Abstract: This invention provides methods and systems for providing an insurance policy having an inflation protection option that is computed at least partially based on information useful in offering a long term care insurance policy to an individual and at least partially based on the option for the individual to purchase additional coverage at a subsequent premium that is computed based at least partially on the individual's age at a date, which date is other than the date the option to purchase the additional coverage is offered, such as the date the policy issued.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for predicting the likely causes of service outages using only time information, and for predicting and the likely costs of service outages. The likely causes are found by defining a narrow likely cause window around an outage based on service quality and/or service usage data, and correlating service events to the likely cause window in the time domain to find a probability distribution for the events. The likely costs are found by measuring usage loss and duration for a given point during an outage and using cost component functions of the time and usage to extrapolate over the outage. These cause and cost predictions supply service administrators with tools for making more informed decisions about allocation of resources in preventing and correcting service outages.

Abstract: A method and system for analysing and measuring multiple sources of data over a communication network (18) so as to ascertain information or usage of one or more resources, such as resource servers (2). A data collection and processing means (20) collects and processes the data sources which are forwarded to a reporting server (34) as a combined data source made available to interested parties.

Abstract: The system and method of the present invention comprises functionality to record the steps of a user's navigation transaction and to subsequently play back those steps to determine service availability and levels. The present invention comprises a method for recording a user's steps in a navigation transaction by retrieving an information resource and calculating service level thresholds and the time required to retrieve the information resource. The service level thresholds and parameters regarding the information resource is recorded in a transaction data file as a step comprising the navigation transaction. The present invention also comprises a method for playing back one or more steps executed by a user as part of a navigation transaction, the navigation transaction stored in a transaction data file.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein presents systems and methods for facilitating access to content information. The method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises receiving a request for the content information, choosing a data service provider access object that is configured to access a data service provider associated with the request, and assigning the selected data service provider access object to the request.

Abstract: The method disclosed herein presents systems and methods for facilitating development of a customizable portlet. The invention comprises receiving requested content information, merging presentation information with the requested content information to form merged information and rendering the merged information in the customizable portlet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for performing purchase transactions utilizing a broadcast-based device. In one embodiment, an online user interface is used to enter a plurality of user preferences that are then used to tailor what purchase options will be available to a client-side broadcast-based device. In another embodiment, product purchases may be made using a broadcast-based device, where the purchase transaction options and setting have been previously defined in an online environment. In yet another embodiment, the product purchase options presented are based on predetermined criteria, such as previous user activity.

Abstract: In a search processing system, a concept network is generated from a set of queries by parsing the queries into units and defining various relationships between the units based in part on patterns of units that appear together in queries. Units in the concept network that have some similar characteristic(s) are grouped into superunits. For each superunit, there is a corresponding signature that defines the similar characteristic of the group. A query is processed by identifying constituent units, determining the superunit membership of some or all of the constituent units, and using that information to formulate a response to the query.

Abstract: A set of concept networks is generated, with each concept network based on a different group of queries. From these concept networks, histogram vectors are defined for various units, where a unit's histogram vector reflects the frequency of occurrence of that unit in the different concept networks. Analysis of histogram vectors for different units across the same set of concept networks can enable detection of patterns of user behavior that can be used in responding to a subsequently received query.

Abstract: In a search engine with two-dimensional scalable architecture for searching of a collection of documents, the search engine comprises data processing units which forms set of nodes connected in a network, a first set of nodes comprising dispatch nodes, a second set of nodes search nodes and a third set of nodes indexing nodes. The search nodes are grouped in columns, which via the network are connected in parallel between the dispatch nodes and an indexing node. The dispatch nodes are adapted for processing search queries and search answers, the search nodes are adapted to contain search software, at least some of the search nodes additionally including at least one search processor module and the indexing nodes are adapted for generally generating indexes for the search software. Optionally, acquisition nodes provided in a fourth set of nodes and adapted for processing the search answers, thus relieving the dispatch nodes of this task.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for reducing the number of false alarms in fault correlation software used to detect and diagnose faults in computer networks and similar systems. The fault correlation software includes rules that monitor a number of indicators that, if occurring together over a window of time, are known to cause or reflect the occurrence of a fault. The method involves monitoring the transition of these indicators from one state to another over the time window and determining the extent of the correlation of the transitions of the indicators. The determination that indicators monitored by a rule do not correlate closely in their transitions is used to reduce the likelihood of the rule finding correlation of the indicators as a whole. This in turn reduces the number of false alarms which the rule-based system might otherwise have transmitted.

