Abstract: The present invention provides a system and a method for mining a new kind of association rules called disjunctive association rules, where the antecedent or the consequent of a rule may contain disjuncts of terms (XY or X⊕Y). Such rules are a natural generalisation to the kind of rules that have been mined hitherto. Furthermore, disjunctive association rules are generalised in the sense that the algorithm also mines rules which have disjunctions of conjuncts (C(AB)(DE)). Since the number of combinations of disjuncts is explosive, we use clustering to find a generalized subset. The said clustering is preferably performed using agglomerative clustering methods for finding the greedy subset.

Abstract: In a compiler or program proving or verification software code, it is often useful to analyse a computer program and one way in which this might be partially achieved is by comparing algebraic expressions to see if they are equivalent, i.e. to see if they are derivable from a common template or function definition. Herein a string matching and replacement algorithm is used to compare two functions. Initially, each expression is converted to a “reduced” form by reference to a set of standard rules so as, for example, to ensure that terms comprising the same variables are combined. The variables names in each term are then replaced with symbols to produce, for each expression, a corresponding character string which, arranged in a predetermined order, are compared to determine equivalence of the expressions. To achieve this, a matrix M is formed with entries corresponding to the symbols and the matrix elements are incremented according to pre-set rules.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for passing parameters to a procedure characterized in that it uses an invocation map data structure to pass parameters to the procedure without using the stack, for more efficient operation. The instant invention also provides a computer program product for carrying out the instant invention.

Abstract: Searching online catalog databases by shoppers is improved by performing similarity searching on searches performed by the shopper, in conjunction with adjusting the similarity metric used during the search to interactively improve the relevance of the resulting search results to the shopper. This involves using relevance feedback and/or product redefinition to learn the “implied concept” of the shopper's stated product requirements; that is, the quality of the search results is enhanced through understanding the concept implied by the shopper's queries by, for example, learning from the product results marked as “relevant” or “irrelevant” by the shopper. This approach is in contrast with attempts to enhance search results using, for example, the shopper's past orders or previous actions, or the past orders or previous actions of other shoppers who may have a purchase history similar to that of the current shopper.

Abstract: A client-server computing system is disclosed for supporting relational database records and linked external files. The system comprises one or more servers for storing external files, and a plurality of clients interlinked by a network. Each of the servers and certain of the clients have respective filter layers for controlling servicing of application requests relating to external files, for any application command of a protected class relating to an external file made to a client having a filter layer, the respective client filter layer determines the presence of a valid user token associated with the command, then passes the command to a server across the network. The server filter layer, if it recognizes the command, causes the command to be serviced by the server.

Abstract: The present invention provides Performance groups based Simulated Annealing (PGSA) for VLSI circuit placement. This method reduces the computation time required for VLSI circuit placement using Simulated Annealing by reducing the size of the placement problem by forming Performance groups while maintaining a high quality of the final placement solution. Performance groups are formed by picking circuits connected by a net and counting their local-net-count. These circuits are then grouped based on certain pre-determined conditions and placed suitably using simulated annealing based placement approach.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method, apparatus and program product for transmitting email to selected recipients defined by one or more aliases in identified lists of recipients, by providing transmission control directives given by the user, parsing the said directives, expanding aliases wherever necessary and applying each directive to the identified lists of recipients.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for executing procedure calls, such as procedure calls in the C programing language. For a procedure call, reference parameters are identified, and replaced by respective scalar variables. The scalar values are propagated to a call site and directly accessible by the calling procedure body. As such, the scalar variables are global in scope.

Abstract: A computer method, system and program product for debugging and/or monitoring an instruction set and having an improved breakpoint handling mechanism involving a hardware debug register set (or like breakpoint register means). Instead of patching a break instruction into a debuggee instruction sequence, re-inserting the original instruction and then single stepping through that instruction before replacing it with the patch, the original instruction is left in place and continuous execution is resumed. Before resuming however, the breakpoint register is set so that the break instruction can be re-applied while a flag (eg the Intel RF flag) is set so as to prevent a hardware break before that is desired.

Abstract: An impact sensor for indicating exposure of an electronic equipment to a predetermined impact force is described. The impact sensor has a hollow case, a mass within the case, and a number of wire filaments supporting the mass within the case. Exposure of the sensor to the predetermined impact force results in a force acting on the mass sufficient to cause at least one of the filaments to break. The breaking of at least one of the filaments indicates to a repairer that the electronic equipment has been exposed to the predetermined impact force.

Abstract: Master-Slave Queue-State-Dependent Packet Scheduling Policies use the information about Master and Slave queues to achieve better system performance. The scheduling methodology is implemented at the Master and therefore has access to information about the Master queues. Different kinds of information about the queues such as backlog, size, delays can be used.

