Abstract: A data message formatting program, method and system uses a script-driven, Output Description Language (ODL) program module. The ODL module interprets and executes instructions from an ASCII .ODL script file. The .ODL instructions and the ODL programming language cooperate with the output of a conventional data entry and display program module. The close coupling of the data structures of the data entry module and the ODL module provide a powerful means for automatically re-formatting data entered prior to transmission over a communication network. The .ODL file may be generated by a system administrator or user with a conventional text editor by following an Output Description Language Programming manual. The .ODL file and ODL module are designed to be used in combination with a Form Interpretive module (FIM) and corresponding form data file which are also installed on the system.

Abstract: A system of creating enhanced reports from a computer database or programming language. The system will contain the basic data and some contextual information, which is the description of the type of information contained within the lists of the data file. The enhanced report generator will be sets of instructions which are loaded into the computer, each set of which will contain rules for formatting a report, based on the user inputs, the data, and the data's context. In the event that the context is not sufficient, additional contextual information will be loaded at the time that the enhanced report generator is loaded. The enhanced report generator will be loaded into the system in parallel with the standard report generator that is contained within the computer as a software application, and the user can select one, thus making the use of the enhanced reort generator transparent to the computer.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a process is provided for allocating and deallocating resources in a distributed processing system having a requester platform and a server platform. The process involves receiving a request from the requestor platform referring to a system resource and specifying a requested lease period, permitting shared access to the system resource for a lease period, sending a return call to the requestor platform advising of the lease period, and deallocating the system resource when the lease period expires.

Abstract: An object oriented architecture is provided wherein a plurality of objects are defined in the system. Each of the objects can comprise either a data oriented object, a program oriented object or a graphics oriented object. The parameters of the object are defined in an object table which includes as an integral part thereof a link table. Each object is linkable through the link table to other objects on the system, with each object on the system having a unique object number. The provision of the object's number in the link table defines relationships with other objects in the system, which relationships can either be automatically created as a result of a predetermined functional aspect of the system or defined by the user. These relationships are bidirectional. The links are only a single link deep and are all on the same plane. These links allow system access to various features such as word processing files, FAX information, information about individuals or information about E-Mail.

Abstract: An automatic method and system for retrieving information based on a user-defined profile (e.g. a personalized newspaper). A user-controlled client establishes communication with a stateless server, the server presenting a list of options to the client between the server and the client. The client provides an identification of the user-defined profile. The server engages a first application program, the first application program retrieving the user-defined profile wherein the user-defined profile identifies information which is of interest to the user. The first application program examines a database of information and automatically retrieves a subset of the information from the database based upon which information is of interest to the user as identified in the user-defined profile. The server presents the subset of the information from the database as generated by the first application program to the client.

Abstract: A method for providing files to a remote node including the steps of determining whether bandwidth is available for transmitting across a communications link a file requested by a remote node, reserving bandwidth for the requested file if bandwidth is determined to be available, and opening the requested file for transmission only if bandwidth is reserved. In addition, an apparatus for providing files to a remote node including apparatus for determining whether bandwidth is available for transmitting across a communications link a file requested by a remote node, apparatus for reserving bandwidth for the requested file if bandwidth is determined to be available, and apparatus for opening the requested file for transmission only if bandwidth is reserved.

Abstract: This is a procedure for determining text relevancy and can be used to enhance the retrieval of text documents by search queries. This system helps a user intelligently and rapidly locate information found in large textual databases. A first embodiment determines the common meanings between each word in the query and each word in the document. Then an adjustment is made for words in the query that are not in the documents. Further, weights are calculated for both the semantic components in the query and the semantic components in the documents. These weights are multiplied together, and their products are subsequently added to one another to determine a real value number(similarity coefficient) for each document. Finally, the documents are sorted in sequential order according to their real value number from largest to smallest value. Another, embodiment is for routing documents to topics/headings (sometimes referred to as faltering).

Abstract: A method and system for combining prefix and first character search methods. The present invention provides a combined search method for searching for elements in a list. The combined search method maintains a user input buffer that contains a plurality of search characters. The combined search method searches for a particular list element in a list, where each list element is a sequence of characters. That is, the combined search method searches for a list element whose prefix matches the search characters in the user input buffer. If each of the search characters in the user input buffer is the same, the combined search method also searches for a list element whose first character matches a search character in the user input buffer. If one list element is found, the combined search method selects that list element. If two list elements are found, the combined search method selects one of the two list elements based on its proximity to a predetermined list element.

