Fuzzy Searching And Comparisons Patents (Class 707/780)
  • Patent number: 8224849
    Abstract: An object search system generates a hierarchical clustering of objects of a collection based on similarity of the objects. The object search system generates a separate hierarchical clustering of objects for multiple features of the objects. To identify objects similar to a target object, the object search system first generates a feature vector for the target object. For each feature of the feature vector, the object search system uses the hierarchical clustering of objects to identify the cluster of objects that is most “feature similar” to that feature of the target object. The object search system indicates the similarity of each candidate object based on the features for which the candidate object is similar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ming Jing Li, Wei-Ying Ma, Zhiwei Li, Bin Wang
  • Patent number: 8224847
    Abstract: Embodiments are configured to provide information relevant to individuals of interest to a searching user. In an embodiment, a method includes identifying relevant individuals of a network using a relevance model that includes the use of a number of managed properties and ranking features to identify relevant individuals of a defined network. The relevance model of one embodiment is defined by a schema that includes a textual matching ranking feature, social distance ranking feature, a levels to top ranking feature, and a proximity ranking feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Boxin Li, Dmitriy Meyerzon, Jessica Alspaugh, Victor Poznanski
  • Publication number: 20120179721
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a fitness function analysis system and an analysis method thereof. Wherein, an initializing module initiates a plurality of reference solutions. Based on fitness functions of reference solutions, a searching module searches a fitness function adjacent to the fitness functions. While an adjacent fitness function close to the fitness function is greater than the fitness function, the searching module replaces the fitness function by the adjacent fitness function. A calculating module calculates the proportion of any fitness function to the summation of the fitness functions. While the searching module counts the number of times that the searching module has searched an adjacent function close to the fitness function, the number of times exceeds a threshold value, and there is no adjacent fitness function greater than the fitness function, a processing module will generate another fitness function corresponding to the fitness function and compare the two fitness functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: NATIONAL TSING HUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tsung-Jung HSIEH, Wei-Chang YEH
  • Patent number: 8219549
    Abstract: An anti-spam technique for protecting search engine ranking is based on mining search engine optimization (SEO) forums. The anti-spam technique collects webpages such as SEO forum posts from a list of suspect spam websites, and extracts suspicious link exchange URLs and corresponding link formation from the collected webpages. A search engine ranking penalty is then applied to the suspicious link exchange URLs. The penalty is at least partially determined by the link information associated with the respective suspicious link exchange URL. To detect more suspicious link exchange URLs, the technique may propagate one or more levels from a seed set of suspicious link exchange URLs generated by mining SEO forums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Bin Gao, Tie-Yan Liu, Hang Li, Congkai Sun
  • Patent number: 8219566
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for comparing portions of document text with potential citation components, determining if individual portions correspond to a citation component, and determining if a set of portions correspond to a valid citation pattern. A set of valid citation patterns is provided. Each citation pattern may include a specified combination of citation components. The invention further relates to identifying potential citation components from text in a document, analyzing a pattern of the identified citation components by comparing the pattern to a set of stored citation patterns to determine if the potential citation is a type of citation, and if so, is it a valid (and/or invalid) citation pattern. Once citation patterns have been determined in the document, annotations may be inserted into the document, and subsequent action may be taken, for example, generating a list of citations, providing research services, error-handling, and/or providing other options related to the citations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Litera Corp.
    Inventor: Tony Rolle
  • Publication number: 20120173578
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing e-book contents. A method for registering content information includes performing a content path setting process to set a path for an access to contents. The method also includes performing a content information setting process to acquire information related to the contents. The method further includes performing a content database searching process to search whether there is a database record similar to the information. The method still further includes performing a content classification code setting process to set a content classification code for the contents if the search result is that the contents are not registered or are stored as an unclassified value. The method also includes performing a content database updating process to update the content classification code in a content database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Cheol-Ho Cheong
  • Publication number: 20120173577
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide for systems and methods for creating metadata associated with a video data. The metadata can include data about objects viewed within a video scene and/or events that occur within the video scene. Some embodiments allow users to search for specific objects and/or events by searching the recorded metadata. In some embodiments, metadata is created by receiving a video frame and developing a background model for the video frame. Foreground object(s) can then be identified in the video frame using the background model. Once these objects are identified they can be classified and/or an event associated with the foreground object may be detected. The event and the classification of the foreground object can then be recorded as metadata.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Pelco Inc.
