Abstract: Enhanced methodology and apparatus for use in a multi-player video game for generating a array of user selectable options for choosing real or computer generated users to play with and/or compete against. For example, in a simulated multiple driver racing game application, the user of a computing device is presented with an option for selecting any of various “ghost data” packages for downloading over a communication network such as the Internet. For example, the user may be presented with the option of selecting one of an array of ghost data packages to race against such as the top five buddies of the user with highest scores, five buddies with scores similar to a user's own score, and teams/groups of various varieties.

Abstract: In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for performing index joins. A database management application may receive an instruction to perform an index join operation between columns in a first table and a second table, wherein the database management application does not have direct access to an index of the first table or the second table for performing the index join operation. A query may be automatically generated by the database management application, wherein the query includes a where clause equality expression that equates an indexed column of the second table with a parameter or updatable constant. The database management application may substitute a value from a row of the first table may for the parameter or updatable constant, and cause the query to be executed on the index of the second table to fetch any one or more rows of the second table that satisfy the where clause by having an index value that matches the substituted value.

Abstract: In a database system, a mechanism is provided to enable parsing of a query into plural objects stored in respective plural tables. One or more characteristics of the query is modified using content of the plural tables based on one or more predefined rules for the purpose of recomposing the query.

Abstract: The present invention utilizes an aggregator for searching, packaging and delivering content. The aggregator processes requests, searches, provides search results and acquires content. The aggregator, operating in a communications network, includes a request and results processing server, a search engine server coupled to the request and results processing server and a content acquisition server coupled to the request and results processing server. A request and results processing server receives a request for content, the search engine server searches for the content and the content acquisition program acquires content for delivery to the user. The request and results processing server includes a search request processor that receives information related to a user's search request and provides the information to a search results form builder that creates an electronic search request.

Abstract: Techniques for managing tactical query to continuous query conversion are provided. In some examples, a tactical query configured to enable the pulling of business event data from a database to a query engine may be determined. For example, a query engine may be configured with the tactical query. The configuration may be based at least in part on an indication of the business event data to be displayed. Further, in some examples, a conversion of the tactical query to a continuous query may be enabled. The conversion or enablement of the conversion may be based at least in part on a request.

Abstract: A network-based service may be provided for facilitating queries for a number of items, such as travel services. A user may submit a query including criteria for determining one or more relevant items. Based on the submitted query, the network-based service may present the user with information regarding the actions of other similar users of the network-based service, such as searches performed by the other users. Based on this information, the user may elect to supplement the current query to conform to the actions for other users. In some embodiments, actions by other users may be based at least in part on a category of the querying user. By presenting actions of similar users, a current user may be enabled to select the most relevant query terms for identifying a desired item.

Abstract: A received query is modified by identifying one or more words or phrases in the query that have known associations with stored data upon which the query can be executed, determining whether each of the one or more words or phrases is associated with an attribute name corresponding to stored data, determining whether each of the one or more words or phrases is associated with any constraints regarding an attribute name, determining whether each of the one or more words or phrases is associated with a rule regarding structure or syntax of the query, substituting any determined attribute names into the query for each of the respective associated one or more words or phrases, adding any determined constraints to the query limiting a determined attribute name, and applying any determined rules associated with the one or more words or phrases.

Abstract: A ranking system is described for adjusting quality distributions of items responsive to pairwise comparisons. The pairwise comparisons are selected for a user providing a preference between the items in the pairwise comparisons. The selection is determined based on the cost of an error in the rankings of items in combination with the likelihood there is an error in the item rankings. On receiving the comparison result from the user, the quality distributions are updated and can include a confidence modifier to determine the confidence the user's preference is reflective of the actual preference between the items.

Abstract: Various embodiments illustrated and described herein pertain to at least one of systems, methods, databases, and instructions stored on computer-readable mediums for data allocation identification. One method according to some embodiments includes determining a database allocation of an entity and identifying a domain directly associated with the entity. The method may further include determining at least one header table field directly associated with the entity by identifying a directly associated type definition linked to the directly associated domain, wherein the directly associated type definition refers to the header table field, wherein each header table field is in a corresponding header table. This, and other embodiments, are illustrated and describe in detail herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for searching a dynamic data source using a static search engine. In one embodiment, the method includes: determining that a search request for data includes at least one attribute associated with dynamic data, retrieving dynamic data associated with the at least one attribute and corresponding to the search request, combining the retrieved dynamic data with static data that corresponds to the search request, and returning the combined data in response to the search request. The dynamic data may be located separately from the static data, for example, at a remote storage and may be searched in parallel with the static data if necessary. The retrieved dynamic data may be combined with the static data and returned to the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for evaluating substitute terms. One of the methods includes selecting a first term and a second term. A first co-occurrence frequency is determined for co-occurring terms in search queries that include the first term. A first vector is generated for the first term using the first co-occurrence frequencies. A second co-occurrence frequency is determined for the co-occurring terms in the search queries that include the first term adjacent to the second term. A second vector is generated for the second term using the second co-occurrence frequencies. A score for the second term as a context for a substitution rule based on the first term is computed, wherein the score is based on a comparison between the first vector and the second vector.

