Patents Examined by Paul V. Kulik
  • Patent number: 6216152
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing plug-in media decoders. Embodiments provide a “plug-in” decoder architecture that allows software decoders to be transparently downloaded, along with media data. User applications are able to support new media types as long as the corresponding plug-in decoder is available with the media data. Persistent storage requirements are decreased because the downloaded decoder is transient, existing in application memory for the duration of execution of the user application. The architecture also supports use of plug-in decoders already installed in the user computer. One embodiment is implemented with object-based class files executed in a virtual machine to form a media application. A media data type is determined from incoming media data, and used to generate a class name for a corresponding codec (coder-decoder) object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel C. W. Wong, Jesus David Rivas, Amith Yamasani
  • Patent number: 6216203
    Abstract: A record having a fixed length data portion and a variable length data portion is stored in memory units, each capable of being inputted/outputted independently, in unit of sub-record while the fixed length data portion is divided into a plurality of fixed length sub-records each having the same length and the variable length data portion is made one variable length sub-record. When data operation of the record such as retrieval, update and deletion is required, sub-records necessary for the data operation are limited and the data operation is made in a unit of one or more sub-records, so that data processing of unnecessary sub-records is not made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kota Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6212517
    Abstract: A system for providing keywords to facilitate a search in a text retrieval system. For each of texts constituting a text base, the system creates a word ID of each of words used in the text and a word occurrence count of a corresponding word. The word occurrence count indicates a number of occurrences of a word in each text. For each of words used in any of the texts constituting the text base, the system creates a total word occurrence count and a containing text count indicative of the number of texts containing the word. For each of words contained in the selected texts, a degree of importance is calculated by using the word occurrence count, the total word occurrence count and the containing text count. The words contained in the selected texts are sorted in order of the degree of importance. At least a part of the sorted words are displayed as related keywords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Sato, Naohiko Noguchi, Yuji Kanno, Masako Nomoto, Mitsuaki Inaba, Yoshio Fukushige
  • Patent number: 6205443
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for retrieving information from a database. Initially, the documents within the database are divided into mutually exclusive subdocuments that generally correspond to paragraphs of text. The present invention further creates a second set of subdocuments that overlap adjacent paragraphs of text. In particular, the location of the overlapping subdocuments depends on the size of the initial paragraphs. This second set of overlapping subdocuments are scored just as the mutually exclusive subdocuments are scored. The scores from both the mutually exclusive and overlapping subdocuments are used in ranking the relevance of documents to a query. The use of both sets of subdocument scores improves the effectiveness of the scoring algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Claritech Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Evans
  • Patent number: 6202066
    Abstract: Security administration in a computer system is simplified by defining a new and independent entity called an Object Access Type (OAT). OATs comprise access control specifications associating roles with permissions, and associating the roles with a set of objects, such as resources or files. Different roles may have differing permissions to objects associated with an OAT, and objects may be assigned to plural OATs. A mechanism is also presented whereby system administrators are provided with the capability to display and manipulate access designations by operating only on the independent OATS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce
    Inventors: John Barkley, Anthony V. Cincotta
  • Patent number: 6199062
    Abstract: A method of hierarchical LDAP wildcard searching in an LDAP directory service having a relational database management system (DBMS) as a backing store. The relational database normally includes a forward index of the character strings in the database. The method begins by generating a reverse index of the character strings in the relational database. Depending on the position of one or more wildcards in the string, the forward index, the reverse index, or both indices, are used to generate the relational database query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Debora Jean Byrne, John Mark McConaughy, Shaw-Ben Shi, Chin-Long Shu, Trung Minh Tran
  • Patent number: 6199070
    Abstract: A technique, system, and computer program for using a database to store program logs. Logged information can be created, stored, displayed, and analyzed in a more usable, efficient manner. Log information is preferably stored in two or more tables, enabling reduction of redundant information through database normalization. Message text is preferably stored in computer-readable, as opposed to human-readable, format. This enables optimization of the amount of storage required, and facilitates normalizing the database tables. In addition, translation to the user's national language is made easier, whereby a message code is stored, pointing to an entry in a table that contains message text in the chosen language. The report-generating facilities of the database manager are available for use in analyzing log entries, eliminating the need to write customized reporting software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Felipe Polo-Wood, Peter Williams Volkmar
  • Patent number: 6192376
