Abstract: A replicated finite state machine lock service facilitates resource sharing in a distributed system. A lock request from a client identifies a resource and a lock-mode, and requests a leaseless lock on the resource. The service uses client instance identifiers to categorize requests as duplicate, stale, abandoned, or actionable. A lock may be abandoned when a client holding the lock goes down. After a per-client abandonment timer expires, the lock service may treat any exclusive lock granted to the client as abandoned, and treat any non-exclusive lock granted to the client as unlocked. The service tries to notify a lock-holding client if another client requests the same lock, and treats the lock as abandoned if the notification attempt fails. An abandoned read lock is granted to a different client on request. An abandoned write lock is granted or refused depending on whether the requesting client accepts abandoned write locks.

Abstract: A user-customized photo book includes a tailored intergenerational historic snapshot message which informs a younger person about the world an older person lived in when they were young. The older person's age and the younger person's age may be used to identify a historic time period in which the older person was the same age as the younger person. A circumstance which occurred in the historic time period may be selected from a database or web search result. The message may be tailored to the ages of the people involved. The message may also be tailored to recite circumstances specific to a topic area or a geographic location. The message may be used in the book's title, dedication, photo captions or watermarks, photo call-outs or other labels, narrative text, and back-cover summary, for example. Items other than photo books may also be customized with such a message.

Abstract: A digital VLSI circuit is provided with functions in which the number of switching operations to supply electric power to each arithmetic operation unit is reduced in a restricted period of time while electric power supply is controlled for each arithmetic operation unit, so that low power consumption can be achieved in real pipe-line arithmetic operation.

Abstract: Recorded user actions are combined with captured program status information to automatically generate test sequences which provide greater test coverage than a mere replayed script. A finite state machine is automatically constructed, based on the captured program status information and on user action groups specified by a tester. Test sequences based on the finite state machine are automatically built and executed, to exercise the program being tested.

Abstract: Transactional memory compatibility type attributes are associated with intermediate language code to specify, for example, that intermediate language code must be run within a transaction, or must not be run within a transaction, or may be run within a transaction. Attributes are automatically produced while generating intermediate language code from annotated source code. Default rules also generate attributes. Tools use attributes to statically or dynamically check for incompatibility between intermediate language code and a transactional memory implementation.

Abstract: A user node receives a multi-project solution which includes customizations that collectively extend installed applications. The customizations are installed on the user node as a single solution from an end-user perspective, e.g., by displaying a single progress update bar, displaying a single entry for the multi-project solution in an add/remove programs control, and making a single trust decision for the multi-project solution, as opposed to individual displays and individual trust decisions for each customization. Deployment may invoke an enhanced application manifest, an enhanced deployment manifest, or both.

Abstract: Compile-time context information is captured and provided to a runtime binder for dynamic features in programming languages. For example, a C# run-time binder uses the information to perform a run-time bind with semantics matching the compiler's binding behavior. Dynamic programming language features supported relate to compound operations, events, delegates, member accessibility, dynamic-typed objects, structs passed by ref, arguments passed by name rather than position, extension methods, conditionally compiled methods, literal arguments, overflow checking, dynamic indexed properties, dynamic method groups, and static method groups.

Abstract: A memory wherein the bit reliability of the memory cells can be dynamically varied depending on the application or the memory status, the operation stability is ensured, and thereby a low power consumption and a high reliability are realized. Either a mode (a 1-bit/1-cell mode) in which one bit is composed of one memory cell or a mode (a 1-bit/n-cell mode) in which one bit is composed of n (n is two or more) connected memory cells is dynamically selected. When the 1-bit/n-cell mode is selected, the read/write stability of one bit is enhanced, the cell current during read is increased (read is speeded up), and a bit error, if occurs, is self-corrected. Especially, a pair of CMOS transistors and a control line for performing control so as to permit the CMOS transistors to conduct are added between the data holding nodes of n adjacent memory cells. With this, the word line (WL) is controlled, and thereby the operation stability is further improved.

Abstract: Modified compilers and other development tools provide implied line continuation within a sequence of syntax tokens of a programming language grammar which includes multiple semantic contexts and which uses line termination as presumptive statement termination. When source code parsing encounters a line terminator adjacent a context-dependent implicit line continuation token in an associated semantic context, an explicit decision is made whether to imply line continuation. Line continuation may also be implied in response to other specified tokens.

Abstract: A tailored intergenerational historic snapshot message informs a younger person about the world an older person lived in when they were young. The older person's age and the younger person's age are used to identify a historic time period in which the older person was the same age as the younger person. A circumstance which occurred in the historic time period is selected from a database or web search result. The message is tailored to the ages of the people involved. The message may also be tailored to recite circumstances specific to a topic area or a geographic location.