Abstract: A first search query is received from a user, the first search query having one or more characters, and a search result is determined based on the first search query. Based on the search result, the first search query is determined to have an incorrect input mapping. A first keyboard layout is identified for the first search query, and a second keyboard layout is identified. A corrected search query is generated from the first search query by mapping characters from the first keyboard layout to characters in the second keyboard layout. A corrected search result is determined based on the corrected search query, and the corrected search result is presented to the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and method for extracting business process metrics from a Unified Modeling Language (UML) model. This invention involves the use of Object Constraint Language (OCL) and custom stereotypes to extract the design metrics from a UML model. The business process parameters to be measured are defined and custom stereotypes for each design element present in the business process parameters are also defined. A UML diagram is generated to represent the steps required to complete the business process. The UML diagrams are based on UML 2.0 or its higher version. The queries are written in OCL and run on the activity or sequence diagram to extract the desired metrics.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a structured document management device includes a query data receiving unit; a structural condition dividing unit; a structural condition rewriting unit; and a query execution unit. The query data receiving unit is configured to receive query data for searching a structured document. The structural condition dividing unit is configured to divide the query data into elements including a structural condition. The structural condition rewriting unit is configured to rewrite the structural condition into a rewritten query when a type of the structural condition is other than a descendant structural condition. The rewritten query is predetermined to include a joining process with a descendant structural condition so as not to affect structural conditions appearing before and after the structural condition. The query execution unit is configured to output a search result in response to query data that includes the structural condition and the rewritten query.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a database; and a cache layer comprising one or more cache nodes, the one or more cache nodes operative to: maintain in a memory one or more data structures storing association information describing associations between nodes in a graph a plurality of distributed cache clusters for storing information in the form of a graph, the graph comprising a plurality of nodes, each uniquely identified by a node identifier, and edge information indicating associations between nodes; respond to queries for associations between nodes in the graph by accessing the memory; and forward other queries to the database for processing.

Abstract: A system and method for providing orientation into digital information is provided. A plurality of evergreen indexes for subject areas are maintained. The evergreen indexes include digital information and are each organized by topics that include a topic model matched to the digital information. A user interest within the digital information is determined. The topic models for the evergreen indexes are evaluated against the user interest and those topics models that best match the user interest are identified. Access to the digital information is provided via at least one of the topic models in at least one of the evergreen indexes.

Abstract: On a medical report editing screen, comments on a lesion are entered as selective input data through a lesion describing template having term selection buttons. The selective input data are stored in a database in association with a lesion ID given to each lesion. To describe another similar lesion in the same report, a copy of the previous template is displayed as an additional tab reproducing the same condition as the previous template. By searching using the selective input data or the lesion ID, data of past medical reports on the same lesion are retrieved from the database. Using the retrieved data, information on the course of this lesion is displayed. A template describing the same lesion in the past medical report is usable for describing the lesion in the present report, and the selective input data of the present report is stored with the same lesion ID used previously.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a method of performing a search for content on the Internet, in which a user may speak a search query and speech recognition may be performed on the spoken query to generate a text search query to be provided to a plurality of search engines. This enables a user to speak the search query rather than having to type it, and also allows the user to provide the search query only once, rather than having to provide it separately to multiple different search engines.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture for managing, e.g., extracting and displaying, search condition result data, which has been modified since a previous search. Embodiments of the present invention associate search conditions and modification programs with unique identifiers (e.g., a keyword) and log every use of thereof. Thereafter, contextual relationships (e.g., where a search conditions and a modification program are linked to the same unique identifier) between the data modifications and search conditions are identified using search condition and modification program usage logs, and based on the contextual relationships, embodiments of the present invention extracts and displays the result data that has been modified since the search condition was last executed.

