is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, by a receiving component, a new version of application software and a new version of infrastructure software and installing, by an installation component, the new version of application software and the new version of infrastructure software. A first startup component starts the new version of infrastructure software. A second startup component starts an old version of application software to run with the new version of the infrastructure software. Responsive to an indication from a second node that the new version of application software and the new version of infrastructure software have been installed at the second node, the old version of application software is quiesced by a transition component. The old version is unloaded the new version of application software is loaded.

Abstract: A piping clamp for holding a pipe to a concrete form. The piping clamp includes a base having a vertical standoff and a spring clamp extending horizontally from the base. The vertical standoff prevents the spring clamp from contacting the top surface of a poured concrete structure, thus allowing workers to trowel the concrete's surface without interfering with the clamp. In addition, a web portion of the spring clamp acts as a horizontal standoff and precludes a clamped piping run from coming into contact with the concrete form. The base may include a plurality of staggered fastener openings facilitating adjustment of the piping clamp during installation. In use, the spring clamp removably secures a piping run to a concrete form until the concrete form is removed. During removal, the spring clamp allows the piping run and the concrete form to be easily separated without disturbing the piping run.

Abstract: A storage control apparatus, in communication with a cluster of storage devices in a storage network having plural administrator systems, comprises a cluster lock requester component, a cluster lock receiver component and a configuration component, wherein, responsive to receipt of a cluster lock by said cluster lock receiver component, the configuration component is operable to configure a logical resource object within said cluster. The apparatus may also include a cluster lock granter component operable to grant a cluster lock to the cluster lock receiver component responsive to said cluster lock requester component. A method of operating a storage control apparatus includes method steps corresponding to functional components of an apparatus and may be embodied in computer program codes.

Abstract: A storage network control apparatus is operable to present virtualized storage to a host system and includes a monitoring component, an analysis component, a detection component, and a migration component. The monitoring component is for monitoring input/output (I/O) activity for virtual storage logical units over time. The analysis component is for identifying a repeating instance of peak I/O activity for a virtual storage logical unit over time and for generating a predictive signature therefrom. The detecting component is for identifying an instance of such a predictive signature. The migration component is responsive to the detecting component, and is for migrating data mapped by the virtual storage logical unit across additional real storage units to improve the I/O performance of the virtual storage logical unit prior to a recurrence of the repeating instance of peak I/O activity. A corresponding logic arrangement may be incorporated in hardware, software or a combination thereof.