Patents Examined by Angela Lie
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Patent number: 8112455Abstract: A method for creating a fort.22 input file is provided that comprises the steps of receiving a plurality of user parameters, the plurality of user parameters comprising one or more meteorological data sources, a defined date range, and a data processing request. Then, the one or more meteorological data sources are read for the defined date range. A properly formatted fort.22 file is prepared based on the reader data. Next, it is determined whether a data processing request is present, and if a data processing request is present, an extension/ramping processing program is performed. Finally, the fort.22 file is outputted to a user.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2009Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Cheryl A. Blain, Robert S. Linzell, Brett D Estrade
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Patent number: 8112428Abstract: A search results page contains images that are organized based on the visual features of those images; images that have common visual features are grouped together using either a folding or a reciprocal election technique. Images that pertain to a particular meaning of a query term are less likely to be scattered across the page. A group of images that have common visual features is represented on the page by a single representative image from that group. Consequently, space for more representative images becomes available on the image search results page. Thus, search results page contains visually diverse representative images; space on the results page is not wasted by repeatedly showing the same image. The initial image search results page also therefore is more likely to contain representative images that otherwise would have occurred too far down a relevance-ranked list to be included within the initial search results page.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: Reinier H. van Leuken, Roelof van Zwol
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Patent number: 8112414Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and system for reducing locking in materialized query tables (MQT) for distributive functions. The apparatus includes an insert module that inserts into an MQT table a child record when a new record is inserted into a base table associated with the MQT. The child record includes values associated with the insert operation. Also included is a delete module that inserts into the MQT a child record that includes measure values that are the negative of the measure values in the base table row that is the subject of the delete operation. An update module inserts two child rows into the MQT, one negating the affected record and the other adding the values of the update operation. Each inserted child row includes a unique identifier that relates the inserted row to a parent row. An execution module generates responses using the values indicated by the cumulative records in a family.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: James P. Bates, Jonathan Sloan, Calisto P. Zuzarte
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Patent number: 8108359Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprising identifying a tag, receiving a setting, and associating the setting with the tag. The tag may be associated with an object. The computer-implemented method may also comprise performing an action based on the setting, and the action may be performed with respect to the object. A computer-implemented method may comprise receiving a tag from a user interface, identifying a module, and associating the tag with a module. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2007Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Symantec CorporationInventors: Shaun Cooley, Keith Newstadt
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Patent number: 8108440Abstract: A file server achieving sufficient power-saving effect is provided. The file server is capable of operating an on-line storage medium (in a state in which reading/writing can be started immediately in response to a file read/write request) and an off-line storage medium (which has to be started up upon receiving a read/write request). Upon reception of a stream file write request, the file server's processing unit acquires bit rate information from the stream file, calculates the file's splitting position from the bit rate information and startup time of the off-line storage medium, and stores a first part (up to the splitting position) in the on-line storage medium while storing the remaining second part in the off-line storage medium. Upon reception of a stream file read request, the processing unit reads out the first part while starting up the off-line storage medium and reading out the second part.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2009Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Toshiaki Matsuo, Nobuo Beniyama, Takato Kusama
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Patent number: 8108410Abstract: A mechanism for determining the veracity of data in a repository. Responsive to receiving a search query from a user, a semantic network is created from the documents in the repository. A determination is made as to whether data from a first document in the semantic network conflicts with data from a second document in the semantic network. If a conflict exists, a determination is made as to whether the data from the first document is obsolete in comparison to data from the second document. If the data from the first document is obsolete in comparison to data from the second document, a portion of the first document corresponding to the obsolete data is automatically annotating with the data from the second document to form an annotated first document. A search result list is then provided to the user comprising the second document and the annotated first document.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2008Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Ann Margaret Strosaker, Michael Thomas Strosaker