Abstract: A technique including receiving a search query; identifying a first original query term based on the query; identifying a first expanded query term related to the first original query term; determining a first lexical distance between the first original query term and the first expanded query term; determining a first weight for the first expanded query term based on the determined first lexical distance; identifying a plurality of documents, from among a corpus of documents, as each relevant to the search query, the plurality of documents including a first document identified based on its inclusion of the first expanded query term; ranking the plurality of documents, with the ranking of the first document being based upon the calculated first weight; and generating a response to the search query identifying two or more of the plurality of documents, ordered according to the ranking.

Abstract: A method of providing access control to a relational database accessible from a user interface is implemented at a policy enforcement point, which is located between the database and the user interface and includes the steps of: (i) intercepting a database query from a user; (ii) assigning attribute values on the basis of a target table or target column in the query, a construct type in the query, or the user or environment; (iii) partially evaluating an access-control policy defined in terms of said attributes, by constructing a partial policy decision request containing the attribute values assigned in step ii) and evaluating the AC policy for this, whereby a simplified policy is obtained; (iv) deriving an access condition, for which the simplified policy permit access; and (v) amending the database query by imposing said access condition and transmitting the amended query to the database.

Abstract: A method of incrementally refining queries and updating query result lists without requiring a user to provide an explicit indicator of query submission. In the method, one or more query related character patterns are defined. Entry of query defining characters by a user is monitored to detect entry of a defined query related character pattern. The user is provided with one or more suggested query refinement options and an updated query result list each time a defined query related character pattern is detected. The query related character patterns may be a character pattern that indicates a word has been input by the user.

Abstract: In some implementations, a method includes receiving a search query, at an information provider, from a mobile device; generating a plurality of search results that are responsive to the search query and directed to corresponding content providers that are external to the information provider; identifying one or more search results from the plurality of search results that are directed to partners of the information provider; and providing, to the mobile device, the plurality of search results, wherein the one or more search results directed to partners of the information provider include location information that is stored in a profile maintained by the information provider and associated with the mobile device, wherein the location information is passed to the corresponding partners upon selection of the one or more search results.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for persisting instance-level report customizations. Input is received from a user to run an original report. An original query associated with the original report is executed against a data store. The original report is displayed to the user. At least one instance-level customization is received from the user to customize an instance of the original report. The instance-level customizations that the user makes to the customized report are tracked in a manner that allows a history of changes from the original report to the customized report to be determined. The customized report is generated in subsequent executions of the report. The instance-level changes the user made to the report can be audited to allow users to see the changes made to the original report.

Abstract: The approaches described herein provide an efficient way to process certain kinds of queries that update XML data stored in an object-relational database. A query may include an XML query expression that conforms to a language for querying XML documents. A technique first determines whether the query contains an XML updating expression, and in response rewrites the query to comprise one or more path-based query operators that specify operations for updating XML data. The query may then be further rewritten to comprise one or more storage format specific query operators based on the particular database storage format associated with the XML data specified in the query. The rewritten query operators are used to generate a query execution plan that provides for several query execution optimizations.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and computer program products for identifying a set of related videos for a first video. An embodiment of the method comprises a video hosting website creating an ordered list containing a plurality of words from the metadata associated with the first video. The video hosting website uses a select number of words from the ordered list to form a search query. The search query is processed by the videos hosting website to obtain search results that contain a number of related videos. If the number of related videos in the search results is not within a set range, the search query is modified and the modified search query is processed. If the number of related videos in the search results is within a set range, the search results are provided as the set of related videos for the first video.

Abstract: A fallback query mechanism that serves as a way to recover from query conditions (or criteria) that break due to excessively large result sets relative to a preset threshold. The fallback query mechanism detects when a query has failed to execute because the query requested more items from the database (or list) than allowed by the threshold, rewrites the query to examine no more than the threshold number of most recently created items that match one of the indexed filter criteria specified in a view, and then applies one or more of the other filter criteria. The mechanism then reruns the query and displays the results to the user.