    Inventors: Greg Millar, Farzin Aghdasi, Lei Wang
  • Publication number: 20120173576
    Abstract: The described implementations relate to patient identification. One implementation can acquire binary biometric data and structured data from a patient. This implementation can compare the acquired patient binary biometric data and structured data to binary biometric data and structured data associated with patient files in an electronic master patient index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Gillam, Jonathan A. Handler, Craig Feied, John C. Gillotte
  • Patent number: 8214393
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to integrated database deployment. In aspects, code corresponding to a software project and data that encodes database operations are placed in a deployment package. When executed in a first environment such as a development environment, the code is arranged to access a first database of the first environment. The database operations indicated in the package may be used to create and/or update a second database of a target entity such that the second database is consistent for use by the code after the code is installed on the target entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Vishal R. Joshi, Joseph M. Davis, Yugang Wang, Xinyang Qiu
  • Publication number: 20120158784
    Abstract: A method and system for image search, the method comprising: receiving an indication regarding at least one feature of at least one image from a collection of images; creating an updated search algorithm according to the indication; and providing an updated collection of images by using the updated search algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Inventors: Zigmund Bluvband, Sergey Porotsky, Alexander Dubinsky
  • Publication number: 20120158745
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for the discovery of semantics, relationships and mappings between data in different software applications, databases, files, reports, messages, or systems. In one aspect, semantics and relationships and mappings are identified between a first and a second data source. A binding condition is discovered between portions of data in the first and the second data source. The binding condition is used to discover correlations between portions of data in the first and the second data source. The binding condition and the correlations are used to discover a transformation function between portions of data in the first and the second data source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexander Gorelik, Lingling Yan
  • Patent number: 8204905
    Abstract: In various embodiments, systems and methods are provided that can facilitate searching for entities, such as rules, that apply to search criteria. The disclosed systems and methods can reduce some of the performance bottlenecks associated with, for example, rules-based search systems by using metadata. The metadata may be generated to reduce the size of information about a set of entities that is required to be searched. In some embodiments, the metadata may represent one or more tuple elements, such as keys and values of keys in key-value pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Justin Kuo, Ravi Tata, Manoj Arya, Justin Lin
  • Patent number: 8204872
    Abstract: A method for instantly expanding a keyterm is provided. According to the query term, a data search process is performed by several search engines. Several document snippets related to the query term are obtained from the search engines. A related term table containing several keyterms corresponding to each snippet is built up by analyzing each of the document snippet. According to a position relationship between the each keyterm and the query term in each snippet, a correlation calculation is performed for giving each keyterm a correlation value. A semantic merging process is performed to merge the correlation values of the keyterms with the same semantic meaning to be a correlation indicator. Some of the keyterms are determined to form a keyterm set of the query term.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Institute for Information Industry
    Inventors: Chang-Tai Hsieh, Chuo-Yen Lin, Chia-Yuan Yang, Shih-Chun Chou
  • Publication number: 20120150911
    Abstract: A technique utilizes a search query having a set of clauses. The technique involves displaying, by a processor, the set of clauses of the search query onto an electronic display. Each clause includes a selection cell describing a selectable operation. The technique further involves receiving, by the processor, a mouse click input from a mouse apparatus. The mouse click input includes coordinates identifying a location that resides within the selection cell of a particular clause. The technique further involves change, by the processor, the selectable operation described by the selection cell of the particular clause between an editing operation and a Boolean operation in response to the mouse click input. Such a technique minimizes user typing and navigation demands, and offers a compact format and considerable power and flexibility when constructing and/or editing a search query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: IRON MOUNTAIN INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Louis Arquie, Greg Neustaetter
  • Patent number: 8199643
    Abstract: A method for allocating resources includes receiving one or more parameters associated with an object of interest. At least one of the parameters corresponds to a probability that the object of interest is participating in a predetermined situation of interest. The method also includes calculating a plurality of values, based at least in part on the parameters, and selecting, based at least in part on the calculated values, one or more operations to be performed involving the object of interest. In addition the method includes generating an instruction based at least in part on the operation to be performed transmitting the instruction to an operational resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Hirsch, David M. Sudit, Rakesh Nagi
  • Publication number: 20120143915