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Patent number: 8103639Abstract: A method of performing a file system consistency check in a distributed, segmented file system, includes: analyzing primary objects of a first segment of the file system to determine if a first primary object points to a second primary object of a second segment separate from the first segment, storing, if the first primary object points to the second primary object of the second segment, a first indication indicating that the first primary object points to the second primary object of the second segment, the first indication indicating an expected location of the second primary object; analyzing a shadow directory of the selected segment to determine an expected location of a third primary object, and an expected pointer of the third primary object indicative of a location and a name of a fourth primary object, the third primary object being contained in a segment other than the first segment; and storing a second indication indicating the expected location of the third primary object and the expected pointeType: GrantFiled: May 5, 2009Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Sudhir Srinivasan, Boris Zuckerman
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Patent number: 8103624Abstract: A system and method for logging changes to a database table are disclosed. The system comprises an administration tool, table metadata, a history table, and a service engine. The administration tool provides an interface through which a DBA, database programmer, or other user can manage the table metadata and the history table, including the selection of columns within the table for which the system will track changes. In the preferred embodiment, the service engine is a middleware application that tracks changes for the selected columns. The service engine processes all user-requested database operations and adds operations to manage the history table before relaying the request operations to a DBMS. Alternatively or additionally, the service engine may be a wrapper to existing services that the database application provides.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2005Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Ricardo N. Olivieri, Mark B. Whelan
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Patent number: 8103618Abstract: A system that enables enterprises to design, create integrate and operate online communities. The system operates as an on-demand hosted platform (software-as-a-service) that provides a secure and reliable architecture on which enterprises can safely and securely develop, execute and manage their online communities. The platform combines a wide range of web-based participation technologies (e.g., blogs, wikis, discussion groups, social networking, podcasts, RSS, tagging, photos, videos, mapping, and the like). Any content can have attributes that make it appear as any type of content. With this uniform content architecture, all user-generated content is treated as a post (or, more generally, a submission), and there is no need for a participant to author multiple entries for separate uses. Preferably, all content created or otherwise associated with a particular author is intrinsically tied or “linked” to the author via the author's profile.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2008Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Surfmap, Inc.Inventors: David K. R. Carter, Robin A. Hopper
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Patent number: 8099430Abstract: Computer method and apparatus manages and navigates computer implemented information. A first source information and second source information are related as parent-child information. Keywords are extracted from the first and second source information and are used to relate second source information to the first source information. This produces dynamic sets or groupings of second source information related by keywords. Display of a listing of the keywords enables user navigation of the information especially according to the groupings of second source information.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2008Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Chenita D. Daughtry, Angelo Lynn, Ebubechukwu I. Okafor, Latoya Sankey, Razeyah R. Stephen
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Patent number: 8095555Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus as a terminal apparatus with respect to a server which provides content data, including: a management data acquisition section; a display control section; a selection operation acceptance section; a requesting section; and a content data acquisition section.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2008Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Shigeki Wakasa, Isao Soma, Yasuharu Ishikawa, Hiroshi Nakayama
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Patent number: 8095522Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of searching for information in a database, the method comprising the steps of: presenting at least one item of data to an observer and measuring at least physiological parameter of the observer; and in the presence of a variation in the physiological parameter greater than a predetermined threshold, presenting an item of data having a relationship with the previously-presented data item.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2005Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: MorphoInventors: Paul Welti, Jean-Christophe Fondeur
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Patent number: 8095568Abstract: The invention concerns a method for assisting user searches in a support system and a system for performing the method which comprises the steps of providing a support data structure with nodes comprising support information of a support database, and providing at least one behavioral data structure comprising information about the time the user(s) spend at said nodes, and information about the transition probabilities between each upper node and its lower nodes, and calculating for each lower node that is located below a current node, navigated to by a user of the support data structure, the expectation value of the time gained by navigating directly to that lower node, and selecting at least one of the lower nodes based on said expectation value.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2009Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Tific ABInventor: Mats Nordahl
