Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods to realize the potential benefit of portable storage devices by taking advantage of standard PCs including an optical disk drive capable of reading an optical disk, such as a CD or a DVD, cost effective optical disks, and the Internet. In a preferred embodiment, an individual patient provides personal data to a healthcare service center. The healthcare service center then creates a portable optical disk for the patient to carry, if he/she so desires. The personal data that is written onto the portable optical disk is stored on a database management server database and is readable and updateable by the individual patient using his/her PC with an optical disk drive and connected to the Internet. The individual patient can choose to update his/her personal data on the portable optical disk and can receive a new portable optical disk that includes the update.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining history of query results is provided. In one aspect, a query and corresponding results retrieved for providing to the requestor are intercepted and saved. Related information about the query and the results are gathered and saved with the query and the results. The saved information may be filtered, consolidated, or otherwise processed and stored in a query storage. The saved information may be queried and be the basis of information from which results to other queries are obtained.

Abstract: Mechanisms, in a data processing system, are provided for performing a data management operation. These mechanisms identify one or more defined groups of data elements that are a target of the data management operation. One or more previously generated snapshot files associated with the one or more defined groups are identified and a determination is made as to whether at least one previously generated snapshot file of the one or more previously generated snapshot files associated with the one or more defined groups is able to be reused when performing the data management operation. The data management operation is performed based on the determination of whether at least one previously generated snapshot file of the one or more previously generated snapshot files associated with the one or more defined groups is able to be reused when performing the data management operation.

Abstract: Both search criteria and a friends list associated with a user are obtained. One or more data items that satisfy the search criteria are identified as search results. An order of the search results is adjusted based at least in part on multiple additional friends lists, each of which is associated with a data item of the one or more data items. Each of the multiple additional friends lists can also be updated to reflect changes in the friends lists made by users associated with the friends lists.

Abstract: A location point determination apparatus comprises a geographic feature harvesting module (202) arranged to access and collect, when in use, geographic feature information associated with a predetermined named area datum. The apparatus also comprises a data assessment module (208) arranged to receive the geographic feature information collected by the geographic feature harvesting module and to evaluate from the geographic feature information collected in respect of at least one attribute of each geographic feature associated with the geographic feature information. The apparatus further comprises a selection module (210) arranged to select a geographic feature from the geographic features evaluated in accordance with a predetermined criterion associated with the evaluation of the geographic feature information.

Abstract: A method of processing a tree data structure organized into interconnected elements. The method comprises the steps of: defining processing units as subsets of interconnected elements and allocating each processing unit a processing time on which the data of the allocated processing unit is to be used by a unit that is the destination for the data. The processing method can be applied to streaming metadata, in particular for adaptation of scalable multimedia content.

Abstract: When an update instruction to update “A” navigation map information and “B” navigation map information is inputted, a CPU initializes the storage area having stored therein no map information currently in use out of the two storage areas. The CPU then reads, from a CD-ROM, the latest version of the “A” navigation map information or the “B” navigation map information that corresponds to the map information currently in use, and stores it in the initialized storage area. The CPU then updates management information, starts use of the newly stored map information, initializes the storage area having stored therein the map information whose use is stopped out of the two storage areas, reads, from the CD-ROM, the latest version of the “A” navigation map information or the “B” navigation map information not currently in use, and stores it in the initialized storage area.

Abstract: Atomically updating an in-memory data structure that is directly accessible by a processor includes comparing old information associated with an old version of the in-memory data structure with current information associated with a current version of the in-memory data structure; in the event that the old information and the current information are the same, replacing the old version with a new version of the in-memory data structure; in the event that the old information and the current information are not the same, determining a difference between the current version of the in-memory data structure and the new version of the in-memory data structure, and determining whether the difference is logically consistent; and in the event that the difference is logically consistent, merging a change in the current version with the new version.

