Abstract: A description language providing a hierarchical data structure that includes a public portion, hierarchically storing product information including identification of the product and standard and optional features desired for the product. The data structure further includes a private portion for secure storage of customer information. The discloser includes a system comprising a server with a product database, an intermediary subsystem, and a seller subsystem. A product is configured which stores the configured product and features in the data structure. A request for quote (RFQ) is transmitted, with the data structure, to sellers in the customer's geographic area, based on a comparison of product features with sellers stock. Quotes are returned from the sellers in response to which the customer sends an acceptance of a quote to the appropriate seller. While the invention is applicable to any product available in multiple configurations, specific embodiments are directed to vehicle implementations.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a distributed search mechanism in a network. Network nodes operating as consumer or requesting nodes generate the search requests. Nodes operating as hubs are configured to route the search requests in the network. Individual nodes operating as provider nodes receive the search request and in response may generate results according to their own procedures and return them. Communication between nodes in the network may use a common query protocol. Hub nodes may resolve the search requests to a subset of the provider nodes in the network, for example by matching search requests with registration information from nodes. Provider nodes results may be may customize at various stages.

Abstract: Novel data structures, methods and apparatus for finding the longest prefix match search when searching tables with variable length patterns or prefixes. To find the exact match or the best matching prefix, patterns have to be compared a bit at a time until the exact or first match is found. This requires “n” number of comparisons or memory accesses to identify the closest matching pattern. The trees are built in such a way that the matching result is guaranteed to be a best match, whether it is an exact match or a longest prefix match. Using the trail of all the birds and associated prefix lengths enables determination of the correct prefix result from the trail. By construction, the search tree provides the best matching prefix at or after the first compare during walking of the trail or tree.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for performing database operations. A request is received to access database resources from a client over a network. An entry is added to a monitor list indicating a last access time to the database by the client, wherein the entry is associated with an access of database resources in response to the received request. The monitor list is scanned to determine an entry where a difference of a current time and last access time exceeds a timeout threshold. A calling a function is indicated in the entry. The function causes an abort operation to be performed to terminate the access of database resources associated with the determined entry.

Abstract: An Adaptive Software Application consists of several types of modules, called Adaptive Units, which are highly parameterized such that they can adapt to varying business requirements by virtue of externally provided parameters. An Adaptive Application is assembled through repeated use of various combinations of different types of Adaptive Units. Large and complex business systems can be rapidly implemented through this approach. An Adaptive Unit includes interface components that can present information to and accept information from the outside world (such as a web page or a system interface), processing logic components that can manipulate and evaluate information based on received parameters received (such as comparisons and decisions including data dependency decisions), and data persistence logic components that retrieves, adds, updates, and deletes data targeting one or more Occurrence Databases. All three components of an Adaptive Unit are parameter driven.

Abstract: Database optimizing method and system are provided to optimally locate data. Only data satisfying conditions desired by a user is extracted among an access log. Values of a part of the data are translated on the basis of a translation table, and aggregated on the basis of aggregation condition rules. The obtained aggregation result is presented to the user. In addition, data in the database are optimally relocated on the basis of the obtained aggregation result.

Abstract: A data processing method for a digital camera that may record image data as image files and sound data as sound files on a storage medium, wherein sound files are classified into a sound memo file recorded in association with an image file, and a sound record file recorded independently. The image files and the sound record files are time-sequentially recorded in a recording directory on a storage medium, each being given a file-name that contains an individual file number representing the time sequence of recording. To discriminate between the image files and the sound files, an extender common to the image files or a second extender common to the sound files is attached to the file-name. The sound memo file is given the same file-name as that of an image file which the sound memo file is to be associated with, and is recorded in the same recording directory as the associated image file, though the extender common to the sound files is attached to the file-name of the sound memo file.

Abstract: Methods for navigating a large amount of data are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention accesses a source of formatted warehoused data. The present invention then displays a grid on a display device. In one embodiment, the grid is an iconic representation of the formatted warehoused data. The grid is comprised of elements, each element corresponding to some portion of the formatted warehoused data. The present invention displays a portion of the formatted warehoused data on the display device in response to a selection of a corresponding element of the grid. In another embodiment, the formatted warehoused data is condensed so that it can be read in summary form to a user using a voice-based protocol. The user can issue voice commands to drill down deeper into the data, until the desired information is reached. The user thus doesn't need to hear all of the information in the formatted warehoused data, but instead can make inquiries to directly navigate to a particular item of interest.

Abstract: A system and method is described for use in the propagation of cross-platform updates of databases in, for example, an Enterprise system. Given that these platforms may be operating using different operating systems and database software, the system and method are not application dependent. The system and method effect the cross-platform propagation of updates through the use of I/O streams. Accordingly, the system and method do not use valuable and expensive CPU cycles nor excessively load the TCP/IP communication lines to perform the desired cross-platform propagation of updates for platform databases.