    Abstract: A method to detect video copying based on content. The method comprises providing a set of reference data elements derived from a set of reference video frames in a reference video stream; providing a set of query data elements derived from a set of query video frames in a query video stream, each of the query data elements having a corresponding query data element identifier; associating with each of the reference data elements a fingerprint selected from among the query data element identifiers; and determining a similarity measure for the query video stream relative to the reference video stream by a comparison of the query data element identifiers to the fingerprints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: CRIM (CENTRE DE RECHRCHE INFORMATIQUE DE MONTREAL)
    Inventors: Vishwa N. Gupta, Parisa Darvish Zadeh Varcheie
  • Patent number: 8195684
    Abstract: In an information/call center where calls are received, requesting information concerning entities, goods and services, directions to a given destination, etc., data is collected in processing such calls. In accordance with the invention, the collected data is analyzed to generate dynamic data to supplement and/or improve the traditional databases, typically searched by an operator for responses to the information requests. In providing a public information assistance service, such dynamic data may concern, e.g., the most popular movies, restaurants, requested categories, etc. In providing a personalized information assistance service, such dynamic data may concern, e.g., previous telephone connections made for a subscriber, the most popular telephone connections requested by a subscriber, etc. In addition, based on the past search behavior, “fuzzy” logic is developed for correlating between search terms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Grape Technology Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Elsey, Karen L. Johnson, Timothy A. Timmins
  • Patent number: 8195672
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for searching a repository of documents containing images using an image as a query. The present method enables the adjustment of a threshold level through a no-reference quality assessment of the query image which produces an estimated measure of quality for the image. For each image in each document in the repository, a distance is computed between a hash value of each image extracted from the document and the hash value of the query image. Documents are flagged as possible matches if the computed distance is less than the adjusted threshold. Documents flagged as a result of the search are retrieved and provided to the user. The present method can be used along or as an adjunct to text-based search techniques. Other embodiments are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Vishal Monga
  • Publication number: 20120136897
    Abstract: A searching device that includes an input string acquisition unit that acquires an input string input by a user; a predicted candidate string extracting unit that extracts a predicted candidate string that begins with the input string; a deleted character determining unit that acquires a deleted character deleted from the input string, and that determines a deleted character position that is a character position of the deleted character in the input string; and a changing unit that, on the basis of the deleted character and the deleted character position, changes a priority of the predicted candidate string that begins with the input string from which the deleted character has been deleted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kawauchi
  • Publication number: 20120136896
    Abstract: A system and a method for imputing missing values and a computer program product thereof are applicable to a data matrix. The system includes a storage unit having the data matrix and a computing device. The computing device finds complete and incomplete data transactions from the data matrix, finds at least one target data transaction approximate to each incomplete data transaction from the complete data transactions, and obtains known data at corresponding positions to compute an initial estimated data to replace unknown data. Then, a correction data transaction containing the initial estimated data is selected from the incomplete data transactions, a rough set of the selected initial estimated data is found in a manner of grouping same data into one group, and a numerical value correlated to the initial estimated data is found and used to compute an imputed data, so as to impute the imputed data into the original estimated data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Shin-Mu TSENG, Bai-En SHIE, Ja-Hwung SU, Chih-Hua HSU
  • Publication number: 20120136898
    Abstract: A logical table definition is received as part of a database query within a distributed database system. A determination is made as to whether the received logical table definition matches a local logical table definition. The query is processed in response to determining that the received logical table definition matches the local logical table definition. The query is forwarded to at least one other distributed database node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Graham A. Bent, Patrick Dantressangle, David R. Vyvyan
  • Patent number: 8190647
    Abstract: A decision tree for classifying computer files is constructed. Computational complexities of a set of candidate attributes are determined. A set of attribute vectors are created for a set of training files with known classification. A node is created to represent the set. A weighted impurity reduction score is calculated for each candidate attribute based on the computational complexity of the attribute. If a stopping criterion is satisfied then the node is set as a leaf node. Otherwise the node is set as a branch node and the attribute with the highest weighted impurity reduction score is selected as the splitting attribute for the branch node. The set of attribute vectors are split into subsets based on their attribute values of the splitting attribute. The above process is repeated for each subset. The tree is then pruned based on the computational complexities of the splitting attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Shane Pereira, Zulfikar Ramzan, Sourabh Satish
