Showing papers on "Task (computing) published in 2007"

Multi-Task Learning for Classification with Dirichlet Process Priors

Abstract: Consider the problem of learning logistic-regression models for multiple classification tasks, where the training data set for each task is not drawn from the same statistical distribution. In such a multi-task learning (MTL) scenario, it is necessary to identify groups of similar tasks that should be learned jointly. Relying on a Dirichlet process (DP) based statistical model to learn the extent of similarity between classification tasks, we develop computationally efficient algorithms for two different forms of the MTL problem. First, we consider a symmetric multi-task learning (SMTL) situation in which classifiers for multiple tasks are learned jointly using a variational Bayesian (VB) algorithm. Second, we consider an asymmetric multi-task learning (AMTL) formulation in which the posterior density function from the SMTL model parameters (from previous tasks) is used as a prior for a new task: this approach has the significant advantage of not requiring storage and use of all previous data from prior tasks. The AMTL formulation is solved with a simple Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) construction. Experimental results on two real life MTL problems indicate that the proposed algorithms: (a) automatically identify subgroups of related tasks whose training data appear to be drawn from similar distributions; and (b) are more accurate than simpler approaches such as single-task learning, pooling of data across all tasks, and simplified approximations to DP.

Recommending actions based on context

Abstract: A system creates filters and provides tasks based on a geographic location associated with each task. The geographic location may be in one of several types of coordinate formats, and determined by the actual user location when the task is created of input associated with a desired location. When a user requests tasks for a specified geographic location, the user's tasks are filtered by a particular geographic location associated with the request. The filter may allow tasks that match the location and are within a threshold distance of the location. Tasks having a geographical location that are outside the threshold distance from the location are not provided. When managing tasks from a mobile device, the geographic location can be automatically determined by the mobile device. When managing tasks from a non-mobile device, the geographical location may be received or derived from user input.

Method and system for an atomizing function of a mobile device

Abstract: Methods and systems for an atomizing function for a mobile device are disclosed and may include discovering available resources via a handheld wireless communication device (HWCD) and assessing respective cost functions for processing tasks by the HWCD and/or the discovered resources. The tasks may be apportioned for local and/or remote execution by the HWCD and/or the discovered resources based on the assessed cost functions. The assessed cost functions may be dependent on factors comprising communication bandwidth, memory space, CPU processing power, and battery power, which may be weighted. The cost functions may be dynamically assessed, enabling dynamic reapportioning of the tasks, which may be apportioned based on latency, quality of service (QoS), priority and/or user preferences associated with the local and/or remote execution. The apportioning of the processing of the tasks may be based on the assessed cost functions, and a priority and/or a QoS associated with the task.

Job execution method, job execution system, and job execution program

Abstract: To implement job execution in which resource assignment and change of the assignment can be dynamically and autonomously performed so as to meet requirements of a job in a job and resource environment in which the operational status cannot be forecasted in advance. A job that can be divided into a selected number of tasks is provided to one computer of a plurality of computers connected via networks, and job tasks are processed with the one computer for predetermined time. A progress rate of task processing for the predetermined time is calculated, and completion time for task processing on the one computer is estimated on the basis of the progress rate and the predetermined time. It is determined whether the estimated completion time meets requirements of the job. When the estimated completion time meets the requirements, job tasks are processed with the one computer, and results are generated. When the estimated completion time does not meet the requirements, job tasks are divided into tasks to be left on the one computer and tasks to be transferred to another computer. The left job tasks are processed with the one computer for further predetermined time, and simultaneously, the tasks to be transferred are transferred to the other computer and the other computer is caused to process the transferred tasks.

Method for controlling heterogeneous multiprocessor and multigrain parallelizing compiler

Abstract: A heterogeneous multiprocessor system including a plurality of processor elements having mutually different instruction sets and structures avoids a specific processor element from being short of resources to improve throughput. An executable task is extracted based on a preset depending relationship between a plurality of tasks, and the plurality of first processors are allocated to a general-purpose processor group based on a depending relationship among the extracted tasks. A second processor is allocated to an accelerator group, a task to be allocated is determined from the extracted tasks based on a priority value for each of tasks, and an execution cost of executing the determined task by the first processor is compared with an execution cost of executing the task by the second processor. The task is allocated to one of the general-purpose processor group and the accelerator group that is judged to be lower as a result of the cost comparison.

