Abstract: A relational to object mapping system and method permit the transfer and translation of data between a database server having a relational database and an object-oriented apparatus. The object code, such as C++, is translated by a generator object into suitable relational database statements, such as structured query language (SQL). The SQL statement is passed to a query object which executes the statement. In executing the SQL statement, the query object accesses an environment object which supplies the query object with appropriate connection objects for establishing a link between the query object and the database server. The database server supplies the requested data from the relational database to the query object which then stores the data in a storage buffer. The object-oriented apparatus can then access the data from the storage buffer. The query object may activate a transaction object for processing the data before the data is accessed by the object-oriented apparatus.

Abstract: A user may use a client program to generate requests for the contents of an overall compressed file or to retrieve particular individual files within an overall compressed file at a server. The server program responds by retrieving a summary directory within a compressed file for transmission to the client program. The summary directory identifying the contents of the overall compressed file may be displayed at the client. In response to an individual file request, an individual file extractor of the server program extracts an individual file from an overall compressed file that corresponds to an individual file identified in the individual file request. Using the client program, a user may request the merger of two overall compressed files or the modification of individual files stored within an overall compressed file.

Abstract: A uniform distribution of affine invariants is produced for a plurality of one or more two-dimensional objects. Each of the two-dimensional objects is defined by a set of object points selected from an object feature domain. By selecting one or more five-point tuples of the object points, three of the object points divide the object feature domain into a region arrangement of seven regions while the fourth point of the four-point tuple lies in one of the seven regions and each of the four-point tuples further defines each of the seven regions as one of four non convex quadrilateral arrangements or one of three convex quadrilateral arrangements. A four-point tuple is said to belong to class I if the fourth point of the tuple resides in the I-th of the 7 regions defined by the first three points. A tagger identifies each of the four-point tuples as having one of the arrangements with one of the regions containing the fourth point of the four-point tuple.

Abstract: A computer program generates an information screen display at a terminal of a computer. The information requested includes a prompt for a submission number. A set is created under the submission number. This set is intended to hold a plurality of image data files. This information is entered by a user prior to saving any images. Images are acquired and corresponding video outputs are presented to a computer, where the video images are digitized to generate image data sets. Desired images are saved by selecting a save feature. The save feature saves the image data in memory of the computer. The image data is saved as an image file, which is assigned a file name corresponding to the submission number followed by a suffix. For each subsequent image file saved, the suffix is automatically updated.

Abstract: A method for performing a range-sum query in a database, in which the data is represented as a multi-dimensional data cube, is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: selecting a subset of the dimensions of the data cube; computing a set of prefix-sums along the selected dimensions, based on the aggregate values in the cube corresponding the queried ranges; and generating a range-sum result based on the computed prefix-sums. Two d-dimensional arrays A and P are used for representing the data cube and the prefix-sums of the data cube, respectively. By maintaining the prefix-sum array P of the same size as the data cube, all range queries for a given cube can be answered in constant time, irrespective of the size of the sub-cube circumscribed by a query, using the inverse binary operator of the SUM operator. Alternatively, only auxiliary information for any user-specified fraction of the size of the d-dimensional data cube is maintained, to minimize the required system storage.

Abstract: Data storage is performed using the formation of records having a keyfield which is a numeric concatenation of at least two identifiers. Preferably, the keyfield contains an identifier of entity type and an identifier of an attribute and, more preferably, also an identifier of entity--where entity type is generic, such a "company", entity is specific, such as ABC Limited, and attribute is, for example, "telephone number". The numeric values are preferably obtained from a list of words and/or phrases for which a numeric value has been pre-assigned for each entry in the list. Preferably, some of the records store data and other of the records store details of the relationship between data. Beneficially, some of the records store data and others of the records control data processing.