Abstract: A large OLAP cube includes data and dimensions not required for a particular query, or for a collection of queries. A response to a query is generated by using the large OLAP cube rather than using an OLAP cube tailored to the query, and rather than querying the relational database directly. The large OLAP cube may be created after identifying a set of frequently sought data and/or filters used in queries to the relational database. Data may be staged by creating a smaller OLAP cube with data extracted from the large OLAP cube. The cubes may then be queried, browsed, and used to prepare reports or generate flat files.

Abstract: A transactional memory implementation is tested using an automatically generated test program and a locking memory model implementation which defines atomicity semantics. Schedules of the test program specify different interleavings of read operations and write operations of the test program threads. Executing the schedules under the locking memory model implementation provides legal final states of the shared variable(s). Executing the schedules under the transactional memory implementation produces candidate final states of the shared variable(s). If the candidate final states are also legal final states, then the transactional memory implementation passes the test.

Abstract: A debugger enhancement provides a debug-task-provider interface whose implementation includes routines designed to support debugging of programs that contain tasks written for a specific programming model. Task creation hierarchies, individual task properties, resource dependencies, synchronization dependencies, and other information can be made accessible during debugging, through a model-independent interface. In a multithreaded environment, a mapping between tasks and threads is also available.

Abstract: Targeted compression of strings is provided for XML and other documents using local tables whose scope need not align with syntactically well-formed document regions. The local table's scope is fixed (not sliding), and may be nested within other local table scopes. A string is nominated for inclusion, and record(s) are inserted in a document encoding to effect the nomination. The nominated string is placed in the local table in correspondence with a token identifier. During compression, reference(s) to the string's token identifier are included in the document encoding; during decompression the references are replaced by the string. The local table is deleted at the end of its scope. Tables may have multiple channels, with nominated strings placed in a channel based on frequency of references to the strings. The document encoding may include the local table(s), static table(s), and dynamic table(s) in a flat token value space.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and techniques for distinguishing a file from any or all copies of the file that may exist. One method ascertains (204) the actual physical location of the file (512) and associates (214) that physical location with the file as the claimed physical location (516) of the file. The file's originality status may then be determined (104) by finding (304) the location claim, reading (306) from it the claimed physical location associated with the file, ascertaining (308) the actual physical location of the file, and comparing (310) the locations. If the claimed and actual locations are identical, then the file is the original file it claims to be. If there is disparity between the claimed physical location recited for or by the file and the actual physical location of the file, then it is not the original file it claims to be.

Abstract: Policies and services facilitate sharing values between composition containers in an extensible application environment. A value resolver service receives a request from a value resolver which has a value resolution policy. The service identifies other value resolvers which have compatible policies, queries them consistent with the policies involved, obtains values, and supplies them to the requesting value resolver. The value resolution policy specifies an order for searching composition containers, and a visibility for sharing values between composition containers during value resolution; policies may depend on composition container scope. If value resolvers cannot provide values, the value resolver service invokes fault handlers.

Abstract: A large-area and high-luminance deep ultraviolet light source device is provided under circumstances where the scales of existing mercury lamps used as ultraviolet light sources cannot be reduced and light-emitting diodes of 365 nm or less do not reach the practical level. The deep ultraviolet light source device comprises at least an anode substrate having an ultraviolet phosphor thin film doped with rare-earth metal ions such as gadolinium (Gd) ions and containing with aluminum nitride as the host material, a cathode substrate having a field electron emission material thin film, a spacer for holding the anode substrate and the cathode substrate opposite to each other and maintaining the space between the substrates in a vacuum atmosphere, and a voltage circuit for applying an electric field to the space between the anode substrate and the cathode substrate.

Abstract: In a set of multilingual tiles, each tile bears a first character of a first language and also bears a second character of a second language. Tiles are positioned by players of a game, to form words in an inherently multilingual educational and entertainment experience. Tile characters are not mere transliterations of one another. The characters on a given tile may have different spatial orientations. Sometimes each player can make words only in one language, and different players try to make words in different languages. Sometimes a player gains points for words made in a language that is not the player's native language, and loses points for words made in a language that is the player's native language. Extra points may be awarded if tiles form multiple words in multiple languages, or if tiles form related words, namely, synonyms and/or antonyms.

Abstract: Restrictions are placed on the content of usernames and other online identifiers to help maintain the privacy of offline identities of online users. A proposed username is tested by comparing at least a portion of its content to a set of personal identification information tokens that reflect aspects of an offline identity. The username is accepted if it satisfies a predetermined privacy criterion, which is defined in terms of matches to the personal identification information tokens. The user may receive questions regarding a proposed username and its relation, if any, to the online user's offline identity. Answers to the questions can be used to create personal identification information tokens which are compared to the proposed username.

Abstract: An identification of a multi-component development artifact to be shared is obtained in a development environment. A remote receiver with whom to share components of the artifact is designated. Components of the artifact are shared with the remote receiver by automatically locating the components and sending the located components in a package with associated type descriptions. After the package is received, a check for conflicts is made, and acceptable components are merged into the local development environment.