Abstract: This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlates the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer products, for generating a natural language expression in response to a query. A computer-implemented method of generating a natural language expression in response to a query, includes generating a text frame from the query, and processing the text frame in conjunction with a grammar and one or more logic configuration files applied recursively to the text frame to generate the natural language expression from the query, the logic configuration files including functions that can pass arguments.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for word quality mining and evaluating are disclosed. The method includes: calculating a Document Frequency (DF) of a word in mass categorized data; evaluating the word in multiple single-aspects according to the DF of the word; and evaluating the word in multiple aspects according to the multiple single aspect evaluations to obtain an importance weight of the word. According to the solution of the present invention, the importance of the word in the mass categorized data may be evaluated, and words with high quality may be obtained through an integrated evaluation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method comprises, by a computer system, receiving a search term, determining a search constraint for a search query, and generating a search query. The search query includes the search term and the search constraint. The search query requires that at least a first number of search results that are returned in response to the search query match both the search term and the search constraint. The search query permits at least a second number of the search results to match only the search term. The computer system provides the search query for a search against a store of data.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize one or more usage statistics, which are reflective of what data is actually and/or likely to be used by a client when processing a database query, to reduce or eliminate the transfer of unnecessary data between a client and server in a client-server database management system. Information such as the columns that are or have been used and/or the number of rows that have been accessed, may be utilized to identify certain data that is likely to not be used during processing of the database query. Based upon the data that has been identified, a subset of the data that would otherwise be returned as a result of the database query may be identified and returned to a client, often substantially reducing the amount of data required to be retrieved by a client in connection with a database query.

Abstract: Methods and systems for incrementally selecting and providing relevant search engines in response to a user query. A method of incrementally selecting and providing relevant search engines is based in part on identifying a set of search engines associated with corresponding metadata, receiving a partial search query entered by the user of a device, inferring after each user keypress a set of potential full queries intended by the user, using the potential full queries and the search engine metadata to identify a set of relevant search engines, and for each of these search engines, providing a direct link to launch a relevant query in the search engine. The user input may be either ambiguous, or erroneous, and may be entered using an input-constrained device.

Abstract: Within the field of computing, many scenarios involve queries formulated by users resulting in query results presented by a device. The user may request to adjust the query, but many devices can only process requests specified in a well-structured manner, such as a set of recognized keywords, specific verbal commands, or a specific manual gesture. The user thus communicates the adjustment request in the constraints of the device, even if the query is specified in a natural language. Presented herein are techniques for enabling users to specify query adjustments with natural action input (e.g., natural-language speech, vocal inflection, and natural manual gestures). The device may be configured to evaluate the natural action input, identify the user's intended query adjustments, generate an adjusted query, and present an adjusted query result, thus enabling the user to interact with the device in a similar manner as communicating with an individual.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a supply chain management system that can estimate manufactured item delivery times at a facility, manufactured item costs or prices, and dynamically control supply chain performance.

Abstract: Methods and systems for efficient query rewriting and the like are described here. One such described method comprises: offline mapping frequently-seen search queries to rewritten queries that may be better for searching; offline caching the mapping in a cache memory; and upon receiving a search query from a user similar to one of the mapped search queries, obtaining a corresponding rewritten query from the mapping in the cache memory based on predetermined conditions, and issuing a search of the rewritten query to the backend data system in order to avoid having to issue a search query to the backend data system twice while the user is online.

Abstract: An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents, analyzing documents and storing the results of the analysis as phrase data. Phrases are identified that predict the presence of other phrases in documents. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases. Related phrases and phrase extensions are also identified. Changes to existing phrase data about a document collection submitted by a user is captured and analyzed, and the existing phrase data is updated to reflect the additional knowledge gained through the analysis.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, that include generating a first application by providing a definition of an object representing a first set of attributes of a first collection of data elements and a first set of operations on the first collection, each data element in the first collection having the attributes and a list of the operations in common with other data elements from the first collection.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (100) for identifying a certain data-object of a set of data-objects, wherein each data-object of the set of data-objects is described by a plurality of discriminating characteristics, the system comprising: a composition unit (110) for composing a query for identifying the certain data-object; an identification unit (120) for identifying a candidate data-object of the set of data-objects, based on the query; a presentation unit (130) for presenting a description of the candidate data-object to a user; a feedback unit (140) for receiving user feedback on a discriminating characteristic of the plurality of discriminating characteristics, the discriminating characteristic describing the candidate data-object; and an update unit (150) for updating the query for identifying the certain data-object, based on the user feedback on the discriminating characteristic describing the candidate data-object.

Abstract: Computer-readable media and methods for model-based searching to provide search results of relevance to a search topic are provided. A model describing a search framework for generating a plurality of search queries is provided. A number of search topics are identified and attributes are assigned to each search topic. Attribute data elements and values are provided to describe each to the assigned attributes for each search topic. The attributes inform the search framework in order to compile a plurality of search queries for the search topic. A search term is received from a user and a corresponding search topic is identified. The plurality of search queries are executed to obtain search results for the corresponding search topic. The search queries may be pre-executed and the search results cached in a computer memory for later retrieval. The search results are organized based on the model and are presented to the user.

