Abstract: To efficiently search an evaluation result of a plurality of XPath expressions with respect to a data file such as an XML document: an evaluation result of an XPath expression is obtained by generating a data structure with a redundant element by evaluating what common part or dependency has been omitted from a plurality of XPath expressions to be evaluated, and then the data structure is used with respect to a data file to be processed.

Abstract: A method is provided for retrieving information from massive databases (i.e., databases with millions of documents) in real time, that allows users to control the trade-off between accuracy in retrieved results and response times. The method may be applied to databases with contents, i.e., documents which have been modeled with a clearly defined metric that enables computation of distances between any two documents, so that pairs of documents which are “closer” with respect to the metric are more similar than pairs of documents which are “further apart”. Our method can be applied to similarity ranking and/or can be combined together with other methods to increase the scalability of information retrieval, detection, ranking, and tracking.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for setting a transfer rate of information units in a variable data-rate transmission scheme for a wireless communication system is disclosed. For that, a total counter for counting a total number of received information units, an error counter for counting an error number of received invalid information units, a division unit for dividing the error number by the total number, and a decision unit for setting a transmission-rate parameter are utilizable. The division result is providable as a link-quality measure at an output of the division unit. This link-quality measure is comparable with at least one predefined value depending on the result of which, the transmission-rate parameter is setable.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for maintaining an organized and automated archiving and retrieval system including a personal bibliography of original documents or other original real objects as well as an electronic archive containing copies of such original real objects with guaranteed access. Essentially this is done by establishing a machine and/or human readable “unique identifier” (UID) distributed with each original real object, a so-called personal archive allowing a person (or a group of persons) to maintain a personal bibliography, a managed storage containing electronic copies of the distributed original real objects, and means for a controlled, but guaranteed access to the stored electronic copies.

Abstract: A technique is provided for automatically and visually generating a display rule for a structured document based on an exemplary operation. Base display rule generation means 21 generates a first display rule 29, which is a base, by using a document type definition 27 for a structured document 26 and a default generation rule 28 that is determined in advance. Display document generation means 22 employs the first display rule 29 and the structured document 26 to generate a first display document 30 and an element correlation file 31. Tie first display document 30 is edited in a display document visual editing environment 23, and a second display document 32 and an editing operation history file 33 are generated. Display rule updating means 24 refers to the second display document 32, the editing operation history file 33, the element correlation file 31 and the structured document 26 to generate a second display rule 34 that reflects the editing contents.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prepare information that is defined by a search query and the act of collecting and analyzing the information for a specific purpose, and to provide new information collection and analysis means for the management of knowledge. An information processing system includes: a data knowledge request processor and a data knowledge request log, for obtaining a log for operations performed during information processing; a knowledge search processor, for setting, as nodes on a graph, the operations of the log obtained by the data knowledge request processor and the data knowledge request log, and for connecting the nodes with arcs in the order of the performance of the operations to prepare a graph that represents a transient condition wherein the operations are shifted; and a knowledge synthesis/display processor, for visually presenting the graph prepared by the knowledge search processor.

Abstract: A computer system identifies a predicate in a computer language containing constant expressions as vacuous. The system identifies distinct variables contained in the predicate and represents the predicate by a set of bounding rectangles. The bounding rectangles are represented in a space having a number of dimensions equal to the number of variables. There are finite limits on dimensions of a bounding rectangle which represent the relationship between the variables in the predicate and the constant expressions in the predicate. The predicate is identified as vacuously FALSE where the set of bounding rectangles is empty.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus has a direct access non-volatile memory storage device having a plurality of extent files for storing log records therein; an allocating unit for allocating a current extent file to be used for storing log records; a writing unit for writing log records into the current extent file until the current extent file cannot store any further log records; and a key-pointing unit for performing a key-pointing operation on the written log records when the writing unit has reached the point where no further log records can be stored in the current extent file.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for scrolling database records, particularly in a client-server computing system, are disclosed. A database holds records, accessible by a server, that each include a unique identifier. A client requests the server to retrieve a set of database records. Records are retrieved from the database and stored on the server. The server determines an upper context token and a lower context token corresponding to the end records for a subset of those records. The upper and lower context tokens include a reference to the respective unique identifier. The first subset records is passed to the client for display. The client then makes a scrolling request by a previous or next subset of data, and passes the relevant upper or lower context token to the server.

Abstract: A text-mining system and method automatically extracts useful information from a large set of tree-structured data by generating successive sets of candidate tree-structured association patterns for comparison with the tree-structured data. The number of times is counted that each of the candidate association patterns matches with a tree in the set of tree-structured data in order to determine which of the candidate association patterns frequently matches with a tree in the data set. Each successive set of candidate association patterns is generated from the frequent association patterns determined from the previous set of candidate association patterns.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computerized method for data mining for association rules and/or sequential patterns in a multitude of records. The invention is applicable to records that include a transaction-identification and at least one transaction-item with a corresponding item-type, wherein the multitude of records include transaction-items to be mined having different item-types. The method further includes a preprocessing step for transforming each record into one or more transaction-records in transaction-format. For each transaction-item to be data mined in a record, a transaction-record is generated and the transaction-record includes at least the transaction-identification of the record and an encoded transaction-item. The encoded transaction-item encodes the transaction-item and its corresponding item-type into one value.

