Patents Examined by Leon Harper
  • Patent number: 7783614
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for mapping and linking elements in a document to corresponding fields or queries in a database. A document is annotated with structural elements of a markup language, such as Extensible Markup Language (XML), in order to map portions of the document to the corresponding database. Once individual elements within the document are mapped and linked to corresponding data fields or queries within a selected database, changes made to individual elements within the document automatically cause updates to corresponding data in the database to which those elements are mapped and linked. Conversely, changes made to individual data fields within the selected database automatically update corresponding elements within the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Jones, Marcin Sawicki
  • Patent number: 7779039
    Abstract: Systems and methods for hosting variable schema data such as dynamic tables and columns in a fixed physical database schema. Standard objects, such as tables are provided for use by multiple tenants or organizations in a multi-tenant database system. Each organization may add or define custom fields for inclusion in a standard object. Custom fields for multiple tenants are stored in a single field within the object data structure, and this single field may contain different data types for each tenant. Indexing columns are also provided, wherein a tenant may designate a field for indexing. Data values for designated fields are copied to an index column, and each index column may include multiple data types. Each organization may also define custom objects including custom fields and indexing columns. Custom objects for multiple tenants are stored in a single custom object data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: salesforce.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Weissman, Simon Wong
  • Patent number: 7774352
    Abstract: A method of reversing a plurality of erroneous invoices proffered by a plurality of vendors/suppliers. The method comprises providing a master database for inputting a plurality of vendor invoices, storing a cancellation request for each of the plurality of erroneous invoices in a response database, executing an agent to extract data pertaining to the cancellation request stored for each of the plurality of erroneous invoices from the response database, creating an intermediate file containing data extracted from the response database, executing a delivery component for adding a header record and trailer record to the intermediate file, and for renaming the intermediate file, and executing a bridge program for delivering the intermediate file from the response database into the master database and processing the intermediate file in the master database in order to reverse each of the plurality of erroneous invoices in the master database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kimberly L. Doherty, Robert P. Gavazzi, Mark E. Kadlecik, Ann Marie Lukovich, Lisa Ann Materski, Michele Ann Roach
  • Patent number: 7769744
    Abstract: A method of accumulating and aggregating statistics concerning the use of database table indexes includes using a plurality of counters to register index use. The plurality of counters allow multiple instances of index usage to be recorded simultaneously. A missing index may be detected using an optimal index in a query plan. The optimal index is compared against the available indexes to determine if an index is missing. Statistics may be gathered against the used and missing indexes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Cororation
    Inventors: Florian Waas, Jueigen Thomas, Eric N. Hanson, Cesar A. Galindo-Legaria
  • Patent number: 7761455
    Abstract: Various approaches are disclosed for loading data from a vertical database table into a horizontal database table. In one embodiment, a number of rows in a vertical database table and a number of columns in a horizontal database table are determined. Entries in a first column of the vertical table contain object identifiers, entries in a second column contain attribute names corresponding to the object identifiers, and entries in a third column contain attribute values corresponding to the attribute names. The horizontal table includes a column for the object identifiers and respective attribute columns for the attributes names. One of a plurality of methods is selected and used for reading data from the vertical database table and writing data to the horizontal database table based in part on the number of rows in the vertical database table and the number of columns in the horizontal database table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Y. Shan, Fabio Casati, Maria Guadalupe Castellanos, Ming-Chien Shan
  • Patent number: 7752172
    Abstract: A processor (2) in a transaction processing system (1) has an event engine and a scenario engine. The event engine stores a framework (20) for each entity or type of service. The framework (20) has a parent class (21) and subsidiary classes (22-27). In real time the event engine instantiates an event object from a relevant class (22-27), giving it an effective time on a timeline of the parent class (21). The event objects many subsequently be handled as autonomous units for generation of reports or batch processing. The event engine moves the event objects between states of a finite state machine. A scenario engine also manipulates objects according to a finite state machine with future dates as the effective times. There is a state transition from the scenario environment to the event engine (live) environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Neos financial Systems Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Boylan, Rory Connolly, Eoin Kirwan, Ann McCorry, Alan Molloy
  • Patent number: 7747660
