Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention manage concurrent accesses to a resource in a parallel computing environment. A plurality of locks is assigned to manage concurrent access to a plurality of parts of a resource. A usage of at least one of the plurality of parts of the resource is monitored. The assignment of the plurality of locks to the plurality of parts of the resource is modified based on the usage that has been monitored.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention manage concurrent accesses to a resource in a parallel computing environment. A plurality of locks is assigned to manage concurrent access to a plurality of parts of a resource. A usage of at least one of the plurality of parts of the resource is monitored. The assignment of the plurality of locks to the plurality of parts of the resource is modified based on the usage that has been monitored.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention manage multiple requests to allocate real world resources in a multi-user environment. A request for interacting with a database environment comprising records of allocations of a plurality of resources is received from a user in a plurality of users. The database environment is shared between the plurality of users. A set of action choices available for the request is provided to the user via the user interface. A set of resources required by each action choice is identified. The set of resources is associated with a decision context. The decision context exists for a period of time. The set of resources are allocated to the user for a duration of the decision context. The allocating prevents the set of resources from being allocated to other users for the duration of the decision context irrespective of a set of actions performed by the other users.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide a system for caching information in a multi-process environment. The system includes a processor. A shared memory is communicatively coupled to the processor. The shared memory includes a set of data. A writer process is communicatively coupled to the shared memory. The write process reads and updates the set of data. A plurality of reader processes is communicatively coupled to the shared memory. Each reader process reads at least part of the set of data directly from the shared memory and sends a set of update information to the writer process. The writer process then updates the set of data stored in the shared memory based on the set of update information.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention manage multiple requests to allocate real world resources in a multi-user environment. A set of resource availability information is stored in a first durable data file for each resource in a plurality of resources provided by a database environment. The database environment is shared between a plurality of users. A decision context is associated with a second durable data file. The decision context is associated with a user interacting with the database environment. The decision context exists for a defined duration of time. A least one resource is determined to have been temporarily allocated to the decision context for the defined duration of time. The second durable data file is updated to indicate that the at least one resource has been temporarily allocated to the decision context. The first durable data file is updated to indicate that the at least one resource is currently unavailable.

Abstract: A reservation management system includes at least one processing node that includes a memory and a processor. The at least one processing node further includes a set of reservation processing and transaction modules that manage and process reservation requests and inquiries. At least one general purpose database is communicatively coupled to the at least one processing node. The at least one general purpose database includes a set of pre-allocated tables of fixed length records. At least one persistent storage device is communicatively coupled to the at least one processing node. The general purpose database persistently stores the set of pre-allocated tables of fixed length records on the at least one persistent storage device.

Abstract: A method of sharing telematics data for a vehicle with service providers can include receiving the telematics data for the vehicle, where the telematics data dynamically changes over time, and comparing the telematics data with a privacy policy associated with the vehicle. The privacy policy can specify rules for selectively releasing items of the telematics data to one or more service providers. Data items of the telematics data can be selectively provided to the service providers according to the comparing step.

Abstract: Spatial rules involve locations of entities, such as wireless devices, from a mobile population. When evaluating rules in a communication network, attributes of an entity are determined, where one of the attributes comprises location of the entity. Rules are evaluated to produce one or more results, each of the rules operating on the attributes of the entity. Specified actions for the rules are performed, based on the evaluation of the rules. At least one of the specified actions comprises communicating a result to an application. The communication network may have a portion that is wireless. An attribute of the entity can include subscriber information and an entity generally corresponds to a particular subscriber in the communication network, but the entity may also correspond to multiple subscribers. An entity may be a wireless device, which can subscribe to a network. Rules can apply to particular geographical regions, to particular subscribers, to both, or to additional criteria.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a dishwasher, including sensing weight, volume, and location of items disposed in dishwasher compartments, communicating sensed data to a controller, calculating duration of a washing and drying cycle and an amount of cleaning solution to be used based on the sensed data, implementing the washing and drying cycle for the length of time, wherein a smaller sensing of the weight and volume results in a shorter amount of time than would be spent based on a larger sensing of weight and volume, directing cleaning solution to each compartment, wherein any of the compartments including fewer or none of the items will receive less cleaning solution than any of the compartments including more items, transmitting efficiency data based on the calculating, implementing, commanding, and sensing to a viewable medium, and minimizing usage of electrical energy and water via the implementing, commanding, and transmitting.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for coordinating zero or more modelings, zero or more implementations and zero or more deployments of a computer system, including but not limited to computer systems involving sensors, actuators, or both and a system providing assistance to designers, implementers, and deployers of computer systems. The method and system including: defining one or more interfaces of one or more components; creating models for the one or more components, each of which is either a composite component model or a atomic component, model, creating the one or more composite components as instances of the composite component models creating the one or more atomic components as instances of the atomic component models creating a domain model by specifying the computational resources; and creating a deployment model by specifying one or more component-model instances and specifying which the component-model instances should be executed on which the computational resources of the domain model.

