Abstract: In addition to a central paging controller, a database system includes a service center, connected to a public switched telephone network, for supplying voice information. A pager/pagers, which are to be paged from the central paging controller, have a data transmission function. The service center stores ID information containing code data, in association with the voice information. The stored ID information is transmitted to the pager(s) through the central paging controller and a transmitting base station. Using the transmission function, the pager(s) transmits the received ID information to the service center through the public switched telephone network. Thus, the voice information stored in the service center can be output through the public switched telephone network.

Abstract: Extensions to a database system provide linkage between data in the database system and files in a system for filing data which is external to the database system ("the filing system"). The linkage includes an external file reference (efr) data type which is defined in the database system for reference to files that are stored in the filing system. When entries are made in the database system that include efr data-type references to files in the filing system, control information is provided by the database system to the filing system. The control information causes the filing system to control processing of referenced files according to referential constraints established in the database system.

Abstract: A system and method determines how well various attributes in a record discriminate different values of a chosen label attribute. An attribute is considered a relevant attribute if it discriminates different values of a chosen label attribute either alone or in conjunction with other attributes. According to the present invention, a label attribute is selected by a user from a set of records, with each record having a plurality of attributes. Next, one or more first important attributes considered important by the user are selected. The present invention then generates one or more second important attributes. The second important attributes together with the user chosen first important attributes discriminate well between different values of the label attribute. A measure called "purity" (a number from 0 to 100) informs how well each attribute discriminates the different label attributes. The purity measure allows the attributes to be ranked based on their importance.

Abstract: A natural language-based information organization and collaboration tool for a computer system is disclosed. The present invention includes an apparatus and method for processing text expressions in a computer system, the apparatus including: 1) an object database defining an information object with an associated keyword; 2) a user input device for receiving an input text expression; 3) a parsing device for identifying the keyword in the input text expression, the parsing device including functions for linking the input text expression to the information object based on the keyword identified in the input text expression; and 4) a user output device for displaying to the user the identity of the information object to which the input text expression was linked.

Abstract: A system for classifying investment products into a set of hierarchical buckets based on existing CUSIP numbers and other prospectus information is disclosed herein. A bucket is an investment product classification that uniquely and consistently identifies an investment product type. In the preferred embodiment, there are buckets to classify individual securities and mutual funds into product, asset and fund types. Each bucket is a unique combination of product, asset or fund codes. Unique combinations of the actual codes define a particular bucket. Thus, the present invention provides a standard classification system into which all investment products can be categorized and grouped. Three sets of hierarchical investment buckets are created to provide a standard set of both general and detailed investment buckets. Each set of buckets is directed to a specific classification purpose: a set of product buckets, a set of asset buckets, and a set of fund buckets.

Abstract: A scheme for image selection in an image transmission system for transmitting images from an image source to an image display device, capable of eliminating a need for the viewer to select the desired image by actually watching individual images and easily selecting the desired image in which a specific desired target of the viewer is shown. Feature information for identifying targets shown in each image is obtained, while a desired feature information for identifying a desired target specified by the viewer is entered. Then, the desired image which contains the desired target specified by the viewer is selected according to the obtained feature information and the entered desired feature information. The feature information may be obtained by recognizing targets shown in each image provided by the image source, or may be generated in advance in correspondence to images provided by the image source.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for effective and efficient usage of summary tables in a computer system including a database. In a computer system it is common for a database to include one or more summary tables which have pre-generated aggregations of data from one or more original, detailed database tables. In order to achieve the benefits of summary tables, they must be accessed when appropriate. Thus, information regarding the available summary database tables, including summary bitmaps for all the summary tables, is maintained in the metadata of a computer system. This information is updated whenever a summary table is created. The summary bitmaps are a main key for determining if any summary table is responsive to a user query to the computer system. The summary bitmaps map to corresponding SQL statements, which are generated to access the respective summary tables in the database.

Abstract: A data storage subsystem employs managed files, each comprising one or an aggregation of multiple constituent user files, to reduce file management overhead costs. After receiving user files from a client station, the subsystem creates a contiguous managed file by aggregating selected ones of the received user files according to certain predetermined criteria. Managed file creation and use are transparent to the client stations. Eventually, unused or "deleted-file space" arises as individual user files are deleted from their respective managed files. "Reclamation" is triggered when the amount of deleted-file space in a prescribed storage area (e.g. device, volume, managed file, etc.) satisfies certain criteria, e.g. poor data storage efficiency. Reclamation is performed to regain wasted space between managed files, and also space that occurs within managed files due to deletion of some but not all constituent user files. Reclamation is applied to the prescribed storage area one managed file at a time.

Abstract: An object oriented architecture is provided wherein a plurality of objects are defined in the system. Each of the objects can comprise either a data oriented object, a program oriented object or a graphics oriented object. The parameters of the object are defined in an object table which includes as an integral part thereof a link table. Each object is linkable through the link table to other objects on the system, with each object on the system having a unique object number. The provision of the object's number in the link table defines relationships with other objects in the system, which relationships can either be automatically created as a result of a predetermined functional aspect of the system or defined by the user. These relationships are bidirectional. The links are only a single link deep and are all on the same plane. These links allow system access to various features such as word processing files, FAX information, information about individuals or information about E-Mail.