Abstract: A search and find user interface is provided that is integrated with a data indexing engine to allow efficient and high-speed data search and retrieval across data storage folders associated with a given software module or associated with a number of disparate software modules. An expanded form of the search and find user interface is provided for advanced searching. Where searching is required beyond a present search scope, an automatic “upscoping” mechanism is provided for expanding a search to data storage folders outside a current data storage folder on which an initial search is executed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining whether a target text-string is correctly spelled is provided. The target text-string is compared to a corpus to determine a set of contexts which each include an occurrence of the target text-string. Using heuristics, each context of the set is characterized based on occurrences in the corpus of the target text-string and a reference text-string. Contexts are characterized as including a correct spelling of the target text-string, an incorrect spelling of the reference text-string, or including an indeterminate usage of the target text-string. A likelihood that the target text-string is a misspelling of the reference text-string is computed as a function of the quantity of contexts including a correct spelling of the target text-string and the quantity of contexts including an incorrect spelling of a reference text-string. In one application, the target text-string is received in a search query, the search executed following a spell-check.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method and apparatus are provided to receive a syntax correct query, analyze the syntax correct query, and output a message associated with the syntax correct query.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a database management unit that generates an index including access authority for a document and manages the index together with the document, a user information acquisition unit that acquires, as user information, the access authority for a user identification value, a document search unit that acquires the user information and a search request including a search expression, generates a combined search expression by combining an inclusion relationship expression with the search expression, the inclusion relationship expression including an operator that designates an inclusion relationship for access authority of an originator, and acquires a search result at a shared level enabling sharing under a plurality of user identification values in a domain including the plurality of user identification values, and a cache management unit 218 that registers the search result at the shared level as a cache item identified as the one at the shared level.

Abstract: Observation bandwidth is allocated to an image provider such that an image may be reacquired while optimizing the utility of the image provider's observations. The observation bandwidth is allocated with reference to the rate of change associated with a location where images are acquired by the image provider and to an importance value associated with the location. The rate of change identifies how frequently the location is subject to modifications. The importance value indicates a likelihood that users are concerned with receiving current image data at the location. Different locations having substantially the same rate of change and importance value are grouped together. The same observation bandwidth is allocated for the image providers at locations that are grouped together such that each image provider may reacquire images at the allocated observation bandwidth.

Abstract: A database query gateway includes a query request interface configured to receive a query request and extract query parameters from the query request and a database endpoint interface configured to modify a stored query based on the query parameters, to transmit the modified query to a database endpoint, and to receive from the database endpoint query results based on the modified query. The database query gateway further includes a reporting engine interface configured to convert the query results into a reporting engine format.

Abstract: A programming model for a query service (e.g., web) that supports defining query builders which are bound dynamically at runtime to parameter values. Moreover, the programming model can be used to customize the query execution, for example, by adding pre-processing, post-processing, or dynamic binding to queries (e.g., selecting the query to be executed dynamically at runtime). As a consequence, generalized and parameterized queries can be used (with different runtime values for parameters) in different scenarios.

Abstract: Data stored in relational databases can be retrieved using a relational database query language, while data stored in a multidimensional database is typically retrieved using a multidimensional database query language. However, most users do not have a functional working knowledge of multidimensional database query languages, which leaves large amounts of data inaccessible. Further, while some relational database query languages may be translated into a multidimensional database language, the information generated by such translations is often unusable, or returns large numbers of errors. In order to obtain effective translation of a relational database query language to a multidimensional database query language effective translation and filtering needs to occur. Using effective mapping and retrieval of database metadata along with effective, customizable business logic filtering of query components, more effective and reliable results may be achieved.

Abstract: Constraints that restrict how corresponding identifiable groups of files are stored in a database, are enforced on corresponding file data. In response to a query on any data from an identifiable group of files, the effect of the constraint on how the corresponding data is stored is determined. The original query is rewritten, based on the effect of the constraint, so that the rewritten query is directed to a particular subset of the data stored in the database. Consequently, the search space is restricted to an identifiable subset of the database and execution of the rewritten query is more efficient than execution of the original query.

Abstract: Persisted data queries are leveraged to generate complex event processing rules for application to a real-time data stream. The method generates a persisted data query based on defined criteria; validates the persisted data query using stored persisted data; and converts the validated persisted data query to a CEP rule. The method may utilize common database querying tools such as XQuery to generate the persisted data query. The persisted data query is executed against historical unprocessed event data stored as persisted data. The results of the persisted data query are analyzed to determine if the persisted data query produces the desired results. The persisted data query is converted to a CEP rule when the desired results are produced.