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Patent number: 8095567Abstract: A method of creating a family tree includes receiving a request from a user to return a file that includes the family tree and using a plurality of primary source records to construct the family tree based on the request. The records indicate multiple alternatives for at least one branch of the family tree. The method also includes sending a file that includes the family tree to the user. The file includes the alternatives.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2003Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Myfamily.com, Inc.Inventors: Bennett Cookson, Jr., Ken Boyer, James Mark Hamilton, Kendall J. Jefferson, Daren Thayne, Michael J. Wolfgramm
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Patent number: 8090680Abstract: A system is provided for locating data in a distributed data environment, in which at least two users share a common data requirement. The environment comprises a plurality of network-connected data terminals. The system comprises at least one of the network-connected data terminals, which includes means for each of the at least two users to submit a data locating query, means for each of the at least two users to receive a query result, means for each of the at least two users to input respective relevance feedback data in response to the received query result, means for combining the respective relevance feedback data in real time, and means for processing data locating queries with the combined respective relevance feedback data. A method is also provided for locating data in the distributed data environment.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Dublin City UniversityInventors: Alan F. Smeaton, Colum P. J. Foley, Gareth J. F. Jones
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Patent number: 8090686Abstract: A distributed database server receives a recursive lock/search request, acquires a local lock, and propagates the recursive lock/search request to a peer database server. Specific implementations within a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (“LDAP”) server are described, and applications that can benefit from the recursive locking and searching functionality are discussed.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2007Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Red Hat, Inc.Inventor: Peter A. Rowley
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Patent number: 8086617Abstract: A method and system for managing risk by indicating links between one or more persons or entities which can include a process that gathers information about individuals and organizations into a computerized system where it can be analyzed to associate one or more individuals or organizations with links to other individuals or organizations. A user can designate a person or entity and the system will provide an indication of linkages associated with the designated person. Some embodiments can include a user specifying a particular type of link or limit links to a specified degree of separation between the designated person and any other person or entity.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2010Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Goldman Sachs & Co.Inventors: J. Gilmore Childers, David Lawrence
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Patent number: 8086616Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting interest point descriptors for object recognition. In an embodiment, the present invention estimates performance of local descriptors by (1) receiving a local descriptor relating to an object in a first image; (2) identifying one or more nearest neighbor descriptors relating to one or more images different from the first image, the nearest neighbor descriptors comprising nearest neighbors of the local descriptor; (3) calculating a quality score for the local descriptor based on the number of nearest neighbor descriptors that relate to images showing the object; and (4) determining, on the basis of the quality score, if the local descriptor is effective in identifying the object.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2009Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Alessandro Bissacco, Ulrich Buddemeier, Hartmut Neven
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Patent number: 8086648Abstract: An exemplary MMIC (“Multi-Mode Interviewing Capability”) survey program is a computerized tool that supports various traditional modes of collecting interview data, including telephone interviewing, written interviewing, and personal interviewing, and can be used to manage the whole interview process from questionnaire design, sample management, and fieldwork monitoring to final dataset production. The collected data may also include non-textual data from survey participants such as medical measurements of blood pressure and heart rate. Self-interviewing using the Internet is also possible which permits real time availability of results and the participation of respondents from virtually anywhere in the world, using devices such as PDA's, Smart phones and Web TV's. The MMIC survey structure is non-linear and object oriented, which permits a connection between all the building blocks of the survey to be defined on any level.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2009Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: The Rand CorporationInventor: Albert Weerman
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Patent number: 8078651Abstract: Techniques for identifying duplicate records in data to be imported into a data hub. In one set of embodiments, a batch of records to be imported into a data hub is received and a match rule for the batch of records is selected. The match rule includes a set of match criteria for matching records in the inbound batch to records stored in the data hub. A matching process is then carried out, prior to importing the batch of records, to determine whether any of the records in the batch are duplicates of records stored in the data hub. By identifying potential duplicate records before (rather than after) importation, the problems associated with prior art duplicate identification techniques are minimized or avoided. In a particular embodiment, an import workbench application comprising a plurality of user interface screens is provided for aiding a user in managing the matching process.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2008Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Oracle International CorporationInventors: Kunal Desai, Deena Philip