Abstract: An approach is described for developing software that executes rules, such as business rules. A group of rule templates defines a rule structure for rules that may be executed by a rules engine. Separate ruleflow templates define tasks that entail the execution of rules. Each of the ruleflow templates associates a task with the group of rule templates. Because the ruleflow templates define the association between the tasks and the group of rule templates, during execution of the tasks a rules engine executes rules defined by the group of templates. User interfaces are automatically generated based on the group of rule templates. A user may interact with the user interfaces to edit the rules defined by the group of templates. After editing the rules, executing the tasks associated with the group of templates will cause execution of the modified rules.

Abstract: In a learning system, a learning method, and a robot apparatus, the name of an object is obtained from the user through a dialog with the user. The object is identified based on the detection results of the predetermined plural different features of the object and the learning results of the respective features of the known object previously stored. If it is determined that the above object is a new object based on thus obtained name of the above object, the recognition results respectively based on the respective features of the above object and relation information in that the name of the known object previously stored is connected with the recognition results of the respective features of the known object respectively, the learning of the needed feature of the above object is performed, and relation information on the above object is newly stored.

Abstract: A handheld computing device (10) having voice input and voice output includes a handheld unit (20) having a processor (11) and a display (18) communicating with the processor (11), a communication device (30) including means for voice input (43) and means for voice output (42), a mechanism (39, 41) for docking the communication device (30) with the handheld unit (20) forming a docked unit, the docked unit dimensioned to be held in one hand while being used for voice input and voice output, and at least one connection (23, 36) for carrying voice-representative signals between the handheld unit (20) and the device (30). Device (10) allows telephone-style, voice-driven, user-interface communications both when device (30) is docked with handheld unit (20), and when device (30) is detached from handheld unit (20).

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are disclosed for collecting information about a user. A set of one or more rules for collecting information is obtained by a first application on a client. The first application is utilized to monitor a second application on the client in communication with the network for information that satisfies one or more rules of the set of rules. The second application is utilized by a user to access sites coupled to the network. Information that that satisfies one or more rules of the set of rules is collected from the second application utilizing the first application. At least a portion of the collected information is stored on the client utilizing the first application. Content is received via the network for presentment by the first application based on the portion of the collected information stored on the client.

Abstract: An assessments framework includes a framework batch processor and a partner batch processor. The framework batch processor performs static assessments based on information obtained from a task definition database and a policy database. The partner batch processor outputs dynamic task definitions and dynamic policy information, to be input to the framework batch processor for executing an assessment when a triggering event occurs. The triggering event may be a schedule-based trigger or an event-based trigger.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding knowledge using a multimedia network. A multimedia network represents semantic concepts and their relations using multimedia content. A multimedia network associates words and multimedia content with the semantic concepts in order to illustrate and exemplify the semantic concepts as well as describe lexical, semantic, and perceptual relations. The multimedia network can be searched, browsed, or summarized for purposes of information discovery. The multimedia network can also be used for personalizing multimedia content or for querying a multimedia information repository by expanding a query to include related concepts encoded in a Multimedia network.

Abstract: Preferred embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods of facilitating and evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem. The system includes first logic to facilitate user specification of the problem to populate a problem statement structure. It also includes second logic to facilitate user specification of a conclusion, related to the problem specification, to populate a conclusion statement structure. It also includes third logic to facilitate user creation and specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem specification and the conclusion specification, to populate a knowledge structure. Certain embodiments include control logic to persuade user interaction with the first through third logic to a sequence of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user thinking about the problem.

Abstract: A disturbance estimated-type control system has a control object based on a mathematical model having of one of a state equation and a transfer function and prepared by system identification technology. A disturbance estimating device is based on an expansion system based on the mathematical model for estimating a disturbance of the control object in accordance with an input signal inputted into the control object and a detection signal detected from the control object. A compensating device is based on the mathematical model for compensating for a deviation between the detection signal and a target value and for outputting a corresponding control signal. A subtractor subtracts the control signal of the compensating device from a disturbance estimated value of the disturbance estimating device.

Abstract: An infrared hand-held remote control for handling a single or plural devices such as lights, shades, drapes and the like contains ergonomically selected and placed control buttons that are self-describing and easy to use. It allows explicit, easy-to-use control of different functions by providing for each function to be controlled vertically disposed discrete buttons that provide “all or nothing” control of some physical feature and similar, vertically disposed and horizontally aligned “adjust” buttons that allow for fine and continuous control of the physical quantities between the extremes or limits of the discrete button functions. Successive groups of buttons provide for the control of different appliances or devices, where each group of buttons is identified by easy to comprehend icon or alphabetic representations. A preset button is also provided for setting and recalling an operational preset value for the device(s) from memory.