    Abstract: A method and system of providing access to a virtual storage device is disclosed. According to one embodiment, access is provided to a virtual storage device comprising a file system storage object to store data to be written to the virtual storage device and a storage device. According to another embodiment, the virtual storage device further comprises a file system storage object to represent the virtual storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation
    Inventors: Basant Rajan, Milind Borate, Ganesh Varadarajan
  • Patent number: 7734568
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described that enhance a user's experience when playing a DVD through an enabled media player. One or more databases, managed by a server, maintain metadata associated with DVDs. When a DVD is loaded using the enabled media player, a DVD ID is automatically determined and used to search the metadata database. A user can confirm metadata that is found, causing the metadata to be stored in a local media library. Alternatively, the user can enter other search criteria to be used to locate different DVD metadata. Additionally, a user can either edit metadata that is returned from the metadata database, or manually enter metadata to be associated with a particular DVD. The user-edited or user-entered metadata can then be stored in the local media library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Polson, David W. Hostetter, Keith M. Toussaint
  • Patent number: 7730041
    Abstract: Serialization and deserialization using data contracts. The data contract specifies data types that are serialized and deserialized for data objects that are associated with the data contract. During serialization, the data contract associated with the data object is identified. Then, the data fields that correspond to those specified data field types are extracted from the data object and serialized into a serialization format. During deserialization, the serialization mechanism receives a serialized data structure having a particular serialization format. A data contract is then identified as being associated with the serialized data structure. After deserialization of the serialized data structure into abstract data, a corresponding data object is populated with data fields that correspond only with those data field types specified in the data contract. Accordingly, data abstraction is enabled while serializing and deserializing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas M. Purdy, Sowmyanarayanan K. Srinivasan, Bradford H. Lovering, Donald F. Box, Gopala Krishna R. Kakivaya, Natasha H. Jethanandani, Stefan H. Pharies, Stephen T. Swartz, Steven E. Lucco
  • Patent number: 7716158
    Abstract: A method and system which allow the addition of context into a search involves the use of state monitors in the computing environment. The state monitors record information such as the installed hardware, software, user preferences, and operating modes. The state information is used to modify information gathered via a user search to make the search results more relevant to the user in the context of his computing environment. The monitors, along with logical operators and variables, assess the current state of the machine and modify the displayed search results by excluding irrelevant information, biasing up information relevant to the computing environment and biasing down other information less relevant to the computing environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher C. McConnell
  • Patent number: 7707165
    Abstract: A system and method manages data versions in a file system. A data version field associated with a direct block pointer in each level 1 indirect block stores a data version associated with the data contained in the direct block. When data is modified subsequent to the creation of a persistent consistency point image, the data version is incremented to a next data version value to signify that the data has been modified. Replication is aided by the ease of identifying modified data blocks by examining the data version field associated with each block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
    Inventors: Tianyu Jiang, Narayana R. Tummala
  • Patent number: 7702663
    Abstract: A garbage collection system that needs to meet real-time requirements utilizes a read barrier that is implemented in an optimizing compiler. The read barrier is implemented with a forwarding pointer positioned in a header of each object. The forwarding pointer points to the object unless the object has been moved. The barrier is optimized by breaking the barrier and applying barrier sinking to sink the read barrier to its point of use and by using sub-expression elimination. A null-check for the read barrier is combined with a null-check required by the real-time application. All objects are located and moved with the collector to minimize variations in mutator utilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Francis Bacon, Perry Cheng, Vadakkedathu Thomas Rajan
  • Patent number: 7685111
    Abstract: One identification information piece to identify one data correlated with another data can be output as being correlated with the another data. In addition, when the one data is displayed or printed on the basis of the output one identification information piece or when another data associated with the one data is searched out, a score is given to the correlation of the one data with the another data and the one data correlated with the another data is preferentially output in accordance with the score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushige Muroi, Satoru Yanagi, Kazuma Aoki
  • Patent number: 7685104
    Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for query execution management in a data processing system and, more particularly, for managing execution of queries having one or more related query conditions. One embodiment provides a method for managing execution of a query against data of a database. The method comprises receiving a current query against the data of the database, the current query including a plurality of query conditions, for each query condition of the plurality of query conditions, determining whether a previously generated dynamic bitmap index can be re-used for the query condition of the current query, the dynamic bitmap index having been previously generated for a previous query condition associated with a previous query executed against the data of the database; and if the dynamic bitmap index has been generated for the previous query condition, retrieving the dynamic bitmap index, and determining a query result for the current query using all retrieved dynamic bitmap indexes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Randy W. Ruhlow, John M. Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 7685207
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an adaptive Internet-based product control system that utilizes web technology to gather and present asset control data in an environment with constantly changing requirements due to various third party demands and/or funding restrictions. The present system tracks third party assets, provides real-time data regarding current status, and assists in returning the assets to the customer in a more timely fashion. The system can adapt to constantly changing user requirements by use of a Cold Fusion database interface to a set of data files that can be constructed and reconstructed on-the-fly. Multiple third party structures are supported with one central data file that handles the security logs and one central tasking data bank for tracking specific third party funding/tasking. The system also interfaces with bar code readers to gather of asset data and to upload it at a later time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: William Helms
  • Patent number: 7650371
    Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing a software transactional memory system that supports allocation and use of finalizable objects inside transactions. By supporting such finalizable object usage inside a software transactional memory system, correct behavior is maintained when a garbage collector must determine when a particular one or more of the objects are eligible for finalization. A to-be-finalized set is provided for a transaction. An object is placed into the to-be-finalized set for the transaction whenever a finalizable object is allocated within the transaction. A finalize indicator is set for each object in the to-be-finalized set at an appropriate time to indicate that the objects are eligible for finalization. For example, if the transaction is ready to commit and the transaction is an open transaction, then the to-be-finalized set is traversed and a finalize indicator is set for each object to indicate they are eligible for finalization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Joseph Duffy, David Detlefs, Michael M. Magruder
  • Patent number: 7636733
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for digital image management. In general, in one aspect, a method for digital image management includes receiving a digital image associated with a specific time. The method includes receiving a data unit associated with a time interval. The method includes associating the data unit with the digital image when the time interval associated with the data unit includes the specific time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Kenneth Rothmuller
  • Patent number: 7610313
    Abstract: A system and method for providing efficient document scoring of concepts within a document set is described. A frequency of occurrence of at least one concept within a document retrieved from the document set is determined. A concept weight is analyzed reflecting a specificity of meaning for the at least one concept within the document. A structural weight is analyzed reflecting a degree of significance based on structural location within the document for the at least one concept. A corpus weight is analyzed inversely weighing a reference count of occurrences for the at least one concept within the document. A score associated with the at least one concept is evaluated as a function of the frequency, concept weight, structural weight, and corpus weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Attenex Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Kawai, Lynne Marie Evans
  • Patent number: 7606813
    Abstract: A database manager maintains information (in a database) associated with each of multiple resources according to different domain models used to view the resources by corresponding topology services. Model consolidation (for the topology services) and a unique way of storing information associated with the models in the database enables the database manager to efficiently store, calculate, and retrieve topology objects from a database for multiple model-driven applications, which may have commonly defined portions of the domain models. The model consolidation solution provides flexibility and scalability in terms of defining cross-model functionality for model-driven applications. Additionally, the model consolidation solution also allows any model-driven topology service application to operate within a set of domain models derived from application needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Dmitry Gritsay, Vitaly Rozenman, Benjamin Bushoy
  • Patent number: 7587421
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system and article of manufacture for managing devices, wherein in certain embodiments a request implemented via at least one device independent class is received. A class hierarchy database is traversed to determine at least one device specific class that corresponds to the at least one device independent class, wherein the class hierarchy database stores a class hierarchy and associations between classes. The received request is modified, wherein in the modified request the least one device independent class has been translated to the at least one device specific class.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sergio P. Bonilla, Hai-Yann Hwang, Karsten Jancke, Thorsten Schaefer, Xin Wang, Cindy Zhou