Abstract: A method for performing speech synthesis on textual content at a client. The method includes the steps of: performing speech synthesis on the textual content based on a current acoustical unit set Scurrent in a corpus at the client; analyzing the textual content and generating a list of target units with corresponding context features, selecting multiple acoustical unit candidates for each target unit according to the context features based on an acoustical unit set Stotal that is more plentiful than the current acoustical unit set Scurrent in the corpus at the client, and determining acoustical units suitable for speech synthesis for the textual content according to the multiple unit candidates; and updating the current acoustical unit set Scurrent in the corpus at the client based on the determined acoustical units.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reliable mashup. The method includes the steps of: intercepting a data update request submitted by a client browser to one or more of a plurality of services for providing mashup page data; performing consistency validation on the data update request using consistency rules; and, in response to a successful validation, forwarding the data update request to the one or more of the plurality of services.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for selecting an answer to a natural language question. The method includes: detecting a named entity in the natural language question; extracting information related to an answer from the natural language question; searching in linked data according to the detected named entity; generating a candidate answer according to a search result; parsing the candidate answer according to the information related to the answer; and obtaining a value of a feature of the candidate answer; and evaluating each candidate answer by synthesizing the value of the feature of the candidate answer.

Abstract: A method for caching terminology data, including steps of: receiving a terminology request; determining that the terminology request is related to at least one uncached terminology concept; retrieving a complete concept set of the terminology concept as a cache unit, wherein the complete concept set includes the terminology concept, all other terminology concepts which are directly correlated or indirectly correlated through a non-transitive relationship to the terminology concept, properties of each terminology concept, and the non-transitive relationship between each terminology concept; retrieving transitive relationship information for the complete concept set, the transitive relationship information at least including identifiers of terminology concepts which are correlated through the transitive relationship to each terminology concept in the complete concept set; and caching the cache unit and the transitive relationship information of the cache unit. A corresponding device caches terminology data.

Abstract: System and method for querying of contact information are disclosed. An aspect of the invention includes a method for querying contact information. The method includes receiving a query language including relationship information of a plurality of contacts with unknown contact information. The method further includes acquiring a query request, wherein acquiring the query request includes parsing the query language according to a query language syntax. The method further includes querying contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information in at least one directory to obtain the contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information requested in the query request. The method further includes returning the contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information requested in the query request.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for supporting communication among users. The system includes a storage device for storing, a search unit for searching, and a selection unit for reading and then selecting a communication means to be used in the communication between the first and second users. The method and computer program product for supporting communication among users includes the steps of searching, reading and then selecting a communication means to be used in the communication between the first and second users.

Abstract: A system for parallel flow-awared pattern matching and a method thereof for performing distributed detection for incoming flows are provided. The system includes a pattern-set-partitioner for partitioning a pattern set for pattern matching into a number of pattern subsets in advance, a plurality of pattern matching engines, and a scheduler. The pattern matching engines each perform pattern matching for the incoming flows. The scheduler selects a number of pattern matching engines equal to the number of the partitioned pattern subsets from all the pattern matching engines and allocates pattern matching tasks, each performing flow matching against one pattern subset, to the selected pattern matching engines. With the system and method of the present invention, distributed detection can be performed by partitioning rules/pattern set to realize load-balancing parallel flow-awared pattern matching.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable article of manufacture for tracing, on the basis of a key, an index created using a tree structure to access data. The method includes: searching the tree structure to reach a target node that can be associated with the key without acquiring a lock on the root node and on an internal node; setting the target node as a current node when the target node is a leaf node; moving the search to a node at a lower layer when the target node is an internal node by tracing an edge in the tree structure to reach a leaf node and setting the leaf node as the current node; and associating the key with the leaf node specified as the current node by acquiring a lock on the leaf node specified as the current node, thereby accessing the data.

Abstract: A mapping language, insertable into a DTD, allows automatic mapping from data sources into XML. A mapping results from the establishment of a correspondence between entities in a data source on the one hand and lists and scalars on the other hand. The language maps the lists and scalars to XML elements and attributes. The mapping language includes two constructs: the binding specification and the value specification. The value specification associates with a value or choice declaration. The binding specification includes at least one variable/expression pair. The constructs are insertable into a DTD to create an annotated DTD.

Abstract: A system and method for rapidly transmitting a large volume of e-mails. Based on domain names obtained from destination mailing addresses, a server 10 for a sender sorts e-mails to be transmitted, generates transfer data for each domain name by grouping e-mail data, and uses FTP to transmit the transfer data to servers 30 for distributors whose domain names correspond to those for which the transfer data were generated. At this time, compression is effective for improving the transmission of the transfer data. The server 30, upon receiving transfer data, analyzes the received transfer data to obtain the data for individual e-mails, and distributes the e-mail data to the mail boxes of individual recipients.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solar cell. The method includes the steps of providing a substrate, applying a first dopant to a first surface, applying a second dopant to a second surface, covering the doped first surface with a hard mask, applying a third dopant to the substrate side, removing the hard mask, applying a pattern of first electrical contacts to the doping pattern, and applying a pattern of second electrical contacts to the doped second surface, the pattern of second electrical contacts and the doping pattern being straight-lined opposed.

