Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting against a replay attack in a database system makes use of customer records including a counter, and freshness records that include the customer counters and a freshness record counter. The counter from the customer records, the customer records in the freshness records, and the freshness record counter are used by a cryptographic device together with a cryptographic device counter to verify the freshness of the customer record prior to updating the customer record with respect to a recent transaction.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for reconciling any changes that have occurred in two file trees since they were last synchronized. A reconciler takes as input two logs of the changes made in the respective file trees. The first log resides on a client computing device, and the second log resides on a server computing device. The reconciler outputs two sets of changes that need to be applied to the respective file trees in order to synchronize them. The reconciler detects and outputs a list of changes that conflict with each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of web content filtering, which can be applied to gateway devices at client ends. When an access request for a web page from a browser is sent, by analyzing the web page content returned from the web site, we can decide whether the page is allowed or not, by early blocking and early bypassing algorithms. It allows making the decision as early as we have enough confidence that the web content should belong to some forbidden category or a normal one. Therefore, the web content determination speed can be improved and users' waiting time can be reduced. Moreover, by the present method, the network gateway devices will be allowed to analyze more web content.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for organizing media objects in a database using contextual information for a media object and known media objects, categories, indexes and searches, to arrive at an inference for cataloging the media object in a database. The media object may then be cataloged in the database according to the inference. A method and apparatus are provided for clustering media objects by forming groups of unlabeled data and applying a distance metric to said group.

Abstract: A system for accessing electronic information includes at least one electronic database, a graphical user interface (GUI) and a processing element. The electronic databases can store electronic information, at least a portion of which is contained within a collection of electronic documents. The GUI can display at least one electronic portal document comprising a plurality of graphical elements, at least one of which is associated with at least one pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic information. The processing element, is responsive to a selection of at least one graphical element and thereafter a selection of at least one associated pointer to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information. The processing element can locate, retrieve and access selected electronic information based upon the selected pointer and, as applicable, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection.

Abstract: A computer implemented method is provided for extracting hierarchical data from one or more tables in a database, the method comprises firstly receiving user input identifying, one or more tables in the database that contain the hierarchical data and the hierarchical structure of the hierarchical data. A Structured Query Language (SQL) statement is then generated using the user input received. The SQL statement is presented to the database for execution and the hierarchical data are then extracted from the database in response to the execution of the SQL statement.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for controlling access to data files stored in a repository is disclosed. The invention entails a determination of the requested file's availability and the authorization and authentication of the requester. A requester may specify the format in which they wish to receive the data file, and facilities are provided for translating the requested file to the requested format if the file is not stored in the requested format. Advantageously, the invention provides a repository for retaining responses to requests so as to minimize successive requests against the repository for the same data file. Moreover, in such instances wherein a requested data file requires a format translation, a facility is provided for determining the correct stored file format to use as the input for the format translation. Such a determination may be based upon criteria such as minimizing data lost as a result of the translation or minimizing processing required in performing the translation.

Abstract: A method and system for ensuring statistical disclosure limitation (SDL) of categorical or continuous micro data, while maintaining the analytical quality of the micro data. The new SDL methodology exploits the analogy between (1) taking a sample (instead of a census,) along with some adjustments, including imputation, for missing information, and (2) releasing a subset, instead of the original data set, along with some adjustments for records still at disclosure risk. Survey sampling reduces monetary cost in comparison to a census, but entails some loss of information. Similarly, releasing a subset reduces disclosure cost in comparison to the full database, but entails some loss of information. Thus, optimal survey sampling methods can be used for statistical disclosure limitation. The method includes partitioning the database into risk strata, optimal probabilistic substitution, optimal probabilistic subsampling, and optimal sampling weight calibration.

Abstract: A method for recognizing a table structure from delineated table region in an electronic document using hierarchical clustering of data strings. The cluster groupings are segregated effectively using the distances from a positional vector associated with words and groups of words rather than a minimum number of blank spaces between words. Once a data tree of the hierarchical clusterings is constructed, the tree is scanned downward from the root to find appropriate column boundaries using a columnization algorithm. Then using successive heuristic algorithms, determine column and row headers and row boundaries.

Abstract: In a database system, when an operation (a request or a transaction) that modifies one or more rows of a table is performed, multiple images of the row that is being modified (e.g., added, deleted, or updated) is stored in the table. State identifiers are provided to identify the state of each row, such as a “before image” row and an “after image” row. A before image row represents a row before a modification or “mutation” operation is performed. An after image row represents the latest row as processed by a current modification operation. A before image row is retained in each table as long as the transaction that created or updated the row is active. As soon as the transaction commits successfully, the before image rows become reusable and can be reused by another request or transaction. The state identifier associated with each row can also indicate that a “mutation” is not being performed on a row; that is, an operation that modifies the contents of the row is not currently being performed.

