Patents Examined by Robert W. Downs
  • Patent number: 5974422
    Abstract: Data processing methods and apparatus, wherein an object to be appraised is inputted; the inputted object to be appraised is divided into at least one structural elements which are stored in storage unit; information is inputted which indicates an appraisal for the inputted object to be appraised; a combination of elements constituting the object to be appraised is corresponded to the inputted appraisal, and the correspondence is classified into at least one criterions which are stored in the storage means; an arbitrary criterion is selected from among stored criterions; a combination of structural elements is obtained on the basis of the selected criterion; appraisal information is inputted for the obtained combination of structural elements; the correspondence of the obtained combination of structural elements to the appraisal is compared with the selected criterion to identify a criterion; a combination of elements constituting the object to be appraised is created on the basis of the identified criterion;
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kagami, Michitaka Kosaka, Hiroaki Oyama
  • Patent number: 5970482
    Abstract: A neuroagent approach is used in an automated and unified data mining system to provide an explicitly predictive knowledge model. The neuroagent is a neural multi-agent approach based on macro-connectionism and comprises a double integration at the association and symbolic level as well as the knowledge model level. This data mining system permits discovery, evaluation and prediction of the correlative factors of data, i.e., the conjunctions, as corresponding to neuroexpressions (a semantic connection of neuroagents) connected to an output neuroagent which corresponds to the data output, the connection weights yielding the relative significance of these factors to the given output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Datamind Corporation
    Inventors: Khai Minh Pham, Eric Bertrand Rajkovic, Veronique Piffero
  • Patent number: 5966536
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transforming a source executable code optimized for a source processor into a target executable code optimized for execution on a target processor is provided. Initially, the source executable is converted into a functionally equivalent source executable capable of execution on the target processor. Next, execution performance information for each basic block of code in the functionally equivalent source executable code is collected. Similarly, execution performance information for each basic block of code in an initial target executable code is also collected. As a next step, an optimization metric is generated for each basic block of code within the functionally equivalent source executable code and for each basic block of code within the initial target executable code. These optimization metrics are used to compare basic blocks in the functionally equivalent source executable code with basic block of code within the initial target executable code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Hari K. Ravichandran
  • Patent number: 5966542
    Abstract: A method and system for providing an executable module having an address space for storing program data that is to reside in a read-only storage medium and an address space for storing program data that is to reside in a random access memory is herein described. The executable module represents Java classes that are structured for dynamic class loading. A static class loader is used to modify the class structure to accommodate static loading. The static class loader also identifies methods that contain unresolved symbolic references and data that varies during the execution of the module. These methods and data are identified in order to place them in the address space that resides in the random access memory. The static loader is beneficial in a distributed computing environment having a client computer that has little or no secondary storage thereby requiring applications to run entirely in random access memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Theron D. Tock
  • Patent number: 5966143
    Abstract: Data is allocated into multiple memories with selective variable replication for maximizing performance by minimizing concurrent memory access conflicts. Requirements for concurrent access are summarized in a transformed concurrent access graph. Graph vertices are merged to disallow variable replication. All potential graph merges that cause a reduction in machine cycle time are identified. The ratios of saved cycles/memory cost in bytes are then computed for each potential merge. The potential merges are then sorted by their saved cycles/bytes ratio. Finally, potential merges resulting in replicated variables are selected based on their cycles/bytes ratios until a predefined memory target size is achieved. Either graph coloring or clique partitioning can be used to allocate variables into memory banks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Mauricio Breternitz, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5963741
    Abstract: An information processor comprises a program storage unit and a control unit, the control unit includes a procedure insertion table in which information regarding an embedding point in a program and information regarding an insertion procedure to be inserted in the embedding point are described in correlation with each other, and a program dynamically changing unit for saving an instruction at an embedding point of the program held in the program storage unit in a predetermined instruction saving region with reference to the procedure insertion table, rewriting the last instruction of an insertion procedure into a branch instruction to branch to an instruction subsequent to a saved instruction, and writing the branch instruction to branch to the insertion procedure at the embedding point, thereby, at the time of execution of the insertion procedure, executing the instruction saved in the instruction saving region immediately before executing the last branch instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Horikawa
  • Patent number: 5963929