Abstract: The present invention, generally speaking, provides a method of synchronizing information between a plurality of sites and a central location that solves number of potentially "thorny" problems of distributed database systems in an elegant and efficient manner. The first issue involves sychronizing different copies of an item on machines that are not continuously linked at which each copy may be changed independently. Rather than attempting to formulate a set of synchronization policies generally applicable to all items in all instances, synchronization policies are moved from the database engine to the items themselves. The second issue involves lifetime--knowing, given a complex set of interrelationship of items, when an item may be safely deleted. This problem is addressed by providing an interested party mechanism whereby items may "express interest" in each other. When no item is interested in a particular item, that item may safely "go away".

Abstract: A computer-user interface facilitates interaction between the user and the computer in a manner which enables the computer to assist the user in accomplishing desired goals. The computer works with the user to automatically exhibit desired behavior in response to triggering events designated by the user. Any executable function can be designated by the user as the object of a task. The initiation of this task can be carried out in response to any programmatically detectable event, or trigger, which is also designated by the user. The existence and implementation of the behavior is unknown to the files and other objects with which it is associated. With the flexibility offered by this arrangement, the user can customize the operation of a computer to suit his or her particular needs.

Abstract: There is provided a document retrieval apparatus in which signatures can be easily extracted from document data, and false drop probability is reduced even for a long document so as to reduce a burden of eliminating the false drop. A processing unit converts the document data and the character string into character codes, respectively. The processing unit extracts signatures from each of the character codes, and calculates a record identifier of the document data to be stored based on a storing position of the document data in a record file. A data storing unit stores the document data to be registered in the record file, and stores the signature corresponding to the document data to be registered in a signature file. The signature is stored in a storing position in the signature file, the storing position being designated by the record identifier of corresponding document data stored in the record file.

Abstract: A method for reducing the amount of memory used to store an original data in a processing system by reducing the occurrence of a literal prefix. The method is completed by comparing strings from the original data to valid elements in a dictionary. If a match is found, then a data code, which points to the valid dictionary element, is stored as compressed data in the memory. If a match is not found, then the entry is defined as a literal. Assuming the literal is defined, next determine if a dictionary element pointed to by the literal is valid and if so, then store a literal prefix into the compressed data in the memory. Finally, independent of whether the lateral points to a valid dictionary element, the literal itself is stored into the compressed data in the memory. To decompress the compressed data first an entry of the compressed data is retrieved from the memory. If the entry is a literal prefix, then output a next entry of the compressed data.

Abstract: A Software Translation Kit (STK) system having a shell, TShell, coupled to an Export/Import module and various Editors is described. The Export/Import module itself includes a parsing engine to extract strings and translatable information from application programs. It functions as a front end parser to "translatable" sources, providing data conversion as needed. The STK system provides a standard interface and set of tools which can be used to localize graphic user interface products. By employing a datacentric approach, the system provides a standard platform which allows translators to act independently of the product they are translating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the speed of a search through leaf nodes of an inventive key index tree structure, known as a "Q-tree". The present invention identifies "decision-bits" within leaf node entries and uses these decision-bits to accelerate searches for a particular record or for a record adjacent to which a new record is to be inserted. A decision-bit is a particular type of distinction-bit having the smallest value and associated with a search key a greater value then the keys associated with other distinction-bits of the same value within a specified search range. Each decision-bit divides a search range into "left" and "right" parts. One of the two parts will constitute a "new" search range. A "quit-bit" having an ordinal number equal to the value of the decision-bit for the search range, is tested. If the quit-bit is "on", then the right, or greater value, part becomes the new search range. Otherwise, the left, or lesser value, part becomes the new search range.

Abstract: A method for storing and retrieving electronically transmitted data through the use of distributed indices. Data to be stored is received and automatically stored and indexed on the basis of information contained within the data. Similarly, requests to retrieve data are received and automatically routed to the proper storage location on the basis of information contained within the data. The data to be retrieved is then compiled and automatically transmitted to the user. High speed search and retrieval of the data is possible by using different data fields to divide indices to the data into small functional groups and distributing these groups on processors and storage media relevant to the data's storage location. This index distribution ensures that individual indices retain a small memory size and directs the search to a particular processor, thus decreasing the time required to retrieve stored information.

Abstract: A document detection system using a detection result presentation that can facilitate a user's quick comprehension of the relevancy of each detected document. In this system, a user's input for commanding a document detection is analyzed to extract keywords and viewpoints relevant to each keyword contained in the user's input, and a detection command is constructed from the keywords and the viewpoints extracted from the user's input. Then, the detection operation is executed to detect those documents among a plurality of stored documents which match with the constructed detection command as detected documents for a detection result. The detection result can be presented in the multi-dimensional display formed by setting the viewpoints to axes with the detection command as an origin and using distances of the detected documents with respect to the origin for each viewpoint as coordinates of the detected documents with respect to each axis representing each viewpoint.