  • Publication number: 20120130972
    Abstract: Concept disambiguation is provided for search queries by analyzing search results in conjunction with an ontology of concepts. An ontology of concepts is identified, and at least one document is associated with each concept. The document associated with a concept is representative of the concept and used to generate a concept signature. When a search query is received, it is processed to obtain search results. The search results are used to generate a search results signature, which is compared to the concept signatures to identify one or more concepts that are relevant to the search query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: DAVID AHN, MICHAEL PAUL BIENIOSEK, ANDREI PETER MAKHANOV, FRANCO SALVETTI, GIOVANNI LORENZO THIONE
  • Publication number: 20120124547
    Abstract: This disclosure provides various embodiments for searching one or more repositories hosting, storing, or maintaining a plurality of development artifacts. A search query for development artifacts is received through an interface of an integrated development environment, the search query identifying at least one search term. An index is used to identify a set of search results, the index identifying a plurality of development artifacts and including context data identifying, for each development artifact in the plurality of development artifacts, at least one attribute of the respective development artifact. The set of search results identify a subset of the plurality of development artifacts determined to potentially relate to the at least one search term. At least a portion of the set of search results are presented to a user, the listing including at least one development artifact in the subset of the plurality of development artifacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: SAP AG
    Inventor: Ralf Halbedel
  • Publication number: 20120124090
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products target content based on profiles. A content tag associated with a content item is received and compared to a profile tag. When no match occurs, and the user profile contains no more profile tags, then another content tag is retrieved and successively compared to the profile tags until a match occurs. A score is incremented when the match occurs, and the score is compared to a threshold value. When the score satisfies the threshold value, then the content item is appropriate for presentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: William R. Matz, Scott R. Swix
  • Patent number: 8180779
    Abstract: A computer system and method for validating data object classification and consolidation using external references. The external references may be web pages, product catalogs, external databases, URLs, search results provided by a search engine or subsets or combinations of any of these to validate a classification or consolidation of records. Embodiments validate a data object classification or consolidation decision by searching external data sources, such as databases, the Internet etc. for references to the transactional data object and determining a confidence level based on the original data object and the unstructured information reference, URL, or search result for example. Decisions may be verified or denied based on the comparison of the external references related to each data object. Embodiments of the invention save substantial labor in validating business data objects and make data more reliable across enterprise systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Yoram Horowitz, Avi Malamud
  • Publication number: 20120117115
    Abstract: A system and method for supporting targeted sharing and early curation of information is provided. A digital data item selection by a user within a personal information management client is identified. One or more documents in a shared information repository similar to the digital data item are recommended including selecting recommendation criteria. The recommendation criteria are applied to the digital data item and the one or more documents. The one or more documents satisfying the recommendation criteria are identified as the similar documents. The similar documents are displayed visually proximate to the digital data item in the personal information client. A selection of one of the similar documents is received and the selected similar document in the shared information repository is updated with the digital data item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: XEROX CORPORATION, PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Gregorio Convertino, Ed H. Chi, Benjamin Vincent Hanrahan, Nicholas Chi-Yuen Kong, Guillaume Bouchard, Cedric Philippe C. J. G. Archambeau
  • Patent number: 8176407
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media to compare values of a bounded domain are disclosed. A particular method includes, for each value in a bounded domain, determining a corresponding set of allowable errors associated with the value. The sets of allowable errors are stored at a memory. The method includes determining a comparison score between a first value of the bounded domain and a second value of the bounded domain based on a comparison of a first set of allowable errors corresponding to the first value and a second set of allowable errors corresponding to the second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Grant Dickinson
  • Publication number: 20120110016
    Abstract: An example method for mapping of medical code schemes includes processing a plurality of coded concepts to determine a potential match between a code from a first code scheme in the plurality of coded concepts and a code from a second code scheme in the plurality of coded concepts. The method includes assigning a probability to each potential match of a code from the first code scheme and a code from the second code scheme. The method includes generating an alphanumeric indication of the probability of each potential match between the first code scheme and the second code scheme from the plurality of coded concepts and generating a graphical representation of the plurality of coded concepts. The method includes outputting the alphanumeric indication and the graphical representation to a user and accepting user input to select a match between the first code scheme and the second code scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: John N. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20120110015