Abstract: A system for producing custom media images, the system including a media server which includes a title database and a creation server connected to the media server, the title database containing a plurality of title records, each title record including a title description file and a plurality of compiled title media files, the creation server receiving a request to produce a media image from a selection of titles respective of the title records, the creation server producing a set of media management files according to the title description file of each the selected title records, and generating a media image containing the media management files and a copy of the compiled title media files of each the selected title records.

Abstract: A modular computer storage system and method is provided for managing and directing data archiving functions. A client component is associated with one or more client devices for generating archival request. A file processor directs one or more storage devices, through one or more media components, which control the actual physical level backup on various storage devices. Each media component creates a library indexing system for locating stored data. A management component coordinates the archival functions between the various client components and the file processor, including setting scheduling policies, aging policies, index pruning policies, drive cleaning policies, configuration information, and keeping track of running and waiting jobs. The management component also keeps the scheduling information for a timetable of backups of the client devices and allocates storage space. The modular computer storage system may also work in conjunction with a Storage Area Network.

Abstract: A search and recommendation system employs the preferences and profiles of individual users and groups within a community of users, as well as information derived from categorically organized content pointers, to augment Internet searches, re-rank search results, and provide recommendations for objects based on an initial subject-matter query. The search and recommendation system operates in the context of a content pointer manager, which stores individual users' content pointers (some of which may be published or shared for group use) on a centralized content pointer database connected to the Internet. The shared content pointer manager is implemented as a distributed program, portions of which operate on users' terminals and other portions of which operate on the centralized content pointer database. A user's content pointers are organized in accordance with a local topical categorical hierarchy.

Abstract: A database system which quickly creates a snapshot copy of the backup files. The system has a plurality of database storage subsystems which are normally operating as a mirrored storage system under the control of a mirroring controller. A write suspending unit temporarily suspends write operations to those storage subsystems, and a device detachment unit detaches at least one of the database storage subsystems from the mirrored storage system. A write restarting unit then allows write operations to the remaining database storage subsystems. A correction processor makes corrections to the detached database storage subsystem to resolve any inconsistency in its records, which might have been introduced in relation with such transactions that were in process at the time of the detachment. A data converter converts file location data for the detached database storage subsystem, so that it will serve as a separate database volume.

Abstract: A method is provided for digesting the content of hierarchically related information. The method chooses a set of extracted sentences representing a proportion of the text associated with a subtopic, by a combination of features resting on inherent properties of the sentences, and on the content of a developing summary.

Abstract: Client-server system for providing web site preview information of web site content and features to users. The user enters a web site URL they want to preview into a client application, which generates preview information about the web site content and features. The client generates the web site preview information by building the preview information from preview information sources including the web site and/or requesting preview information from the server/back-end of the client-server system. Both the client and the server build preview information by accessing preview information sources such as web pages and web page information databases, extracting the requested preview information, formatting the preview information in a standard preview format, and returning the preview information to the user for display.

Abstract: A method for electronically generating high-quality feature vectors that can be used in connection with electronic data processing systems implementing Maximum Entropy or other statistical models to accurately normalize abbreviations in text such as medical records. An abbreviation database and a training text database are provided. The abbreviation database includes abbreviation data representative of abbreviations and associated expansions to be normalized. The training text database includes a corpus of text having expansions of the abbreviations to be normalized. The corpus of text is processed as a function of the abbreviation data to identify the expansions in the corpus of text. Context information describing the context of the text in which the expansions were identified is generated. A set of feature vectors is also stored. Each feature vector including the context information generated for the associated expansion identified in the corpus of text.

Abstract: A full-text search index system and method is generated by creating instances of a database index from an in-memory inverted list of keywords associated with a text identifier and the occurrences of the keyword in the text. Instances of the index are placed in a priority queue. A merge scheduling process determines when a merge should be initiated, selects instances of the index to be merged and selects a type of merge to perform. Instances of an index are assigned a temporal indicator (timestamp). A set of instances is selected to be merged. The set of instances is validated and merged.

Abstract: A fast search is performed of a large text database, while suppressing an increase in the data size of the data structure used for the process. A pattern search method for searching a target character string for a desired pattern includes: a range search step and a character string extraction step. At the range search step, intermediate patterns are obtained by adding characters in order, one by one, from the last character of the pattern to the first, and a range is determined for a suffix array, which corresponds to the target character string, wherein the first character of each of the intermediate patterns is present. Then, at the character string extraction step, elements of the character string are designated that correspond to elements included in the range of the suffix array, and character string segments are extracted consisting of the same number of elements as the elements of the pattern and having the elements of the character string as their first characters.

Abstract: An interchangeable panel, modular display system for use as a doll house or miniature display case includes a modular frame with at least one wall section having grooves for slidably receiving a wall panel therein. The frame also includes an opening for inserting a wall panel into and removing a wall panel from the wall section. Each wall panel includes a flat, rigid support, a magnetically attractable layer, and a decorative cover layer. Magnetically attractable decorations can be removably attached at selected locations on the wall panel.