    Abstract: The method of the invention updates a tree arranged index for an hierarchical file system (HFS). The index includes at least one index value, i.e., an index page, that is logically positioned between an index anchor value and a sequence page. The sequence page includes actual index data. Logical positioning of the index page is determined by one or more pointers. The method initially responds to an index update request by making an update “shadow” copy of (i) a sequence page and (ii) any other index pages, up to and including a root page, that are to be updated in accord with the update request. Thereafter, an index manager updates the shadow copy of the sequence page in accord with the update request. The index manager further updates the root page and each shadowed index page that is present in a path to the updated sequence page to indicate that the path has been updated and includes the most current data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: W. James Kincaid, David Levish, Thomas A. Mahon
  • Patent number: 6192367
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture, and a memory structure for displaying and editing data fields in a data file is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a monitor, communicatively coupled to a computer, a window, displayable on the monitor, the window comprising a view of the data fields, the view indicating editable data fields with an indication derived from data structure information. The method comprises the steps of opening the data file and the file with the structure information, determining which of the data fields are editable from the structure information, and displaying a window on a monitor comprising a view of the data records. The data record view includes a view of the data fields that identifies data fields can be edited by the browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Allen K. Hawley, Sheila I. Sholars
  • Patent number: 6185572
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for representing data from non-object-oriented external datastores as queryable datastore persistent objects. A computerized system in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes a “bridge” for locating a logical unit of data in a non-object-oriented datastore, for retrieving the data from the datastore, and for mapping the data retrieved from the datastore into a datastore persistent object so that the data is encapsulated within the datastore persistent object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Blackman, Jack L. Howe, III
  • Patent number: 6185568
    Abstract: A method and computer program product for classifying data being processed by drivers included in a stack. The computer program product is a centralized packet classifier that receives classification requests from drivers or other clients according to a defined interface. This reduces the cost for producing a driver since less code is required initially at development time as well as a corresponding reduction in maintenance costs. The present invention groups drivers or other clients that utilize a certain body of classification information into classification families. Further, reference patterns used to make classifications are stored in separate databases depending on whether they are specific or general.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Douceur, Yoram Bernet, Ofer Bar
  • Patent number: 6182064
    Abstract: Provided are a method and system for locating data stored within an environment having multiple interconnected computing systems. The method and system achieve their objects via the following actions. A superset of one or more elements comprised of data location identifiers and associated data attributes is created. A list of data attributes is received. In response to said received list of data attributes, any data location identifiers, within said created superset, which have the data attributes in the list, are transmitted. In one embodiment, the superset elements consist of object identifiers paired with the computing system wherein the objects associated with the object identifiers are located, the list of data attributes contains a list of object attributes, and the data location identifiers transmitted consist of an object identifier paired with a computing location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David Uel Shorter, Susan Carol Lilly, Robert Bruce Scott
  • Patent number: 6175933
    Abstract: A system, method and program product for recovering records transferred by a file transfer program from a file transfer client to a file transfer server for storing in an I/O device by the server, wherein the file comprises multiple records in one or more blocks. A file is transferred from the file transfer client to the file transfer server a record at a time, with each record being stored in turn in memory in the server. Each record is then converted by a conversion routine. Recovery information, including the location of the first record in the block in the I/O device, is saved for each record converted by said conversion routine, and the recovery information for each record is sent to the file transfer client to be used to recover the records in the event the file transfer program is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: William Scott Cadden
  • Patent number: 6173294
    Abstract: A system for garbage collection of memory objects in a memory heap. The system includes a memory heap that is partitioned into few generations, each generation being partitioned into cards. The generations are associated with remembered sets and card markings data structure. Each card in the card markings data structure includes scan generation related data that represent generations for which the card has or has not to be scanned. The system further includes a processor communicating with the memory for scanning the cards according to the scan generation related data, and in response to identifying updated inter-generational pointers, the processor is capable of updating the remember set with the identified inter-generational pointers. The processor is further capable of updating the scan generation related data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alain Azagury, Elliot K. Kolodner, Erez Petrank, Zvi Yehudai
  • Patent number: 6169993