    Abstract: A method is described herein that includes receiving a query from a user at a computing device. The method also includes performing a search for one or more documents based at least in part upon the received query, wherein performing the search comprises causing a processor to perform the search through utilization of a search cache retained on the computing device, wherein the search cache comprises a results cache, an index cache, and a Boolean cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Suman Kumar Nath, Pavan Kumar Athivarapu
  • Publication number: 20120110017
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing search results in a plurality of tabs are described. In one example embodiment, a search term is received. In response, one or more keywords associated with the search term are obtained. Next, respective searches using respective keywords of the one or more keywords are performed to obtain respective results. The results are presented to a client machine for presentation. The presentation comprises a plurality of tabbed pages where each tabbed page of the plurality of tabbed pages including a respective keyword and a respective portion of the results corresponding to the respective keyword.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Huaping Gu, Neelakantan Sundaresan
  • Patent number: 8166057
    Abstract: A data providing apparatus for providing search result information corresponding to-be-searched data including a search query includes a storing part storing the to-be-searched data which has been non-reversibly encoded according to a predetermined method, and the search result information to be provided as a search result with respect to the to-be-searched data, in association with each other. A converting part of the apparatus non-reversibly encodes the search query according to the same method as the predetermined method. An obtaining part of the apparatus obtains the search result information which is associated with the non-reversibly encoded to-be-searched data, with the use of the non-reversibly encoded search query. A providing part of the apparatus provides the thus-obtained search result information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Ohguro
  • Patent number: 8166066
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for brokering information between a plurality of clients using identifiers defining a plurality of data constructs is disclosed. An exemplary method comprises accepting a new data construct from an authoring entity, assigning a globally unique identifier to the new data construct, storing the new data construct and the assigned globally unique identifier in a database, and brokering between the authoring entity and a second entity commercially distinct from the authoring entity to provide the second entity access to the new data construct by reference to the assigned globally unique identifier of the new data construct or to provide the authoring entity access to an at least one of a plurality of pre-existing data constructs for use with the new data construct by reference to a globally unique identifier of the existing data construct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Inventor: Baron R. K. Von Wolfsheild
  • Publication number: 20120096035
    Abstract: A system and method of conveying offers to a user in which at least one company is registered in a database on a first computer server and offering software is installed on a computer of the company. The offering software calculates a discount offer to be offered by the company and sends it to the first computer server, via a communication system. The method of the invention also includes installing monitoring software on a second computer server, so that the first computer server can monitor search queries of users received by the second computer server. When a search query sent by a user to the second computer server matches an offer stored on the first computer server, the matching offer is automatically sent to the second computer server via the communication system. This offer is then sent to the user who sent in the matching search query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventor: Donald Spector
  • Publication number: 20120096036
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that allow for indexing, processing, or both of information from physical media or electronic media, which may be received from a plurality of sources. In embodiments, a document file may be matched using pattern matching methods and may include comparisons with a comparison reference database to improve or accelerate the indexing process. In embodiments, information may be presented to a user as potential matches thereby improving manual indexing processes. In embodiments, one or more additional actions may occur as part of the processing, including without limitation, association additional data with a document file, making observations from the document file, notifying individuals, creating composite messages, and billing events. In an embodiment, data from a document file may be associated with a key word, key phrase, or word frequency value that enables adaptive learning so that unindexed data may be automatically indexed based on user interaction history.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventors: Michael John Ebaugh, Matthew Joseph Morvant
  • Publication number: 20120096033
    Abstract: Methods, systems, algorithms, and media are provided for disambiguating entities present in a received search query. Lists of categories from semi-structured data from external sites as well as internal sources are used to detect if ambiguity exists in an entity within the search query. Multiple senses or categories of the ambiguous entity are determined by ascertaining the primary intent of an entity extracted from a main term of a document. The probability of each sense is calculated by computing a total amount of traffic received for each of the senses of the ambiguous entity. The sense with the highest amount of computed traffic is the most probable determined sense.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: SARTHAK DEEPAK SHAH, TABREEZ GOVANI, FARID HOSSEINI