    Abstract: A recursive neurofilter comprising a recursive neural network (NN) is disclosed for processing an information process to estimate a signal process with respect to an estimation error criterion. The information process either consists of a measurement process, or if the signal and measurement processes are time-variant, consists of the measurement process as well as a time variance process, that describes the time-variant properties of the signal and measurement processes. The recursive neurofilter is synthesized from exemplary realizations of the signal and information processes. No assumptions such as Gaussian distribution, linear dynamics, additive noise, and Markov property are required. The synthesis is performed essentially through training recursive NNs. The training criterion is constructed to reflect the mentioned estimation error criterion with the exemplary realizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Maryland Technology Corporation
    Inventor: James Ting-Ho Lo
  • Patent number: 5963930
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is presented for synthesizing a network for use with pulse frequency encoded signals that has a smoothly saturating transfer characteristic for large signals based on the use of delay and an OR-gate. When connected to the output of a pulse frequency type of neuron, it results in a sigmoidal activation function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignees: Ricoh Company Ltd., Ricaoh Corporation
    Inventors: David Geoffrey Stork, Ronald Craig Keesing
  • Patent number: 5960419
    Abstract: An authoring method and apparatus for creating an application for a decision management system such as a document assembly system. The method includes creating sets of question procedures, answer procedures and advice procedures for a particular application. When later executed, the procedures generate, respectively, questions, answer choices, and advice for a user of the application. Also created are procedures that may be referenced in on or more of the question, answer, or advice procedures for generating content based on an analysis of one or more answers previously provided by a user in response to a question. The content provided by these referenced procedures becomes part of the question, answer, or advice provided by the respective procedure making the reference. In this way the content of the questions, answers, and advice changes depending upon previous answers given by a user to previous questions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Expert Systems Publishing Co.
    Inventors: Fred D. Fagg, III, Peter D. Bergsman
  • Patent number: 5960197
    Abstract: A compiler is described that generates instructions to execute object-oriented method call invocations in an efficient manner. Specifically, a method dispatch operation distinguishes between those method calls that do not require dynamic invocation from those that do, and optimizes the instructions generated to perform the former. For each object class declaration encountered during compilation, a dispatch array is created. Each dispatch array contains entries for all method calls which can be made to the class, including those implemented in an ancestor class(es), and all protocols adopted by these classes. As each method call is parsed during compilation, if the compiler finds an entry for the calling method in a dispatch table, an instruction to call a non-dynamic method dispatch function is generated. If, on the other hand, no entry for the calling method is found in a dispatch array, the compiler generates a conventional dynamic method dispatch instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventor: Marino Segnan
  • Patent number: 5960202
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatically logging compiler options currently being used in a build environment and/or for replacing or supplementing the current compiler options with new compiler options without necessarily modifying the build environment. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a wrapper program is stored at a location in memory where the compiler program normally resides. Whenever a compiler user invokes the build process program, a command is generated which is intended to invoke the compiler program. However, instead of the compiler program being invoked by the command, the wrapper program is invoked. The wrapper program comprises a software routine which analyzes the compiler commands to determine which compiler options are designated in the compiler commands. The wrapper program causes a log file of the compiler options contained in the compiler commands to be generated, which is readable by a human and/or by a machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Company
    Inventors: Elana D. Granston, Anne M. Holler
  • Patent number: 5956464
    Abstract: A fuzzy logic controller for a endometrium ablator heat a liquid to 85.degree. C. which is continuously circulated into the uterus to ablate the endometrium. The fluid temperature is maintained by the fuzzy logic controller which has as its inputs the temperature of the fluid and its rate of change of temperature. Associated membership functions, cold, cool, warm, hot for temperature, and negative and zero and positive for rate are respectively provided. Appropriate rules are then provided and defuzzification with the use of a singleton output function yields an output signal which controls temperature by pulse width modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: BEI Sensors & Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Asad M. Madni, Lawrence A. Wan, Jim Bi Vuong
  • Patent number: 5956701
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for processing an image, the method comprising the steps of providing an image and specifying a portion of the image. The present invention also includes utilizing an artificial neural net to associate the portion of the image with an application, wherein a plurality of positions are selected within the specified portion of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Robert Habermehl
  • Patent number: 5953523
