Abstract: A system, method, and program enables a platform independent way for specifying a property, or function, of a program. Values of properties that are specific to a given operating system are treated as a variable in a program which enables it to run on multiple operating systems. This enables the program to be developed and run on different operating systems. The program reads in the properties and the values, or variables, from a script file into property objects. As such, variables that have meaning to a system can be put into the property object as the value for that property. To use the property by the program, the program sends a get call to the property object to get the value or to provide substitution of a platform specific value for the variable. Accessible to the program is a plurality of operating system specific code segments which define an actual value for the variable for the specific operating systems.

Abstract: A method is provided of installing device drivers in a host processing system coupled to a number of peripheral devices. At system initialization, the host processing system requests the peripheral devices to which it is coupled to each provide a device code for identifying the type of the peripheral device. The host processing system receives the device codes from the peripheral devices and transmits the device codes to a remote server over a network, such as the Internet. The remote server selects an appropriate device driver for each peripheral device from a plurality of stored device drivers based on the device codes received from the host processing system and then transmits the device drivers to the host processing system over the network. This driver download process is carried out with no intervention from the user.

Abstract: A classification apparatus for performing effective learning type automatic classification for realistic problems of classification. The apparatus includes input unit for entering the known case data and the unknown case data, a classification ruled database for storing classification rules including the probabilistic information, a case database for storing the known case data in the form of a network based on the logical relation of conditional parts, a probability value estimating unit for estimating probability values of the results of classification using the conditional parts of the known case data and the unknown case data as entered and the rules of classification and a classification rule generating unit for evaluating the validity of the classification rules by statistic verification for suppressing generation of useless classification rules, and a negative condition searching unit for receiving all or part of the conditional parts of the known case data as entered.

Abstract: A method for analyzing the performance and capacity of an application and a parallel processing system. Based upon a graph representation of the application and system and upon supplied performance values, a data file is created which describes the graph and values. Using that data file, performance equations are generated which model the performance of the application and the system. The model is displayed and modified by the user to allow analysis, evaluation, and extrapolation.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided which update firmware in a network computer by replacing the standard operating system to be loaded at the initialization of the network computer with a firmware update operating system. The firmware update operating system is then downloaded to the network computer and initiated to update the firmware of the network computer. The firmware update operating system may then be replaced with the standard operating system to be loaded at the initialization of the network computer. The network computer may then be reinitialized by, for example, a cold boot, so as to load the standard operating system. The cold boot may be server initiated so as to allow for firmware updates with intervention by an operator at the network computer.

Abstract: A fuzzy logic processor placed in a home automation communications network manages messages traveling through the network. To manage the messages, the fuzzy logic processor works in two stages. In a first stage, on a first part of the message, the fuzzy logic processor ascertains that the message is addressed to it, according to rules by which it recognizes that it is the addressee. Once it recognizes that it is the addressee, it is also capable of producing a routing command because the address of the sender of the signal is present in the message. This routing command is applied to a multiplexer located at the input, interfacing between the fuzzy logic processor and the network in order to route data elements, constituting another part of the message, to the appropriate input of the fuzzy logic processor.

Abstract: An intelligent user assistance system is disclosed. The system is constructed using a reasoning model to determine the probability of a user's intentions, goals, or informational needs in the context of a software program. This is accomplished through analysis of information about the user's actions, the program state, and spoken words. The system monitors user interaction with the software program and applies probabilistic reasoning to sense that the user may need assistance in using a particular feature or to accomplish a specific task. The inference system accesses a thorough and updateable user profile system to continually check for competencies and changes assistance that is given based on the competencies.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for processing program statements, such as statements included in a macro. An assembler program is provided a plurality of statements with an input file. The assembler program processes the statements. For each statement the assembler program determines whether the processed statement is a buffering directive including a statement operand. If the assembler program determines that the processed statement is a buffering directive, the assembler program writes the statement operand of the buffering directive into a memory area. Otherwise, the assembler program generates the processed statement into a data stream. The assembler program generates the statements stored in the memory area into the data stream after processing the statements associated with the macro.

Abstract: Methods of controlling processes having operating conditions, one or more inputs, and one or more outputs. The methods comprise defining acceptable steady state conditions, operating the process, and sampling output on the basis of a dual segment output population model, detecting destabilizing process events which result in output not representing acceptable output parameters, defining operating conditions according to which output is rejected, and defining output parameters according to which output is rejected. Upon detecting a destabilizing process event, the invention temporarily implements sampling assuming a second segment of the output population.

Abstract: A system, method, and article of manufacture are provided for affording consistency in a development architecture framework as components in the framework change. A reference program code is provided and a plurality of sets of updated program code are received which represent different versions of the program code. The sets of the updated program code are compared with the reference program code in order to identify information relating to changes and the information is classified in relation to the changes. Tools are also provided for managing the different versions of the program code.

