What is claimed:
1. A computer method comprising the steps of:
i) providing a demand database comprising a compendium of individual demand history;
ii) providing a retail outlets database comprising a compendium of at least one of retail outlets locations solutions, retail outlets information, and retail outlets diagnostics; and
iii) employing a adaptive analysis technique for interrogating said demand and retail outlets databases for generating an output data stream, said output data stream correlating demand problem with retail outlets locations solution.
2. A method according to claim 1, comprising a step of updating the demand database.
3. A method according to claim 2, comprising a step of updating the demand database so that it includes the results of employing a adaptive analysis technique.
4. A method according to claim 1, comprising a step of updating the retail outlets database.
5. A method according to claim 4, comprising a step of updating the retail outlets database so that it includes the effects of employing a adaptive analysis technique on the demand database.
6. A method according to claim 2, comprising a step of refining a employed adaptive analysis technique in cognizance of pattern changes embedded in each database as a consequence of updating the demand database.
7. A method according to claim 4, comprising a step of refining a employed adaptive analysis technique in cognizance of pattern changes embedded in each database as a consequence of updating the retail outlets database.
8. A method according to claim 1, comprising a step of employing neural networks as the adaptive analysis technique.
9. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing an interactive retail outlets management database, the method comprising the steps of:
i) providing a demand database comprising a compendium of individual demand history;
ii) providing a retail outlets database comprising a compendium of at least one of retail outlets placement solutions, retail outlets information, and retail outlets diagnostics; and
iii) employing a adaptive analysis technique for interrogating said demand and retail outlets databases for generating an output data stream, said output data stream correlating demand problem with retail outlets locations solution.
10. A computer comprising:
i) means for inputting a demand database comprising a compendium of individual demand history;
ii) means for inputting a retail outlets database comprising a compendium of at least one of retail outlets management solutions, retail outlets information, and retail outlets diagnostics;
iii) means for employing a adaptive analysis technique for interrogating said demand and retail outlets databases; and
iv) means for generating an output data stream, said output data stream correlating demand problem with retail outlets locations solution.
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 router for switching a variable length packet, comprising:
a plurality of input interfaces,
a plurality of output interfaces, and
a switch, wherein
the variable length packet comprises header information including information corresponding to a destination output interface that is one of the output interfaces,
each of the plurality of input interfaces divides the variable length packet into a plurality of fixed length cells, generates an internal switching information based on a header information, transmits the internal switching information to the switch separately to a transmission of the cells, and after said transmitting, transmits the cells to the switch without providing any destination information,
wherein the internal switching information includes a packet length of cells in which the packet is segmented, and
the switch transmits the cells to one of the output interfaces to which said internal switching information is transmitted, and holds cells transferred from another input interface to another destination output interface until completing the transmission of said cells to the destination output interface, and wherein the switch completes the transmission of said cells to the destination output interface based on the packet length of cells in which the packet is segmented which is included in the internal switching information.
2. The router according to claim 1, wherein the switch switches cells to be transferred from another of the input interfaces to one of the output interfaces that is different from the destination output interface.
3. The router according to claim 2, wherein the switch is a crossbar switch.
4. The router according to claim 1, wherein the switch discards the internal switching information after said switching is completed.
5. The router according to claim 1, wherein each of the input interfaces adds sequence number to the cells.
6. The router according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting the internal switching information to the switch and said transmitting the cells to the switch are performed through different paths.
7. The router according to claim 1, further comprising:
a scheduler which receives the internal switching information from each of the input interfaces, monitors communication condition of each of the output interfaces, generates switching control information based on the internal switching information and the communication condition, and transmits the switching control information to the switch.
8. The router according to claim 1, wherein each of the input interfaces has a plurality of queues corresponding to the plurality of output interfaces respectively and each of the input interfaces distributes the variable length packet to either the first queue or the second queue based on the header information.
9. The router according to claim 1, wherein:
each of the input interfaces has a first queue for a first variable length packet that is the variable length packet with a first priority and a second queue for a second variable length packet that is the variable length packet with a second priority,
each of the input interfaces distributes the variable length packet to either the first queue or the second queue based on the header information, and
if the first variable length packet and the second variable length packet have the same destination output interface, then each of the input interfaces transfers the first variable length packet prior to the second variable length packet.
10. The router according to claim 9, wherein the variable length packet is an IP (internet protocol) packet and each of said input interfaces performs decisions based on an information of TOS (type of service) field of the IP packet.