Abstract: A framework is provided for declaratively specifying authorization enforcement points and associating them with classes and subclasses by using declarations that map constants, local variables, or instance variables to permission classes and subclasses such as Java Permission, PermissionFactory, PrivilegedAction and PrivilegedActionFactory classes.

Abstract: A computerized method is used to estimate the relative coverage of Web search engines. Each search engine maintains an index of words of pages located at specific URL addresses in a network. The method generates a random query. The random query is a logical combination of words found in a subset of the pages. The random query is submitted to a first search engine. In response a set of URLs of pages matching the query are received. Each URL identifies a page indexed by the first search engine that satisfies the random query. A particular URL identifying a sample page is randomly selected. A strong query corresponding to the sample page is generated, and the strong query is submitted to a second search engine. Result information received in response to the strong query is compared to determine if the second search engine has indexed the sample page, or a page substantially similar to the sample page.

Abstract: The system and software of the present invention presents a process for translating a source palette containing TV unsafe colors into a resultant modified palette containing only TV safe colors, while preserving the color trends in the source palette. The software will first analyze a source color palette to determine the TV unsafe colors contained therein. For each TV unsafe color in the source color palette, the software determines the closest TV safe color by selecting a TV safe color that is the shortest Euclidean distance from the TV unsafe color. The TV unsafe colors are substituted with the calculated TV safe colors and stored in the resultant palette. The software will divide the color space of the source palette into discrete regions, e.g., by Hue (H), by selecting reference colors as the boundaries of the regions. The initially TV safe color will then be modified in a manner similar to the modifications made on nearby reference colors that were required to make them TV safe.

Abstract: A thread consistency support system 10 provides thread consistency from a Connector Application Program Interface 50 that creates multiple threads to a Thread-dependent Connector 40 that only allows a single thread to link to that connector for all operations on that connector. The system includes a Detection/Activation routine 20 that activates a Threading MetaConnector routine 30 in response to the Detection/Activation routine identifying a multi-threaded application 60 attempting to access a Thread-dependent Connector 40. The Threading MetaConnector routine 30 interfaces between the Connector Application Program Interface 50 and the Thread-dependent Connector 40. The Threading MetaConnector routine 30 establishes a connection handle for a single internal thread 80 with the Thread-dependent Connector 40 that is returned to the Connector Application Program Interface 50 of a calling multi-threaded application 60 in place of multiple requested thread connection handles.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent enhancer for an osteogenesis accelerator that can enhance the activity of BMP as an osteogenesis accelerator. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of screening for a novel enhancer for an osteogenesis accelerator. The present invention relates to an enhancer for an osteogenesis accelerator, which comprises a compound having a TGF-? selective inhibitory activity as an active ingredient, the enhancer being administered with an osteogenesis accelerator containing BMP as an active ingredient either simultaneously or sequentially, and to a method of screening for an enhancer for an osteogenesis accelerator, comprising using a TGF-? inhibition as a measure for discovering the enhancer.

Abstract: A process for constructing a server for collecting, arranging and storing data that defines the connectivity of pages on the World Wide Web (Web). The process input is a set of compressed ASCII links files, wherein each links file is a series of source URLs and corresponding destination URLs. A temporary URLs_info Table is created and initialized. The links files and URLs metadata are read. Buffers of unique URLs are sorted and written from the links files into URL runs. An ID Index is created from the URL_info table. CS_ids are assigned to URLs and written to the ID Index. Both a compressed URL data structure and a URL Index are created. A Host Table is created. URL fingerprints are converted to CS_ids, and preliminary outstarts to CS_ids and preliminary outstarts and outlinks tables are created. Compressed outstarts and outlinks tables are created from the preliminary tables. Subsequently, compressed instarts and inlinks tables are created based on the outstarts and outlinks tables.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for gathering disparate content from various sources including the Internet and broadcasting such content for display on a television receiver. The content is captured, rendered, and placed into predetermined templates to create pages, and the pages are organized into an album of pages which are displayed in a loop, predefined sequence, or randomly. The album pages are encoded into a form that can be scheduled for broadcasting, and are transmitted to viewers for display on television receivers or similar devices.