Programming a multi-processor system

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating a program for a multi-processor system comprising a plurality of interspersed processors and memories. A user may specify or create source code using a programming language. The source code specifies a plurality of tasks and communication of data among the plurality of tasks. However, the source code may not (and preferably is not required to) 1) explicitly specify which physical processor will execute each task and 2) explicitly specify which communication mechanism to use among the plurality of tasks. The method then creates machine language instructions based on the source code, wherein the machine language instructions are designed to execute on the plurality of processors. Creation of the machine language instructions comprises assigning tasks for execution on respective processors and selecting communication mechanisms between the processors based on location of the respective processors and required data communication to satisfy system requirements.

System And Method For Simulating A Discrete Event Process Using Business System Data

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system to simulate a process of discrete tasks having a plurality of available resources associated therewith. The system may comprise a model database to store a plurality of models, each model including a plurality of task and resource parameters; a model portion in communication with the model database and configured to receive commands from a user, to retrieve one of the plurality of models and corresponding task and resource parameters in response to a user command, to receive input data corresponding to attributes of one or more task and resource parameters from a business database system, and to generate a simulation model based on the selected business database system and the input data; and a model server to perform a simulation of the process by processing the simulation model and to generate an output data file containing output data representative of the simulation.

Online resource management in a multiprocessor with a network-on-chip

Abstract: We propose an online resource allocation solution for multiprocessor systems-on-chip, that executes several real-time, streaming media jobs simultaneously. The system consists of up to 24 processors connected by an AEthereal [7] Network-on-Chip (NoC) of 4 to 12 routers. A job is a set of processing tasks connected by FIFO channels. Each job can be independently started or stopped by the user. Each job is annotated with resource budgets per computation task and communication channel which have been computed at compile-time. When a job is requested to start, resources that meet the required resource budgets have to be found. Because it is done online, allocation must be done with low-complexity algorithms. We do the allocation in two-steps. First, tasks are assigned to virtual tiles (VTs), while trying to minimise the total number of VTs and the total bandwidth used. In the second step, these VTs are mapped to real tiles, and network bandwidth allocation and routing are performed simultaneously. We show with simulations that introducing randomisation in the processing order yields a significant improvement in the percentage of mapping succdesses. In combination, these techniques allow 95% of the processor resources to be allocated while handling a large number of job arrivals and departures.

General purpose software parallel task engine

Abstract: A software engine for decomposing work to be done into tasks, and distributing the tasks to multiple, independent CPUs for execution is described. The engine utilizes dynamic code generation, with run-time specialization of variables, to achieve high performance. Problems are decomposed according to methods that enhance parallel CPU operation, and provide better opportunities for specialization and optimization of dynamically generated code. A specific application of this engine, a software three dimensional (3D) graphical image renderer, is described.

Aspects of sentence retrieval

Abstract: Sentence Retrieval is the task of retrieving a relevant sentence in response to a query, a question, or a reference sentence. Tasks such as question answering, summarization, novelty detection, and information provenance make use of a sentence-retrieval module as a preprocessing step. The performance of these systems is dependent on the quality of the sentence-retrieval module. Other tasks such as information extraction and machine translation operate on sentences, either using them as training data, or as the unit of input or output (or both), and may benefit from sentence retrieval to build a training corpus, or as a post-processing step.

Tasks: language support for event-driven programming

Abstract: The event-driven programming style is pervasive as an efficient method for interacting with the environment. Unfortunately, the event-driven style severely complicates program maintenance and understanding, as it requires each logical flow of control to be fragmented across multiple independent callbacks.We propose tasks as a new programming model for organizing event-driven programs. Tasks are a variant of cooperative multi-threading and allow each logical control flow to be modularized in the traditional manner, including usage of standard control mechanisms like procedures and exceptions. At the same time, by using method annotations, task-based programs can be automatically and modularly translated into efficient event-based code, using a form of continuation passing style (CPS) translation. A linkable scheduler architecture permits tasks to be used in many different contexts.We have instantiated our model as a backward-compatible extension to Java, called TaskJava. We illustrate the benefits of our language through a formalization in an extension to Featherweight Java, and through a case study based on an open-source web server.