Abstract: A uniform distribution of affine invariants (3-tuples) is produced for a plurality of one or more three-dimensional objects. Each of the three-dimensional objects, capable of a plurality of affine transformations, is defined by a set of object points (feature points) selected from an object feature domain. By selecting one or more five-point tuples of the object points, four of the object points divide the object feature domain into a region arrangement of fifteen regions while the fifth point of the five-point tuple lies in one of the fifteen regions and each of the five-point tuples further defines each of the fifteen regions as one of five reentrant polyhedral (RP) arrangements or one of ten non-reentrant polyhedral (NRP) arrangements. A five-point tuple is said to belong to class i if the fifth point of the tuple resides in the i-th of the 15 regions defined by the first four points.

Abstract: A data processing system includes at least one central processor for executing instructions of software programs. In addition the data processing system includes a memory containing a data structure common to the software programs. The common data structure includes a compressed index data structure. The index structure stores index entries referencing a database. The database includes multiple records, each having a unique address in the database. Each index entry includes a word entry if the index entry represents a compressed encoding of a unique portion of information sequentially parsed from the database. The word entry is followed by one or more location entries which reference occurrences of the portions of information. Each index entry includes a metaword entry if the index entry represents a unique attribute of one or more related words. The metaword entry is followed by one or more location entries referencing occurrences of the attributes.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture which provides for finding database management information on a computer in a simple, user-friendly way to minimize errors and maximize database usership. The invention displays a window containing a card metaphor in a graphical user interface on a computer display. The window allows the user to enter a find type and a find condition selected from a displayed menu. The window also displays a natural language description of the current status of the find request, allowing the user to see, in real time, the scope of the request and the databases affected.

Abstract: A computer-based system and method for efficiently identifying inverted bits in an address, utilizing a single technique to rearrange any size table, generating new index bit sequences based upon inverted index bits without utilizing a significant amount of memory resources, and rearranging table entries only once. The present invention utilizes a mask that defines the address bits that are inverted for a new table. The present invention then rearranges the table entries in the old table to form a new table. Once generated the new table can be used in place of the old table thereby requiring no more memory than the old table. Accordingly, the present invention provides a system and method for identifying the index bits to be inverted after the lookup table and computer program have been generated while utilizing significantly less memory than conventional systems and methods.

Abstract: A network based hypertext display system employing a supervisory computer interconnected with one or more information display units and one or more remote document servers via a network, such as the Internet. The supervisory computer controls the content displayed by the display units by transferring to each unit a control information file as well as hypertext document files which are locally stored in the display units. The control file determines the extent to which the display unit can access remotely stored information and provides additional information which is used to alter the presentation to the user. Stored control information is used to rewrite hypertext document such that certain links are disabled, and to suppress the appearance of visual cues associated with the displayed anchor which identifies selected links in the referencing document.

Abstract: A method of transforming and storing data for search and display by a computer system includes formatting and aligning data records of a plurality of objects to a common table mapped format. The formatted and aligned data records are merged and a database is generated therefrom. The database is stored on an optical disc and includes index tables corresponding to searchable data fields. Image data for the objects is compressed and a main compressed image and an image of lesser resolution are randomly stored to a plurality of storage subdirectories on an optical disc. A program for searching and further processing the stored data is also stored on the optical disc with the database and the storage subdirectories. The program for search and display of the data uses an index bar interface for searching the indexed tables. The objects may include real estate properties.

Abstract: The operation of a computer system can be determined by the content of highlighted data on a display device. In this computer system, the highlighted data could be located anywhere on the display device. The highlighted data is not related to any embedded links. In one embodiment, a temporary storage buffer is used to store data highlighted by a user. The computer system also contains a table (or database) associating a list of data with a list of computer operations. When a pre-assigned key is pressed, the content of the temporary storage buffer is compared with the list of data in the database. When there is a match, the associated operation is performed. As a result, the operation performed is related to the content of the highlighted data.

