225 results about "Cost benefit" patented technology

The present invention provides a hybrid central / distributed and tiered video on demand (VOD) service network with tiered content structure. In particular, the present invention uses media servers located in both the headend station and the hub stations. Set-top boxes generally would be supplied VOD services from the high-demand content media servers located in the hub station nearest to the user. The central media server located in the headend would be used as an installed backup to the hub media servers; as the primary source for lower demand VOD services and as the source of the real time, centrally encoded programs with PVR (personal video recorder) capabilities.By distributing the servers to the hub stations, the size of the fiber transport network associated with delivering VOD services from the central headend media server is reduced. The invention provides that each user has access to several server ports located on at least two servers. Multiple paths and channels are available for content distribution to each user, assuring high system reliability and enhanced asset availability. Substantial cost benefits are derived from the reduced need for a large content distribution network and the reduced storage capacity requirements for hub servers.

A cost-benefit metric for load balancing virtual machines is used to estimate a net gain in resource availability achieved by a proposed virtual machine migration. The cost-benefit metric can be used together with any other known metrics to evaluate candidate migrations. The metric takes into account stability of loads as well as migration cost, hence can protect a system from thrashing, i.e., frequently migrating virtual machines without gaining resource availability.

A database system with methodology for automated determination and selection of optimal indexes is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method of the present invention is described for recommending database indexes to be created for optimizing system performance, the method comprises steps of: capturing a workload representative of database queries employed during system use; creating virtual indexes for optimizing system performance during execution of the database queries captured in the workload; computing cost benefits for different combinations of the virtual indexes; and recommending physical indexes to be created based on virtual indexes that have favorable cost benefits for the captured workload.

The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing a user interface that can be employed by contactors and contactees in conjunction with a communications architecture for identifying and establishing an optimal communication based on preferences, capabilities, contexts and goals of the parties to engage in the communication. The user interface can include a graphical display having a plurality of display objects and associated input fields operable by one or more parties to a communication in order to facilitate convenient access, control, personalization and communications via the communications architecture. For example, configuration capabilities are provided in the user interface to enable operational adjustments to one or more operating parameters, communications groupings, policies and / or context preferences relating to a preferred modality of communication and to potential parties of communication between the contactors and contactees. User interface controls are also provided for defining deterministic policies and for encoding preferences for cost-benefit analyses.

The present invention relates to utilizing identity and context-sensitive decision-making for handling communications, including, channel selection, routing, and rescheduling operations. The systems and methods provide a service that allows users to assess preferences regarding real-time call handling and performs dynamic decision-making about the best timing and channel for interpersonal communication. This service can be based on various cost-benefit analyses (e.g., basic and extended) that consider cost of interruption and preferences of contactors and contactees to guide communications, and / or on decision-making under uncertainty. Statistical models that are learned from data are joined with user preferences to generate expected costs of interruption for office activity and over time, based on a user's activities, locations, calendar information and preference assessments. In addition, statistical forecasting provides presence and availability predictions. The foregoing can provide an enhanced interpersonal communication system that can maximize the value and minimize the cost of communication among people.

A decorated flooring member constructed using the DPL process and comprises a high density fiberboard (“HDF”) core and a wear layer that has an EPLF rating of AC5. In operation, the flooring member of the present invention will exhibit similar characteristics to an HPL constructed flooring member while retaining the cost benefits of a DPL constructed flooring member.

Improved techniques are disclosed for use in an intrusion prevention system or the like. For example, a method comprises the following steps performed by a computing element of a network. A packet of a flow is received, the flow comprising a plurality of packets, wherein the plurality of packets represents data in the network. A network intrusion analysis cost-benefit value is determined representing a benefit for analyzing the received packet for intrusions in relation to a cost for analyzing the received packet for intrusions. The method compares the network intrusion analysis cost-benefit value to a network intrusion analysis cost-benefit threshold to determine whether analyzing the received packet for intrusions before forwarding the received packet is warranted. Responsive to a determination that analyzing the received packet for intrusions before forwarding the received packet is not warranted, the received packet is forwarded, an indication is made that subsequent packets of the flow should be forwarded, and a determination is made whether the received packet indicates an intrusion after forwarding the received packet.