Method and system of project management and task collaboration over instant messenger

Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing for the exchange of tasks, over an instant messenger (“IM”) infrastructure, are disclosed. An IM application, running on an electronic device, may allow creation, assigning, tracking, viewing, exporting, importing and managing tasks. IM applications may include, but not be limited to, stand-alone applications, browser plug-ins, on-screen widgets and gadgets, PDA and cellular phone modules, server-sided applications rendered on a client machine, etc. Personal Information Management (“PIM”) applications may use IM infrastructures to exchange of tasks or task information. Project management applications (“PMA”) may be used to define projects, containing tasks with complex sets of rules and inter-dependencies, and leverage IM networks for disseminating these projects and tasks among users. Tasks exchanged on an IM network may be imported into PMAs and PIMs. Tasks may be exchanged in a peer-to-peer IM network, which may span multiple IM service providers. Tasks may be transported in XML data structures which may contain data pertaining to users for whom tasks are intended, the progress made on tasks, documents attached to tasks, etc. User roles and privileges may be defined within tasks structures such that some users are the assignees of a task, while other users may only view task progress and be notified of milestones as tasks are worked on. Users may create task groups and communities, allowing them to control who may assign tasks to members of the group.

Preemptive neural network database load balancer

Abstract: A preemptive neural network database load balancer configured to observe, learn and predict the resource utilization that given incoming tasks utilize. Allows for efficient execution and use of system resources. Preemptively assigns incoming tasks to particular servers based on predicted CPU, memory, disk and network utilization for the incoming tasks. Direct write-based tasks to a master server and utilizes slave servers to handle read-based tasks. Read-base tasks are analyzed with a neural network to learn and predict the amount of resources that tasks will utilize. Tasks are assigned to a database server based on the predicted utilization of the incoming task and the predicted and observed resource utilization on each database server. The predicted resource utilization may be updated over time as the number of records, lookups, images, PDFs, fields, BLOBs and width of fields in the database change over time.

Predictive prefetching to improve parallelization of document generation subtasks

Abstract: In a system in which documents are generated dynamically in response to user requests, historical data is collected regarding data retrieval subtasks, such as service requests, that are performed to generate such documents. This data is used to predict the specific subtasks that will be performed to respond to specific document requests, such that these subtasks may be initiated preemptively at or near the outset of the associated document generation task. A subtask that would ordinarily be postponed pending the outcome of a prior subtask can thereby be performed in parallel with the prior subtask, reducing document generation times. In one embodiment, the historical data is included within, or is used to generate, a mapping table that maps document generation tasks (which may correspond to specific URLs) to the data retrieval subtasks that are frequently performed within such tasks.

Method of virtualization and os-level thermal management and multithreaded processor with virtualization and os-level thermal management

Abstract: A program product and method of managing task execution on an integrated circuit chip such as a chip-level multiprocessor (CMP) with Simultaneous MultiThreading (SMT). Multiple chip operating units or cores have chip sensors (temperature sensors or counters) for monitoring temperature in units. Task execution is monitored for hot tasks and especially for hotspots. Task execution is balanced, thermally, to minimize hot spots. Thermal balancing may include Simultaneous MultiThreading (SMT) heat balancing, chip-level multiprocessors (CMP) heat balancing, deferring execution of identified hot tasks, migrating identified hot tasks from a current core to a colder core, User-specified Core-hopping, and SMT hardware threading.

Flexible multi-sensorial system for automatic disassembly using cooperative robots

Abstract: Flexible multisensorial systems are a very important issue in the current industry when disassembling and recycling tasks have to be performed. These tasks can be performed by a human operator or by a robot system. In the current paper a robotic system to perform the required tasks is presented. This system takes into consideration the distribution of the necessary tasks to perform the disassembly of a component using several robots in a parallel or in a cooperative way. The algorithm proposed to distribute the task among robots takes into consideration the characteristics of each task and the sequence that needs to be followed to perform the required disassembly of the product. Furthermore, this paper presents a disassembly system based on a sensorized cooperative robots interaction framework for the planning of movements and detections of objects in the disassembly tasks. To determine the sequence of the disassembly of some products, a new strategy to distribute a set of tasks among robots is presented. Subsequently, the visual detection system used for detecting targets and characteristics is described. To carry out this detection process, different well known strategies, such as matching templates, polygonal approach and edge detection, are applied. Finally, a visual-force control system has been implemented in order to track disassembly trajectories. An important aspect of this system is the processing of the sensorial information in order to guarantee coherence. This aspect allows the application of both sensors, visual and force sensors, co-ordinately to disassembly tasks. The proposed system is validated by experiments using several types of components such as the covers of batteries and electronic circuits from toys, and drives and screws from PCs.

