Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that infers activity-related context information from a message. Upon receiving the message, the system looks for activity-related keywords in the message, wherein the activity-related keywords are from a content database. If one or more activity-related keywords are found in the message, the system infers message-related context information from the one or more activity-related keywords. Next, the system uses the message-related context information to facilitate recommending an activity to a user.

Abstract: A system and method for continually updating a large and substantially continually changing dataset that is accessed by multiple application threads, such as a group identity database of members in communication groups of wireless communication devices. A first server holds the group identity database and, as application threads on the first server access the database to set up group communications, a second server sends new group identity data to update the database, with the new data arriving as discrete, ordered blocks. A first server-resident data-index table is updated with the ordering information of the new data blocks, and a first server-resident checkpointing thread places the ordering information of the new data blocks into a checkpoint cache and checkpoints the ordering information as the new data blocks are updated into the group identity database and verifies the ordering (or version) of the data as against the data-index table.

Abstract: The method and apparatus is for improving transactions in a communication system. The method including: dynamically monitoring a data session between at least one of first and second parties in a transaction in the communication system; and engaging a third party into the transaction as a function of the monitoring of the data session between the first and second parties. The apparatus implements the method.

Abstract: A hierarchical framework for a library of software process management methodologies includes at a first level of hierarchy, a collection of activities that describe the process, wherein each activity requires the use of a unique skill set domain. At a second level of hierarchy, the framework includes a collection of tasks that describe the activity. At a third level of hierarchy, the framework includes a collection of steps that describe the task. For each methodology, a portion of the activities are categorized across a set of taxonomies common to a plurality of methodologies contained in the library such that the portion of activities is reusable for the plurality of methodologies.

Abstract: An approach is described for performing a name search using a name search operation and a ranking operation. The name search operation may take text as input and apply a fuzzy matching operation and a lookup operation to generate a collection of candidate names with respective probability scores. In other cases, speech or handwriting recognition may generate the collection of candidate names and probability scores. The ranking operation may then rank these candidate names using a ranking function. The ranking function may rank the candidate names based on the probability scores associated with the names and at least one other factor. One such factor may reflect whether information provided by a user matches profile information associated with a candidate name under consideration. Another factor may reflect an extent of a nexus between the user and a person associated with the candidate name. Other types of factors can be used.

Abstract: A method, system, and graphical user interface for improved web searching via user-specified annotations are disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which a search engine receives a user's ratings of some, but not all, web pages associated with a group of web pages. The group of web pages is selected from the group consisting of web pages in a particular web site and web pages in a particular subunit of a web site. The search engine generates a user-specific site rating for the group of web pages based on the user's ratings for web pages in the group of web pages. The search engine uses the generated site rating for the group of web pages when responding to a search query from the user.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program for identifying a relationship between concepts in an object includes (i) selecting the object for inclusion in an initial subset of objects obtained as an output of a search engine; (ii) storing the object in a database; (iii) creating an index of the object; (iv) analyzing the index to extract two concepts relating to the object; (v) highlighting the two concepts within object; (vi) calculating a strength of a relationship between the two concepts using a ratio; (vii) storing the two concepts and the strength of the relationships between the two concepts in a database; (viii) presenting the two concepts and the strength in an interface that has a concept matrix; and (ix) repeating steps vi through viii for every possible pairwise combination of concepts within the index.

Abstract: A adaptive object identification mechanism provides an object description of an object of an application that is executed by a processor, where the object description is based on attributes associated with the object. When an operation on the object is detected, the attributes of the object are sampled at the time of the operation and compared with the object description to assess whether the attributes have changed. The object description is then adjusted based on the assessment.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for restoring a plurality of files previously deleted from a volume are described. For each respective file of the plurality of deleted files, the method may operate to determine a time at which the respective file was last modified and a time at which the respective file was deleted. These times define a respective recovery time window for the respective file. The method may further comprise determining a particular point in time that is within the recovery time windows for two or more of the plurality of deleted files. A temporary version of the volume as it existed at the particular point in time may be created, and each file of the two or more files may be restored to the volume from the temporary version of the volume.

Abstract: Methods for classifying computer objects. The methods may comprise receiving a tag for a first computer object. The tag may comprise at least two nested categories describing the first computer object. The methods may also comprise updating a hierarchy of categories for computer objects to include the at least two nested categories describing the computer object. In addition, the methods may comprise displaying a graphical representation of the hierarchy of categories, and displaying an indication of computer objects having tags comprising a first category when an indication of the first category is received.