    Abstract: In an interface-based binary object system capable of supporting multiple interfaces into objects created by class templates, a repository of stored object states is formed that can be accessed by later created objects. Such later created objects may be of the same class as the original object or may be of a new class extended from the original class and still use the same stored object state. Access to the stored object state is made through a generic repository object that emulates the behavior of a particular class of object as defined in type definitions. Requests to a particular object's properties through interface methods are serviced by having the generic repository object make reference to the type definitions in order to fulfill the request. Binary extensibility of the generic repository object along with proper class definition in the type definitions allows custom objects having greater functionality than that provided by the generic repository object to be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David R. Shutt, Steven M. Cellini
  • Patent number: 6169992
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for remotely accessing database management systems (5130) and performing guided iterative queries of knowledge bases (110) over a communication circuit such as the Internet (5124). The system includes a Web browser (5120) having a Java™ runtime environment (4015), and executable content client (5121) that may be downloaded from a remote location (103). A Krakatoa proxy server (5128), socket (5021), and tunnel (5129) establish a mechanism for remote procedure calls through firewalls (5126) via an HTTP server (5127). Guardrail counts (750) are preferably displayed to the remote searcher to facilitate guided iterative queries of the remote knowledge base (110). A configurable graphical action region (700) is preferably provided to the remote searcher via a graphical user interface to provide powerful navigation and linking of diverse useful information which varies based upon contexts selected by the remote searcher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: Cadis Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Beall, John D. Motycka, Samuel S. Pendleton, Brooke E. Terpening, Matthew A. Appelbaum, Michael R. Neal
  • Patent number: 6163782
    Abstract: A method stores, indexes, searches and retrieves data information in a large data storage and retrieval system. Large amounts of data information, subject to searching and retrieval, are broken down and stored in sub-collections. Each sub-collection separately performs indexing of only the data information contained within that sub-collection and forms an inverted index. Statistical information derived from the inverted index of each sub-collection is collected by a global collection custodian and compiled into a global index. The global index is then passed to each sub-collection and is used by each during searching and retrieving of data information. Search results from each sub-collection are passed to the global collection custodian and organized there before being passed to a system user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventor: Amitabh Kumar Singhal
  • Patent number: 6163778
    Abstract: Hypertext information links are typically contained in documents accessible by networks. Data is gathered regarding the results of attempted access to documents identified by these links. The link's viability is calculated based on the number of successful attempts resulting in successful access in order to provide a measure of link viability. The display of the document is altered based on the measure of link viability. An average of link viability for all links on the document, and on the site, is used to calculate document viability and site viability which can be used to rate the document and site, respectively. These viability measures are displayed along with the corresponding link, document, and site. Display of results retrieved by conventional search engines may be sorted based on link, document or site viability, and displayed accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: BJ Fogg, Jakob Nielsen
  • Patent number: 6161102
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing information in a data processing system which is coupled to an information storage device having information stored therein. The method includes defining on a first processor a first search request which includes at least one parameter which specifies a first desired type of information, then performing a first search using the first request to determine whether the first type of desired information is stored in the information storage device. While performing the first search the first processor executes another process associated with searching for information in the data processing system. This other process typically includes defining a further search request and performing a further search using the further search request while the first search is being performed. The apparatus of the present invention includes a first processor coupled to the information storage device and a second processor coupled to a network to the first processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazu Yanagihara, Steven F. Peralta, Robin E. Martherus, Gregory B. Vaughan, Matthew Holloway
  • Patent number: 6151597
    Abstract: A host DBMS simulator and simulation method thereof which can simulate an exchanger application program made out into CHILL/C in one's host system by a user using a host system under the exchanger's execution environment and similar simulation environment. A simulator is provided which can directly simulate an exchanger application software not on an exchanger main but on a host system. The exchanger has a problem of limit of resources consumption which cannot simulate the execution blocks of loaded application software with multi-users' interconnection simultaneously. Because of achieved of the package form of one unite performance environment, in the case that one user simulates in the exchanger, it is difficult that there cannot be performed a simulation in the case of adding new functions, changing, connecting the existing function. However, there is an effect which can solve by providing an environment which can load various databases as an administration command provided in the present simulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Korea Telecom
    Inventors: Young Ho Park, Wan Choi