Patents Examined by Maria N. Von Buhr
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Patent number: 6405205Abstract: A message display system (and method) is provided for DML object reproduction in a relational database in which DML objects for accessing tables made up with rows and columns are made from user programs in compilation and are registered in a DML object library. Herein, DML objects are produced by compilation of the user programs each containing SQL statements, so that the DML objects are registered in the DML object library. In response to a change of table definition of a designated table within the tables, the user programs are subjected to analysis to select a user program related to the designated table whose definition is changed with reference to the DML object library, so that a DML object is automatically reproduced in connection with the selected user program using the designated table. In addition, a reproduction result is displayed on a screen.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2000Date of Patent: June 11, 2002Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Tomohiro Hakuba
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Patent number: 6405196Abstract: A system and method for interfacing index based and iterator based file management routines. In general, the disclosed system maintains an iterator cache having multiple iterators. Each active iterator is associated with a most recently used directory entry. Upon receiving an index based request, the iterator closest to the index based request is identified. If the index based request is closer to the top of the directory than it is to the closest active iterator, the directory entries are sequentially examined beginning at the top of the directory with the first entry. Otherwise, the system determines whether the index based request is located above or below the closest iterator. If the index based request is above the closest iterator, the system steps backward beginning with the directory entry associated with the closest iterator until the directory entry associated with the index based request is located.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2001Date of Patent: June 11, 2002Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.Inventors: Mark S. Day, Donald J. Brady, Deric S. Horn
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Patent number: 6397229Abstract: A storage-controller-managed outboard incremental backup/restore of data. An indicator is assigned to an associated portion of data stored in a data storage device, wherein the indicator resides in a memory of a storage controller coupled to the data storage device. A value of the indicator residing within the memory of the storage controller is set when the associated portion of the data has changed. The associated portion of the data stored in the data storage device is backed using the storage controller when the value of the indicator residing within the memory of the storage controller is set. The value of the indicator residing within the memory of the storage controller is cleared when the associated portion of the data has been backed up.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 1998Date of Patent: May 28, 2002Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jaishankar Moothedath Menon, Richard Kent Treiber
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Patent number: 6393421Abstract: A communication system and method are presented for enabling keep in touch technique between an owner of at least one communication code and a receiver of the at least one communication code utilizing a manager utility. The code owner, or any other authorized person, creates a data record containing information belonging to the code owner, and feeds this data record to the manager utility. The manager utility, upon receiving the data record, stores it in a database and assigns the at least one communication code associated with at least the predetermined part of the stored information to the data record owner. Upon receiving the at least one communication code from the code receiver, the manager utility provides him with at least the predetermined part of the stored information of the code owner. Upon detecting that changes have been made to the data record of the code owner, the manager utility operates to update the code receiver.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 1999Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Inventor: Neriel Paglin
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Patent number: 6393416Abstract: Complex languages such as bidirectional or double byte character set (e.g., Unicode) languages are supported in tier-0 devices despite the limited storage resources common for such devices. A phrase dictionary is built within a host data processing system which is capable of communicating with the tier-0 device and which supports complex language input. Commonly used text strings are added to the phrase dictionary utilizing any characters. The contents of the phrase dictionary are then transferred, along with sparse font information containing only the glyphs necessary for characters within the phrase dictionary, to the tier-0 device. Since font information for only a subset of all possible characters is stored in the tier-0 device, a much smaller amount of storage resources are consumed. On the tier-0 device, the phrase dictionary is invoked by a user control such as a pop-up, and the desired phrase may then be selected for entry into a data entry field.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 1998Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Steven Edward Atkin, Kenneth Borgendale, Michael Aaron Kaply
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Patent number: 6389418Abstract: A method of data mining represents related patents in a multidimensional space. Distance between patents in the multidimensional space corresponds to the extent of relationship between the patents. The relationship between pairings of patents can be expressed based on weighted combinations of several predicates. The user can select portions of the space to perceive. The user also can interact with and control the communication of the space, focusing attention on aspects of the space of most interest. The multidimensional spatial representation allows more ready comprehension of the structure of the relationships among the patents.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2000Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Sandia CorporationInventors: Kevin W. Boyack, V. Gerald Grafe, David K. Johnson, Brian N. Wylie