Mechanism for process migration on a massively parallel computer

Abstract: Embodiments off the invention provide a mechanism for process migration on a massively parallel computer system. In particular, embodiments of the invention may be used to update process state data for a migrated compute node, such as MPI (or other communication library) state data, across a full collection of compute nodes present in a given parallel system executing a parallel task. Migrating a process form one compute node to another may be useful to address a variety of sub-optimal operating conditions. For example, one or more processes may be migrated to cure network congestion resulting from a poorly mapped task or when a compute node is predicted to experience a hardware failure.

Dynamic shared visual spaces: experimenting with automatic camera control in a remote repair task

Abstract: We present an experimental study of automatic camera control in the performance of collaborative remote repair tasks using video-mediated communication. Twelve pairs of participants, one "helper" and one "worker," completed a series of Lego puzzle tasks using both a static camera and an automatic camera system that was guided in part by tracking the worker's hand position. Results show substantial performance benefits for the automatic system, particularly for complex tasks. The implications of these results are discussed, along with some lessons for the use of motion tracking as a driver for camera control.

Testing systems and methods using manufacturing simulations

Abstract: A testing system configured to test a person's performance at manufacturing related tasks comprises at least one simulated workstation in one embodiment. Each simulated workstation is modeled after a manufacturing related task and comprises at least one work piece to which the task is to be conducted, and at least one detector associated with the work piece. The detector is operable to detect a manufacturing task performed by a person and is configured to generate a signal based upon on the performance. The simulated workstation further comprises at least one instructional device configured to inform a person of the tasks to be performed on the work piece at the workstation, and at least one automated electronic scoring mechanism configured to receive the signal from the detector and tabulate a person's performance at the task.

Reliability-aware Co-synthesis for Embedded Systems

Abstract: As technology scales, transient faults have emerged as a key challenge for reliable embedded system design. This paper proposes a design methodology that incorporates reliability into hardware---software co-design paradigm for embedded systems. We introduce an allocation and scheduling algorithm that efficiently handles conditional execution in multi-rate embedded systems, and selectively duplicates critical tasks to detect or correct transient errors, such that the reliability of the system is improved. Two methods are proposed to insert duplicated tasks into the schedule. The improved reliability is achieved by utilizing the otherwise idle computation resources and taking advantage of the overlapping schedule for mutually exclusive tasks in the conditional task graph, such that it incurs no resource or performance penalty.

Evidence for parallel semantic memory retrieval in dual tasks

Abstract: In this dual-task study, we applied both cross-talk logic and locus-of-slack logic to test whether participants can retrieve semantic categories in Task 2 in parallel to Task 1 bottleneck processing. Whereas cross-talk logic can detect parallel memory retrieval only in conditions of categorical overlap between tasks, the locus-of-slack approach is independent of such restrictions. As was expected, using the cross-talk logic, we found clear evidence for parallel retrieval of semantic categories when there was categorical overlap between tasks (Experiment 1). Locus-of-slack-based evidence for parallel semantic retrieval was found, however, both in conditions with (Experiment 1) and in those without (Experiment 2) categorical overlap between tasks. Crucially, however, increasing the demand for resources required to switch from Task 1 to Task 2 eliminated even the locus-ofslack-based evidence for parallel memory retrieval during the psychological refractory period (Experiment 3). Together, our results suggest that parallel retrieval is not bound to conditions of categorical overlap between tasks but, instead, is contingent upon resources needed for switching between tasks (e.g., Oriet, Tombu, & Jolicoeur, 2005).

Mechanism to support generic collective communication across a variety of programming models

Abstract: A system and method for supporting collective communications on a plurality of processors that use different parallel programming paradigms, in one aspect, may comprise a schedule defining one or more tasks in a collective operation, an executor that executes the task, a multisend module to perform one or more data transfer functions associated with the tasks, and a connection manager that controls one or more connections and identifies an available connection. The multisend module uses the available connection in performing the one or more data transfer functions. A plurality of processors that use different parallel programming paradigms can use a common implementation of the schedule module, the executor module, the connection manager and the multisend module via a language adaptor specific to a parallel programming paradigm implemented on a processor.

