US6067572A — Extrinsically influenced near-optimal path appara…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 272 words

An apparatus for providing a near-optimal path through a plurality of nodes interconnected by edges, each edge associated with a unique connection between two nodes, each node comprising a component, and the nodes configured in granules, the apparatus comprising: granules interconnected in a topology, each granule comprising one or more nodes operably interconnected by an edge, each edge having associated therewith a connection state selectable from an unloaded state and at least one loaded state, and having associated therewith an edge state comprising data corresponding to the connection state; a memory device comprising: a vacuum space containing vacuum data corresponding to the topology of the granules, the topology corresponding to the unloaded state corresponding to each granule and each edge connecting each granule to a proximate granule; a load space containing data corresponding to a topology of the granules in a loaded state comprising the granule states corresponding to a loaded state of the plurality of loaded states for each granule; and a processor operably connected to the memory device and programmed to execute an executable application comprising: a granule manager effective to provide definitions of the granules, a load manager effective to create and update load data stored in the load space, a granule event manager effective to provide data reflecting updated loads associated with edges between granules, an external agent for providing extrinsic data to the granule event manager wherein the extrinsic data influences loading decisions, and a vacuum space manager effective to receive data corresponding to events associated with changes in loading of the granules, and to update the load space with the load data corresponding to the events.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 272 words

An apparatus for providing a near-optimal path through a plurality of nodes interconnected by edges, each edge associated with a unique connection between two nodes, each node comprising a component, and the nodes configured in granules, the apparatus comprising: granules interconnected in a topology, each granule comprising one or more nodes operably interconnected by an edge, each edge having associated therewith a connection state selectable from an unloaded state and at least one loaded state, and having associated therewith an edge state comprising data corresponding to the connection state; a memory device comprising: a vacuum space containing vacuum data corresponding to the topology of the granules, the topology corresponding to the unloaded state corresponding to each granule and each edge connecting each granule to a proximate granule; a load space containing data corresponding to a topology of the granules in a loaded state comprising the granule states corresponding to a loaded state of the plurality of loaded states for each granule; and a processor operably connected to the memory device and programmed to execute an executable application comprising: a granule manager effective to provide definitions of the granules, a load manager effective to create and update load data stored in the load space, a granule event manager effective to provide data reflecting updated loads associated with edges between granules, an external agent for providing extrinsic data to the granule event manager wherein the extrinsic data influences loading decisions, and a vacuum space manager effective to receive data corresponding to events associated with changes in loading of the granules, and to update the load space with the load data corresponding to the events.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 27 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the external agent comprises an external state agent effective to receive data from external state agent inputs corresponding to node conditions.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 21 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the external agent comprises a granulization agent effective to receiving granulization data from granulization inputs.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 36 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the granulization agent provides granulization data to the granule manager to influence definition of the granules, and wherein the definition of the granules is provided to the granule event manager.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the external agent comprises an event predictor for receiving data corresponding to predicted load conditions from a prediction analysis mechanism.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 52 words

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the prediction analysis mechanism receives data reflecting loaded vacuum space and load space, wherein the prediction analysis mechanism receives data from a resource domain regarding allocation of a resource, and wherein the prediction analysis mechanism processes received data to provide data corresponding to predicted load conditions.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 36 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the load manager receives data from the granule event manager and wherein the load manager further comprises a damping utility for reducing the amplitude of oscillations in the received data.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the granule event manager receives extrinsic data and data reflective of feedback conditions and integrates the data to provide data reflecting updated loads associated with edges between granules to the load manager.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the extrinsic data reflects criteria selected from the list consisting of capacity, reliability, security, integrity, priority, and risk assessment.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 200 words

A method for providing an improved path from a source node to a destination node through a network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected between the source node and the destination node, the method comprising: defining a connected graph corresponding to the network, the connected graph comprising mathematical nodes connected by edges; defining a metric space associated with the connected graph, the metric space having associated therewith a metric effective to define a weighted cost associated with each edge; providing an external input for weighting the weighted cost associated with each edge; determining a first weighted cost associated with advancing from the source to each of a plurality of edges connecting the source to a corresponding plurality of first intermediate nodes; determining a second weighted cost associated with advancing from a first intermediate node to each of a plurality of second intermediate nodes; and selecting a trial set of nodes from the plurality of first intermediate nodes, based on an evaluation corresponding to a distribution function and related to the second weighted cost; and deleting a deletable first intermediate node not included in the trial set, and corresponding to a less-preferable cost function associated with the deletable first intermediate node.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 200 words

