Node clustering configuration is disclosed herein. An example method includes determining nodes of a cluster, each of the nodes having a unique identifier and a cluster identifier for the cluster, determining a voting configuration for the cluster, the voting configuration defining a quorum of master-eligible nodes of the nodes, the voting configuration being adaptable so as to maintain an optimal level of fault tolerance for the cluster, adding and removing nodes that can change the voting configuration, configuring a cluster configuration through an API, and electing one of the master-eligible nodes as a master node.

An forum facilitator device is provided that allows for a controlled environment to provide a secure forum for residents to provide communications to other registered users of the secure forum. The communications are provided through posts made in the secure forum and through other types of communications from the inmate such as but not limited to emails and text messages. The forum facilitator device operates the secure forum and implements rules to control what is posted on the secure forum, who is able to access the secure forum, and what entities are allowed to view and interact with residents of the controlled environment.

A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between wireless devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application and a TalkControl application. The Buddy Watch application communicates with the GPS receiver and other wireless devices operated by buddies registered in the users phone as part of buddy groups or individually. GPS position data and historical GPS position data can be exchanged between cell phones of buddies and instant buddies such as tow truck drivers via a buddy watch server. Emergency monitoring services can be set up with notifications to programmable individuals in case an individual does not respond. Positions and tracks can be displayed. TalkControl simplifies and automates the process of joining talk groups for walkie talkie services such as that provided by Nextel.

Computer-readable media, method, and system for inviting a plurality of users to a group-based communication channel within a group-based communication system. The plurality of users are invited by transmitting a respective plurality of invitations to the users upon a sending user instruction. The outcome of a user accepting an invitation may be determined based on an approval privilege of the user and a status of the group-based communication channel.

Described embodiments provide systems and methods for pushing session information to a newly joined node in a cluster of nodes. In the cluster, each node may maintain a session table of existing sessions. One or more nodes may detect a new node has joined the cluster. Each node, responsive to the detection, may apply a hash function on a tuple of each session of the existing sessions in the session table of the node to determine whether one or more existing sessions are identified to be owned by the new node as a result of the hash function. Each node, responsive to identifying that one or more sessions are to be owned by the new node, may push corresponding session information to the new node. The new node may become configured to receive a packet corresponding to the one or more sessions and to process the packet.

An example image forming apparatus includes a communication interface device, a print engine, a processor, and a memory that stores instructions executable by the processor. The processor may execute the instructions, as an automatic document output function is performed, to detect access of a user terminal through the communication interface device, based on detecting the access of the user terminal, obtain a document to be automatically output using setting information of the automatic document output function, and output the obtained document by using the print engine.

An Internet of Things (IoT) network composite object includes a device owner with name server and sub-object list, sub-objects, and a blockchain recording the sub-objects. An IoT network composite object includes a device owner with composite object type name server, and blockchain. An IoT network coalition group includes coalition group name server, coalition group member list, and blockchain. An IoT network apparatus includes device identity generator, message publisher, network applier, device describer, and packer sender. An IoT network apparatus includes a device registrar to register device to first network through a portal to second network, device joiner, token requester, and authentication request sender. An IoT network apparatus includes an identity verifier to verify the identity of an authentication request, and an authentication request response returner. An IoT network apparatus including a caller entity credential issuer, an object entity provisioner, credential presenter, and access control list policy applier.

Disclosed are a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of assigning slot, which respectively assign dedicated slots having different time intervals to monitor nodes to support smooth and stable communication between the monitor nodes and a manager node. The wireless battery management system includes a manager node checking number of monitor nodes joining in a short-range wireless network for battery management, dividing a transmission slot, assigned for data transmission, by the number of monitor nodes to generate a plurality of dedicated slots, and respectively assigning the plurality of dedicated slots to the monitor nodes and a monitor node collecting battery data and transmitting the collected battery data to the manager node during an assigned dedicated slot.

A parking system having parking lots and server computers configured to control access to the parking lots. The server computers are connected via a communications network to form a peer to peer network of computing nodes. The peer to peer network of computing nodes hosts a decentralized, distributed database that stores activity records of parking spaces in the parking lots. The peer to peer network can include vehicles planning to use parking services of the parking lots and/or mobile devices connected to infotainment systems of the vehicles. Alternatively, the peer to peer network is formed by parking applications running in the vehicles and/or the mobile devices. The records in the decentralized, distributed database provide parking space availability information and/or can be used to regulate and/or plan parking reservation, usage, and navigational guidance to reach available parking spaces.

The subject technology provides a system of server and client devices, of which at least one server device includes an application configured to receive data directly from another one of the client devices. The application is configured to obtain a list of available client devices and associated features and provide input options for display based on the list. When one of the input options is selected, the application activates a component and/or an application of the client device for generation of the desired data. When the desired data has been generated by the client device, the generated data is directly input from the client device into the running application on the server device, without storage of the generated data at the client device, and without operation of the same application on the client device.