Abstract: A method and system for renewing software at the component-level is provided. A client program includes a base component for loading a software component into at least one loadable region of the program to update the program. Code in the software component is for writing state data associating the state of the update in storage, upon execution of the software component, and testing the state data to verify condition of the updated program and disallowing rollback and roll-forward attacks, the state data comprising hash chain values. The state data for verifying the correctness of the updated program is entangled with application data used for the program functionality. A server includes: an update pool having a plurality of software updates deployed in each client, and a policy control for monitoring and controlling at least one of: the length of time the client runs until the software update is invoked, a chain of the updates; and the granularity of the update.

Abstract: When performing “time warp slice” rendering for a virtual reality display, the application rendering (30) of the images required for the application that requires the virtual reality display is synchronised (35) to the display frame rate and treated as a “normal” priority task (51) in terms of its scheduling on a host processor. The time warp slice rendering (50) to render the time warp “slices” into the display buffer (21) of the display (4) for scanning out (23) as the display panel is being refreshed is effected as a “real time” priority task (58). To do this, the rendering task setup processing that must be performed on the host processor for that rendering task is scheduled using an earliest deadline first scheduling policy and is synchronised (52) to specific, recurring display events (53) that allow the “real time” priority time warp slice rendering task setup processing on the host processor to be triggered at specific points in the scan out period (23) of the display (4).

Abstract: A method includes receiving a first image and a plurality of other images of a planar surface of a specimen. The method also includes identifying first scale-invariant features in the first image. The first scale-invariant features are based on a scale-invariant feature transform of the first image. The method includes storing the first scale-invariant features in a grouping. The method includes, for each respective image of the plurality of other images, identifying scale-invariant features based on a scale-invariant feature transform of the respective image; matching the scale-invariant features to the grouping; based on the matching, determining a planar homography of the respective image with respect to the grouping; and adding the scale-invariant features of the respective image to the grouping. The method also includes stitching the first image and the plurality of other images into a composite image based on the planar homographies.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a first image and a plurality of other images of a planar surface of a specimen. The method also includes identifying first scale-invariant features in the first image. The first scale-invariant features are based on a scale-invariant feature transform of the first image. The method includes storing the first scale-invariant features in a grouping. The method includes, for each respective image of the plurality of other images, identifying scale-invariant features based on a scale-invariant feature transform of the respective image; matching the scale-invariant features to the grouping; based on the matching, determining a planar homography of the respective image with respect to the grouping; and adding the scale-invariant features of the respective image to the grouping. The method also includes stitching the first image and the plurality of other images into a composite image based on the planar homographies.

Abstract: A method and system for renewing software at the component-level is provided. A client program includes a base component for loading a software component into at least one loadable region of the program to update the program. Code in the software component is for writing state data associating the state of the update in storage, upon execution of the software component, and testing the state data to verify condition of the updated program and disallowing rollback and roll-forward attacks, the state data comprising hash chain values. The state data for verifying the correctness of the updated program is entangled with application data used for the program functionality. A server includes: an update pool having a plurality of software updates deployed in each client, and a policy control for monitoring and controlling at least one of: the length of time the client runs until the software update is invoked, a chain of the updates; and the granularity of the update.

Abstract: A method and system for renewing software at the component-level is provided. A client program includes a base component for loading a software component into at least one loadable region of the program to update the program. Code in the software component is for writing state data associating the state of the update in storage, upon execution of the software component, and testing the state data to verify condition of the updated program and disallowing rollback and roll-forward attacks, the state data comprising hash chain values. The state data for verifying the correctness of the updated program is entangled with application data used for the program functionality. A server includes: an update pool having a plurality of software updates deployed in each client, and a policy control for monitoring and controlling at least one of: the length of time the client runs until the software update is invoked, a chain of the updates; and the granularity of the update.