    Abstract: An architecture is provided for user applications in a computer system including a core application executable by the system and having a data entry space. A field overlay executable by the system, although not necessarily independently executable, stacks functions on top of the core application and imposes a structure on the data entry space to become an extension of the core application, thus creating additional user applications driven by task needs. If implemented in an object-oriented manner, the field overlay inherits attributes of the core application. Links and macros within the field overlays may improve the effectiveness of the core application in accomplishing the desired task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sarka J. Martinez, Brigitte Anschuetz, Anthony E. Martinez
  • Patent number: 5950183
    Abstract: A cause inferring device which infers causes with improved accuracy and efficiency. A phenomenon item (F) other than phenomenon items (A, B and C) for which frequency-of-occurrence data are already inputted is selected based on the degree of association data regarding cause items (2, 3 and 4) having the highest certainty among cause items (1-5) whose certainties are calculated. The frequency-of-occurrence data of the selected phenomenon item (F) and already inputted frequency-of-occurrence data are inputted again and the certainties of the cause items are computed. By repeating such selection and arithmetic processing at least once, causes are narrowed down as a final inference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaori Minobe, Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 5949999
    Abstract: A system for guiding the browsing/tracking of software development documents and their relationships contains several components. A procedure definition defines the software development procedure. An interface allows users to select phase, activity, and system components and execute other utility programs or choose options. A browser interpreter interprets the selection and decides how to form and execute each command. A command-composer composes the commands for execution. A project file contains the information about system components, physical locations of the system documents, documentation tools associated with documents, options selected, hyper-links to the documents, etc . . . A state-checker checks the status of the documents and reports it upon the users' request and a document repository stores documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiping Song, Daniel J. Paulish
  • Patent number: 5946673
    Abstract: In a computer implemented learning and/or process control system, a computer model is constituted by the most currently fit entity in a population of computer program entities. The computer model defines fitness as a function of inputs and outputs. A computing unit accesses the model with a set of inputs, and determines a set of outputs for which the fitness is highest. This associates a sensory-motor (input-output) state with a fitness in a manner that might be termed "feeling". The learning and/or control system preferably utilizes a compiling Genetic Programming system (CGPS) in which one or more machine code entities such as functions are created which represent solutions to a problem and are directly executable by a computer. The programs are created and altered by a program in a higher level language such as "C" which is not directly executable, but requires translation into executable machine code through compilation, interpretation, translation, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Inventors: Frank D. Francone, Peter Nordin, Wolfgang Banzhaf
  • Patent number: 5946675
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for machine learning of a pattern sequence which is derived from a plurality of inputs. The pattern sequence is predicted from learning rate parameters that are exponentially related to an incrementally calculated gain parameter for each input. The gain parameter are increased or decreased in real time in correlation with the accuracy of the learning process. The disclosed apparatus are advantageously utilized in signal processing, adaptive control systems, and pattern recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: GTE Laboratories Incorporated
    Inventor: Richard S. Sutton
  • Patent number: 5946674
    Abstract: One or more machine code entities such as functions are created which represent solutions to a problem and are directly executable by a computer. The programs are created and altered by a program in a higher level language such as "C" which is not directly executable, but requires translation into executable machine code through compilation, interpretation, translation, etc. The entities are initially created as an integer array that can be altered by the program as data, and are executed by the program by recasting a pointer to the array as a function type. The entities are evaluated by executing them with training data as inputs, and calculating fitnesses based on a predetermined criterion. The entities are then altered based on their fitnesses using a machine learning algorithm by recasting the pointer to the array as a data (e.g. integer) type. This process is iteratively repeated until an end criterion is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Inventors: Peter Nordin, Wolfgang Banzhaf
  • Patent number: 5943662
    Abstract: A method and a system for causing a neural circuit model to learn typical past control results of a process and using the neural circuit model for supporting an operation of the process. The neural circuit model is caused to learn by using, as input signals, a typical pattern of values of input variables at different points in time and, as a teacher signal, its corresponding values of the control variable. An unlearned pattern of input variables is inputted to the thus-learned neuron circuit model, whereby a corresponding value of the control variable is determined. Preferably, plural patterns at given time intervals can be simultaneously used as patterns to be learned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Baba, Ichiro Enbutsu, Shoji Watanabe, Hayao Yahagi, Fumio Maruhashi, Harumi Matsuzaki, Hiroshi Matsumoto, Shunsuke Nogita, Mikio Yoda, Naoki Hara