Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for generating a media program database having a plurality of media programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is comprises the steps of receiving first media program metadata from a first source, searching the Internet to find second media program metadata from a second source distinct from the first source, determining if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, merging the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, and storing the merged first media program metadata and second media program metadata in the media program database.

Abstract: Systems and methods for article location and retrieval are described. In one described method, the normal processing of an operating system call associated with a dialog control is interrupted, and a search dialog control is displayed. The search dialog control is associated with an index comprising a plurality of events. Each of the plurality of events may be associated with at least one of a plurality of client applications and at least some of the plurality of events can be captured in real time. Each event may be associated with one or more articles.

Abstract: Information retrieval using time is described. In an embodiment a web-crawler creates time objects which are composites of content of different media types obtained from potentially different sources and, for example, are about the same date or date range. For example, a time object may comprise an image and a piece of text about an event in 1977. In this case the time object may have the date 1977 stored with it as well as URLs of originating web pages. In an embodiment a user is able to query a search engine to retrieve time objects which are displayed in a manner related to the dates of the time objects. For example, the time objects may be displayed in chronological order against a time line. In examples time objects may be dynamically created as a web page is requested and displayed with that web page.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments for lexicon generation. More specifically, at least one embodiment of a method includes determining a corpus term from a plurality of documents, generating a candidate term from the corpus term, and selecting a normalized term from the candidate term and the corpus term. Some embodiments include linking the normalized term with the candidate term and providing an electronic search capability for locating a first document, where the electronic search capability receives the candidate term as a search term and utilizes the normalized term to locate the first document.

Abstract: A server runs a software program controlling a system and is connected to the Internet to communicate with one or more advertising agencies. A client of the agencies has a home location with a server connected to the Internet for communication with the server and the agencies. The client can have branches that are connected to the Internet for communication with the server and the Client Home and, in some circumstances, with the agencies. Also connected to the Internet are Media parties representing any and all types of advertising display parties such as radio, television, print, billboard, etc. The media parties also could be brokers that place the advertising with various media outlets.

Abstract: Techniques are described for estimating and managing energy consumption for query processing. Embodiments of the invention may generally receive a query to be executed and calculate an initial estimated energy consumption value for the received query. If the initial estimated energy consumption value does not exceed a threshold amount of energy, embodiments of the invention may submit the query for execution. Once execution of the query has begun, embodiments of the invention may calculate an updated estimated energy consumption value for the executing query, and if the updated value exceeds the threshold amount of energy, may halt the execution of the query.

Abstract: A system and method for searching for media content. A user profile is received from a user. The user profile identifies preferred media sources. A search request is received from the user including at least one search criteria. The search for media content is based on the at least one search criteria and the user profile. Information regarding the media content found from the search is displayed to the user.

Abstract: One embodiment includes: receiving profile data including first and second data changes corresponding to first and second client devices of a user, wherein the first and second data changes are conflicting; determining, via the first client device, a first rank for the first data change and a second rank for the second data change; and providing, via the first client device, a plurality of suggestions in response to a partial entry provided by the user, wherein the first plurality of suggestions is provided in a ranked order based on the first and second ranks.

Abstract: An approach is provided for mapping content, such as audio files, to associated metadata about the content. The approach includes initiating a search for local metadata associated with particular content. It is determined whether the local metadata is insufficient. A request for metadata associated with the particular content is generated, if the local metadata is insufficient. The request is sent to a metadata service to obtain result data including metadata for the particular content. A search of the result data from the metadata service is initiated based on a description of the particular content to obtain most relevant metadata of the result data.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention includes a method for analyzing and solving possibility tree. A possibility tree having a plurality of programmable nodes is constructed and solved with a solver module executed by a processor element. The solver module executes the programming of said nodes, and tracks the state of at least a variable through a branch. When a variable of said branch is out of tolerance with a parameter, the solver disables remaining nodes of the branch and marks the branch as an invalid solution. The valid solutions are then aggregated and displayed as valid tree solutions.

Abstract: A temporal relational database includes a relational database framework that allows for all the capabilities of a standard relational database with the addition of the concept of time. Transactions, which can be modifications of attribute values or changes to the database schema, can be stored with temporal histories. Through the use of these temporal histories, the temporal database is able to seamlessly respond to queries for times that are in the past, present, or future. Furthermore, transactions can be entered into the temporal relational database that are not effective until some point in the future, thus allowing for seamless migration of the data and schema of a database. Applications that access data in a temporal database may retrieve a time appropriate schema from the temporal database. An exemplary use of a temporal database to manage roles and responsibilities within an organization is described.

