Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a distributed processing system to allow third-party user bases to be monitized, comprising:
providing a server system;
coupling the server system to a network, the network being configured to be coupled to a plurality of distributed devices;
utilizing the plurality of distributed devices to accomplish data processing tasks for a customer project, wherein a portion of the utilized distributed devices comprise devices associated with users from a third-party user base; and
sharing revenue from the customer paid project with the third-party in relation to the resources of the user base.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party comprises a network service provider.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network comprises the Internet.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the service being provided by the third party to its user base comprises free services to the users.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the service comprises a service provided to the users at least in part in return for an agreement to allow computing resources related to the users to be utilized by the distributed processing system.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the service comprises Internet access, Internet e-mail or file sharing services.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a client agent to the plurality of distributed devices, the client agent operating on the devices to accomplish the project tasks, and displaying a user interface to the users of the devices.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises a user interface related to the service provided by the third-party.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a client agent to the plurality of distributed devices, the client agent operating on the devices to accomplish the project tasks and comprising a project component, a core agent component and a user interface component.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the project component and the user interface component are independent software code modules that hook into the core agent component through APIs (application programming interface).
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the project component is owned by the customer, the core agent component is owned by the owner of the distributed processing system, and the user interface component is owned by the third party.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network comprises the Internet and the third party comprises a network service provider.
13. A distributed processing system allowing the monitization of third-party user bases, comprising:
a server system coupled to a network, the network being configured to be coupled to a plurality of distributed devices, a portion of the plurality of distributed devices comprising devices associated with users from a third-party user base; and
a client agent installed on the plurality of distributed devices, the client agent configured to receive customer project workloads through the network from the server system, to process the customer project workloads, and to return results to the server system through the network;
wherein project revenue from the customer for project processing is shared with the third-party in relation to resources of the user base.
14. The distributed processing system of claim 13, wherein the third party comprises a network service provider and the network comprises the Internet.
15. The distributed processing system of claim 14, wherein the service being provided by the third party to its user base comprises a service provided at least in part in return for an agreement to allow computing resources related to the users to be utilized by the distributed processing system.
16. The distributed processing system of claim 13, wherein the client agent comprises a user interface related to the service provided by the third-party.
17. The distributed processing system of claim 13, wherein the client agent comprises a project component, a core agent component and a user interface component.
18. The distributed processing system of claim 17, wherein the project component and the user interface component are independent software code modules that hook into the core agent component through APIs (application programming interface).
19. The distributed processing system of claim 18, wherein the project component is owned by the customer, the core agent component is owned by the owner of the distributed processing system, and the user interface component is owned by the third party.
20. The distributed processing system of claim 13, wherein the network comprises the Internet and the third party comprises a network service provider.