Abstract: An assembly method and system for assembling components into an assembly. An assembly provides connectors through which the components can be exported and through which an external entity can be imported. An exported component can be connected to another assembly by importing that exported component into that other assembly. A connector can both expose components to be exported and expose connections through which an external entity can be imported. The assembly provides a mechanism through which the connectors can be exposed to external entities. An external entity can use the connector providing mechanism to retrieve a connector and then use the retrieved connector to export components and establish connections by importing external entities. In addition, the use of a standard connector and of a standard connector providing mechanism allows predefined components to be assembled into assemblies that can expose certain behavior of the components through the connectors in a predefined manner.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a dynamic service composition software architecture. A user requests a software based service through an agent software component, or “netlet,” which dynamically selects an appropriate service netlet. The service netlet then dynamically selects a plurality of component netlets, each of which can receive an event causing the component to perform a function or generate an event as a result of performing a function. The agent, service and component netlets can all be selected from a netlet repository in a network. The service netlet dynamically configures the selected component netlets by determining which components will send or receive events from which other components. As a result, the software based service is dynamically composed.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for identifying and removing unused software procedures from computer software loads at loadbuild time, and includes a compiler, linker, and other software loadbuild tools. The compiler has been adapted by the invention to define identify procedures that are unused by a software load by identifying all procedure calls, entry points, and required procedures in each module used by the software load and to incorporate this information into link records. Based on the information contained in the link records, a linker creates a temporal data structure referred to as a call graph that depicts the operational flow of the software load. The linker processes the call graph and determines those procedures that are called, and thus those procedures that are not called by a software load.

Abstract: A system and method for preventing a program from being run under a debugger utility program. The method is part of a routine which is stored along with a software program on a hard drive of a computer system. The computer system has a processor for running both the software program and the routine and is capable of operating in a debug mode. The routine prevents unauthorized access to the software program, such as when the processor is running in the debug mode. When the processor is running the software program, the program can initiate execution of the routine. Once initiated, the routine checks a certain registers of the processor to determine if it is operating in the debug mode and if so, stops the processor from continuing to run the software program.

Abstract: A dependency action system uses redundant sets of dynamically reconfigurable functional components to achieve robustness and fault tolerance, and to achieve self-optimization by learning and planning techniques that use time-stamps and or computation stamps as a key indicator. The dependency action system is based on functional components, or actions, which act on data values that are stored in stamped storage locations. Data is read and written to these storage locations, updating the stamps as appropriate. The execution of an action is controlled by the stamps of its enabling and disabling storage locations. The dependency action system specifies an action as enabled if new data has arrived in the enabling storage locations. Updating the stamp of the disabling storage locations disables the action. If an alternative action succeeds and produces a value, the other alternative actions become disabled.

Abstract: A reliable and repeatable process for specifying, developing, distributing, and monitoring a software system or application within a dynamic environment includes the steps of specifying a set of software system requirements during a discovery process within a data processing environment, establishing a development and delivery schedule for distribution of the software system, developing a software system corresponding to the software system requirements during a development process, and developing and testing an install package to be used to install the software system in a test environment within the data processing environment. The install package includes the software system and routines configured to automatically instantiate the software system in the test environment. The developing and testing step takes a first amount of time.

Abstract: A configuration description language system in a computer environment provides a mechanism to develop sets of rules intended to govern computing systems. A custom language is provided that the system designer uses to describe constraints and rules of target systems where a rule describes how a certain set of parameters of a computing system are determined based on an input set of desired characteristics. The desired characteristics pertain to certain tasks that the user wants to apply to such a system. The parameters (or constraints) are based upon system limitations such as memory configuration, processor speed and model number. The system designer creates rule sets using the custom language and compiler. The compiler ensures that the sets are complete and unambiguous and converts the custom language into a binary format that is compact, portable, and suitable for efficient searches, thereby minimizing execution times.

Abstract: An extensible incremental compiler includes an incremental compiler which is configured to pass control to one or more extensions at one or more points in the compilation process. The extensible incremental compiler determines whether an extension is active at various points in the compilation process and, if so, transfers control to the active extension. The extension mechanism performs its programed functionality and then returns control back to the incremental compiler. The extensions are supplied to the incremental compiler via a linked library.

Abstract: Described are method and apparatus for discriminating whether a time series data is a deterministic chaos or a stochastic chaos. In the method and apparatus, a trajectory parallel measuring method is used to discriminate the observed time series data.

Abstract: A current-type fuzzy processor is disclosed. The fuzzy processor comprises a characteristic decoder for decoding a to-be-identified pattern, a plurality of membership function generators for generating a plurality of membership degrees for the to-be-identified pattern, a weighting decoder for generating a weighting value, a plurality of weighting adjustment circuits for performing weighting operations on the plurality of membership degrees according to the weighting value to generate a plurality of weighted membership degrees, a plurality of accumulators for performing accumulation operations on the plurality of weighted membership degrees to generate a plurality of synthesis membership degrees, a WTA circuit for outputting the plurality of synthesis membership degrees in an order of magnitude; and a timing and control logic for generating timing and control signals for the fuzzy processor.