A method for providing an improved path from a source node to a destination node through a network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected between the source node and the destination node, the method comprising: defining a connected graph corresponding to the network, the connected graph comprising mathematical nodes connected by edges; defining a metric space associated with the connected graph, the metric space having associated therewith a metric effective to define a weighted cost associated with each edge; providing an external input for weighting the weighted cost associated with each edge; determining a first weighted cost associated with advancing from the source to each of a plurality of edges connecting the source to a corresponding plurality of first intermediate nodes; determining a second weighted cost associated with advancing from a first intermediate node to each of a plurality of second intermediate nodes; and selecting a trial set of nodes from the plurality of first intermediate nodes, based on an evaluation corresponding to a distribution function and related to the second weighted cost; and deleting a deletable first intermediate node not included in the trial set, and corresponding to a less-preferable cost function associated with the deletable first intermediate node.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 10 further comprising a backing step comprising selecting an exit node connected between the source and a terminal node, the terminal node being selected from the plurality of second intermediate nodes based on a non-preferred cost selected from the second costs.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 11 further comprising an abandoning step comprising deleting from consideration all nodes between the terminal node and the exit node.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 10 further comprising repeating the determining step and selection steps until a preferred path is determined between the source and the destination.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 60 words

The method of claim 10 further comprising providing an inertial step effective to provide an undesirable weighted cost associated with any edge between a first intermediate node and a second intermediate node where the second intermediate node has been designated previously as a previous first intermediate node with respect to the first intermediate node as a previous second intermediate node.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 75 words

The method of claim 10 further comprising: defining a plurality of granules, each granule comprising at least one node; implementing a steering function for guiding advancement along a path segment comprised of edges, the path segment comprising a candidate path to be evaluated for consideration as a permanent segment of a satisfactory path between the source node and the destination node; and deleting from consideration all unsatisfactory edges by a process of superposition and reduction.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 123 words

The method of claim 15 wherein superposition and reduction include:: providing a first partial expanding wavefront for testing a capacity of first edges passing through the first partial expanding wavefront at a first position to provide first results; defining a second partial expanding wavefront for testing a capacity of second edges passing through the second partial expanding wavefront at a second position to provide second results; deleting an unsatisfactory first edge selected from the first edges and corresponding to unsatisfactory second results, the unsatisfactory second results corresponding to second edges associated with the unsatisfactory first edges; substituting the second partial expanding wavefront as a new first partial expanding wavefront; and substituting a third partial expanding wavefront as a new second partial expanding wavefront.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 243 words

An apparatus for providing a near-optimal path through a plurality of nodes interconnected by edges, each edge associated with a unique connection between two nodes, each node comprising a component, and the nodes configured in granules, the apparatus comprising: granules interconnected in a topology, each granule comprising one or more nodes operably interconnected by an edge, each edge having associated therewith a connection state selectable from an unloaded state and at least one loaded state, and having associated therewith an edge state comprising data corresponding to the connection state; a memory device comprising: a vacuum space containing vacuum data corresponding to the topology of the granules, the topology corresponding to the unloaded state corresponding to each granule and each edge connecting each granule to a proximate granule; and a processor operably connected to the memory device and programmed to execute an executable application comprising: a granule manager effective to provide definitions of the granules, a load manager effective to create and update vacuum data stored in the vacuum space, a granule event manager effective to provide data reflecting updated loads associated with edges between granules, an external agent for providing extrinsic data to the granule event manager wherein the extrinsic data corresponds to load conditions for influencing loading decisions, and a vacuum space manager effective to receive data corresponding to events associated with changes in loading of the granules, and to update the vacuum space with the vacuum data corresponding to the events.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 243 words

An apparatus for providing a near-optimal path through a plurality of nodes interconnected by edges, each edge associated with a unique connection between two nodes, each node comprising a component, and the nodes configured in granules, the apparatus comprising: granules interconnected in a topology, each granule comprising one or more nodes operably interconnected by an edge, each edge having associated therewith a connection state selectable from an unloaded state and at least one loaded state, and having associated therewith an edge state comprising data corresponding to the connection state; a memory device comprising: a vacuum space containing vacuum data corresponding to the topology of the granules, the topology corresponding to the unloaded state corresponding to each granule and each edge connecting each granule to a proximate granule; and a processor operably connected to the memory device and programmed to execute an executable application comprising: a granule manager effective to provide definitions of the granules, a load manager effective to create and update vacuum data stored in the vacuum space, a granule event manager effective to provide data reflecting updated loads associated with edges between granules, an external agent for providing extrinsic data to the granule event manager wherein the extrinsic data corresponds to load conditions for influencing loading decisions, and a vacuum space manager effective to receive data corresponding to events associated with changes in loading of the granules, and to update the vacuum space with the vacuum data corresponding to the events.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 45 words

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the memory device further comprises a load space containing data corresponding to a topology of the granules in a loaded state comprising the granule states corresponding to a loaded state of the plurality of loaded states for each granule.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the granule event manager receives extrinsic data and data reflective of feedback conditions and integrates the data to provide data reflecting updated loads associated with edges between granules to the load manager.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 25 words

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the extrinsic data reflects criteria selected from the list consisting of capacity, reliability, security, integrity, priority, and risk assessment.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-05-23	2003-11-22	2004-05-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-05-23	2007-11-22	2008-05-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-05-23	2011-11-22	2012-05-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Extrinsically influenced near-optimal path apparatus and method

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