Abstract: An additional bit is used in a binary register for detecting register contents in timing and counting applications. A predetermined timing or counting event occurs when the additional bit changes logical states. In one implementation, an additional bit is provided in the most significant bit (MSB) position in a binary register, and is initially set to a logical zero state. When the values in the binary register decrement to zero, the additional (MSB) bit changes logic states to a logical one state, when the zero value in the binary register is decremented in the next clock cycle. A determination is consequently made that the binary register has reached zero.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for optimising a bus in a Processor Local Bus (PLB) system are disclosed. A master engine performs a transfer transaction of N bytes of data on the bus of the PLB system. A type of read or write data transfer to be performed by the master engine is determined to optimize operation of the bus in response to a transfer request received asynchronously from a device coupled to the bus. This involves a request type determination function. Data is asynchronously transferred using a FIFO between the device and the bus dependent upon the determined type of transfer.

Abstract: A method and system for analysing software to estimate the cost of production, development and maintenance of computer applications. Unlike previous proposals for such analysis, where the primary measured parameters are the numbers of lines of code and function points, the inventive method identifies high complexity software segments arising from specific discontinuities in execution of the program, ie points at which the program has to, in effect, make decisions. These items are assigned complexity indices which may be summed to give an overall complexity value for the program or the indices may be displayed as a histogram showing the complexity distribution of the program.

Abstract: Media Access Control (MAC) Scheduling for Quality of Service (QoS) uses the bandwidth and delay requirements of a connection to calculate the polling interval, which is the maximum time that the scheduler can be away from the connection. The methodology involves deadline-based scheduling and adapts deadlines based on the number of packets actually arriving to take advantage of any excess bandwidth that is available.

Abstract: Password entry is done by displaying to a user distinct codes corresponding to characters in the user's password. The user then serially enters codes corresponding to characters while concealing the entry. Only a limited number of keys are used for password entry. In one example, two keys, a “HIT” key and a “NEXT” key, are provided within a concealing hood, and the password in entered serially as a number of “HIT” key hits. The user is prompted to enter digits corresponding to symbols of his or her password with a display of unique m-ary number codes assigned mutually exclusively to different characters. The scheme can be easily implemented in existing computer systems entirely through a conventional ASCII keyboard or mouse, by using adjacent keys on the keyboard or left and right mouse buttons. As the method requires only a few keys, concealing the keys to prevent viewing of key entry is possible.

Abstract: A dual master apparatus for mastering a Processor Local Bus (PLB), which is a high-performance, on-chip bus used in many System on Chip (SOC) applications, supporting up to 16 masters. The apparatus includes a first circuit for generating an address phase for read data coupled to the PLB, and a second circuit for generating an address phase for write data coupled to the PLB. The second address phase generating circuit is adapted to carry out a write operation when the write data bus is idle and the read data bus is busy, and vice versa. The first and second address phase generating circuits can simultaneously process read and write requests. The apparatus also may include circuits for handling read and write data coupled to the first and second address generating circuits, respectively. Further, the apparatus may include circuits for requesting read and write data coupled to the read- and write-data handling circuits, respectively.

Abstract: A remedial method (200) and apparatus (100) is described, by which unit information can be documented in a computer program. A set of user-supplied precompiler directives is added to the computer program that is to be converted, in which a preferred set of units, called primary units, are prescribed. A precompiler tool performs a conversion of a unit to its corresponding unit in the preferred set of units.

Abstract: A user at a client machine can customize components of a database search performed at a server. The user does this by sending executable code to the database server. Software code runs as middleware on the database server machine to communicate between the database server and the client and performs the functions of supplying the client with vital information required for generating code which will be used for customizing various processes of the database retrieval session. Typically, the server comprises a set of database servers and the middleware runs on each database server machine to communicate between the database servers and the client. The middleware provides a virtual machine on which the user-supplied code written in a virtual machine language is executed, giving a uniform interface across the set of database servers on which the same user-supplied code will be executed ensuring that the user-supplied code executes under database server specified access privileges.

Abstract: A method and apparatus minimize battery discharge of mobile communication devices in short range wireless radio communication networks by switching receiving antennas to minimize transmitted power for a mobile communication device. Multiple receiving antennas and at least one transmitting antenna are used. The receiving antennas are switched for each mobile communication device to minimize transmitted power required by a mobile communication device. Switching between receiving antennas is accomplished by measuring power of a signal received from a mobile communication device at each receiving antenna, and selecting a receiving antenna based on the measured power. A database of switchings is maintained for the mobile communication devices, and an initial selection of a receiving antenna is based on the last switching or a trend indicated by most recent switchings. Alternatively, the initial switching is to a centrally located receiving antenna.