Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding knowledge using a multimedia network. A multimedia network represents semantic concepts and their relations using multimedia content. A multimedia network associates words and multimedia content with the semantic concepts in order to illustrate and exemplify the semantic concepts as well as describe lexical, semantic, and perceptual relations. The multimedia network can be searched, browsed, or summarized for purposes of information discovery. The multimedia network can also be used for personalizing multimedia content or for querying a multimedia information repository by expanding a query to include related concepts encoded in a Multimedia network.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a predictive outcome in the form of a predictive best instruction for a therapeutic ophthalmic correction of a patient's vision defects. The predictive best instruction is derived from prospective therapeutic-outcome-influencing, new information that is analyzed in conjunction with optimized, historical therapeutic-outcome information. The instruction is preferably an optimized, custom, photoablative algorithm for driving a photoablative, excimer laser. The instruction can be provided on a fee basis.

Abstract: A method for specifying, executing and analyzing method sequences for the recognition of dispatch labels and form entries. In the specification phase, the method sequences are input in graphical form into a computer system as flowcharts with attributes and function details which define the influence of individual variables on the method sequence. Codes are then automatically generated from the flowcharts as an internal representation which is converted by a compiler into a loadable, executable module which is called for each processing step in the handling phase for recognizing the respective dispatch label or form entry. In the handling phase for recognition, information for describing the particular current sequence and the current values of the attributes is written to an attribute file for each processing step.

Abstract: In a robot apparatus and a control method therefor, firstly, partial or whole state space of a behavioral model is expanded or reduced, secondly, transition to a predetermined node in the behavioral model is described as transition to a virtual node and a node group to be allotted to the virtual node is sequentially changed, thirdly, the number of emotions and/or desires which are used for generating actions is gradually increased, and fourthly, an environment is evaluated to update each sensitivity corresponding to each emotion and desire, on the basis of the evaluated. In the robot apparatus and the character discriminating method for the robot apparatus, a pet robot is provided with: detecting means for detecting outputs from other pet robots; character discriminating means for discriminating characters of the pet robots on the basis of the result detected by the detecting means; and character changing means for changing the character on the basis of the result judged by the character discriminating means.

Abstract: A method of aligning a new goal of an entity ensures that the new goal is a child goal of a parent goal. The method also ensures that a group is linked to the parent goal, and ensures that the entity is subordinate to the group. In one embodiment, selection lists constrain the available values for the group and/or the parent goal. In another aspect, a method of facilitating contextual alignment of a new goal recognizes an organizational role for an entity and customizes content of a user interface, based on the organizational role of the entity. The user interface with the customized content provides goal creation guidance according to the organizational role. In one embodiment, the customized content includes specialized instructions and sample content for characteristics of the new goal, such as a goal-objective characteristic, a goal-measure characteristic, and a goal-activity characteristic.

Abstract: Strong authentication of packets sent between nodes of different clusters in a two-tier ad hoc network is provided by the cluster heads. Each cluster head authenticates nodes that enter the cluster. Thereafter, when a sending node requests a session from its cluster head with a receiving node in another cluster, the cluster head negotiates a session secret key (SSK) with the corresponding cluster head of the receiving node. Further, the cluster head provides authentication tags for the sending node to use with each packet. Each authentication tag is time-stamped, digitally signed by the cluster head, encrypted with the SSK, and includes indicators of message integrity, including a sequence number and TCP header field of checksum. The sending node further calculates a check result from a number of the authentication tags, encrypted with the SSK, so that the receiving node can authenticate the number of packets.

Abstract: A system for determining the state-of-health of batteries has an adaptive component. The system tests a battery by measuring a number of electrochemical parameters and using fuzzy logic to compute a state-of-health for the battery. The fuzzy logic computations are based upon membership functions which are preferably triangular. The membership functions may be stored in a matrix. The adaptive component adapts the system for use with new models of battery by obtaining a reliable measurement of SoH for a number of calibration batteries. Electrochemical parameters of the calibration batteries are measured. The adaptive component modifies a prototype matrix selected to match the chemistry type of the calibration batteries by scaling, translating and flexing its membership functions to achieve a matrix which specifies membership functions suitable for assessing state-of-health of the new model of battery.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic detection of trends (and epidemics) among cases faced by a customer or patient support organization, based on automated classification of the logs of those cases in a topic hierarchy. The method includes establishing an item topic hierarchy of desired granularity and applying that hierarchy to a selected group of items, automatically classifying new items to at least one topic in the hierarchy, establishing windows having sequential sets of items based upon selected temporal parameters, determining item distributions over respective windows, and comparing respective item distributions in at least two such windows.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for ensuring data integrity of unauthenticated code is provided. With the apparatus and method, a hash value of unauthenticated code is embedded in associated automatically authenticated code. When the automatically authenticated code is downloaded and executed, the automatically authenticated code may require that the unauthenticated code also be downloaded for proper execution of the automatically authenticated code on a particular client device. The unauthenticated code can be downloaded and its integrity verified by generating a hash value of the unauthenticated code and comparing the generated hash value to a hash value embedded in the automatically authenticated code. If there is a match, the unauthenticated code is verified. If there is not a match, the unauthenticated code has been corrupted during transmission and is not verified. As a result, the unauthenticated code is not used by the client device.