Deriving exact stochastic response times of periodic tasks in hybrid priority-driven soft real-time systems

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to allow for hybrid task sets in the context of stochastic real-time analysis. The paper goes beyond previous work by allowing for the presence of aperiodic tasks in the system. Instead of representing a task with a fixed activation period and a worst-case execution time (WCET), here a task is characterized by an arrival profile (AP) and an execution time profile (ETP), both given by random variables with known distributions. Any number of aperiodic tasks, with arbitrary arrival and execution time profiles, can be dealt with. To cope with the unbounded interference introduced by aperiodic tasks in the system, sporadic and aperiodic tasks are encapsulated within servers. The paper presents the calculus for obtaining the exact ETP of servers, which allows us to derive exact response time distributions of periodic tasks. Also, an example is used to show the potential and validity of the proposed approach.

Process Mining: Extending α-Algorithm to Mine Duplicate Tasks in Process Logs

Abstract: Process mining is a new technology which can distill workflow models from a set of real executions. However, the present research in process mining still meets many challenges. The problem of duplicate tasks is one of them, which refers to the situation that the same task can appear multiple times in one workflow model. The “α-algorithm” is proved to mine sound Structured Workflow nets without task duplication. In this paper, basing on the “α-algorithm”, a new algorithm (the “α*-algorithm”) is presented to deal with duplicate tasks and has been implemented in a research prototype. In eight scenarios, the “α*-algorithm” is evaluated experimentally to show its validity.

Many-core processing using virtual processors

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for virtual processing. According to one exemplary embodiment, the method may include partitioning a plurality of cores of an integrated circuit (IC) into a plurality of virtual processors, the plurality of virtual processors having a framework dependent upon a programming application. The method may further include performing at least one task using the plurality of cores. Of course, additional embodiments, variations and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.

Recognizing Assembly Tasks Through Human Demonstration

Abstract: As one of the methods for reducing the work of programming, the Learning-from-Observation (LFO) paradigm has been heavily promoted. This paradigm requires the programmer only to perform a task in front of a robot and does not require expertise. In this paper, the LFO paradigm is applied to assembly tasks by two rigid polyhedral objects. A method is proposed for recognizing these tasks as a sequence of movement primitives from noise-contaminated data obtained by a conventional 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) object-tracking system. The system is implemented on a robot with a real-time stereo vision system and dual arms with dexterous hands, and its effectiveness is demonstrated.

Assigned tasks are not the same as self-chosen Web search tasks

Abstract: Short assigned question-answering style tasks are often used as a probe to understand how users do search. While such assigned tasks are simple to test and are effective at eliciting the particulars of a given search capability, they are not the same as naturalistic searches. We studied the quantitative differences between assigned tasks and self-chosen "own" tasks finding that users behave differently when doing their own tasks, staying longer on the task, but making fewer queries and different kinds of queries overall. This finding implies that user's own tasks should be used when testing user behavior in addition to assigned tasks, which remain useful for feature testing in lab settings

Multi-processing system and a method of executing a plurality of data processing tasks

Abstract: A plurality of data processing tasks with processing elements (10) that contend for a resource (18). Execution of each task comprising executing a series of instructions. During execution indications are measured of the speed of progress of executing the instructions for respective ones of the tasks. Requests to access the resource (18) for different ones of the tasks are arbitrated, a priority for judging arbitration being assigned to each task based on the measured indication of the speed of progress of the task. At least over a part of a range of possible speed of progress values increasingly higher priority is assigned in case of increasingly lower indication of the speed of progress.

System and method of controlling multiple computer platforms

Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling multiple computer platforms. The method can include the operation of storing command line tasks in a database. Other command line task information can include a command name, related parameters, and a platform type for which the command line tasks are executable. A command line task can be selected from the database of command line tasks by a user for application to computing systems. A further operation is identifying at least one computing system that can be addressed from a host system and which has the same platform type as the selected command line task. The user can then select at least one computing system from a list of the identified computing systems to which the selected command line is applicable. Another operation is applying the selected command line tasks to the selected computing systems which are of a correct platform type.

Allocating Tasks in Multi-core Processor based Parallel System

Abstract: After a discussion of the task allocation problem in multi-core processor based parallel system, this paper gives the task allocation model, and proposes an iteration-based heuristic algorithm, which is composed of two rounds of operations, in which the processes are assigned to processing nodes in the first round and threads in process are assigned to processor cores in the second round respectively. Each round of operation partitions the task interaction graph by iterations with backtracking. Evaluation result shows that the algorithm can find near-optimal solutions in reasonable time, and behaves better than genetic algorithm when the number of threads increases, since it can find solutions in much less time than genetic algorithm.