A trade study for developing products for a decision making authority, and guidelines in tailoring the trade study to meet the needs of a program. The trade study transforms a subjective decision making process into an objective decision making process. Within the trade study, standard terms and definitions are used, roles and responsibilities of participants and decision makers are documented, and a flow diagram is provided. The trade study defines a structure, removes cost and risk, defines baseline / optimum solutions, present uncertainty considerations, and presents a cost-benefit chart and a risk-benefit chart.

A method and apparatus for calibrating a reference oscillator and use of a calibrated reference oscillator is disclosed. To gain cost reduction advantages, a less accurate reference oscillator is utilized in a wireless communication device. The cost benefit is gained at the expense of reference oscillator accuracy in that its inability to generate a signal with a highly accurate reference frequency inhibits acquisition of a carrier or pilot signal. To compensate, a correction factor is generated by minimizing the difference between the reference oscillator signal and a signal of known frequency, such as an external reference signal. Access to the reference oscillator signal, or a signal related thereto, may be gained via the communication device antenna or a test port. The correction factor may be stored in the wireless communication device for use in conjunction with the reference oscillator to thereby generate the highly accurate reference signal at the reference frequency.

The invention relates to a large-scale photovoltaic power station inspection device based on double cameras carried on an unmanned aerial vehicle. The large-scale photovoltaic power station inspection device is mainly characterized in that a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle or an unmanned system is used for performing inspection on the large-scale photovoltaic power station; and furthermore a thermal infrared imager and a visible light camera as detecting tools are mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle for detecting a photovoltaic cell panel. An infrared image and a visible light image which are acquired by the double cameras are processed by a computer through an algorithm, thereby obtaining a conclusion whether the fault of the photovoltaic cell panel occurs. Furthermore a man-machine interaction interface is designed for displaying the image, the conclusion, etc. Compared with an existing fault monitoring method of the photovoltaic cell panel, the large-scale photovoltaic power station inspection device has advantages of improving reliability of a monitoring result, reducing manpower and physical resource, improving cost benefit, reducing work hour and realizing detection for invisible faults in the photovoltaic cell panel.

A means of ballasting for high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, wherein the necessary lamp striking voltage, warm-up current and steady state running current may all be controlled using only two power switching transistors 9,10 operating in two discrete modes. A further feature provides a means of lamp power control over a range of lamp voltages such that the lamp power input remains substantially constant throughout the ageing of the lamp 19. The use of this means of ballasting HID lamps can offer major cost benefits, lower circuit complexity, longer lamp life and colour maintenance and increased flexibility of the wiring installation and lamp position relative to the ballasting and striking means.

A system and method to effectively and efficiently update a version of firmware resident in a device memory is provided. A method of identifying one or more versions of firmware is provided by way of initializing a device memory with a known pattern. In addition, the amount of free unused memory space may be identified and calculated in a device memory. The system and method generates software update packages that are minimal in size providing cost benefit to a manufacturer and convenience to a user.

Methods and apparatus for pollution control which are well suited for use in a coal power plant are described. Ash is collected and injected into the flue gas stream at a location upstream of a cooling module. The ash acts as an absorbent and / or reactant material onto which condensate may condense. By re-introducing ash to keep the condensation forming wet areas within the system, lower cost materials which are less corrosion resistant than needed for wet operating conditions can be used. Mercury recovery and SO3 removal is facilitated by the cooling process and re-introduction of collected ash. Activated carbon and / or an alkali absorbent material may be added. Use of a dry ESP and / or fabric filter as opposed to a wet ESP for particulate collection leads to cost benefits. Energy recovered by the cooling of the flue gas may be re-used to heat turbine condensate leading to improved energy efficiency.