  • Publication number: 20120096032
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, system, and/or computer program product defines a paradigmatic member of a first task directed community. Non-linear attributes of each member of the first task directed community having a first agenda are identified. Each of the non-linear attributes is individually unrelated to the first agenda. Common non-linear attributes shared by multiple members of the first task directed community are identified for use in defining the paradigmatic member of the first task directed community. A second task directed community, which has an agenda that substantially matches the first agenda of the first task directed community, is then presented with candidate members that match the paradigmatic member of the first task directed community.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul L. BRACKETT, Robert R. FRIEDLANDER, Anne O. JACKSON, James R. KRAEMER
  • Publication number: 20120096034
    Abstract: Method for automatically generating a text portion applicable to a customer for at least one product, characterized in that it includes at a server side based on a plurality of data. According to the invention, rules data are processed so that a reduced rule is obtained and further used for generating the text portions with an engine dedicated to this task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventors: Christophe Gavrel, Martine Seno, Juan Jose Embid Andres, Herve Prezet
  • Patent number: 8161062
    Abstract: A method of analyzing customer behavior, where customers are engaged in customer-to-customer transactions in the third-party network, includes the transformation of data representing the customer-to-customer transactions from a data representation to a network representation, and then analyzing the network representation. The network representation includes a set of nodes and a set of links where each node represents a customer and each link represents a transaction between two of the customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Mantas, Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, Steven Kirk Donoho
  • Publication number: 20120089644
    Abstract: Linking data items describing a person into a single, unified contact entry without merging the data items. The data items include, for example, contact data, social network data, and other data describing the person. The contact entry is a single representation of the person that, in some embodiments, combines a plurality of personas of the person without merging the underlying data items. Metadata representing one or more contact entries is capable of being shared across a plurality of devices and applications such that a user is presented with a consistent contact list on different devices and from within different applications. In some embodiments, the user annotates one or more of the contact entries with notes or other data that is stored with the metadata.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chani Ayn Doggett, Gregory Alan Howard, Rebecca Anne Muraira, James Chun-Yuan Lee, Kenneth Wolfe, Naud Frijlink, Christer Garbis
  • Patent number: 8150874
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, computer-readable medium and system for deciding which external corpora, such as verticals, to integrate into primary Internet search engine results in response to a query is disclosed. Offline query-related data and user feedback data is incorporated. A probabilistic estimate is formed of the relevance of the verticals to the query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando Diaz
  • Patent number: 8150823
    Abstract: The present invention provides a search apparatus, method and program using a public search engine, which is capable of acquiring necessary information without allowing confidential information to be inferred. Input of a desired search word comprising characters is received, and characters are extracted from the search word. Multiple character strings comprising the extracted characters are generated. A word is selected as a noise word, and characters are selected from the noise word. A noise character string comprising the extracted characters is generated. A query is generated by combining the character strings and noise character strings, and is transmitted to the search engine. A search is performed by use of the search word over a search result transmitted from the search engine in reply to the query, and the search result is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuo Hamano, Shinya Kawanaka, Naruaki Masuno, Yoshitaka Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20120078902
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for conducting questions and answers with deferred type evaluation based on any corpus of data. The method includes processing a query including waiting until a “Type” (i.e. a descriptor) is determined AND a candidate answer is provided. Then, a search is conducted to look (search) for evidence that the candidate answer has the required Lexical Answer Type (e.g., as determined by a matching function that can leverage a parser, a semantic interpreter and/or a simple pattern matcher). Prior to or during candidate answer evaluation, a process is provided for extracting and storing collections of entity-type pairs from semi-structured text documents. During QA processing and candidate answer scoring, a process is implemented to match the query LAT against the lexical type of each provided candidate answer and generate a score judging a degree of match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pablo A. Duboue, James J. Fan, David A. Ferrucci, James W. Murdock, IV, Christopher A. Welty, Wlodek W. Zadrozny
  • Patent number: 8145650