Abstract: A storage reorganizing system subdivides a reorganizable storage space into tile areas. Each tile area either contains file data or does not contain file data. The data in a tile area that contains file data is referred to as a tile. A tile area that does not contain file data is referred to as a vacancy. Tiles that are not yet located in their goal positions, as defined by a recorded goal state definition, are opportunistically moved to available vacancies that are the goal positions for such tiles as the vacancies become available. Each tile move leaves behind it a new vacancy. The speed of opportunistic tile moving is optimized by first locating the largest vacancies that are each to be filled with the largest amount of tile data and by first moving tiles to such vacancies. One goal state produces a defragmented set of files. Another goal state produces an intentionally fragmented set of files.

Abstract: Data is stored in one or more data storage devices, the number of active data storage devices being adaptively adjusted to maximize parallelism while minimizing device overhead. Multiple datasets are first received, these being designated for storage in multiple data storage devices. Next, a first one of the received datasets is stored in a first one of the data storage devices. Concurrently with storage of the first dataset, the following steps are performed: (1) selecting a second received dataset from those remaining to be stored, (2) selecting an available data storage device by employing a predetermined criteria, and (3) beginning storage of the second dataset in the selected data storage device. The predetermined criteria for selecting an available data storage device may involve, for example, selecting an available device based on a "first fit" or a "best fit" scheme. Concurrently with storage of the second dataset, storage of a third dataset starts.

Abstract: A data recorder performs tape loading and unloading operations at high speed and without requiring the tape to be rewound to its top portion upon unloading. The data recorder records updated header information on the tape when the unloading operation is performed. The header information may contain unique values for identifying the tape and its volume. The header information including the values may be stored to a database or other memory device. The data recorder changes the position of a header information on the tape whenever the header information is updated to prevent a damage to a particular portion of the tape. Following the header information, also recorded is unload information that represents the position of the updated header information on the tape.

Abstract: A variable length class definition in a program is converted by class definition conversion means P2 into a fixed length section data structure definition D4 and a variable length section data structure definition D5, which are supplied to a program code section D2. If reference is made to a variable length object D6 during the execution of the program, casting means P6 casts, via control means P4, the pointer to the variable length object D6 into the fixed length section data structure definition D4. Then the pointer variable of the fixed length data section to the variable length data section is taken out, and cast by the casting means P6 into the variable length section data structure definition D5. Variable reference means P7 finds the offset of the variable to be referred to in the variable length data structure definition D5, and takes out the value of the variable length data section.

Abstract: A computer implemented method maintains an index of a database. The database stores information as a plurality of records. Batches of records are indexed by storing index entries in a memory. Each index entry includes a word entry for each unique portion of information of the database, and one or more location entries pointing at occurrences of the portions of information. The index entries are organized according to a collating order of the word entries. The location entries are stored sequentially for each word entry. The index entries are organized into a plurality of tiers of files. There is one tier of files for each batch of records indexed. A merged tier of files is periodically produced by merging a subsequently produced tier of files with a previously produced tier of files. The index entries of the merged tier of files are a logical union of the index entries of the subsequently and previous produced tiers of files.

Abstract: In a distributed data base system, different parts of the data base are handled by each of a number of interconnected processors. The different data base parts contain a number of data entities. There are provided for each of such data entities global information relating to the processor in which the data entity is located, and local information relating to the location of the data entity in the own processor. The global information is located in each processor in the system in the form of global information common to and specific for each set of data entities. More particularly, the sets of data entities comprise distribution entities each of which includes information relating to a number of instances of a certain type of data entity located in a certain processor, and information by which the address to this processor can be found.

Abstract: A computer storage system and processing method for indexing and accessing data stored in the computer storage system, comprising a compact multi-way search tree structure. The method employs a B-tree like search algorithm that is independent of key type or key length because all keys in index blocks are encoded by a log.sub.2 M bit surrogate, where M is the maximal key length. A buffer consisting of a sorted list of key values can be directly transformed into a representation of a C.sub.0 -tree.