Abstract: A method, system, and article are provided for efficiently and effectively searching an electronic document collection. Each of the documents in the collection is pre-divided into sub-sections. One or more profiles are created, each including a selection of at least one of the sections of the documents in the collection. In addition, a weight is assigned to each of the selected sections in the profile. Based upon the parameters of a query and selection of a profile, select sub-sections of each document are employed to compare query data to the underlying document collection. A compilation of documents is created with data matching the query data, and a relevancy score is computed for each document in the compilation. The relevancy score is then leveraged to sort the documents in a manner to convey relevancy to the query submission.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are presented for scaling storage media to improve data access performance. A scaling module is provided and configured to receive a dataset, identify storage characteristics of the dataset, make a determination based upon user-defined storage criteria, and select a storage instruction. In one embodiment, the storage instruction is configured to scale the storage medium to a predefined capacity. The predefined capacity of the storage medium is configured to optimize data access performance. Alternatively, the storage instruction is configured to not scale the storage medium. Additionally, the present invention may be configured to map and track the storage medium while the dataset is being written to or read from the storage medium.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method, device, and software for presenting search results in a response to an end-user query. Search results are combined from results from a plurality of indexes, each of the search results having an associated key field. Index entries of each of the plurality of indexes are queried using an index-specific search algorithm to obtain a set of matching search results for each index, each matching search result having a quality of match specific to its index. A relative priority is determined for each of the plurality of indexes and the matching search results from the plurality of indexes are combined into a merged list of ordered search results based on the determined priority. A search result from a lower priority index is discarded in favor of any matching search result from a higher priority index.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for storing documents that are being tracked in an on-demand service. These mechanisms and methods for storing documents in an on-demand service can enable embodiments to provide the sharing of documents and the storing of the documents in association with a tag. The ability of embodiments to provide the sharing of documents and the storing can enable an efficient searching for a shared document. In an embodiment, the shared document is categorized upon being stored.

Abstract: Content and metadata associated with the content may be provided to a number of users. The content may be displayed on a display device while the metadata may be transmitted to a remote device corresponding to a receiving user. The user may further request desired information or metadata pertaining to the content and the requested information or metadata may be transmitted to the user's remote device. Different users may request different information on the same or different objects being displayed or presented on a display device. Each requesting user may receive requested information on the same or different objects via corresponding remote devices.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for storing documents that are being tracked in an on-demand service. These mechanisms and methods for storing documents in an on-demand service can enable embodiments to provide the sharing of documents and the storing of the documents in association with a tag. The ability of embodiments to provide the sharing of documents and the storing can enable an efficient searching for a shared document. In an embodiment, the shared document is categorized upon being stored.

Abstract: A method is provided that automatically saves data on a user terminal of a thin client system to a file server or to the user terminal by appropriately and efficiently sorting the data. System update data such as a patch for the user terminal and confidential data that should be saved to the server are distinguished when written to a secondary storage device, and separately cached into memory. Then, the confidential data that should be saved to the server is automatically uploaded to the file server at any given timing, for example, at shut-down of the terminal, whereby a minimum amount of data can be efficiently saved to the file server.

Abstract: A computer data processing system including a central processing unit configured with a novel integrated computer control software system for the management of data objects including dynamic and automatic organization, linking, finding, cross-referencing, viewing and retrieval of multiple objects regardless of nature or source. The inventive system provides underlying component architecture having an object-oriented database structure and a metadata database structure which is unique in storing only one instance of each object while linking the object to multiple collections and domains by unique metadata links for the grouping into and retrieval from any of the collections. The system employs configurable, extensible attribute/properties of data objects in metadata format, and a truly user-friendly configurable interface that facilitates faster, more unified, comprehensive, useful and meaningful information management.

Abstract: A storage control device uses write management information that manages locations of the occurrence of writing in one or more first storage devices in order to specify one or more locations where writing has occurred, and backs up one or more data elements stored in one or more specified locations to a second storage device. In order to perform a restore operation, write management information at the time of a backup is stored, and data elements stored in the second storage device are restored to one or more locations specified from the write management information at that time of backup, or to one or more new locations specified from new write management information indicating one or more new locations corresponding to the one or more locations.