    Abstract: The present invention related to monitoring internet traffic for illegal Intellectual Property transfers, viruses, criminal and other illegal activities. It also assists the Internet search engine providers in generating fast and accurate responses to Internet Recipient (IR) database queries. A massively parallel network of processing units residing within a single programmable ASIC device assures speeds in excess of 100 Gigabits/second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Inventors: Stanley Hyduke, Slawek Grabowski, Maciej Bis, Jacek Majkowski
  • Patent number: 8145669
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for representing probabilistic data using a probabilistic histogram are disclosed. An example method comprises partitioning a plurality of ordered data items into a plurality of buckets, each of the data items capable of having a data value from a plurality of possible data values with a probability characterized by a respective individual probability distribution function (PDF), each bucket associated with a respective subset of the ordered data items bounded by a respective beginning data item and a respective ending data item, and determining a first representative PDF for a first bucket associated with a first subset of the ordered data items by partitioning the plurality of possible data values into a first plurality of representative data ranges and respective representative probabilities based on an error between the first representative PDF and a first plurality of individual PDFs characterizing the first subset of the ordered data items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Graham Cormode, Antonios Deligiannakis, Minos Garofalakis, Andrew Iain Shaw McGregor
  • Publication number: 20120072458
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a search keyword list are provided. The search keyword list providing system includes an initial letter receiving unit to receive at least one initial letter from a user terminal; a list providing unit to provide a first search keyword list that contains at least one automatically completed search keyword related to the at least one initial letter; and a middle letter receiving unit to receive a middle letter related to any one of the at least one initial letter from the user terminal, wherein the list providing unit provides the user terminal with a second search keyword list that contains at least one automatically completed search keyword related to the at least one initial letter and the middle letter when receiving the middle letter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: NHN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dong Wook KIM, Gun Han PARK
  • Publication number: 20120072456
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for allocating computing resources to process a plurality of data streams. A system for allocating resources to process a plurality of data streams. The system includes, but is not limited to: a memory device and a processor being connected to the memory device. The system receives at least one query from a user. The system obtains at least one sub-query associated with the at least one query. The system identifies at least one data stream associated with the at least one sub-query. The system computes at least one probability that the at least one sub-query is true. The system assigns the computing resources to process the data streams according to the computed probability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Parijat Dube, Ankit Jain, Zhen Liu, Cathy Honghui Xia
  • Publication number: 20120072457
    Abstract: A fuzzy, or ambiguous, keyword searching process and systems for implementing the fuzzy keyword searching process are provided. In general, one or more keyword search terms are first identified for a search. Next, a user is enabled to adjust a logical fuzziness, or logical ambiguity, for each of the one or more keyword search terms. As used herein, logical fuzziness of a keyword search term refers to the extent to which associated keywords are considered for the search. In one embodiment, the user may also be enabled to view and adjust keyword associations for each of the keyword search terms. A search is then performed based on the one or more keyword search terms and the logical fuzziness of the one or more keyword search terms, and results of the search are presented to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: ABO ENTERPRISES, LLC
    Inventor: Scott Curtis
  • Patent number: 8139731
    Abstract: A pharmacy Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system can identify a targeted message for playing to a caller using criteria that are based on a prescription number that is provided by the caller. The functionality of an IVR system can thereby be enhanced to provide targeted educational messages concerning the pharmaceutical prescription, targeted messages that indicate alternative medications that may substituted for the pharmaceutical prescription, targeted messages that identify other items that may be desired, targeted messages that solicit participation in a study related to the pharmaceutical prescription and/or other targeted messages. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ateb, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis M. DiVenuta, Frank Sheppard, Jeffrey L. Slater
  • Patent number: 8140494
    Abstract: Techniques are provided that enable the display of full text index-ability, indexing, and container extraction status of files in a collection repository in connection with content management. Further, techniques are provided that: guarantee the user knows which files failed to index and explode and which files are not indexable; tell the user which files have not been indexed yet, so they are not omitted from the analysis; allow users to work on the collected files without waiting for maximum possible indexing period; allow users to start working immediately on collected content; allow for displaying indexing and extraction status information relevant only to the search query; allow for automatic and manual update of a list of un-indexable file types; and allow for informing users about the processing status of a collection by sending notifications, displaying alerts, and providing appropriate views.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Pierre Raynaud-Richard, Andrey Pogodin