Abstract: Spatial rules involve locations of entities, such as wireless devices, from a mobile population. When evaluating rules in a communication network, attributes of an entity are determined, where one of the attributes comprises location of the entity. Rules are evaluated to produce one or more results, each of the rules operating on the attributes of the entity. Specified actions for the rules are performed, based on the evaluation of the rules. At least one of the specified actions comprises communicating a result to an application. The communication network may have a portion that is wireless. An attribute of the entity can include subscriber information and an entity generally corresponds to a particular subscriber in the communication network, but the entity may also correspond to multiple subscribers. An entity may be a wireless device, which can subscribe to a network. Rules can apply to particular geographical regions, to particular subscribers, to both, or to additional criteria.

Abstract: A method of sharing telematics data for a vehicle with service providers can include receiving the telematics data for the vehicle, where the telematics data dynamically changes over time, and comparing the telematics data with a privacy policy associated with the vehicle. The privacy policy can specify rules for selectively releasing items of the telematics data to one or more service providers. Data items of the telematics data can be selectively provided to the service providers according to the comparing step.

Abstract: The invention includes various systems, architectures, frameworks and methodologies that can securely enforce a privacy policy. A method is included for securely guaranteeing a privacy policy between two enterprises, comprising: creating a message at a first enterprise, wherein the message includes a request for data concerning a third party and a privacy policy of the first enterprise; signing and certifying the message that the first enterprise has a tamper-proof system with a privacy rules engine and that the privacy policy of the first entity will be enforced by the privacy rules engine of the first enterprise; sending the message to a second enterprise; and running a privacy rules engine at the second enterprise to compare the privacy policy of the first enterprise with a set of privacy rules for the third party.

Abstract: It is determined whether a location of a mobile device is within a coverage region of a first information service. Communications for the first information service are redirected to a second information service when the location of the mobile device is not within a coverage region of the first information service. The second information service generally has a coverage region encompassing the location of the mobile device. Communications between a mobile device and a first information service are redirected to another information service when properties of the new information service are determined to meet predetermined criteria set by a user of the mobile device, by an application, or both. In yet another aspect of the invention, Replacement of information services can be “aggressive” or “non-aggressive.

Abstract: It is determined whether a location of a mobile device is within a coverage region of a first information service. Communications for the first information service are redirected to a second information service when the location of the mobile device is not within a coverage region of the first information service. The second information service generally has a coverage region encompassing the location of the mobile device. Communications between a mobile device and a first information service are redirected to another information service when properties of the new information service are determined to meet predetermined criteria set by a user of the mobile device, by an application, or both. In yet another aspect of the invention, Replacement of information services can be “aggressive” or “non-aggressive.” Communications between a mobile device and an original information service are redirected to another information service when the original information service fails.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for presenting personalized information to consumers in a retail environment. A personalized price is determined for at least one product that is in physical proximity to the customer. The physical proximity may be determined, for example, by evaluating identifiers, such as RHD tags, associated with each customer and product. A personalized message can be also presented to a customer regarding at least one product that is in physical proximity to the customer. The personalized message can provide, for example, dietary or safety information relevant to the customer and at least one product in the proximity of the customer. The personalized information may be determined based on one or more personalized message rules.

Abstract: The invention includes various systems, architectures, frameworks and methodologies that can securely enforce a privacy policy. A method is include for securely guaranteeing a privacy policy between two enterprises, comprising: creating a message at a first enterprise, wherein the message includes a request for data concerning a third party and a privacy policy of the first enterprise; signing and certifying the message that the first enterprise has a tamper-proof system with a privacy rules engine and that the privacy policy of the first entity will be enforced by the privacy rules engine of the first enterprise; sending the message to a second enterprise; and running a privacy rules engine at the second enterprise to compare the privacy policy of the first enterprise with a set of privacy rules for the third party.

Abstract: A method of sharing telematics data for a vehicle with service providers can include receiving the telematics data for the vehicle, where the telematics data dynamically changes over time, and comparing the telematics data with a privacy policy associated with the vehicle. The privacy policy can specify rules for selectively releasing items of the telematics data to one or more service providers. Data items of the telematics data can be selectively provided to the service providers according to the comparing step.

Abstract: A curtain for a radio frequency identification (RFID) system including a transponder, an antenna, and a reader, the antenna coupled to the reader, the antenna and the reader for transmitting a radio signal to the transponder and for receiving a response radio signal from the transponder, the response radio signal including data from the transponder, the curtain including: a plurality of flexible strips that limit propagation of the radio signal; wherein the strips are transparent to visible light, the long edge of each of the strips is oriented in substantially the vertical direction, more than one strip overlaps a portion of the width of an adjacent strip along the length of the adjacent strip, and the length of each of the strips is substantially greater than the width of each of the strips.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification (RFID) system including a transponder, an antenna, and a reader, the antenna coupled to the reader, the antenna and the reader for transmitting a radio signal to the transponder and for receiving a response radio signal from the transponder, the response radio signal including data from the transponder, the system further including: a curtain that limits propagation of the radio signal; wherein the curtain includes a plurality of flexible strips transparent to visible light, the long edge of each of the strips is oriented in substantially the vertical direction, more than one strip overlaps a portion of the width of an adjacent strip along the length of the adjacent strip, and the length of each of the strips is substantially greater than the width of each of the strips.