Abstract: A media bundle and one or more media bundle overlays allow modifying content that is to be played by a playback framework of an electronic device with multimedia content objects contained in the media bundle overlays without modifying the media bundle. A runtime data structure dynamically incorporates the multimedia content contained in the media bundle with multimedia content contained in the media bundle overlays. Manifest objects in the media bundle and some media bundle overlays describe multimedia content contained in the media bundle and the corresponding media bundle overlays. Multimedia content contained in the multimedia bundle overlays may supplement or replace multimedia content contained in the media bundle.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient data storage, which reduces data entropy of data on a data storage device. The technique organizes related data entities (such as files on a hard drive) in close physical proximity and in a predictive or ordered sequence, to reduce the amount of time and effort (mechanical, computational, or otherwise) a storage/retrieval device needs to expend locating each data related entity as it processes a sequence of requests. In addition, the data may be organized and stored according to a file directory index structure, whereby file fragmentation is reduced.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient data storage, which reduces data entropy of data on a data storage device. The technique organizes related data entities (such as files on a hard drive) in close physical proximity and in a predictive or ordered sequence, to reduce the amount of time and effort (mechanical, computational, or otherwise) a storage/retrieval device needs to expend locating each related data entity as it processes a sequence of requests. In addition, the data may be organized and stored according to a file directory index structure, whereby file fragmentation is reduced.

Abstract: A database server apparatus including: a data storage unit configured to store data; a committing procedure information storage unit configured to store committing procedure information for committing each of a plurality of transactions that updates data stored in the data storage unit; a data creating unit configured to create yet-to-be-committed update data from the stored data by executing a transaction for updating the data upon receipt of the transaction; a determining unit configured to determine whether there is a committed transaction that creates committed data as source update data before the transaction executed by the data creating unit is committed; and a committing unit configured to commit the transaction for re-updating the yet-to-be-committed update data in accordance with the committed data and the committing procedure information, when the determining unit determines that there is the committed transaction.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and/or systems for manipulating hierarchical sets of data are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for creating personalized programs. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. According to the method, content is assembled into a personalized program. The method includes maintaining, in a storage device, transaction history information and preference information for a user. The method selects a plurality of content components based on at least one of the transaction history information and the preference information. The method then determines a sequence of the selected content components and assembles the selected content components according to the sequence as the personalized program.

Abstract: A distributed system and method for replicated storage of structure data records. According to one embodiment, a system may include storage hosts each configured to store and retrieve structured data records, and a data store manager configured to receive a request from a client to store a structured data record within a table. In response to receiving the request, the data store manager may be further configured to map the structured data record to a block according to a partition key value of the structured data record and an identifier of the table and to map the block to a subset comprising at least two of the plurality of storage hosts. Upon successfully storing the structured data record to the block within at least two storage hosts within the subset, the data store manager may be further configured to return to the client an indication that said request is complete.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system for providing advanced downloading of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) for a WEB browser running on a computer. The system is capable of providing a WEB browser with Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). The system comprises a client computer and a server. The client computer includes the WEB browser for use by a user and includes a URL component. The server provides WEB data to the client computer. The server includes a URL downloader, which is responsive to the URL component for downloading the URLs to the client computer.

Abstract: A mediation method and system utilizes a subsystem (300) for processing event records that at least potentially have a mutual relation. The subsystem comprises an in-memory database (410) capable of storing data, database interface layer (310) providing an interface to the database, a basic functionality layer (320) comprising at least one module capable of performing basic functions, and a mediation functionality layer (330, 340) comprising at least two modules each capable of performing at least one mediation function on the data in the in-memory database via the modules at the database interface layer and/or basic functionality layer.

Abstract: An item information database of a document rating calculation device stores a relation among items of a document and a rating for each item. A document retrieval unit retrieves a document fulfilling a retrieval condition, and, for condition items of the retrieval condition, specifies such item. A fulfilling-item set specifying unit selects a set of related items for each of items fulfilling the condition items of the retrieval condition, in the document retrieved by the document retrieval unit, based on the mutual relation among the items stored in the item information database, and performs a logical operation of the retrieval condition between selected sets of related items to specify a set of fulfilling items. A score calculator calculates a document rating of the retrieved document from the ratings of items in the set of fulfilling items specified by the fulfilling-item set specifying unit and stored in the item information database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing media content such as audio and video using caption information as a search medium is provided. In the method, in response to a search request from a user terminal, a media content item including a search term is collected through search based on input of the search term. Media sections including the search term are extracted from a plurality of media sections included in the collected media content item. Text items synchronized with the extracted media sections are provided as a list.

Abstract: A system and method for suggesting search terms is described. The method includes receiving a search term from a client at a first time and generating one or more suggested search terms to the client based on the analysis of elapsed time data between the first time and a prior time of receiving a prior search terms. The method further includes sending the suggested search terms to the client.