Abstract: In a graphical application which allows an image to be displayed according to a display scale, a method of adjusting the display scale during modification of the image. The method responds to user selection of a modification to be performed on the image by storing the current display scale. Then the current display scale is automatically adjusted during modification of the image and in response to user completion of the modification the stored display scale is automatically returned. In a preferred embodiment, the velocity of a pointing device is measured and the display scale is adjusted as a function of the velocity of the pointing device during graphical modification and before the display of the image is re-centered on the pointing device position.

Abstract: A superior graphic processing device is provided that performs parallel and fast edge function processing for coverage calculations during an anti-aliasing process. The edge function for each sub-pixel of a pixel can be described separately for the base edge function Bef concerning pixel coordinates, and the sub-edge function Sef concerning sub-pixel references, and when the sum of the values for the edge functions Bef and Sef is substituted as a variable for evaluation function LineIOcheck, whether a sub-pixel is located above, below, or on an edge line can be determined. &Dgr;x<<x and &Dgr;y<<y are established, the value of the sub-edge function Sef being considerably smaller than that of the base edge function Bef. When a plurality of relatively small Sef processing units are provided relative to one relatively large Bef processing unit, an LSI can be designed that integrates in a small area and that has the same coverage calculation capability.

Abstract: A multi-layer entry field is disclosed comprising a number of layers including a base plane, a field prompt layer, a Help Prompt layer, a layer displaying the data entered, and an error message layer. The layers are displayed superimposed on one another to reduce the screen area required to display the entry-field and its associated information, making the invention especially useful for Palmtop computers.

Abstract: Memory management to support calls between objects in language environments support automatic garbage collection and language environments requiring explicit control of object destruction is provided. Reference counting is used to automatically control the lifetime of objects requiring explicit destruction and that are to be accessible across the language boundary. A data structure is maintained in a runtime component for each object that is accessed over a language boundary. The reference count for each non-garbage collected object is incremented by the runtime in accordance with the number of cross-language references held to it. When the count reaches zero through decrements as the references are returned and destroyed, the non-garbage collected object can be safely and automatically destroyed. The runtime creates a strong reference to any garbage collected object accessed by a cross-language call.

Abstract: A component of a data clusterer is used to determine a conditional probability density of an object (data point) lying in a cluster. The object has a discrete ordinal attribute value within a finite range of attribute values. The conditional probability density for the discrete ordinal attribute is a function of an integral of a conditional probability function across a sub-range of the discrete ordinal attribute range of values, the sub-range comprising an upper bound and a lower bound bounding the discrete ordinal attribute value.

Abstract: Magnetic characterization of the magnetic field emanating from an RWH device is presented using a magnetostrictive layer as a probe between the device and the scanned SFM tip. The findings suggest a very promising technique to resolve magnetic fields laterally at least in the 100 nm realm. Other magnetosensitive properties such as the magnetoelastic and the piezomagnetic effect can be used in a similar way to infer magnetic characteristics of microstructures or of magnetic multilayers.

Abstract: To make window systems which are widely used in personal computers and applications for personal computers operable in a portable information terminal which does not have a sufficient processing capability, input information such as a key input from operator generated in a portable information terminal 210 is sent to a remote supporting server 240 where it executes or simulates an arbitrary window system which is free from restriction of functions to generate a rendering image. The supporting server then converts the rendering image to an image suitable to the portable information terminal and sends it back to the portable information terminal 210 as a rendering instruction. The portable information terminal 210 receives the rendering instruction of this optimized image for display.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic method of computerized optimization of a technical system like for instance routing systems such as a transportation routing system or a communication network. The invention teaches an optimization method of a technical system comprising new ruin- and recreate-steps operating on the state-variables of a current system state. The ruin-step destroys the current state in a “larger” extend and thus introduces increased freedom for the recreate-step to create a new state. This allows for recalculating a new state in accordance with additional constraints which also improves a quality measure of the state; i.e. every recalculated state always fulfills the additional constraints. Moreover, the recreate-step is not guided by the values of said destroyed state variables, which opens a larger space for determining a new state.

Abstract: Improved conductors and superconducting magnets are described utilizing superconducting materials exhibiting critical field anisotropy. This anisotropy is one in which the ability of the superconductor to stay in a superconducting state depends on the orientation of a magnetic field applied to the superconductor with respect to the direction of current flow in the superconductor. This anisotropy is utilized in the design of conductors and magnet windings comprising the superconductive material and specifically is directed to magnet windings in which the direction of high critical current through the superconductor is parallel to the magnetic field produced by current in these windings in order to obtain high critical fields. Particularly favorable examples of a superconducting material are the so-called high Tc superconductors in which the primary supercurrent flow is confined to 2 dimensional Cu—O planes.