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Patent number: 6381601Abstract: In order to realize high speed process for grouping the records having the identical values of one or more columns of the input list, the input list is canned, a hash value is generated using a hash function in which a value of the column as the non-vacant partial aggregation of the columns for the grouping is used as the argument, and it is determined whether two or more records having the hash values exist or not. The input list is scanned again and the calculating process of the aggregation columns is immediately executed for the records having the hash value for which it is determined by the first scanning that there is only one record having the identical hash value, the result of such calculating process is output and the records are defined as the input of the ordinary grouping process for the records which are determined to exist as the two or more records.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1999Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shinji Fujiwara, Kazutomo Ushijima, Itaru Nishizawa
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Patent number: 6370525Abstract: A method for processing a search query uses the results of a search performed on a high quality, controlled database to assess the relevance of documents retrieved from a search of an uncontrolled public database having documents of highly variable quality. The method includes the steps of parsing the search query and then searching the authoritative database to generate authoritative database results. The search query is also used to search the public database, thereby generating public database results. The quality or relevance of the public database results are then quantified on the basis of the authoritative database results, thereby generating a quality index. The results from both the authoritative and the public databases are then ranked on the basis of this quality index.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2000Date of Patent: April 9, 2002Assignee: KCSL, Inc.Inventor: Ilia Kaufman
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Patent number: 6370529Abstract: A method and apparatus for multi-phase locking for partition maintenance operations is provided. In the first phase, a shared data dictionary lock is acquired on a body of metadata in a data dictionary. Next, the data dictionary is read and a list of affected partitions is generated. In the second phase, an intent exclusive data lock is acquired on the affected table. Next, an exclusive data lock is acquired on the affected partitions of the affected table. The shared data dictionary lock on the data dictionary is released and a physical attribute of the data of the affected partitions is changed. In the third phase, an exclusive data dictionary lock is acquired on the data dictionary. The metadata associated with the affected partitions in the data dictionary is updated and the exclusive data locks on the affected partitions and the intent exclusive data lock on the affected table are released. Finally, the exclusive data dictionary lock on the data dictionary is released.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2000Date of Patent: April 9, 2002Assignee: Oracle CorporationInventors: Andre Kruglikov, Elizabeth Davis, Gianfranco Putzolu
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Patent number: 6366927Abstract: A system and method for storing data to represent other-than-straight map features in a computer-readable geographic database for use in a navigation system. For geographic features that are other-than-straight, a curve generated by a computable function is fitted to an image of the other-than-straight map feature. The computable function may be a polynomial equation whose shape is defined by its coefficients. In one embodiment, the polynomial equation is a type of spline curve, in particular a Bezier curve whose shape is defined by control points. The coefficients of the polynomial equation are associated with data representing the other-than-straight feature. In the case in which the polynomial equation is a Bezier curve, the control points for generating the Bezier curve are associated with the data representing the other-than-straight feature. These control points are stored in the geographic database and are used in displaying the other-than-straight geographic feature.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 1999Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Navigation Technologies Corp.Inventors: James A. Meek, Richard A. Ashby, David S. Lampert
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Patent number: 6366946Abstract: A technique for processing a critical code section which cannot be executed concurrently by more than one executable unit (e.g., a thread, a process, a fiber, etc.). A first executable unit prepares a packet containing a “work request,” which describes work to be performed by the critical section. If the critical section is not in use by a second executable unit, then the first executable unit enters the critical section and performs the work described in the packet. If the critical section is in use by a second executable unit, then the second executable unit performs the work described in the packet on behalf of the first executable unit, thereby alleviating the necessity for the first executable unit to enter the critical section.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 1998Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Eric R. Christensen
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Patent number: 6366928Abstract: A method for moving open files on a computer system is disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, an open file may be accessed by a user while being moved. To ensure accuracy, if data is to be written to an open file while it is being moved, the data is written to both the old and new locations.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1995Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Raxco Software, Inc.Inventor: William R. Davy
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Patent number: 6363392Abstract: A method and system for providing a flexible, web-sharable database with proximity searching capability. A processor receives data from a remote source. A database manager assembles the data into a database dynamically conforming to the form of the data received. An address extraction extracts addressing information from the data received and supplies the addressing information to a geocoder. The geocoder generates a geocode corresponding to the addressing information and associates the geocode with the addressing information.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1998Date of Patent: March 26, 2002Assignee: Vicinity CorporationInventors: Gerald F. Halstead, Dwight C. Aspinwall