Abstract: An improved system of numerical description "in-the-large" of a program logic is used for global analysis of long-lived programs needed for perfective maintenance, including program enhancing and program reusing. Documentation "in-the-large" comprises linear program circuits, each circuit consisting of at least three non-routine logical parts consecutively following each other. A program circuit is individually numbered and its data-processing task is semantically described, creating a linear data flow (LDF). Documentation "in-the-large" is developed from the immediate environment of each logical part, this environment being represented by a numerical description of all links of this part with neighboring logical parts.

Abstract: A memory controller in which a number of local memories are primarily dedicated to the shared use of a number of local processors of a data processing system to increase the efficiency of use of both the processors and memories. A controller is associated with each local memory to control connection of any one of the local processors to its associated local memory. A local processor can also be connected via a controller and an adapter circuit connected to the controller to a system bus to obtain access to circuits connected thereto. In addition, a system processor connected to the system bus may also be connected to any particular one of the local memories via its associated controller and adapter connected thereto to load data or programs into the local memory for use by the local processors, and to read out the results of previous processing done by the local processors.

Abstract: A microprocessor is configured as two virtual processors having separate program counters, a common memory and a common execution unit. The processors are configured in a two stage pipeline arrangement and the instructions are interleaved so that as one processor fetches instructions the other executes. One processor runs a fixed length loop of single instructions to provide service of input/output pins at regular and frequent times to afford high resolution. The other processor runs multiple instruction routines. The instructions of either processor can modify the instructions of the other and determine whether a given instruction should be executed. The microprocesor is used as a coprocessor to relieve a main microprocessor of the burdens of managing I/O pins and of running some complex algorithms.

Abstract: A computer system which uses a main processor with main memory, and operates under a specialized software operating system, provides for checking the integrity of its compiler by use of software routines which permit an authorized user or an authorized program to authorize a file as a compiler and additionally will operate to identify any ordinary user and ordinary programs so as to prevent such ordinary user or ordinary program from authorizing a code file as a compiler.

Abstract: A node for obtaining access to a bus. In this arbitration method, the node receives a conditional grant. The node determines whether access to the bus will actually transfer to it. The node contains distributed logic that examines an extend bus cycle signal to determine whether it can become a transmitter to transfer messages on the bus. When the node becomes a transmitter, it generates an extend bus cycle signal to maintain access to the bus when executing a multi-cycle transfer, even though other nodes, perhaps with higher priorites, require access to the bus.

Abstract: An advance polling bus arbiter includes a priority selector for selecting during a polling cycle a highest priority source system unit which is seeking access to a system bus. Bus grant logic sends the highest priority source system a bus grant signal which indicates that the selected system unit can make a transfer during the next cycle. An advance link logic unit compares a target bus address received from the selected system unit to a local bus address and simultaneously signals an intersystem bus link of an impending intersystem transfer while the source system unit is receiving its bus grant signal.

Abstract: A printer controlled by a CPU in which a ROM having stored therein a control program executed by the CPU in replaceable. The ROM has stored therein identifying codes for identifying the control program stored in the ROM, and initializing data. A nonvolatile memory capable of being read out and written and having contents retained even if a power switch is turned off is provided with memory areas which can store respectively the identifying codes and the initializing data stored in the ROM in an identical array fashion. Each time the power switch is turned on, the identifying codes stored in the ROM are compared with identifying codes stored in the nonvolatile memory. If the identifying codes in the ROM and the identifying codes in the nonvolatile memory are inconsistent with each other, the identifying codes and the initializing data stored in the ROM are transferred and written respectively to the memory areas of the nonvolatile memory.

Abstract: A hard-wired circuit for sorting data including an input for receiving a new multibit word of a series of multibit words to be sorted, a plurality of comparators and respective storage devices, each comparator being connected to receive a sorted multibit word stored in its associated storage device and the new multibit word from the input and to compare the multibit words simultaneously with comparisons of other comparators and to provide a comparison output, and a controller responsive to the comparison outputs to store the new multibit word at a storage device such that it is in proper position with respect to sorted multibit words stored in other storage devices.

Abstract: A pattern generator and controller arrangement operates for controlling the component parts of an MRI system. The arrangement comprises a plurality of channels including a main control channel and output channels. The arrangement receives instructions from the system CPU which then leaves the control and outputting to the arrangement, thereby avoiding the necessity of a large expensive CPU to operate the system with versatility and speed.

Abstract: A memory accessible by more than one external processor has a data capacity exceeding the addressing capacity of the processors and is capable of modifying the addressing data of the processors.

Abstract: A sorting technique which relies on the operating system collating weights of characters to the extent that a collating weight difference exists in any of the pairs of corresponding characters of two different strings of characters being compared. While this comparision is being made, the first tie of collating weights for a pair of nonidentical corresponding characters triggers a comparison of the ASCII code values of the two corresponding characters which tied. Assuming that such a tie has occurred, and if, after reaching the end of this process no differences in the collating weights of corresponding characters are found, then if one string has a corresponding character with a lower ASCII value, that string is considered to precede the other string in the alphabetic sequence.