Abstract: In the past, databases containing three dimensional images were searched by keywords and indexes. For such functionality, a set of keywords must be associated with each image. This is usually performed by a person and is prone to errors. It has now been found that searching of three-dimensional images stored electronically can be performed in dependence upon a variety of criteria such as colour, shape, size, etc. A method is disclosed for searching three dimensional images of objects in dependence upon the above criteria, other images, or other criteria. This obviates the need for keyword indexing of image databases.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for managing inventory updates in a data library. The method and apparatus allows mount/demount activity to occur during an inventory update and allows a corresponding increase in the number of data storage media that are available for mount/demount during the inventory update. The invention initiates an inventory update for the data storage media library, scans data storage media in the data storage media library behind opened doors, identifies verified data storage media, receives a request for moving data storage media between the slots and the data storage drives, determines if the request is for verified data storage media and performs the request when the request is determined to be for verified data storage media. The request is requeued when the request is for unverified data storage media.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a method of conducting a reduced length search along a search path. A node which would otherwise occur between a previous and a following node in the search path is eliminated, and information is stored as to whether, had said eliminated node been present, the search would have proceeded to the following node. During the search, a search argument is compared with the stored information, and the search effectively progresses from the previous node directly to the following node if the comparison is positive. In preferred embodiments, some nodes provide result values for the search, and a node is eliminated only if its presence would not affect the result value for the search. In another aspect, the invention features a method of conducting a two mode search of reduced length. For a first mode of the search, nodes along a search path are provided, at least some of the nodes including one or more pointers pointing to other nodes.

Abstract: A transformation description language (TDL) for specifying how data is to be manipulated in a data warehousing application. The TDL is comprised of a source for storing raw data, one or more transformation objects for processing the raw data according to predefined instructions, and a target for storing the processed data. A mapping is used for directing the data flow between the I/O ports corresponding to the source, the plurality of transformation objects, and the target. The mapping specifies the connectivity between the source, transformation, and target objects as well as the order of these connections. There are a number of different transformations which can be performed to manipulate the data. Some such transformations include: an aggregator transformation, an expression transformation, a filter transformation, a lookup transformation, a query transformation, a sequence transformation, a stored procedure transformation, and an update strategy transformation.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program for picking up and simultaneously executing common processings among a plurality of retrieval processings present in a series of queries so as to retrieve data from a database. The invention also provides a method, system and computer program for performing a query compiling. The invention performs a common scanning processing of data in the database while performing a judging operation according to retrieval conditions included in the retrieval processings of a query. Data judged to satisfy the retrieval conditions are set in output buffers and are transferred to the next processing nodes. Query-compiling is performed by detecting common processings from a query execution tree and transforming the common processings into a common scanning processing.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling image processing devices from a remote location, including means for selectively monitoring the operational status of a device on a real time basis and means for generating control commands from the remote location to perform operational commands at the image processing device.

Abstract: Information retrieval methods and apparatus which involve: 1) the generation of estimates regarding the probability that items included in search results are already known to the user and 2) the use of such knowledge probability estimates to influence the ranking of search results, are described. By discounting the ranking, or adjusting ranking values generated by a known search engine as a function of the knowledge probability estimates, the present invention reduces or eliminates the risk of locating known information near the top of a list of search results. This is advantageous since known information is generally of little interest to a user. In various embodiments the popularity of an item is used to estimate the probability that the item is already known to a user.

Abstract: A server is provided with operating logic that dynamically migrates or shadows data it shares with its client, in accordance with a migration/shadowing policy that is based on one or more migration/shadowing heuristics. The server is also provided with operating logic that creates the shared data in accordance with a creation policy that is based on one or more creation heuristics. Furthermore, the server is provided with operating logic that maintains the migration/shadowing as well as the creation heuristics in accordance with an update policy. In one embodiment where the data are pixel maps, the migration/shadowing and creation heuristics are corresponding local usage counts, one per pixel map, and a global usage count respectively. The usage counts are incremented and decremented depending on the destinations of the pixel maps of interest.

Abstract: A class structure of an object-oriented program system is optimized for hardware and implemented as a hardware system in an object-oriented processor. For example, a class structure derived from a Java Virtual Machine software system is optimized for hardware and implemented as a hardware Java object-oriented processor. A processor is implemented by defining a data structure and an object-oriented instruction set for executing in the object-oriented operating environment, and generating a hardware implementation of the processor enforcing the logical relationships of the instruction set as defined by the data structure. The data structure includes a class structure. The class structure and the instruction set describe the processor operations. A processor includes an execution engine based on a class structure to execute instructions of an object-oriented instruction set. The instruction set uses pointers for indexing through data structures to define an object method for execution.

Abstract: A system and method backs up computer files to backup drives connected to multiple computer systems. Each file in a backup set is allocated to one or more backup subsets for each of the multiple computer systems. The files can be allocated in an even number across each subset, allocated to evenly spread the number of bytes to each subset, or, using the capacity of each of the multiple computer systems, allocated so that each computer system can complete backing up the files allocated to it in approximately the same amount of time. The system can restrict the number of bytes continuously required from a single disk by one of the backup machines from exceeding a threshold limit. Each of the multiple computer systems is then directed to, and the computer systems do, back up files in one or more subsets, which may be allocated to that computer system.

Abstract: A method of dynamically interfacing an application processor with a plurality of peripheral ports is shown, including the use of an expanded memory interface for controlling a plurality of memory components for an application processor external to the interface. The application processor is connected to the expanded memory interface, which is in turn coupled to at least one status port to facilitate communication between the application processor and the status port.