Abstract: A method and system for renewing software at the component-level is provided. A client program includes a base component for loading a software component into at least one loadable region of the program to update the program. Code in the software component is for writing state data associating the state of the update in storage, upon execution of the software component, and testing the state data to verify condition of the updated program and disallowing rollback and roll-forward attacks, the state data comprising hash chain values. The state data for verifying the correctness of the updated program is entangled with application data used for the program functionality. A server includes: an update pool having a plurality of software updates deployed in each client, and a policy control for monitoring and controlling at least one of: the length of time the client runs until the software update is invoked, a chain of the updates; and the granularity of the update.

Abstract: The invention provides a medical device with a retention section for anchoring the medical device in the body of a living being, a drainage section for draining fluids from the body, e.g. urine, and a tip which facilitates insertion into the body. During the anchoring of the medical device, the tip is retracted toward a proximal end of the device, improving the users control over the position of the tip relative to other parts of the device and achieving the free flow of fluids through the device. An indicator may be provided to give a visual, audible, or tactile indication of at least a first position of the tip relative to the remaining part of the medical device.

Abstract: The instant invention is a method of indexing and displaying interests in real property tracts comprising accepting input of real property descriptions, maintaining a database containing interests in real property descriptions, creating an array index representing interests in real property tracts where each index in the array index represents a tract of real property, indexing of the property descriptions in the database to the related indices in the array index, and controlling a visual display device to indicate conflicting and non-conflicting interests in real property tracts.

Abstract: The invention provides a medical device such as a catheter for draining fluids from the body of a living being. The device has a braided portion with crossed filaments which form a braiding angle with a centre axis of the device. The braided portion can be expanded in a direction transverse to the centre axis e.g. in order to anchor the device in the body, e.g. to retain a urinary catheter in the bladder of a patient. The filaments form at least two different braiding angles which thereby facilitate an increased expansion or expansion into a specific shape of the expanded portion and thereby facilitates an improved anchoring of the device in the body.

Abstract: 1. A medical device with a proximal end for insertion into a body of a living being and an axially opposite distal end, the device comprising: a tip which in a first position forms the proximal end of the device, a drainage section forming a conduit extending in an axial direction of the device, and a retention section extending between the draining section and the tip, wherein the tip is operable between the first position and a second position so as to move the retention section between a first configuration and a second configuration, in which second configuration the retention section is expanded in a direction transverse to the axial direction. The conduit and the tip may be dimensioned to allow the tip to be received within the conduit. One advantage of such a system is that the retention system may be retracted entirely into the conduit so as to make insertion and retraction of the device more comfortable for the patient.

Abstract: The invention provides medical device with a retention section for anchoring the medical device in the body of a living being, a drainage section for draining fluids from the body, e.g. urine, and a tip which facilitates insertion into the body. During the anchoring of the medical device, the tip is retracted toward a distal end of the device and for improving the users control over the position of the tip relative to other parts of the device and thus to ensure the free flow of fluids through the device, indicating means is provided to give a visual, audible, or tactile indication of at least a first position of the tip relative to the remaining part of the medical device.

Abstract: The invention provides a medical device such as a catheter having in a proximal end a braided portion being operable between two configurations, one for insertion of the device into the body and one for retaining the catheter in the body. To reduce ingrowth of body tissue, the braided portion comprises two parts, a first part forming paths for a body liquid, e.g. urine, to be drained from the body through the device to a place of disposal, and a second part having a structure which counteracts cell adhesion better than the first part. During use, the first part is drawn into the second part whereby the cells are separated from first part by the second part and therefore ingrowth of body tissue is reduced or avoided completely. The invention further provides a method of making a device with a braided portion and being improved with respect to ingrowth of body tissue.

Abstract: A real-time, interactive auction process for use in electronic commerce includes buyer and administrator interfaces coupled to a central controller via a global information network. The central controller processes and stores customer and product information as well as offer (acceptable price) information and order (bid) information. Each product is assigned a minimum acceptable price (MAP) as well as a virtual minimum acceptable price (VMAP). The VMAP is always greater than MAP and is assigned one of three parameters, loose, medium, or tight. The VMAP is generated randomly within a loose, medium, or tight range of the MAP. The bidder can submit as many as three bids with counter offers made to the first two bids. If the third bid is declined, the bidder is locked out of the bidding process.