Abstract: Entity resolution in a database comprises receiving imported data comprising imported data entities each having properties each having values; receiving first user input that selects the imported data entities for resolution to existing data entities in a database; receiving second user input that specifies matching criteria for matching the imported data entities to the existing data entities, wherein each of the matching criteria comprises a matching technique; matching the imported data entities to the existing data entities using the matching criteria, resulting in creating and storing matched entity information, wherein the matched entity information is organized in matched entity data sets associated with subsets of the matching criteria that were matched; consolidating the imported data entities into the existing data entities; storing the first user input and second user input as a named criteria set for use in subsequent entity resolution operations.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods provide paginated search results from a multi-table database that stores hierarchically arranged data nodes. A query request is received that identifies one or more constraints and one or more monitoring attributes. Records of the multi-table database are filtered to create a view containing only records which meet the constraints. Monitoring attributes associated with a first n records of the view are accessed to generate an output view, where n is the number of records that may be displayed on a single page, and the output view is displayed on a user-viewable medium.

Abstract: A method of performing transactions in accordance with fairness criteria is provided wherein one of a plurality of entities initiates a transaction on an object at a database. The steps or operations of the initiated transaction are immediately processed up to the transaction ownership step. Propagation delays are determined between the database and at least some of the other entities that are capable of initiating transactions to the database. The propagation delays and a fairness criteria is used to determine the fair propagation delay period. Upon determining that the fair propagation delay period has been exceeded, it is detecting whether any of the other entities initiated a transaction on the same object during the fair propagation delay time period. If not, then the transaction initiating entity performs the transaction ownership step on the initiated transaction.

Abstract: A method and system for integrating data across different systems is disclosed. Data in a plurality of databases are integrated by identifying the common data elements with equivalent semantics and selecting a preferred syntax for the data. A new record including the common data elements and data with preferred syntax is made available to users.

Abstract: Online information (such as advertiser Web pages in conjunction with products lists, Web content, existing online ads, etc.), or an electronic version of offline advertisement information, is used to generate online advertising information, such as a landing page, targeting information, and/or ad creative information.

Abstract: A database restructuring apparatus which is capable of migrating a database without depending on a method of managing the database and without interrupting practical online services. Copying section copies data from a current database to a switching destination database. When data update access to the current database by current database access section occurs during copy processing by the copying section, data updating section determines whether or not data to be accessed has been copied. If the data has not been copied yet, the data updating section performs data update processing on the current database, whereas if the data has already been copied, the data updating section performs data update processing on both the current database and the switching destination database. After completion of the copy processing, switching section switches the distribution destination of an online electronic message to switching destination database access section.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus hosting a multidimensional database software application receives a batch of data values to be updated from an external client computing apparatus running a data entry application. The multidimensional database software application identifies a second batch of data values previously stored that have been flagged during prior updates to remain unchanged. The multidimensional database software application then combines these two batches of data values and calculates final data updates. The calculation method ensures that the final data changes committed to the database represent a best, if not exact, match to both the first batch of data values to be updated as well as the second batch of existing data values flagged to remain unchanged.

Abstract: The subject invention pertains to data store corruption recovery. More specifically, the invention concerns systems and methods for identifying corrupt data in a manner that prevents de-committing or removal of valid or consistent transactions from a database. This can be accomplished at least in part by logging the identities of data items that a transaction reads. Furthermore, the subject invention provides for employment of a multi-version (or transaction-time) database to reduce significantly reduce any down time or database unavailability caused by a corrupt transaction and associated corrupt data items. Accordingly, no backups need to be installed and only updates by the original corrupt transaction and transactions that read corrupt data need to be de-committed or removed.

Abstract: Disclosed are method and apparatus for identifying members of a social network who have a high likelihood of providing a useful response to a query. A query engine examines the personal pages of a set of members and automatically gleans semantic information relevant to the query. From the automatically-gleaned semantic information, a score indicative of the likelihood that the member may provide a useful response is calculated.

Abstract: File access rates of processes are regulated according to file type. An association table stores entries associating processes to be regulated with specific access rates for various file types. System calls that access files are intercepted, and a system call wrapper executes. The system call wrapper determines the type of file that is being accessed by the process. The system call wrapper examines the association table in order to determine if the calling process is associated with an access rate for the file type being accessed. If so, the system call wrapper regulates access to the file according to the appropriate rate.