The invention provides a data storage system in a cloud environment; and the system can provide much distributed storage by using a large amount of computing equipment in a computing environment. Each piece of computing equipment can be combined with a group of computers to provide much storage in a computing environment. For example, each piece of computing equipment can provide a free space with the highest limit for the computing environment. The storage provided by each piece of computing equipment can be collected and combined to provide an integrated distributed space. The combination of distributed operation environment spaces on both ends can be associated with each piece of computing equipment to form mapped driving. A joint distributed space can be used for providing a certain level or a certain volume of data storage redundancy in the computing environment, and the cost benefit of the unused space in each piece of computing equipment can be utilized.

Electrically conductive or semiconducting additives are embedded into surfaces of host materials for use in a variety of applications and devices. Resulting surface-embedded structures exhibit improved performance, as well as cost benefits arising from their compositions and manufacturing processes.

A proactive adaptive radio methodology for the opportunistic allocation of radio spectrum is described. The methods can be used to allocate radio spectrum resources by employing machine learning to learn models, via accruing data over time, that have the ability to predict the context-sensitive durations of the availability of channels. The predictive models are combined with decision-theoretic cost-benefit analyses to minimize disruptions of service or quality that can be associated with reactive allocation policies. Rather than reacting to losses of channel, the proactive policies seek switches in advance of the loss of a channel. Beyond determining durations of availability for one or more frequency bands statistical machine learning also be employed to generate price predictions in order to facilitate a sale or rental of the available frequencies, and these predictions can be employed in the switching analyses The methods can be employed in non-cooperating distributed models of allocation, in centralized allocation approaches, and in hybrid spectrum allocation scenarios.

Hybrid file delivery systems and methods divide one or more files into parts for transmission to plural user devices during a first transmission phase employing one or more one-to-many communication paths (e.g., broadcast or multicast), and then transmit missing file parts to designated user devices during a second transmission phase employing respective one-to-one communication paths. User devices are configured with specified criteria for when and how to report file delivery status to a file delivery center that maintains a database of target user devices, file delivery campaigns, and statuses of file delivery completion at the user devices. The file delivery center can employ the database information to determine cost benefit for delivery of a file using two different transmission modalities and control when to switchover to or commence the second transmission phase after the first transmission phase.

The invention discloses an optimized planning method of an electric vehicle charging station based on whole life cycle cost, wherein the optimized planning method analyzes the cost benefit of a charging station and calculates the whole life cycle cost. The invention suggests estimation of a charging station capacity by means of road network traffic flow information. Maximization of net present value profit is used as an optimization target. The position and the capacity of the charging station are determined according to the road network traffic flow, electric network power quality and economic performance and user charging requirement as constraint conditions. Furthermore, the invention provides a charging station optimization planning model based on the whole life cycle cost, and furthermore the charging station optimization planning model is solved according to a quantum genetic algorithm. The optimized planning method can plan the electric vehicle charging station effectively and accurately, thereby obtaining an optimal station address and an optimal capacity, and calculating a maximal net present value. The optimized planning method compensates insufficiencies in present other electric vehicle charging station planning methods to a certain extent, and furthermore can obtain higher convergence speed and more accurate value in actual operation.

The invention discloses a high-nitrogen suspension-type liquid fertilizer which comprises the following components in percentage by weight: 50-80% of saturated mother solution and 20-50% of solid-liquid mixture. The saturated mother solution comprises the following components in parts by weight: 0-6 parts of potassium humate, 20-50 parts of nitrogen fertilizer, 5-20 parts of potassium fertilizer and 5-30 parts of water. The solid-liquid mixture comprises the following components in parts by weight: 5-20 parts of phosphate fertilizer, 0.2-1 part of minor element raw material, 70-100 parts of water and 5-26 parts of assistant. The suspension-type product has the advantages of excellent stability, excellent uniformity, excellent flowability, no stratification or precipitation after long time, high cost benefit and lower cost, and implements the high-concentration formula.