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Patent number: 6363402Abstract: Installation of an application program which is not compatible with a version of an OS is prevented. On a transmission side, information bits of one code word are assumed to represent the entirety of both an application program to be distributed to a receiving side and system software, including an OS of a version with which the application program is compatible, and an ECC for the information bits is computed and is attached to the application program. On the receiving side, compatibility between the application program and the system software which has already been installed is determined on the basis of the ECC attached to the distributed application program, and the distributed application program is installed on the basis of the determination result.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1998Date of Patent: March 26, 2002Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Yoko Matsuura
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Patent number: 6363379Abstract: A method of presenting clusters of documents in response to a search query where the documents within a cluster are determined to be related to one another. This relationship is assessed by comparing documents which match one or more terms in the query to determine the extent to which the documents have commonality with respect to terms appearing infrequently in the collection of documents. As a consequence, the cluster of documents represents a response or query result that is split across multiple documents. In a further variation the cluster can be constituted by a structured document and an unstructured document.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2000Date of Patent: March 26, 2002Assignee: AT&T Corp.Inventors: Guy Jacobson, Balachander Krishnamurthy, Divesh Srivastava
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Patent number: 6360219Abstract: A queue data structure is stored on a computer-readable medium to represent a queue or list. The data structure includes a head pointer that points to the last or most recent list element to have been removed from the queue, and a tail pointer that points to the most recently added list element in the queue. The head pointer and tail pointer may be implemented as separate objects. The queue data structure is applicable to computer arts such as transactional database management. The queue data structure can prevent concurrency conflicts that could otherwise occur when an object modified in one transaction (e.g. by one user) is modified by another concurrent transaction (e.g. by another user).Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 1998Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: Gemstone Systems, Inc.Inventors: Robert F. Bretl, Martin R. McClure
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Patent number: 6349313Abstract: A processing system processes an I/O request and, upon interruption of the I/O request, identifies an owner of an active mount point or another entity, and then resumes processing the I/O request under the control of the identified owner. For instance, when an I/O request processed by an I/O system encounters an active mount point, the processing is interrupted as control is turned over to an active mount point driver. The active mount point driver assumes responsibility for processing the I/O request. In processing the I/O request, the active mount point driver decides what action should be taken to further processing of the I/O request. To further processing of the I/O request, the active mount point driver may utilize information from a variety of sources as well as make requests to other processes, drivers, systems, subsystems, devices, and so forth.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2000Date of Patent: February 19, 2002Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Oshoma Momoh, Gary D. Kimura, Luis Felipe Cabrera
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Patent number: 6347316Abstract: A technique for use in a client-server environment, such as the World Wide Web, for providing a client with the best available translated version of a document requested from a server in a language other than the original language of the document. In response to a request from a client for a document in a secondary language, the technique determines if a version of the document exists in the specified secondary language. The invention supports more than one type of translated version; namely, a machine translation version and a human translation version. Typically, human translation versions are more accurate than machine translation versions. If both translation versions are available and the most recent version is newer than the original document, or if one of the translation versions is available and that version is newer than the original document, the most recent version is sent to the client.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 1998Date of Patent: February 12, 2002Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Richard J. Redpath
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Patent number: 6347321Abstract: When the quantity of information recorded in a first storage medium reaches the uppermost limit on the quantity of recordable information, a hierarchical structure and a keyword candidate list registered in the first storage medium are recorded in an internal storage unit. Then, after the first storage medium is replaced by a new second storage medium, the hierarchical structure and the keyword candidate list recorded in the internal storage unit are automatically registered in the new second storage medium.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 1998Date of Patent: February 12, 2002Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nozomi Masao, Kazuo Otani
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Patent number: 6345280Abstract: Managing a log stream of a computer system. An entry of a log stream, desired to be removed from the log stream, but not eligible for removal, is logically deleted. Logical deletion keeps the entry on the log stream and indicates that the entry can be removed from the log stream when it is eligible. When the entry is eligible, it is removed. If a desired entry remains at the tail of the log stream for a given period of time, thus not all owing the removal of one or more undesired entries, the desired entry is rewritten to the head of the log stream and deleted from the tail. Thereafter, other logically deleted entries eligible for deletion are removed from the log stream.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1999Date of Patent: February 5, 2002Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Carl Edward Clark, Steven Jay Greenspan, Hiren Ramlal Shah