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 method, comprising:
capturing an audio signal on a processor system of a specific-purpose embedded appliance; and
capturing on the processor system at least any one of a visual-capture signal or a digital-image signal.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
compressing on the processor system at least any one of the audio signal and the at least any one of the visual-capture signal or digital-image signal.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
synchronizing the audio signal with the at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
detecting a physical security breach of the specific-purpose embedded appliance; and
sending an alarm indicator when the security breach is detected.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
sending at least any one of the audio signal or the at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal based on a send indicator.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor system includes at least any one of a processor, an embedded processor or a co-processor configured to operate in an embedded environment of the embedded appliance.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
sending at least any one of the audio signal or the at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal based on a send indicator,
the send indicator is generated by at least any one of a specific-purpose embedded processor or a co-processor in the processor system.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
sending at least any one of the audio signal or the at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal based on a send indicator,
the send indicator is generated by a control server separate from the specific-purpose embedded appliance.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a start indicator to start at least any one of the capturing the audio signal on the processor system or the capturing on the processor system at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a start indicator to start at least any one of the capturing the audio signal on the processor system or the capturing on the processor system at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal,
the start indicator being generated by the processor system.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a start indicator to start at least any one of the capturing the audio signal on the processor system or the capturing on the processor system at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal,
the start indicator being generated by a control server separate from the specific-purpose embedded appliance.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
splitting on the specific-purpose embedded appliance the visual-capture signal into a first visual-capture signal and a second visual-capture signal, the second visual-capture signal being synchronized and stabilized on the specific-purpose embedded appliance; and
sending the second visual-capture signal to an external device configured to at least one of process or display the second visual-capture signal.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing includes shunting the at least one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal to an external device configured to at least one of process or display the visual-capture signal.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of input ports dedicated to receiving a real-time media signal, the plurality of input ports including an audio input port and at least any one of a visual-capture input port or a digital-image input port; and
a processor system dedicated to capturing the real-time media signal, the processor system defining an embedded environment,
the plurality of input ports and the processor system being integrated within a multimedia capture device.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor system is configured to process the real-time media signal.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor system is configured to operate based on a hardened operating system.
17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor system includes a single processor.
18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a co-processor configured to control, based on a schedule, a processor from the processor system.
19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an audio output port configured to generate a confidence monitoring signal based on the real-time media signal captured by the audio input port.
20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising at least any one of a visual-capture output port or a digital-image output port configured to communicate a confidence monitoring signal based on the real-time media signal captured by at least any one of the visual-capture input port or the digital-image input port.
21. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:
a scheduler configured to communicate with the processor system, the scheduler is configured to send a start indicator to start the receiving the real-time media signal at the multimedia capture device.
22. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:
a memory configured to communicate with the processor system, the memory configured to store the real-time media signal.
23. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:
an alarm module configured to send an alarm indicator when a physical security breach associated with the multimedia capture device is detected.
24. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:
a compression module configured to compress the real-time media signal associated with the audio input port and the least any one of the visual-capture input port or the digital-image input port.
25. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising at least any one of an Ethernet switch, a power over Ethernet (PoE) port, a visual-capture signal splitter, a visual-capture signal distribution amplifier, or a visual-capture sync stabilizer.
26. An apparatus, comprising:
at least any one of (1) a visual-capture processor module configured to receive a visual-capture signal and to operate based on a hardened operating system (OS) or (2) a digital-image processor module configured to receive a digital-image signal and operate based on the hardened OS; and
an audio processor module configured to receive an audio signal having a synchronized relationship with the at least any one of the visual-capture signal or the digital-image signal, the audio processor module configured to operate based on the hardened OS.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the hardened OS is configured such that access to the audio processor module and the at least any one of the visual-capture processor module or the digital-image processor module is limited to at least one predefined user.
28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the audio processor module is configured to compress the audio signal.
29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least any one of the digital-image processor module is configured to compress the digital-image signal or the visual-capture processor module is configured to compress the visual-capture signal.
30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least any one of the visual-capture processor, the digital-image processor module or the audio processor module are included in at least any one of an embedded processor or a co-processor.

1. A stabilized soil structure, comprising a fill, reinforcement strips extending through a reinforced zone of the fill situated behind a front face of the structure, and a facing placed along said front face, the reinforcement strips being anchored to the facing in respective anchoring regions, wherein the facing incorporates, in at least one anchoring region, a path formed for a reinforcement strip between two points of emergence situated on a rear face of the facing adjacent to the fill, and wherein said path includes two rectilinear portions respectively adjacent to the two points of emergence and each arranged to position the strip in a common plane of emergence perpendicular to said rear face, two curved portions respectively continuing the two rectilinear portions and arranged to deviate the strip from the plane of emergence, and a connection portion joining the two curved portions to one another and having at least one loop situated outside the plane of emergence wherein the facing has, in the anchoring region, a protective sheath receiving the reinforcement strip along said path and the protective sheath comprises two halves on both sides of the reinforcement strip, the two halves being sealingly assembled together.
2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the facing is made from elements in the form of panels, and wherein the rectilinear portions of said path each extend in the plane of emergence by at least half the thickness of a panel-shaped facing element.
3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement strip has a width at most equal to half a thickness of the facing.
4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the facing is made from elements in the form of panels of cast material each having at least one protective sheath embedded therein.

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 carbon dioxide laser machining method of a multilayer material, comprising:
applying carbon dioxide laser light to a machined part of a multilayer material having an insulation layer, and a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer deposited with the insulation layer in between; and
removing the first conductor layer and the insulation layer of the machined part to form one of a blind hole and a groove to a depth of the second conductor layer, such that a portion of the second conductor layer is not removed,
wherein the laser light is applied to the machined part in the form of pulses at an energy density of 25 Jcm2 or more with a beam ON time in the range of 1 \u03bcs to 10 \u03bcs, and
wherein the first conductor layer is removed with the laser light.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said energy density is greater than 40 Jcm2.
3. A carbon dioxide laser machining method of a multilayer material of applying carbon dioxide laser light to a machined part of a multilayer material having an insulation layer and a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer deposited with the insulation layer between and removing the first conductor layer and the insulation layer of the machined part to form a blind hole or a groove arriving at the second conductor layer, characterized in that the laser light is applied to the machined part in the form of pulses at an energy density of 25 Jcm2 or more with a beam ON time in the range of 1 \u03bcs to 10 \u03bcs,
wherein when the first conductor layer of the machined part is removed by applying a plurality of pulses, the application beam diameter of later applied pulses is made larger than that of earlier applied pulses.