| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080204448 | UNSOLICITED ADVERTISEMENTS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE THROUGH AVATAR TRANSPORT OFFERS - A tool is provided that provides unsolicited advertisements in a virtual universe through avatar transport offers. An information collector component is configured to collect information on an avatar that is online in the virtual universe. A transport offer generator component is configured to present an offer to transport the avatar to another region within the virtual universe for exposure to the unsolicited advertisement. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080204449 | ENABLEMENT OF VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT FUNCTIONS AND FEATURES THROUGH ADVERTISEMENT EXPOSURE - The present invention relates to the enablement of virtual universe functions and features through advertisement exposure. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: viewing, by the avatar, advertising content within the virtual environment; and earning a number of points for viewing the advertising content. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080204450 | AVATAR-BASED UNSOLICITED ADVERTISEMENTS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - A system, method and program product for providing a virtual universe in which unsolicited advertisements are embodied in automated avatars. A system is provided that includes: a registration system for introducing an advertisement avatar into the virtual universe; a targeting system for targeting a user avatar for delivery of advertising content by the advertisement avatar; a movement system for defining how the advertisement avatar is to move within the virtual universe; and an advertisement delivery system for defining how the advertisement avatar is to deliver the advertising content to the user avatar. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080208683 | PROVIDING PREFERRED TREATMENT BASED ON PREFERRED CONDUCT - A method, system and computer program product for encouraging a virtual world user to perform a conduct are disclosed. According an embodiment, a method for encouraging a virtual world user to perform a conduct comprises: monitoring the virtual world user with respect to the conduct; and providing an infrastructural treatment to the virtual world user based on an amount of the conduct performed by the virtual world user. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080288597 | METHOD AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PREVENTING DISTRIBUTION OF AN E-MAIL MESSAGE - A method and program product for preventing distribution of an e-mail message. The method includes generating an e-mail message to one or more recipients using an e-mail application installed on a sender e-mail client and selecting a non-distribution option provided by a non-distribution plug-in installed on the sender e-mail client. The method further includes encrypting the message using a recipient public key and a plug-in secret key provided by the plug-in before sending the message. Further, the method includes providing a hyperlink to a website for installing a correct version of the plug-in on a recipient e-mail client for decrypting and displaying the message. Moreover, the method includes decrypting the message using a recipient private key and using the plug-in secret key provided by the plug-in and modifying the recipient e-mail client, such that one or more distribution functions are disabled, preventing distribution of the message by the recipient. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080298238 | FILTERING IN BANDWIDTH SHARING AD HOC NETWORKS - Systems and methods for filtering in bandwidth sharing ad hoc networks. A method includes maintaining at least one filtering parameter associated with formation of a bandwidth sharing ad hoc network. The method further includes preventing data transfer across the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network when a parameter of a request to establish the bandwidth sharing ad hoc network corresponds to the at least one filtering parameter. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080298282 | EFFICIENCY AND RESILIENCY ENHANCEMENTS FOR TRANSITION STATES IN AD HOC NETWORKS - A method includes establishing an ad hoc network between at least a borrower and at least one lender of bandwidth and downloading requested data from a data source via the ad hoc network. The method further includes leaving the ad hoc network while maintaining some of the downloaded requested data. The method further includes reestablishing a connection to the data source for completing the downloading of the requested data. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080298283 | COALITION FORMATION AND SERVICE PROVISIONING OF BANDWIDTH SHARING AD HOC NETWORKS - Method, system, and computer program product for enabling dynamic creation of a coalition of multiplexed ad hoc networks to form larger ad hoc networks for service provisioning, in which multiplexers can be connected together in either a hierarchical structure or a parallel structure. Includes method, system, and computer program product for forming an ad hoc network composed of a multiplexer coupling a borrower to at least one lender and forming a coalition composed of the ad hoc network and at least one other multiplexer. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080298284 | MARKET-DRIVEN VARIABLE PRICE OFFERINGS FOR BANDWIDTH-SHARING AD HOC NETWORKS - Systems and methods to establish and execute market-driven variable price offerings among the lenders and borrowers in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage. The method comprises establishing and executing market-driven variable price offerings among lenders and borrowers. A bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage is formed based on the established and executed market-driven variable price offering. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080298314 | OPTIMIZATION PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR A HETEROGENEOUS AD HOC NETWORK - Method and system for optimizing selection of a network. The method includes identifying available lenders and existing networks within a vicinity of a borrower, selecting an optimization technique for completing a task of the borrower, calculating, for a plurality of network options, a value for completing the borrower's task according to the optimization technique, and selecting an optimum network option to complete the borrower's task. The plurality of network options includes forming a heterogeneous network composed of both a peer-to-peer network and a multiplexed network. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080298327 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING GATEWAY BANDWIDTH SHARING AD-HOC NETWORKS - Systems and methods for establishing gateway bandwidth sharing ad hoc networks. In a first aspect, a method includes establishing a relationship with a gateway that retrieves data from a remote location and divides the data into at least a first portion and a second portion. The method further includes establishing an ad hoc network comprising at least one local lender, receiving the first portion from the gateway via the at least one local lender, receiving the second portion from the gateway, and joining the first portion and the second portion to re-create the data. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080299988 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING PEER-TO-PEER BANDWIDTH SHARING AD HOC NETWORKS - Systems and methods for establishing peer-to-peer bandwidth sharing ad hoc networks. A method includes: determining a first location and a second location of data; instructing a first device to download a first portion of the data from the first location; instructing a second device to download a second portion of the data from the second location; and receiving the first portion of the data from the first device and the second portion of the data from the second device. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300889 | FORMATION AND REARRANGEMENT OF LENDER DEVICES THAT PERFORM MULTIPLEXING FUNCTIONS - A method comprises establishing an ad-hoc network between a borrower and at least two lenders of bandwidth and establishing one lender of the at least two lenders as a multiplexer to manage data flow over the ad-hoc network between the borrower and lenders of the at least two lenders of bandwidth. The method may include providing a computer infrastructure to perform the steps of the invention. A system is also provided which includes a server having a database containing data associated with one or more lenders and a borrower in an ad-hoc network and at least one hardware and/or software component. The system may further includes computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium to perform processes of the invention. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300890 | PRICE OFFERINGS FOR BANDWIDTH-SHARING AD HOC NETWORKS - Methods and systems to establish and execute price offerings among the lenders and borrowers in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage. The method comprises establishing a price offering among a lender and borrower in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage. The method further includes executing the price offering upon acceptance of a lender to the bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network for shared bandwidth usage. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300891 | RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK - This invention outlines a method that distributes the decision-making process according to the application owners' needs, through the use of chip management and brokering technologies in an auction-like environment which allows for very fluid business need changes. This disclosure describes a master framework for a family of disclosures which allows consumers to more efficiently obtain, modify, and utilize computing resources from providers. These elemental biddable resources are obtained through several brokering algorithms and associated winning bid strategies which redefine how applications and businesses can receive the most appropriate service for the least cost, at the most appropriate interval. The resource management framework includes business units, buyer's agents, resource unit brokers, resource unit capacity planners, and resource allocation software, and an optional change and configuration manager. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300931 | OPTIMIZATION PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLEXED GATEWAY ARCHITECTURE - Process and system for optimizing one of uploading and downloading of at least one file through at least one lender in multiplexed gateway architecture. The process includes identifying available lenders coupled to a multiplexed gateway within a vicinity of a borrower, selecting an optimization criterion, and selecting a number of the identified available lenders based upon the selected optimization criterion. The method also includes dividing at least one file to be one of uploaded and downloaded into parts corresponding to the number of selected lenders, and assigning a part of the at least one file to each selected lender. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300932 | OPTIMIZATION PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR NON-MULTIPLEXED PEER-TO-PEER ARCHITECTURE - Process and system for optimizing one of uploading and downloading of at least one file through at least one lender in a peer-to-peer architecture. The process includes identifying available lenders within a vicinity of a borrower, selecting a number of lenders based upon at least one requester optimization criterion, dividing the at least one file to be one of uploaded or downloaded into parts corresponding to the number of selected lenders, assigning a part of the at least one file to each selected lender, and performing one of an upload or a download of the parts through the selected lenders. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300942 | SERVICE REQUESTS FOR MULTIPLE SERVICE LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS - A system, method, program product and service for processing a multiple service level bid in a resource management framework. A buyer's agent is provided to receive a multiple service level request from a business unit and query a resource unit broker for available resource types that can be utilized to provide at least some of the service level requirements of the multiple service level request. A mapping system is provided to map the available resource types to a list of resource sets (i.e., bidding options) and a prioritization system is provided to order the list. Once the list is ordered, a bidding system is provided to submit a bid for the highest priority resource set. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300947 | NON-DEPLETING CHIPS FOR OBTAINING DESIRED SERVICE LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS - This application describes non-depleting chips and their use in a Resource Management Framework. In this methodology, chips do not deplete when spent, but rather represent a weighting that each party/business unit (BU) has to accomplish its IT processing needs over time. In this model, BUs are assigned a certain buying power that may be thought of as akin to chips on a roulette wheel. Such a model may be used with either scheduled auctions (i.e., discrete events), or they may be used via a spot market where no scheduled auctions are conducted (i.e., fluid events). In this concept, the chips are never depleted. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300948 | APPLICATION OF BROKERING METHODS TO OPERATIONAL SUPPORT CHARACTERISTICS - This application describes an application of resource unit brokering algorithms, chip management methods for automated brokering, chip management methods for live brokering, and chip allocation methods to the brokering of operational support characteristics of service level management within an enterprise. Typically, the operational support characteristics are derived from known capacity values that are provided by configuration managers. Calculations are made on the capacity values and maximum quantities of the availability resource units are provided to resource brokers for spot or periodic sale and auction to one or more buyer's agents. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300949 | APPLICATION OF BROKERING METHODS TO SECURITY CHARACTERISTICS - This application describes an application of resource unit brokering algorithms, chip management methods for automated brokering, chip management methods for live brokering, and chip allocation methods to the brokering of security characteristics of service level management within an enterprise. Typically, the security characteristics are derived from known capacity values that are provided by configuration managers. Calculations are made on the capacity values and maximum quantities of the availability resource units are provided to resource brokers for spot or periodic sale and auction to one or more buyer's agents. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300975 | DEMAND PULL AND SUPPLY PUSH COMMUNICATION METHODOLOGIES - Systems and methods for determining whether a node in a bandwidth-sharing ad hoc network should advertise as a borrower or a lender of bandwidth, or alternatively not advertise as either a borrower or lender of bandwidth. The method comprises establishing an ad-hoc network between nodes configured to be a borrower of bandwidth or a lender of bandwidth. At least one of the nodes advertises to be the borrower of bandwidth or the lender of bandwidth in the ad hoc network based on at least one selected factor. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080300997 | PAYMENT TRANSFER STRATEGIES FOR BANDWIDTH SHARING IN AD HOC NETWORKS - Systems and methods for compensating lenders of bandwidth in an ad hoc network and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing payment strategies for bandwidth sharing in an ad-hoc network. The method comprises establishing an ad-hoc network between a borrower and at least one lender of bandwidth, and providing compensation instructions to compensate the at least one lender of bandwidth for lending the bandwidth to the borrower. The system may be a computer infrastructure for implementing the steps of the method. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301017 | FORMATION AND REARRANGEMENT OF AD HOC NETWORKS - Systems and methods for the formation and rearrangement of ad hoc networks and more particularly to systems and methods for sharing bandwidth in ad hoc networks. The method comprises broadcasting a table to at least one potential lender requesting pertinent lender information and receiving the table from the at least one potential lender with the pertinent lender information. The method further includes selecting one or more lenders of the at least one potential lender which meet preset criteria and establishing an ad hoc network with the one or more lenders based on the selecting. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301024 | INTELLEGENT BUYER'S AGENT USAGE FOR ALLOCATION OF SERVICE LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS - A system, method, program product and service for managing bidding in a resource management framework. A buyer's agent is provided to manage the bidding process for resources for a client. The buyer's agent includes the ability to submit a bid to a resource broker to acquire a set of resources for the client based on service level requirements of the client. Once the set of resources is obtained, they are monitored to ensure the required service level of the client is being met. If the service level requirements are not met, the buyer's agent automatically resubmits a bid to the resource broker. Finally, collaboration among a plurality of buyer's agents may be utilized to avoid bidding wars and the like. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301025 | APPLICATION OF BROKERING METHODS TO AVAILABILITY CHARACTERISTICS - This application describes an application of resource unit brokering algorithms, chip management methods for automated brokering, chip management methods for live brokering, and chip allocation methods to the brokering of availability characteristics of service level management within an enterprise. Typically, the availability characteristics are derived from known capacity values that are provided by configuration managers. Calculations are made on the capacity values and maximum quantities of the availability resource units are provided to resource brokers for spot or periodic sale and auction to one or more buyer's agents. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301026 | FLUID, DEPLETING CHIPS FOR OBTAINING DESIRED SERVICE LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS - The present invention provides fluid, depleting chips for allocating computational resources for obtaining desired service level characteristics, wherein fluid chips deplete from a maximum allocated amount but may, in an optional implementation, be allowed to be replenished through the purchase of additional chips. A number of chips are assigned to the requestor/party, known as the business unit (BU), which could be a department, or group providing like-functionality services. In one implementation, the chips themselves could represent base monetary units integrated over time. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301027 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SELECTING A BROKERING METHOD FOR OBTAINING DESIRED SERVICE LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS - Under the present invention, a set (e.g., one or more) of requests (e.g., from a single bidder or multiple bidders) for an elemental bidding resource (EBR) is received. Market conditions for the EBR are evaluated from historical data. It is then determined whether a demand for the desired EBR exceeds a supply of the EBR. Based on the market conditions, the supply, and the demand, a brokering strategy (e.g., auction versus non-auction) and associated method are selected to allocate the EBR. A resource unit broker (RUB) will then determine an outcome of the brokering method to fulfill at least one of the set of requests. The outcome and associated metrics can then be logged, it can be determined whether a sales contract was created, the EBR can be allocated, and reports/data can be updated accordingly. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301028 | APPLICATION OF BROKERING METHODS TO PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS - This application describes an application of resource unit brokering algorithms, chip management methods for automated brokering, chip management methods for live brokering, and chip allocation methods to the brokering of performance characteristics of service level management within an enterprise. Typically, the performance characteristics are derived from known capacity values that are provided by configuration managers. Calculations are made on the capacity values and maximum quantities of the availability resource units are provided to resource brokers for spot or periodic sale and auction to one or more buyer's agents. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301029 | APPLICATION OF BROKERING METHODS TO RECOVERABILITY CHARACTERISTICS - This application describes an application of resource unit brokering algorithms, chip management methods for automated brokering, chip management methods for live brokering, and chip allocation methods to the brokering of recoverability characteristics of service level management within an enterprise. Typically, the recoverability characteristics are derived from known capacity values that are provided by configuration managers. Calculations are made on the capacity values and maximum quantities of the availability resource units are provided to resource brokers for spot or periodic sale and auction to one or more buyer's agents. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301030 | APPLICATION OF BROKERING METHODS TO SCALABILITY CHARACTERISTICS - This application describes an application of resource unit brokering algorithms, chip management methods for automated brokering, chip management methods for live brokering, and chip allocation methods to the brokering of scalability characteristics of service level management within an enterprise. Typically, the scalability characteristics are derived from known capacity values that are provided by configuration managers. Calculations are made on the capacity values and maximum quantities of the availability resource units are provided to resource brokers for spot or periodic sale and auction to one or more buyer's agents. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301031 | SCALING OFFERS FOR ELEMENTAL BIDDABLE RESOURCES (EBRs) - This invention describes the use of a Chip Conversion Factor (CCF) to scale offers for EBRs. The CCFs are a multiplier that will be applied to offers received for the EBRs. In general, the CCF can be computed based on any number of factors such as the cost of the EBRs, the worth of an EBR to a potential buyer (e.g., at a particular time), a customer status (e.g., preferred customer) of a potential buyer, etc. The invention helps to take into account any differences between EBRs that meet a potential buyer's requirements but that may affect the value of the EBRs relative to one another. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301039 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FAIR-SHARING IN BANDWIDTH SHARING AD-HOC NETWORKS - Systems and methods for fair-sharing in bandwidth sharing ad-hoc networks. A method includes maintaining a borrower account and lender account of a borrower and a lender of an ad hoc network. The method also includes adjusting at least one of the borrower account and the lender account based upon data transfer by the lender for the borrower. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301688 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR ALLOCATING A RESOURCE - The invention provides a method, system, and program product for allocating a resource among a plurality of groups based on the role of each group within an organizational model. A method according to the invention may include, for example, granting a number of groups a privilege to bid on a resource, the privilege being based on a role of each group within an organizational model, accepting a bid for the resource from one or more of the groups, determining whether two or more groups have made equal, highest bids, in such a case, accepting a second bid from the groups having made equal, highest bids, and awarding a right to the resource to the group making the highest bid for the resource. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080301689 | DISCRETE, DEPLETING CHIPS FOR OBTAINING DESIRED SERVICE LEVEL CHARACTERISTICS - The present invention provides discrete, depleting chips for allocating computational resources for obtaining desired service level characteristics, wherein discrete chips deplete from a maximum allocated amount but may, in an optional implementation, be allowed to be replenished through the purchase of additional chips. A number of chips are assigned to a requestor/party, known as a business unit (BU), which could be a department, or group providing like-functionality services. In one implementation, the chips themselves could represent base monetary units integrated over time. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080320482 | MANAGEMENT OF GRID COMPUTING RESOURCES BASED ON SERVICE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS - Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for management of grid computing resources based on service level requirements are disclosed. Embodiments of a method for scheduling a task on a grid computing system may include updating a job model by determining currently requested tasks and projecting future task submissions and updating a resource model by determining currently available resources and projecting future resource availability. The method may also include updating a financial model based on the job model, resource model, and one or more service level requirements of an SLA associated with the task, where the financial model includes an indication of costs of a task based on the service level requirements. The method may also include scheduling performance of the task based on the updated financial model and determining whether the scheduled performance satisfies the service level requirements of the task and, if not, performing a remedial action. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090037291 | DYNAMIC VIRTUAL SHOPPING AREA BASED ON USER PREFERENCES AND HISTORY - The present invention is directed to a dynamic virtual shopping area based on user preferences and history. A method for providing a dynamic virtual shopping area in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: capturing user preferences; and dynamically customizing a virtual shopping area for an avatar based on the user preferences, such that the avatar is presented with items the avatar is more likely to purchase upon entering the virtual shopping area. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090048918 | ACQUISITION OF AVATAR REWARDS THROUGH ADVERTISEMENT EXPOSURE - The present invention relates to the acquisition of virtual and/or tangible avatar rewards through advertisement exposure. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: viewing advertising content within the virtual environment; and providing a reward to the avatar for viewing the advertising content. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090049184 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF STREAMING DATA OVER A DISTRIBUTED INFRASTRUCTURE - A system and method of streaming data in real time and, more particularly, a system and method of real time streaming of data over a grid network or other distributed infrastructure. The method and system comprises updating a content directory of a root server with end resource information. The method and system further includes processing the end resource information to determine connection locations for streaming data to at least one requesting end resource in a network. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090054061 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF LOCATING WIRELESS CONNECTION AMONG A PLURALITY OF WIRELESS CONNECTIONS - A system and method of locating a wireless connection among a plurality of possible wireless connections. More particularly, a system and method of locating a user preferred wireless connection among a plurality of possible wireless connections. The method includes scanning for available networks and determining whether the available networks satisfy one or more user preferences. The method further includes establishing a secondary network connection with one of the available networks based on one or more user preferences being satisfied. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090070424 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO PROVIDE A CENTRALIZED ALERTING AND AWARENESS SYSTEM THROUGH THE USE OF AN EAR PIECE OR OTHER USER INTERFACE - The personal information manager system comprises a centralized information manager (CIM) and a personal information manager (PIM) device. The centralized information manager is encoded on a server and is accessable by the PIM device through Internet protocols over a wireless medium. The PIM, to be carried by a user, is connected to the CIM by a wireless transmitter, receives context-sensitive, customized, prioritized, filtered, and aggregated information from the CIM, and can directly receive GPS data and other sources of local information. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090089684 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND MEDIA FOR TEMPORAL TELEPORT IN A VIRTUAL WORLD ENVIRONMENT - Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for providing temporal teleport capability in a virtual world environment are disclosed. Embodiments of a method for temporally teleporting an avatar in a virtual world environment (VWE) may include, at a first time in a VWE, receiving a request from a user associated with an avatar to temporally teleport the avatar to a temporal destination at an earlier, second time in the VWE. Embodiments of the method may also include creating for the avatar a recreated virtual world based on the temporal destination at the earlier, second time. Embodiments may also include receiving input from the user associated with interaction between the user's avatar and the recreated virtual world and allowing the user's avatar to interactively participate in the recreated virtual world during the temporal teleport. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090112970 | AUTOMATICALLY UPDATING VIRTUAL WORLDS - Methods and arrangements of automatically updating virtual worlds are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to receive from a user a specification of a data store of the user external to a virtual world. The method may involve automatically gathering data from the data store of the user, responsive to the receiving; generating a representation of the data, and transmitting the representation of the data. In many embodiments, the representation may contain a designation of a data store of the virtual world to be updated by the representation. In some embodiments, a display of the user in the virtual world may be based upon the data store of the virtual world. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090113314 | LOCATION AND PLACEMENT OF AVATARS IN VIRTUAL WORLDS - Methods and arrangements of locating objects in virtual worlds are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to receive from a user a criterion for gathering information from sources external to a virtual world and automatically gathering information based upon the criterion. The information may include contact information of potential participants in the virtual world. The method may include aggregating data for determining a placement of an avatar of the user in the virtual world and transmitting the data. In some embodiments, the method may involve identifying an avatar of another participant in the virtual world on the basis of the contact information. In many embodiments, the method may involve determining a location for the location of the avatar of the user based upon the contact information. In several embodiments, the information gathering may be performed by a local software agent. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090113319 | DEVELOPING USER PROFILES IN VIRTUAL WORLDS - Methods and arrangements of developing user profiles in virtual worlds are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to receive data from a software agent in a virtual world, directly or indirectly. The data may be based upon information automatically gathered from data stores outside the virtual world, including account data and user profile data. The embodiment may also involve developing a user profile of the user in the virtual world, based upon the data received from the software agent. An embodiment may also involve automatically gathering information from data stores external to the virtual world. The information may include user account data and user profile information. The embodiment may also include aggregating data for generating the user profile in the virtual world, based upon the information; and transmitting the data directly or indirectly to the virtual world. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090235265 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COST AVOIDANCE IN VIRTUALIZED COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS - A method includes monitoring a utilization amount of resources within logical partitions (LPARs) of a plurality of servers and identifying a resource-strained server of the plurality of servers, wherein the resource-strained server includes a plurality of LPARs. Additionally, the method includes determining a migration of one or more LPARs of the plurality of LPARs of the resource-strained server and migrating the one or more LPARs of the resource-strained server to another server of the plurality of servers based on the determining to avoid an activation of capacity upgrade on demand (CUoD). | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090240849 | System and Method for Distributing Virtual Input/Output Operations Across Multiple Logical Partitions - The Distributed Virtual I/O Tool replaces dedicated VIO server LPARs by distributing the virtual I/O functions across several application LPARs connected by a high-speed communication channel. The physical I/O devices are distributed across available LPARs. The Distributed Virtual I/O Tool assigns each I/O request to an appropriate I/O device. The Distributed Virtual I/O Tool monitors each I/O request and reassigns I/O devices when performance drops on a specific device or when a device is no longer available. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090259539 | PROXIMITY-BASED BROADCAST VIRTUAL UNIVERSE SYSTEM - In various embodiments, the proximity of an avatar with respect to a designated focal point object within a virtual universe is determined, and information associated with the designated focal point object is identified. A first of a plurality of representations of the information is selected based, at least in part, on the determined proximity of the avatar with respect to the designated focal point object. The first representation of the information is then transmitted to the avatar. Proximity-based transmission of information can disseminate relevant information to avatars, and can be used by virtual universe businesses to encourage avatars to move near the designated focal point object within the virtual universe so that the avatars can be exposed to products and advertisements. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090259946 | DYNAMIC SPAWNING OF FOCAL POINT OBJECTS WITHIN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE SYSTEM - In various embodiments, the density of a plurality of virtual universe avatars within a predetermined proximity from a designated focal point object in a virtual universe is determined. One or more auxiliary focal point objects associated with the designated focal point object are dynamically spawned within the virtual universe based on the determined density of the virtual universe avatars. Dynamic spawning of auxiliary focal point objects can reduce the load on virtual universe host servers and the corresponding client devices, and thus may improve performance of the virtual universe system. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090276718 | VIRTUAL WORLD TELEPORTATION - The present invention is directed to teleporting avatars between disparate virtual worlds. A system is disclosed that includes a facility for creating a persona profile for an avatar in a first virtual world when the avatar wants to be teleported out of the first virtual world; a facility for transferring persona profiles to and from a disparate virtual world; and a facility for instantiating an inbound avatar based on a received persona profile. Persona profiles may include, e.g., rendering information, trait information, and inventory information. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090282075 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AND BLOCKING AVATAR-BASED UNSOLICITED ADVERTISING IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - A system and a method for use in a virtual universe (VU) system for identifying offering avatars that may send unsolicited advertisements to receiving avatars is described. The system and method further may allow receiving avatars to reject offerings from such offering avatars. The system and method may utilize reputations of the offering avatars. Receiving avatars may identify spam to the VU system that may record spam information about the identified offering avatar for future processing and may for make the spam information available to other avatars for their use. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090283386 | SYSTEM TO AUTOMATICALLY MOVE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO OPTIMIZE GEOTHERMAL COOLING - A system for selectively moving computer equipment to a naturally cooled underground data center. In one aspect of this disclosure, the system includes at least one movable pod for mounting computer equipment. The pod is electrically connected to a power and communications source to provide power and communications to the computer equipment mounted in the pod. The pod is mounted on a vertical conveyor that is driven by a motor to selectively move the pod to and from the underground data center. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090301693 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO REDIRECT AND/OR REDUCE AIRFLOW USING ACTUATORS - The invention generally relates to ventilation systems and methods, and more particularly to selectively configurable climate control systems and methods for use in data centers and the like. A device includes a support element and a plurality of ducts connected to the support element. The device also includes a manifold in fluid communication with each one of the plurality of ducts and a plurality of valves. Each respective one of the plurality of valves is associated with a respective one of the plurality of ducts. Moreover, there is at least one actuator operatively connected to the plurality of valves, which is structured and arranged to individually actuate each one of the plurality of valves. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090302124 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ROUTE AIRFLOW USING DYNAMICALLY CHANGING DUCTS - The invention generally relates to ventilation systems and methods, and more particularly to selectively configurable climate control systems and methods for use in data centers and the like. A method includes receiving or obtaining input data, generating at least one actuation signal to change a flow configuration of a re-configurable duct system based upon the input data, and transmitting the at least one actuation signal. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090305625 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ROUTE AIRFLOW THROUGH DYNAMICALLY CHANGING DUCTS - The invention generally relates to ventilation systems and methods, and more particularly to selectively configurable climate control systems and methods for use in data centers and the like. A system includes a first structural element and a second structural element spaced apart from first structural element to define a space between the first and second structural elements. The system also includes a plurality of partitions moveable into the space between the first and second structural elements and a controller arranged to control movement of the plurality of partitions. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090309716 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO PROVIDE INTELLIGENT LIGHTING THROUGH REGISTRATION AND EXECUTION LOGIC - The present disclosure is a system and method to control illumination within a data center, so as to efficiently light areas only when necessary. A path of low level light created between the entrance of the data center and the location of the required machine to access may be provided. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100010678 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO CONTROL DATA CENTER AIR HANDLING SYSTEMS - A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium being operable to determine at least one data center condition and determine or estimate a current energy cost. Additionally, the method includes dynamically control a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the data center based on the determined at least one data center condition and the determined or estimated current energy cost. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100023859 | MORPHING A DATA CENTER IN A VIRTUAL WORLD - The present invention re-renders data center visualizations at different levels of abstraction based on roles or activities of an avatar. Morphing of data center objects is accomplished by either combining or decomposing existing data center objects in a manner that will result in a new object that maintains its relationship to the original objects. An example of this would be when creating an application object by combining an existing infrastructure objects (e.g., a server, a network and storage) used to support the application object runtime environment. This allows for the avatar to not only relate the application object to the supporting infrastructure objects, but also provides a view of how the application object is impacted whenever the supporting infrastructure objects change or break. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100046806 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VIRTUAL WORLD BIOMETRIC ANALYTICS THROUGH THE USE OF A MULTIMODAL BIOMETRIC ANALYTIC WALLET - The invention provides a system and method for virtual world biometric analytics through the use of a multimodal biometric analytic wallet. The system includes a virtual biometric wallet comprising a pervasive repository for storing biometric data, the pervasive repository including at least one of a biometric layer, a genomic layer, a health layer, a privacy layer, and a processing layer. The virtual biometric wallet further comprises an analytic environment configured to combine the biometric data from at least one of the biometric layer, the genomic layer, the health layer, the privacy layer, and the processing layer. The virtual biometric wallet also comprises a biometric analytic interface configured to communicate the biometric data to one or more devices within a virtual universe. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100050253 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REAL WORLD BIOMETRIC ANALYTICS THROUGH THE USE OF A MULTIMODAL BIOMETRIC ANALYTIC WALLET - A system and method for real world biometric analytics through the use of a multimodal analytic wallet. The system includes a biometric wallet comprising a pervasive repository for storing biometric data, the pervasive repository including at least one of a biometric layer, a genomic layer, a health layer, a privacy layer, and a processing layer. The biometric wallet further comprises a biometric analytic interface configured to communicate the biometric data to one or more devices. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100057259 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY MANAGING BLOWERS AND VENTS - A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium being operable to perform a thermal analysis of a data center and overlay the thermal analysis on a map of the data center to provide an overlaid thermal analysis. Additionally, the computer executable code is operable to dynamically control at least one blower and at least one vent in the data center based on the overlaid thermal analysis to direct cool air to a section of the data center in need of cooling. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100057290 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COOPERATIVE VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS - Embodiments described herein comprise a system and method for corroborative vehicle diagnostic. The corroborative vehicle diagnostic system allows a vehicle to detect a fault indicator experienced by a vehicle subsystem. The corroborative vehicle diagnostic system allows the vehicle to compare the fault indicator with similar and/or dissimilar conditions experienced by one or more additional vehicle located within a geographic region. A corroborative diagnostic controller compares the fault indicator with the conditions of the additional vehicle. Based on the comparison of the fault indicator with the condition, an error status of the fault indicator is determined. The error status may be that the vehicle subsystem has failed, that the vehicle subsystem has not failed and/or that the results are inconclusive. The corroborative diagnostic controller may communicate directly with a control system of the vehicle. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100079467 | TIME DEPENDENT VIRTUAL UNIVERSE AVATAR RENDERING - Methods, devices, program products and systems are disclosed for displaying multiple virtual universe avatar states. Each of a plurality of avatar states of a first avatar of a first virtual universe user are stored in a storage medium as a function of a time of each state. A first avatar is displayed in a current state to a second user of an engaging second avatar, the engaging instigating a selecting and a retrieving of a subset of plurality of states from the storage medium, each of the subset states different from each other and the current state. Selected subset states are visually displayed to the second user, each of the displayed states visually distinct from another and the current state. The first avatar current state is stored in the storage medium associated with the engagement. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100082178 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO DYNAMICALLY CHANGE DATA CENTER PARTITIONS - A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium being operable to perform a thermal analysis of a data center and overlay the thermal analysis on a map of the data center to provide an overlaid thermal analysis. Additionally, the computer executable code is operable to dynamically control at least one partition in the data center based on the overlaid thermal analysis. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100082309 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY MODELING DATA CENTER PARTITIONS - A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium having programming instructions operable to perform a thermal analysis of a data center and overlay the thermal analysis on a map of the data center to provide an overlaid thermal analysis. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to receive a user selection of at least one modeled partition location based on the overlaid thermal analysis and dynamically model a modeled partition for each of the at least one modeled partition location in the data center to create a modeled data center region. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100083107 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PROVIDING INFORMATION DURING CONTENT BREAKPOINTS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100083112 | MANAGING VIRTUAL UNIVERSE AVATAR BEHAVIOR RATINGS - Inappropriate behavior, such as harassment, expletive laden communications, violence or sexually explicit behavior in a virtual universe (VU) can lead to negative experiences for VU users. Younger users of a VU can be more susceptible to inappropriate behavior than adult users. A VU system can monitor behavior and associate behavior ratings with avatars within the VU to respond to avatar/user behavior. A system can determine behavior ratings based upon avatar interactions, user complaints or complements about an avatar, actions within the VU, etc. The system can subject poorly behaving avatars to various penalties (e.g., restriction from certain areas, account termination, etc.). The system can also reward avatars that exhibit good behavior (e.g., allowing access to bonus areas or content, awarding points that can be used as VU currency, etc.). Penalizing inappropriate behavior and rewarding positive behavior can increase safety of minors in the VU, and increase user experience overall. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100083138 | VIRTUAL UNIVERSE SUPERVISORY PRESENCE - Methods, devices and systems are provided. A virtual universe resident avatar is monitored through an associated supervisory avatar. The engagement of a user avatar representing an agent account of a user within a virtual universe is monitored for an event occurrence. As a function of detecting an event occurrence a symbiont is associated with the user avatar. A symbiont type is selected from a plurality of symbiont types as a function of a user avatar characteristic and an objective of a virtual universe provider, each of the plurality of symbiont types comprising divergent agendas, and the symbiont is populated with the selected symbiont type. The populated symbiont also appears to the user as a supervising avatar. The populated symbiont processes an event occurrence and determines an action as a function of an agenda of a selected symbiont type. The populated symbiont takes an action, including the supervising avatar communicating directly with the user avatar through a communication medium appropriate to the selected symbiont type and to a norm of avatar engagement of the virtual universe. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100083139 | VIRTUAL UNIVERSE AVATAR COMPANION - Methods, devices, program products and systems are disclosed for providing a virtual universe companion avatar for engagement with a virtual universe user avatar. In some methods a user of a virtual universe instigates a companion request. Profile data associated with the user is accessed from a data storage in response to the companion request, the profile data including a companion preference. A companion avatar is configured to engage a user avatar representing the user in the virtual universe, the configuring a function of processing the profile data, the engaging configured to meet the companion preference and an overriding user benefit agenda. The companion avatar is thus associated with the user avatar, wherein the companion avatar is configured to engage the user avatar by advancing the overriding user benefit agenda ahead of a virtual universe world provider benefit agenda. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100083140 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR VARIABLE RENDERING OF VIRTUAL UNIVERSE AVATARS - Avatar appearance attributes for use in rendering a first avatar within a virtual universe are associated with keys, wherein the first avatar is rendered to a second user in a virtual universe graphic user interface display with the defined appearance attribute as a function of a second avatar of the second user possessing the key. The first avatar may be rendered simultaneously to other users with an appearance attribute distinct from the defined appearance attribute rendered to the second user as a function of the other user's avatars not possessing the key. A key may be recognized as a function of an identity characteristic, and appearance attributes selected manually or as a function of a preference. Pluralities of avatar appearance attributes may be broadcast by an avatar for selection by key possession, and keys may be assigned as a function of a unique identity, a trait and an inventory asset. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100115425 | COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL BUSINESS OBJECTS SOCIAL SHARING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD - Collaborative virtual business object (VBO) social sharing that may include generating a VBO responsive to an avatar performing a transaction, and providing access to the VBO to other avatars desiring access. Access to the VBO may be provided by registering information regarding accessing the VBO in an inventory of the avatar, registering information regarding accessing the VBO in a centralized registry, allowing some portions of the VBO to be searchable, or uploading a modified copy of the VBO to a centralized VBO data upload facility. Portions of the VBO may be identified as private or public and access provided to only the public portions. An apparatus for collaborative virtual business object (VBO) social sharing may include an interface configured to access virtual world and a processor configured to generate a VBO responsive to a transaction in the virtual world and provide access to the VBO. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100138530 | COMPUTING COMPONENT AND ENVIRONMENT MOBILITY - Methods, services, devices, and programmable code are provided for moving computing processes without loss of service. Powered components supporting a computing infrastructure executing computing processes are monitored for thermal characteristics, each associated with at least one of the deployed components. A thermal characteristic rule set comprising a threshold is applied to the monitored characteristics, and in response to an association with a monitored characteristic correlating with the threshold, a computing process is moved from one powered component to another having a monitored thermal characteristics not correlated with the threshold, the moving in real-time and without causing an interruption of service to an end user using the moved process. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100153499 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR AN AUTOMATED AGENT TO SERVICE MULITPLE AVATARS WITHIN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - A system and method to interact with business systems through the use of automated agents and provide context for an automated agent to service multiple avatars within a virtual universe. The system comprises a chat engine, a communications subsystem, and a channelizer configured to mediate one or more communications between the chat engine and the communications subsystem. The channelizer is further configured to map at least one channel to an application. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100153859 | USE OF INFORMATION CHANNELS TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT - The invention generally relates to virtual environments, and more particularly to systems and methods for communicating in virtual environments. A method of providing communication in a virtual universe (VU) includes instantiating and assigning an information channel to a first client of the VU, associating at least one additional client of the VU to the information channel, and conveying data placed on the information channel to the first client and the at least one additional client. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100153860 | DYNAMIC LOCATION GENERATION WITHIN A VIRTUAL WORLD - An approach is provided for dynamic loading and rendering of avatar's initial login environment. The approach consists of a method and a system for dynamically rendering locations from a preference list of locations most likely to be visited by an avatar. In one embodiment the method consists of creating a preference list of locations most likely to be visited by the avatar, rendering a dynamically built continuous environment populated from such preference list of locations most likely to be visited by the avatar, and caching and thereafter rendering at least one of the locations from the preference list of locations most likely to be visited by said avatar. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100153869 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO VISUALIZE ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE USE OF AVATARS - A system and method to visualize activities through the use of avatars. The system includes a display engine configured to display at least one automated activity as an avatar. The system also includes a management system configured to monitor the progress of the at least one automated activity and alter at least one of an appearance and a movement of the avatar in relation to the progress of the at least one automated activity. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100161368 | MANAGING ENERGY IN A DATA CENTER - An approach that manages energy in a data center is provided. In one embodiment, there is an energy management tool, including an analysis component configured to analyze an operating state of each of a plurality of systems within a data center to determine a set of systems from the plurality of systems within the data center that is currently using energy. The energy management tool further comprises a priority component configured to prioritize a routing of a workload to the set of systems from the plurality of systems within the data center that is currently using energy. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100161788 | MONITORING USER DEMOGRAPHICS WITHIN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - An invention that provides discovery and transfer of assets in a virtual universe is provided. In one embodiment, there is an asset transfer utility, including an inventory component configured to display to a user within a virtual universe an inventory containing a plurality of assets owned by other users within the virtual universe, each of the plurality of assets listed anonymously. A search component is configured to search the inventory containing the plurality of assets. A selection component is configured to select a set of assets from the plurality of assets based on the search. A transfer component is configured to transfer the set of assets between the user and an owner of each of the set of assets. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100162403 | SYSTEM AND METHOD IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE FOR IDENTIFYING SPAM AVATARS BASED UPON AVATAR MULTIMEDIA CHARACTERISTICS - A system and method in a virtual universe (VU) system for identifying spam avatars based upon the avatars' multimedia characteristics may have a table that stores multimedia characteristics of known spam avatars. It further may have an analysis unit that compares the multimedia characteristics of avatars against the multimedia characteristics of known spam avatars to determine if the avatar has known spam avatar characteristics. It may further have a scoring system to calculate a spam score based upon the similarities of the comparison and identifying the avatar as a spam avatar based upon the calculated spam score. It may further compare the calculated spam score with a spam score threshold wherein the avatar is identified as a spam avatar if the calculated spam score is equal to or greater than the calculated spam score. Multimedia characteristics include graphics, audio, movement, interactivity, voice, etc. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100162404 | IDENTIFYING SPAM AVATARS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE (VU) BASED UPON TURING TESTS - A virtual universe system has a system and method for identifying spam avatars based upon the avatar's behavior characteristics through the use of Turing tests. The system may provide a Turing test unit for performing Turing tests and an analysis unit that compares the behavior characteristics of new or newly changed avatars against the behavior characteristics of known spam avatars to determine if the avatar has known spam avatar characteristics. It may further have a scoring system to calculate a spam score based upon similarities of the comparison and identifying the avatar as a spam avatar based upon the calculated spam score. It may further compare the calculated spam score with a spam score threshold wherein the avatar is identified as a spam avatar if the calculated spam score is equal to or greater than the calculated spam score. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100169125 | INSURANCE POLICY MANAGEMENT IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - An invention that manages insurance policies in a virtual universe is provided. In one embodiment, there is an insurance management tool including a rating component configured to assign a rating to an avatar based on a past behavior of the avatar. The insurance management tool further includes an insurance component configured to enable the use of an insurance policy to manage a behavior of the avatar in the virtual universe based on the rating of the avatar. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100179871 | USER DRIVEN TRANSACTIONS THROUGH REFERRED VIRTUAL BUSINESS OBJECT - Providing traceability in a Virtual Business Object (VBO) may include generating a VBO comprising components and actions that may be performed using the VBO, attaching traceability information regarding an avatar to the VBO and providing the VBO to the avatar. Also, a network entity configured to access a virtual world environment may include a network interface configured to provide access to the virtual world environment and a controller configured to perform a transaction with an avatar in the virtual world environment, generate a Virtual Business Object (VBO) related to the transaction, attach traceability information regarding the avatar to the VBO, and provide the VBO to the avatar. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100205545 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STANDARDIZED VISUAL INDICATORS IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA - Methods and systems for associating a standardized electronic icon with a user and displaying the icon with electronic communications of the user are disclosed. A computer implemented method includes: determining one or more icons to associate with an individual when the individual creates an electronic message; and at least one of selectively and automatically appending at least one of the one or more icons that are associated with the individual to the electronic message. The at least one of the one or more icons is subsequently displayed with the electronic message to a recipient to provide information about the individual to the recipient. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100229235 | REGION ACCESS AUTHORIZATION IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT - The passage of avatars into and out of regions in a virtual universe is regulated through the use of secure communications between and among the avatar, an authority managing of the region and a trusted third party who maintains a database of avatar characteristics. Permission to move from one virtual region to another is determined based upon the avatar characteristics. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100251117 | VISUALIZATION OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE - This disclosure provides a system and method to enable the diagnosis, prognosis and emulation of medical conditions using virtual world environments. The system and method combines probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for both real and virtual world applications to increase health care reach and presence within computational environments. The disclosure describes a system and method that uses physiological measurements and behaviors to diagnose a medical condition. Experimental data, either gathered or generated, provide points for emulation. An emulation algorithm increases the feeling of user presence within a virtual world. Avatar behaviors are mapped to scripts which describe the output of the medical diagnosis and prognosis algorithm. Based on proposed treatment plans, emulations can be run, and the appearance of the avatar altered based on the outcome (e.g., improvement, worsening, etc.). | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100324739 | Scheduling Cool Air Jobs In A Data Center - Scheduling cool air jobs in a data center comprising computers whose operations produce heat and require cooling, cooling resources that provide cooling for the data center, a workload controller that schedules and allocates data processing jobs among the computers, a cooling controller that schedules and allocates cooling jobs among cooling resources, including assigning data processing jobs for execution by computers in the data center; providing, to the cooling controller, information describing data processing jobs scheduled for allocation among the computers in the data center; specifying, by the cooling controller in dependence upon the physical location of the computer to which each job is allocated and the quantity of data processing represented by each job, cooling jobs to be executed by cooling resources; and assigning, by the cooling controller in accordance with the workload allocation schedule to cooling resources in the data center, cooling jobs for execution. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110050699 | Teleport Preview Provisioning In Virtual Environments - Upon a request for a teleportation operation, a user of a virtual universe is provided with an interface for specification of image resolution parameters for initial rendering of a teleportation destination and the user's avatar which are degraded from a full resolution rendering of the teleportation destination and avatar. Degradation of resolution can be in regard to any of a plurality of image qualities such as spatial resolution, temporal resolution colors or color depth, light modeling and rendering style or the like or combinations thereof. Alternatively, a degraded copy of the teleportation destination can be provided as an alternative initial teleportation destination image. Since a rendering of a degraded image can be done with reduced response time, the user is thus provided with full control over a trade-off between image quality and response time and teleportation operations are thus encouraged. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110055135 | Deferred Teleportation or Relocation in Virtual Worlds - A user of a virtual universe system is provided with the option of deferring a response to an invitation for an avatar to be relocated (including relocation by performing a (exportation operation) by providing for selective storage of received invitations in a queue with a priority determined based on one or more rules which can preferably be developed by conversion from an invitation. Status of issuers of invitations can be monitored or the issuers polled and the current status can be displayed to a user to determine actions to be taken in manipulating priority in the queue. The user is also provided with the capability of editing priority of stored invitations including the ability to accept, reject or forward the invitation or convert the invitation to a landmark. Invitations having similarities may be grouped in accordance with any desired metadata contained in the invitation. Rules can also be set from the virtual universe system independently of a user in regard to priority and thus provides a new form of advertising. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110055727 | System and Method for Using Partial Teleportation or Relocation in Virtual Worlds - The processing burden of rendering incident to a full teleportation operation in a virtual universe is avoided while contact with particular teleport destinations is promoted by provision of a partial teleportation facility such as a virtual kiosk as an object within a virtual universe (which may be sponsored or owned by users wishing to promote particular teleportation destinations) at which an avatar can view previously rendered images of portions of one or more teleportation destinations. Limited interaction and simulated travel within the teleportation destination can be achieved through image manipulation and updates rather than rendering. An avatar image can be displayed in connection with both the object and the teleport destination with, preferably control of only one avatar image while the other is displayed using a low resolution image. Full teleportation can be initiated automatically upon detection of a particular condition such as duration of an avatar presence at the location of the partial teleportation facility object. When full teleportation is initiated, the processing intensive rendering can be supplemented from image data representing the portion or the teleportation destination, thus hiding rendering delays and simulating seamless, instantaneous response to the full teleportation operation. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110055728 | Method and System for Filtering Movements Between Virtual Environments - In response to a teleport request, teleport destination characteristics are determined and compared against preferences, characteristics and restrictions of an avatar as indicated by metadata or tags to determine if the teleport destination is suitable for teleportation of that avatar. If the destination is found unsuitable, a search is conducted, preferably based on unmatched metadata of the avatar or the destination to suggest or directly substitute a suitable teleportation destination. Metadata for the avatar and the destination can include metadata which is dynamic (such as destination occupancy or processing capacity) adaptively developed or based on current or historical usage and virtual universe system status. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110055732 | Creation and Prioritization of Multiple Virtual Universe Teleports In Response to an Event - Useful work or services can be automated or otherwise facilitated or solutions to real world events developed by emulation of a real-world environment (which can contain objects representing virtual objects) with a virtual environment and generating a prioritized sequence of locations and associated tasks in accordance with resources related to the event in a virtual universe. Performance of the prioritized tasks at the prioritized locations is facilitated in the virtual universe by locally generating teleportation invitations corresponding to locations in the ordered sequence of locations. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110078592 | PERFORMING INTERACTIVE COLLABORATION WITHIN A VIRTUAL WORLD - The present invention provides a system and method for building collaboration work environments within the virtual world through computer generated (and possibly controlled) avatars and other three dimensional (3D) objects. It provides a solution to a problem where computer generated avatars and objects visually represent the execution, progress and output of a collaboration project. It provides the system and method for quickly visualizing collaboration activities and outputs to allow people to quickly and easily track progress of said activities. Visually representing collaboration activities allows observers to identify the number and different types of collaboration activities which are currently occurring, the progress of each collaboration activity, the system or component that the collaboration activity is creating or any problems or issues identified during activities supporting the collaboration work effort. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110137805 | INTER-CLOUD RESOURCE SHARING WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention provides a system and method for establishing inter-Cloud resource sharing agreements and policies such that dynamic expansion/contraction of Cloud resource requests can be seamlessly addressed without requiring physical build-out of the primary Cloud infrastructure and advertising the need for additional resources or the offer to provide additional resources can be brokered through an established marketplace. The financial transaction will support a symbiotic bi-lateral fair-share method that better aligns with an alternating supplier/consumer business model. Using this system and method will decrease the amount of time needed to respond to a given Cloud service request while advantaging a resource sharing model amongst established Cloud providers. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110137947 | DYNAMIC ACCESS CONTROL FOR DOCUMENTS IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention provides a solution to manage and control document transmission and electronic communication. Specifically, the present invention solves the problem of having control over data (documents, image files, and attachments hereafter referenced as “documents”) that are associated with multiple types of data communication. Along these lines, the present invention provides a hub and spoke communication model in order to achieve multiple benefits in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, flexibility, and control. This type of granular control is critical for information sharing within a Cloud computing environment. This approach is also useful for collaboration tools and can be augmented by the creation and management of access control lists (ACL) for the hub-spoke system. To this extent, this present invention solves the problem of being able to automatically update ACL's as documents are being forwarded or otherwise communicated between multiple people. These ACL's are kept up to date through the analysis of to whom (and where) a document has been sent. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110138034 | METERING RESOURCE USAGE IN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - An approach that provides assigning and tracking inter-Cloud operational transactions within a Cloud computing environment in order to meter Cloud resource usage when processing a Cloud service request. In one embodiment, there is a Cloud usage and accounting tool, including a route management component configured to define and manage the physical implementation of delineation points between Clouds. The Cloud usage and accounting tool further includes a workflow control component configured to track inter-Cloud operational transactions as they pass through the delineation points. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110138047 | PROVISIONING SERVICES USING A CLOUD SERVICES CATALOG - The present invention provides a system and method for provisioning Cloud services by establishing a Cloud services catalog using a Cloud service bus within a Cloud computing environment. In one embodiment, there is a Cloud services catalog manager configured to connect a plurality of Clouds in a Cloud computing environment; maintain a catalog of integrated Cloud services from the plurality of connected Clouds; and display an index of the integrated services on a user interface. Using this system and method will allow for multiple disparate services, offered by different partners, across unrelated, physically distinct Clouds to be presented as an index of integrated services. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110138048 | CLOUD COMPUTING ROAMING SERVICES - The present invention provides a system and method to provide Cloud roaming services. It allows Cloud services to be offered to requesters that are abstracted from the underlying Cloud provider used to fulfill those services. The present invention provides the ability for Cloud providers to be dynamically associated with currently available Cloud services for requesters. The system and method describes two scenarios—a pull and push model—to align requester required services to currently available services from Cloud providers. The requester has a profile determining a prioritized list of Cloud providers that may be used, or the primary Cloud provider may delegate services to a partner cloud. The algorithm of the invention shows how the provider decides which requesters have access to which services—based on current utilization and forecasting. Also, from a requester perspective, location, roaming, network bandwidth and requester processing capabilities (not all-inclusive) may be sent to the provider of Cloud services to determine whether a change is needed. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110138049 | MAPPING COMPUTER DESKTOP OBJECTS TO CLOUD SERVICES WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention describes an approach for general management of a client desktop with respect to accessing Cloud services. Included are means for dynamically determining, viewing, organizing, and linking desktop objects to associated server side Cloud resources and services. Specifically, the present invention provides a mechanism whereby Cloud services can be automatically represented on a plurality of client systems (for example, laptops, desktops, PDAs, etc) complete with the ability for the underlying provider of those services to be dynamically mapped based on a user's profile. The user will see standard available services regardless of the provider. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110138050 | OPTIMIZING CLOUD SERVICE DELIVERY WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - This invention provides a system or method to provide dynamically packaged Cloud services to customers via a Cloud services registry. The Cloud services registry is dynamic and operates by polling different Cloud service providers and Cloud service databases to ensure that the Cloud services registry is up to date with the latest available Cloud services. The Cloud services registry is available for queries from Cloud customers and abstracts multiple Cloud service providers. By abstracting the Cloud services, the dynamic Cloud services registry creates a modular package of different services from different Cloud service providers based on the query and requested priority for services. The dynamic Cloud registry is dynamically updated based on the level of services that the provider has available. The dynamic registry determines what service best matches the requirements from a Cloud service request (CSR) and returns a personalized set of matching services. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110138051 | RESERVING SERVICES WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention provides a solution for reserving Cloud services within a Cloud computing environment. Under the present invention, a customer/user can select a service for use sometime in the future. By scheduling in the future, the user can guarantee the service will be available for a specific price and set of service levels. One factor is that advanced reservation affects the cost of the service and the bounds by which the service levels of the service may change. The further in advance the job is scheduled, the tighter the bounds of the service level may be for a specific price. Advanced reservation may also guarantee execution on a preferred provider rather than being moved to a partner Cloud. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110145094 | CLOUD SERVICING BROKERING - The present invention provides a solution to perform pricing and brokering of Cloud services. Illustrative pricing/charging plans include “pay as you go (subscription)” and “pay for what you use (dynamic)”. The present invention also provides a way to display a price next to service. In general, a broker agent (hereinafter referred to as “agent”) executes within the environment and queries available and acceptable Cloud resources from a plurality of providers. Based on resources, published rates, and rate projections, the broker schedules, reschedules, moves, and otherwise manages Cloud jobs based on job criteria and optimized execution cost. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110145153 | NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention provides a solution for agreement/contract negotiations within a Cloud computing environment. Specifically, under the present invention, a resource requirement for performing a task for a first Cloud partner is assessed. Once the resource requirement is known, it can be determined whether a shortfall exists between available resources of the first Cloud partner and the resource requirement. If so, a master agreement with a second Cloud partner is identified to address the shortfall. Typically, the master agreement specifies at least a minimum service requirement and a maximum price for the second Cloud partner to provide resources to address the shortfall. If the terms are agreeable to both Cloud partners, a contract between the two can be formed (e.g., digitally) based on the master agreement. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110145392 | DYNAMIC PROVISIONING OF RESOURCES WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention provides a solution (e.g., rules, techniques, etc.) for enabling the dynamic provisioning (e.g., movement) of Cloud-based jobs and resources. Such provisioning may be within a Cloud infrastructure, from Cloud to Cloud, from non-Cloud to Cloud, and from Cloud to non-Cloud. Each movement scenario is assigned a specific technique based on rules, profiles, SLA and/or other such criteria and agreements. Such dynamic adjustments may be especially advantageous in order to balance real-time workload to avoid over-provisioning, to manage Cloud performance, to attain a more efficient or cost-effective execution environment, to off-load a Cloud or specific Cloud resources for maintenance/service, and the like. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110145413 | RESOURCE EXCHANGE MANAGEMENT WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention provides a solution for resource sharing (e.g., inter-Cloud) within a Cloud-computing environment. One objective of the present invention is to better utilize idle public or private Cloud infrastructures and improve the availability of Cloud services by allowing different Cloud service providers to virtually combine their services and infrastructures. In the event that there is not enough capacity for a single Cloud service provider to manage its workload, the workload may be shifted to additional infrastructures within the Cloud. The result of the workload shift may reduce the unavailability of Cloud services to the Cloud end-user by allowing another Cloud service provider to temporarily handle the workload. Based on the resource sharing activities, compensation (e.g., credits/tokens) can be exchanged between the participating Cloud providers to reflect their participation in the resource exchange. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110145439 | RESOURCE PLANNING AND DATA INTERCHANGE FUNCTIONALITY WITHIN A CLOUD COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT - The present invention provides technology neutral process integration (Cloud Resource Planning), and optimization methodology leveraging a business meta-schema format Cloud Data Interchange (CDI) to integrate, enable, and invoke Cloud services. One example is that the present invention provides a management layer at the process level. There can be multiple Cloud implementations/types within a govern enterprise—perhaps utilizing different infrastructure (e.g., hardware of one supplier versus that of another) or different areas of functionality (computing services, storage services, etc). This disclosure provides an abstraction or ‘resource planning’ layer above these core services such that a customer does not have to have knowledge or choose different Cloud types and/or understand or choose each underlying service. As such, it provides a ‘one stop’ portal. | 06-16-2011 |