Abstract: A continuously tunable inductor with an inductive-capacitive (LC) voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) having a primary coil. The inductor includes a separate isolated secondary coil, a set of transistors composing a closed loop with the secondary coil, a magnetic coupling between the primary coil of the LC VCO and the secondary coil, an electrical coupling between the LC VCO and the set of transistors composing a closed loop with the secondary coil, and means for electric current injection into the closed loop. Such an inductor can be tuned by modulating a mutual inductance, which is magnetically and electrically coupled with the LC VCO by injection of an electric current (I0).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting L-bit sync words occurring at N-bit intervals in PPM-encoded servo pattern read signals read in magnetic tape drives. A soft output detector processes the PPM-encoded servo pattern read signal to produce a series of soft output samples corresponding to respective bits encoded in the servo pattern. A sync word detector then produces block correlation values for respective positions of a sliding L-sample block in the series of soft output samples by (i) calculating at each block position bit correlation values indicating correlation between respective samples and corresponding bits of the sync word and (ii) summing each bit correlation value minus a predetermined function of the corresponding sample value. The sync word detector then detects a sync word at the block position with the maximum block correlation value in an (N+L?1)-sample sequence of the series of soft output samples.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of reducing the wear of a tip of a probe when the tip is in contact with a surface of a substrate and when the probe is mounted on a support structure. A method is provided where a load force is applied to the probe, thereby causing the tip to be maintained substantially in contact with the substrate surface and a modulation step where the e magnitude of the load force is modulated at a modulation frequency. The modulation frequency is selected to be greater than a fundamental vibration frequency of the support structure on which the probe is mounted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for proving and a method and apparatus for verifying that a secret value is a member of a predetermined set of values. The proving mechanism receives a set of signatures which has respective values in the predetermined set signed using a private key. The proving mechanism sends to the verifying mechanism a commitment on the secret value of the proving mechanism. The proving mechanism and verifying mechanism then communicate to implement a proof of knowledge protocol demonstrating knowledge by the proving mechanism of a signature on the secret value committed to in the commitment, thus proving that the secret value is a member of the predetermined set.

Abstract: A method for monitoring data congestion in a computer network with multiple nodes and for controlling data transmission in the computer network. The method includes generating a congestion notification by the node which detects a data congestion and transmitting the congestion notification to the data source which is involved in the data congestion. The method also includes generating in the data source a congestion value which indicates how severe the data congestion is, and storing in a worst case array of the data source those congestion values which indicate the most severe data congestions.

Abstract: A method and device for optimizing queries over a vertically stored database. Items in the database are partitioned into several partitions each having a partition signature. The method includes decomposing a first query received from a user into multiple first subqueries; generating a signature for each first subquery in a way corresponding to the way of generating the partition signature; comparing the signature of each first subquery with partition signatures of all partitions respectively to obtain all partitions matching the first subquery; rewriting a second subquery translated from the first subquery based on the matching partitions to obtain a rewritten second subquery; and composing rewritten second subqueries for all first subqueries to form a second query so that queries are executed over the database using the second query.

Abstract: A programmable device including a source-drain-gate structure. The device includes two programming electrodes and an antiferromagnetic multiferroic material between the two programming electrodes for switching the spontaneous polarization between a first spontaneous polarization direction and a second spontaneous polarization direction. The programmable device further includes a ferromagnetic material, which is in immediate contact with the multiferroic material. Magnetization of the ferromagnetic material is switchable by a transition between the first switching state and the second switching state of the multiferroic material by an exchange coupling between electronic states of the multiferroic material and the ferromagnetic material. The programmable device also includes means for determining a direction of the magnetization of the ferromagnetic material. A spin valve effect is used for causing an electrical resistance between the source and the drain electrode.

Abstract: A network device including at least one rate-limited-queue and multiple timer modules, the network device being operable to receive and/or transmit data flows from and/or to a communication network. Each data flow includes multiple data packets. The network device being further operable to limit the predetermined transmission rate of the respective data flow dependent on whether a data congestion in the communication network has been indicated, in such a way, that in case of an indicated congested communication network a respective timer module is associated to each of the data flows and/or each group of data flows, whereas the data packets of the respective data flows and/or group of data flows are buffered in the rate-limited-queue. Each data packet in the rate-limited-queue is transmitted with a limited transmission rate predetermined by the respectively associated timer module when the data packet is at the head of the rate-limited-queue.

Abstract: A method for the fabrication of a semiconductor structure that includes areas that have different crystalline orientation and semiconductor structure formed thereby. The disclosed method allows fabrication of a semiconductor structure that has areas of different semiconducting materials. The method employs templated crystal growth using a Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS) growth process. A silicon semiconductor substrate having a first crystal orientation direction is etched to have an array of holes into its surface. A separation layer is formed on the inner surface of the hole for appropriate applications. A growth catalyst is placed at the bottom of the hole and a VLS crystal growth process is initiated to form a nanowire. The resultant nanowire crystal has a second different crystal orientation which is templated by the geometry of the hole.