1. A device (10a) for use in a hybrid peer to peer network (5) as a superpeer for at least one peer (20a), characterized in that it comprises:
means for identifying the active peers (20d, 20e) of said network implementing a predetermined function (F);
means for sending to a peer (20b) of said network a request (RD) for said peer (20b) to implement said function (F);
means for establishing a list of active peers implementing said function (F); and
means for sending said list (LF) to said at least one peer (20a).
2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for identifying said active peers (20d, 20e) include means for interrogating the other superpeers (10b) of said network with an increasing depth.
3. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes means (RC) for obtaining the load of the peers (20c, 20d) implementing said function and means for putting said list (LF) into an order that balances the load between those peers.
4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes:
means for sending to at least one of its peers (10b) a request (RE) for election as a superpeer; and
means for requesting at least one of its peers (20f, 20g) to connect to the superpeer (10b) elected in this way.
5. A device (20b) for use as a peer in a hybrid peer to peer network (5), characterized in that it comprises:
means for obtaining a predetermined function (F) on reception of a request (RD); and
means for implementing said function (F) in the service of the peers (10, 20) of said network.
6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes means (FOK) for notifying a central server or a superpeer of its implementation of said function.
7. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes means for sending to its superpeer a message representing its computation load.
8. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that it consists of an Internet network access home gateway.
9. A connection method that can be used by a superpeer (10a) in a hybrid peer to peer network (5), characterized in that it comprises:
a step (S10, S20) of identifying active peers (20d, 20e) of said network (5) offering a predetermined function;
a step (S30) of sending to a peer (20b) of said network a request (RD) for it to implement said function (F);
a step (S40) of establishing a list (LF) of active peers implementing said function (F); and
a step (S50) of sending said list to at least one of its peers (20a).
10. A computer program stored on an information medium, said program including instructions for executing a connection method according to claim 9 when that program is loaded into and executed by an electronic data processing system (10a, 10b).
11. An information medium readable by a device used as a superpeer in a peer to peer network, characterized in that it includes instructions of a computer program according to claim 10.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A vibration isolation system comprising:
a damping element having an annular shape with an outer surface and an inner surface physically coupled to a circular outer wall of a isolated structure, the outer surface physically coupled to an inner wall of a hole configured in the support structure, the damping element formed of an elastomeric material having an elasticity that varies as a function of its temperature;
a heater element thermally coupled to the damping element and embedded in the isolated structure; and
a temperature controller coupled to the heater element operable to:
receive a signal representing the temperature of the damping element from a thermal sensor and adjust electrical power to the heater element according to the received signal to regulate the temperature of the damping element for controlling its elasticity.
2. The vibration isolation system of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon-based elastomeric polymer and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.
3. A vibration isolation system comprising:
a damping element physically coupling a first structure to a second structure, the damping element formed of an elastomeric material having an elasticity that varies as a function of its temperature; and
a heater element thermally coupled to the damping element and operable to:
selectively heat the damping element to regulate its temperature for controlling the elasticity of the damping element.
4. The vibration isolation system of claim 3, wherein the heater element is operable to selectively heat the damping element to regulate a vibration damping level or a physical shock damping level of the damping element.
5. The vibration isolation system of claim 3, wherein the heater element is operable to selectively heat the damping element to regulate a natural vibration frequency of the damping element.
6. The vibration isolation system of claim 3, further comprising a temperature controller coupled to the heater element and a thermal sensor coupled to the damping element, the controller circuit operable to receive a signal representing the temperature of the damping element from the thermal sensor and adjust electrical power to the heater element according to the received signal.
7. The vibration isolation system of claim 3, wherein the first structure comprises an electronic circuit and the second structure comprises a chassis that houses the electronic circuit.
8. The vibration isolation system of claim 7, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a temperature controller operable to regulate the temperature of the heater element.
9. The vibration isolation system of claim 3, wherein the heater element is embedded in the first structure, the first structure being thermally coupled to the damping element.
10. The vibration isolation system of claim 3, wherein the elastomeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a silicon-based elastomeric polymer and an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.
11. The vibration isolation system of claim 3, wherein the damping element has an annular shape with an outer surface and an inner surface physically coupled to a circular outer wall of the first structure, the outer surface physically coupled to an inner wall of a hole configured in the second structure.
12. A vibration and physical shock isolation method comprising:
providing a damping element physically coupling a first structure to a second structure, the damping element formed of an elastomeric material having an elasticity that varies as a function of its temperature, the damping element thermally coupled to a heater element; and
selectively heating the damping element using the heater element to regulate its temperature for controlling the elasticity of the damping element.
13. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 12, wherein selectively heating the damping element to regulate its temperature comprises selectively heating the damping element to regulate a vibration damping level or a physical shock damping level of the damping element.
14. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 12, wherein selectively heating the damping element to regulate its temperature comprises selectively heating the damping element to regulate a natural vibration frequency of the damping element.
15. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a signal representing the temperature of the damping element and adjusting electrical power to the heater element according to the received signal.
16. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 12, wherein providing the damping element physically coupling the first structure to the second structure comprises providing the damping element physically coupling an electronic circuit to a chassis that houses the electronic circuit.
17. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 16, further comprising regulating the temperature of the heater element using a temperature controller, the electronic circuit comprising the temperature controller.
18. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 12, wherein providing the damping element, the first structure, and the heater element comprises providing the heater element that is embedded in the first structure, the first structure thermally coupled to the damping element.
19. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 12, wherein providing the elastomeric material comprises providing the elastomeric material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a silicon-based elastomeric polymer and an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber.
20. The vibration and physical shock isolation method of claim 12, wherein providing the damping element physically coupling the first structure to the second structure comprises providing the damping element having an annular shape with an outer surface and an inner surface physically coupled to a circular outer wall of the first structure, the outer surface physically coupled to an inner wall of a hole configured in the second structure.