A database system with methodology for automated determination and selection of optimal indexes is described. In one embodiment, for example, in a database system, a method of the present invention is described for recommending database indexes to be created for optimizing system performance, the method comprises steps of: capturing a workload representative of database queries employed during system use; creating virtual indexes for optimizing system performance during execution of the database queries captured in the workload; computing cost benefits for different combinations of the virtual indexes; and recommending physical indexes to be created based on virtual indexes that have favorable cost benefits for the captured workload.

Active or functional additives are embedded into surfaces of host materials for use as components in a variety of electronic or optoelectronic devices, including solar devices, smart windows, displays, and so forth. Resulting surface-embedded device components provide improved performance, as well as cost benefits arising from their compositions and manufacturing processes.

The invention provides an operation and consumption optimization method based on boiler safety analysis. The operation and consumption optimization method is characterized by comprising the following steps that main parameter values in main load working conditions are used as target values of consumption calculation; data required by the consumption calculation in the operation of a boiler is collected, and the consumption calculation is performed in accordance with the target values, so as to obtain coal consumption indexes caused by the fact that main performance parameters deviate from the target values; a prediction model is established to predict optimized consumption; influencing factors which greatly influence parameter deviation are found out; parameters related to boiler safety are determined and monitored, if the parameters are within a safety range, a safety factor is 1, and the cost-benefit ratio of optimization operation is calculated; and when the cost-benefit ratio is less than 1, the optimization operation of the cost-benefit ratio is performed. The operation and consumption optimization method has the advantages that boiler safety analysis is introduced into the research of optimizing operation and consumption, economy and safety are combined together, and in consideration of actual conditions of the boiler, optimization operation which conforms to the actual conditions is adopted to the boiler.

An electronic apparatus and a method of conserving energy comprises providing an energy-conservation module to control use of one or more energy-saving mechanism by a hardware element. The energy-conservation module comprises a performance estimation module that estimates a performance level requirement of the hardware element and a slack time. A cost-benefit qualifier module is provided that uses one or more generic algorithm and at least one separate record that characterises power use and performance by the hardware element in relation to a Performance Power state of the selected energy-saving mechanism in order to determine an existence of an energy saving. The cost-benefit qualifier module sets the hardware element to use the Performance Power state of the selected energy-saving mechanism if the energy-saving exists.

The invention provides a rebate popularizing method of Internet networked transaction services. According to the rebate popularizing method, according to respective group characteristics of a user group and a merchant group, different rebate schemes are respectively adopted, enthusiasm of carrying out service popularization by the user group and the merchant group is excited through rebate, self popularization and development of the user group and the merchant group are promoted, and fully and effectively integrated, users and merchants in Internet network transaction services are used as new service popularization resources, enthusiasm of carrying out service popularization by the user group and the merchant group is excited through rebate, positive popularization of the user group and the merchant group in the Internet network transaction services is realized, the problem of difficulty in popularization of the Internet network transaction services is solved; and compared with the traditional advertisement channel popularization and telephone promotion popularization, the rebate popularizing method has the advantages that the popularization cost is controlled by operators of the Internet network transaction services through controlling a rebate proportion, therefore, the service popularization cost can be effectively lowered, and the purpose of increasing popularization cost-benefit ratio is achieved.

The invention discloses a social content caching method in an edge network area. The following steps are performed on all the users in the edge network area at each time slot. The steps comprises of a first step, constructing a candidate content set; a second step, predicting an area popularity index of each content in the candidate content set; a third step, predicting a user area transition probability; a fourth step, acquiring a cost benefit ratio obtained if each content in the candidate content set is cached according to the area popularity index and the user area transition probability; a fifth step, taking the cost benefit ratio as a probability and randomly selecting the corresponding content to carry out caching from the candidate content set.