International Business Machines Corporation

Jeremy Peter Hughes

Graham Castree Charters

Ian Robinson

Timothy James Ward

Alasdair Nottingham

Mark Patrick Nuttall

David A Draper

Robert Michael Jordan

Caroline Edith Maynard

Bahadar Singh Ruprai

A method, apparatus and computer program are disclosed for modifying an application comprising a plurality of modules. A user is presented with a list of modules. The user is able to specify input regarding any permitted version modifications for the modules listed. It is then determined whether the requested modifications are possible with one or more failure messages being output when any of the requested modifications are not possible. At least one of the failure messages is used to enable modification of the initial input provided by the user. In one embodiment, information is provided to the user based on one or more failure messages in order to enable the user to modify their choices. In another embodiment, the initial input is automatically modified. A permitted version modification may be, for example, a version upgrade, a version downgrade, and an indication that there is no preference.

Modifying a multi-module application

A bus connection controller in a voice processing is for managing the connection of a timeslot on a time-division multiplex (TDM) bus to a port on an adapter. The voice processing system includes basic time-division multiplex (TDM) connection management to enable the coordination of connections between resources such as channels on line cards (SPacks or VPacks), and channels on digital signal processor (DSPs) cards that provide, amongst others things, voice recognition, text-to-speech, fax capabilities and so on. One of the problems with known voice processing systems having a TDM bus is that there is no facility to allow the use of third party devices without modifications being made to the TDM connection controller. The bus controller comprises: a custom server 42 for sending a first request including a port identifier and using a first protocol for connection or disconnection of a port indicated by said port identifer on an adapter to the TDM bus 26; a timeslot manager for analyzing the first request to determine the port availability and state and for making a second request; device driver means (48), corresponding to the particular adapter, for sending the appropriate signals to the adapter to connect or disconnect the port on the adapter to a time slot 28 on the TDM; and a connection server 46, corresponding to a particular adapter, for analyzing the second request and for making a third request to the device driver means (48) using a second protocol for connection or disconnection of the port on that adapter to the TDM bus 26.

Timed division multiplex bus connection controller

A method is described for performing distributed genetic programming using a server and a plurality of client machines which are connected together by a computer network such as the Internet. The genetic programming seeks to optimise a population of individuals against one or more predetermined fitness criteria. The method includes downloading instructions for performing a fitness evaluation on an individual from the server to the client machines; distributing individuals from the population of individuals from the server across the plurality of client machines; and evaluating the fitness of the distributed individuals at the client machines by using the downloaded instructions. Those individuals which have the best fitness are preferentially selected for breeding to produce the next generation of individuals. This breeding is preferably also performed on the client machines.

Distributed genetic programming

Growing community of inventors

Southampton, United Kingdom

Jeremy Peter Hughes