Abstract: A linked list structure in a computing system includes a first entry and additional entries. Each additional entry includes a link reference to a prior entry in the linked list. The link reference for each additional entry all are stored within a content addressable memory. Each additional entry is accessible by performing a content search using the link reference to the prior entry. The linked list is traversed by accessing the first entry in the linked list. A second entry in the linked list is accessed by searching the content addressable memory with an index of the first entry. A third entry in the linked list is accessed by searching the content addressable memory with an index of the second entry.

Abstract: A method of organizing information in which the search activity of previous users is monitored and such activity is used to organize articles for future users. Personal data about future users can be used to provide different article rankings depending on the search activity and personal data of the previous users. The personal data is used in the development of an index, the index including entries for specific categories of personal data. The similarity or difference in the prior results for a query term determine if separate index entries are needed for the categories and terms being considered.

Abstract: Method of and system for aggregating into a relational database model the state of an ad hoc network comprised of uniquely addressable distributed sensor nodes in communication using networking protocols with one another through links and to a database server through access points. A relational database logical design resident on the database server is dynamically updated with respect to the sensor network's current and historical topological information through the use of a traversal and interrogating network modeling agent. The distributed sensors nodes may be mobile, and may communicate by wired or wireless means through networking protocols such as the Internet.

Abstract: Searching by keywords on a relational database is enabled by performing preprocessing operations to construct lookup tables at an interim level of granularity, such as column location. A keyword search is performed on the lookup tables rather than the database tables to determine database column locations of the keyword. Schema information about the database is used to link the column locations to form database subgraphs that span the keywords. Join tables are to generated based on the subgraphs consisting of columns containing the keywords. A query on the database is generated to join the tables and retrieve database rows that contain the keywords. The retrieved rows are ranked in order of relevance before being output. By preprocessing a relational database to form lookup tables, and initially searching the lookup tables to obtain a targeted subset of the database upon which SQL queries can be performed to collect data records, keyword searching on relational database is made efficient.

Abstract: Statistics regarding at least one attribute (or column) of a table in a database system are collected using an enhanced mechanism for faster collection. The statistics collection is based on scanning a sample of rows of a given table, with the sample being less than all the rows of the table. The percentage of rows to be read is specified in a statement submitted to the database system. The database system then uses the specified percentage to read the sample rows from the table for collecting statistics on the at least one attribute.

Abstract: A plurality of data records is provided, each data record having paired keys comprised of a first key and a second key. The first key identifies each data record in a certain manner and the second key identifies each data record in a different manner. The paired keys can be used to for example, by the first key identifying the original business identity which the data record belongs to, while the second key may identify the current business identity which the data record belongs to. In this way pre-merger data, for example, and post merger data can be retained. In one embodiment an apparatus is provided comprising a first table of data records and a second table of data records. The tables of data records may be stored in a computer memory.

Abstract: A data navigation system and a method that enable a user to selectively view multi-dimensional forecast data in a two-dimensional form. The data navigation system includes a representation means for representing the multi-dimensional data. The system also has a Graphical User Interface that displays the data in two-dimensional form and also enables the user to navigate through the multi-dimensional data through the Interface using an interaction means such as a keyboard, a mouse a voice-command, a touch screen and other such means. The system also has an identification means and an extraction means that identify and obtain the data to be displayed in the Interface from the representation means. The data navigation system can also be used to view any multi-dimensional data in two-dimensional form.

Abstract: Searching by keywords and providing generalized matching capabilities on a relational database is enabled by performing preprocessing operations to construct inverted list lookup tables based on data record components at an interim level of granularity, such as column location. Prefix information is in the inverted list stored for each keyword, keyword sub-string, or stemmed version of the keyword. A keyword search is performed on the lookup tables rather than the database tables to determine database column locations of the keyword. The lookup tables is scanned to identify each prefix associated with the search term. Schema information about the database is used to link the column locations to form database subgraphs that span the keywords. Join tables are to generated based on the subgraphs consisting of columns containing the keywords. A query on the database is generated to join the tables and retrieve database rows that contain the keyword and the prefixes associated with the keyword.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing the data flow of a database query. The database query contains a plurality of query conditions that are used to filter data records of a database. At least one query condition is identified from the plurality of query conditions in the database query. The database is queried based upon the identified query condition. At least one results characteristic is determined that is associated with the query of the database with the identified query condition. The results characteristic is used to analyze the identified query condition.

Abstract: Methods and a system that provide a network of data sources in terms of a traditional database schema, convert traditional database queries into network messages, and route those messages to those data sources which have relevant data. In the present invention, the network interface of the data source accepts the message, filters the data source's output according to the instructions in the message, and then sends reply messages to the originator of the query. The system then collects these reply messages at the query originator and produces query results as a traditional database result.

Abstract: An electronic commerce system includes one or more product databases that store product data for a plurality of products. The system includes a global content directory that includes a plurality of product classes organized in a hierarchy. Each product class categorizes a number of products and is associated with one or more attributes of the products categorized in the product class. At least one of the product classes has one or more associated pointers that identify one or more of the product databases. The system further includes a search interface that communicates a search query to the product databases to search for product data stored in the product databases identified by one of the pointers. The system also includes a traffic module operable to monitor the traffic levels associated with each product class and dynamically balance searches on the product databases based on the traffic levels.