Abstract: A motion control system and method that includes a central controller configured to generate first and second demand control signals to be used to define actuation motion of respective first and second actuators. The central controller is in communication with first and second nodes by way of a data network, each node including at least a respective actuator configured to implement at an actuator time a motion or force-related effort based upon the respective demand control signal. Each node also includes a memory configured to store at least one respective propagation delay parameter related to a signal propagation delay between the central controller and the node. A timing mechanism establishes timing at each node based on the respective propagation delay parameter so that the actuator time at the nodes occurs simultaneously. Strictly cyclic and/or full-duplex high-speed communication can be supported. The network can be wired in a ring or as a tree and with twisted pair cabling or fiber.

Abstract: Multiple virtual processes are each associated with a unique virtual process identifier. For each virtual process, a separate initialization process is started, from which all other processes included in the virtual process originate. The initialization process is associated with the appropriate virtual process identifier. System calls that create new processes are intercepted, and created processes are associated with the virtual process identifier of the appropriate initialization process. Multiple virtual processes are provided on a single, physical computer system.

Abstract: An apparatus and system are disclosed for real-time monitoring and control of field assets. A monitoring device may be coupled to a field asset to determine the occurrence of one or more error conditions. Error conditions may be detected either as they occur or by testing the field asset at timed intervals. Upon detection of one or more error conditions, the monitoring device may initiate one or more corrective sequences to resolve the error condition. Alternatively, the monitoring device may notify a network operations center of the detected error condition. Users may access the network operations center via an Internet-enabled remote device. From the Internet-enabled remote device, the user may view status information concerning one or more field assets. The user may also use the Internet-enabled remote device to instruct the network operations center to issue commands to be executed by the monitoring device such that the error conditions on the field asset may be corrected.

Abstract: A method for programming a failsafe control system comprises the steps of defining logical interconnections between input signals of the failsafe control system and of assigning interconnection products to output signals of the failsafe control system. The steps of defining and assigning take place on the basis of predefined function-specific program modules, which are selected from a set of such program modules.

Abstract: A computer program product for implementing a rule-based programming language, the computer program product comprising a computer usable media, having computer program code thereon, comprises a single rule language supporting a plurality of rulesets, an object-oriented framework that compiles the rulesets into a collection of framework objects, and a plurality of pluggable inference engines for processing the collection of framework objects.

Abstract: Separate instances of a data item can be allocated for each transaction in a system. Each instance can be held by an entity bean capable of updating by either reading a copy of the data item from the database or by reading a copy from another entity bean. When the data item in the database is changed, the system can notify each entity bean that it should read an updated copy of the data item before the next transaction.

Abstract: A computer program that indicates lexical impact of various words in a text and provides various statistics relating to lexical impact of the text. Also, a ranked thesaurus for listing alternative words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, related), along with an indication of their relative lexical impact (item 141). The thesaurus may alternatively rank words according to ranking system.

Abstract: It is objective of the invention to provide a highly reliable control apparatus and method which reduces the amount of calculation required for both learning of an input/output relationship and actual control as well as prevent inappropriate outputs from being generated for inputs which have been never learned. According to one aspect of the invention, pairs of an input pattern vector for learning and a target output are distributed to a class based on the target output. Then, a correspondence between each element of the input pattern vector for learning and the target output is learned only in that class, and a distribution function is calculated for distributing a new input pattern vector for learning to that class. After the completion of this learning, the distribution function is used to determine which class a new input pattern vector detected by a sensor belongs to. Finally, an output is calculated according to the learning result of that class.

Abstract: Let us consider a plurality of input patterns having an essential characteristic in common but which differ on at least one parameter (this parameter modifies the input pattern in some extent but not this essential characteristic for a specific application). During the learning phase, each input pattern is normalized in a normalizer, before it is presented to a classifier. If not recognized, it is learned, i.e. the normalized pattern is stored in the classifier as a prototype with its category associated thereto. From a predetermined reference value of that parameter, the normalizer computes an element related to said parameter which allows to set the normalized pattern from the input pattern and vice versa to retrieve the input pattern from the normalized pattern. As a result, all these input patterns are represented by the same normalized pattern. The above method and circuits allow to reduce the number of required prototypes in the classifier, improving thereby its response quality.

Abstract: Power line monitoring is disclosed. The monitoring can be performed in conjunction with an automation system designed to control and monitor devices and sensors. Model-based power line monitoring uses a model of acceptable power line activity. Activity that does not conform to the model is tagged as indicating a potential problem. Pattern-based power line monitoring uses patterns of unacceptable power line activity. Activity that matches one of the patterns is also tagged as indicating a potential problem.

Abstract: To achieve classification of semistructured data with a Kernel method for labeled ordered trees, instances having a labeled ordered tree structure are input and their inner product is computed, the result of which is used for classification learning of the instances. In the inner product computation, a sum of matches is computed for descendant nodes of non-leaf nodes of the labeled ordered trees by applying dynamic programming based on correspondence in which order of the nodes is maintained.