Abstract: A system and method for creating audiovisual programming has media elements, such as audiovisual clips, stored in a library. A database contains selected information about each of the media elements. The stored information in the database does not dictate the temporal sequence of the media elements. Media elements are selected in response to a request for media programming, and arranged in a temporal organization. A user does not select the individual media elements or their temporal organization. Transitions between audiovisual clips are determined by the system based on information stored in the database and predetermined preferences as to types of transitions. Transition information includes a variety of possible transition points in an individual clip, capable of selection by the system. Separate transitions for the audio and video portions of audiovisual clips may be provided.

Abstract: A publisher program for automatically changing the layout of content-filled desktop publishing documents. The publisher program allows the author of a document to use a menu-driven utility to define a first layout for the document. A program module known as a Wizard then renders a document in the first layout. The author makes changes to the document while the document is in the first layout, typically by adding content and making author-defined changes to the document rendered by the Wizard. The author may then return to the menu-driven utility to select a second layout for the document. The Wizard renders a document in the second layout and a program module known as a Page Manager automatically applies the author's changes to the document and renders a content-filled document in the second layout.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for integrated electronic mail, voice mail, and fax mail messaging. A common message format is defined for use by an electronic mail service and a telecommunications service so electronic mail messages that may include voice and fax mail attachments may be exchanged between the services. Message senders and receivers may choose from a variety of filter and forward options that allow them to manage their communications and specify a preference for receiving messages at the electronic mail or telecommunications service. Forwarding and conversion of messages is performed automatically. The options are used to define a set of rules to be applied to inbound and outbound messages so that messages are sent and received in accordance with the preferences of the senders and receivers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system to diagnose and handle errors in an automated hierarchical storage management system. A host system requests an access operation on a first file, such as a logical volume, in a first storage device, such as a magnetic hard disk drive. A server processes the host request to determine whether the first file is resident in the first storage device. The server initiates a recall of a second file, such as a physical volume, in a second storage device, such as tape cartridges, optical disks, etc., corresponding to the first file upon determining that the first file is not resident in the first storage device. The second file is then copied from the second storage device to the first file in the first storage device upon determining that the second file is accessible. The server further determines whether the recall of the second file has failed.

Abstract: Matching (e.g., via correlation or similarity process) entities having attributes, some of which have associated values. The values of the attributes may be adjusted based on number of entities that have values for a particular attribute so that the values decrease as the number increases. The attributes of the entities may be harmonized and provided with default values so that entities being matched have common attributes defined by the union of the attributes of the entities being matched. The attributes of the entities may be expanded and provided with default values so that the entities being matched have attributes that neither had originally. The match values may be normalized to provide a weight value which may be used to predict an attribute value of a new entity based on known attribute values of known entities. The weight values may be tuned such that relatively high weights are amplified and relatively low weights are suppressed.

Abstract: An object-oriented framework mechanism for persistent storage systems provides an infrastructure that embodies the steps necessary for a framework consumer (i.e., user) to define persistent storage for any type of data not supported in an object-oriented system by extending the framework to fit a particular persistent storage environment. Certain core functions are provided by the framework, which interact with extensible functions. A user may thus define extensible functions that allow the framework to support many different types of persistent data stored in datastores capable of storing the persistent data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented database and method providing an efficient, ordered reduced space representation of multi-dimensional data. The data values for each attribute is stored in a manner that provides an advantage in, for example, space usage and/or speed of access, such as in sort order and/or condensed form. Instances of each data value for an attribute are identified by instance elements, each of which is associated with one data value. Connectivity information is provided for each instance element that uniquely associates each instance element with a specific instance of a data value for another attribute.

Abstract: A guided tour of some portion of the World Wide Web (WWW) works as part of an ordinary web page, can be served by any web server, and can be used by web browsers without additional software. The system guides a user through a tour by displaying in sequence actual web pages in the tour along with a corresponding teaching web page. The teaching web page includes educational information about the current web page. The tour includes commentary, allowance for side trips, true visiting of the tour pages, not mere copies, maps, and "static" (user clicks for next page) and "dynamic" (a timer controls how long a tour page is on-screen) tours.

Abstract: Fourth generation structured query languages can be used to aggregate scalars associated with the nodes of a directed acyclic graph. Node tables, edge tables, and a transitive closure table can be used to perform these aggregate operations. The invention provides a declarative methodolgy for calculating values associated with the node of a directed acyclic graph.

Abstract: A data structure that uses one or more keys which are members of a multidimensional composite key to partition sparse data (FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B) into a hypercube like structure (FIG. 1). Only the data structure produced by the method in this invention is actually better than a hypercube since all involved keys can have true symmetric access as opposed to just the keys that have the highest sort order significance. Equivalent query efficiency could only be otherwise obtained through storing multiple copies of the sparse data sorted on different permutations of the member keys of the multidimensional composite key (FIG. 2C). The data structure has two major components: the partitioned data with or without the boundary keys and the non-dense index necessarily containing the boundary keys (FIG. 3). This data structure and partitioning method can be used to partition multidimensional data across physical hardware storage devices and parallel computer architectures (FIG.

Abstract: A method and apparatus converts an original query into a sequenced query that takes into account a range of values of a variable defined by a start and end point in performing the query. The start or end points are calculated if necessary and a query to collect all of the start and end points may be generated, and a query is generated that produces a constant set of start and end points defining consecutive periods, such that all the data in the tables related to the original query is constant over each of these periods. These two queries are merged into the original query to produce a sequenced query capable of execution on various database software and capable of taking into account the range of values of the variable in performing the original query.

Abstract: A method and system allows a part of a database to be restored using a subset of the backup files stored for a database. A working copy of the data dictionary of the database, which stores data definitions, is restored using the latest backup file stored not later than the point in time specified and the names of tablespaces related to the table names specified are identified using the data dictionary. The files storing the database tablespaces specified and those identified as related are identified for restoration along with the point in time specified, so that the backup files may be used to restore the files to the latest time prior to the point in time specified. The database data files are [restored, they] are rolled forward from the point in time of the backup files to the point in time specified, using transaction logs restored with the database data files and the restored working data dictionary is updated as described by the transaction logs.

Abstract: A method of browsing the Worldwide Web of the Internet and presenting elements of a web page to a user. The web browser requests a desired HTML and then requests other elements of the page based upon user defined priority levels. Elements are presented to the user in priority sequence as soon as received eliminating unnecessary waiting for lower priority or unrequested elements, as well as partial display of desired elements.

Abstract: A computer system and method display internal and external hypertext link definitions in different representations to simplify a user's recognition of the external/internal status of each hypertext link definition in a document. Additional information, such as the direction from an internal hypertext link definition to the location in the document pointed to by that definition, and/or the absolute or relative position of the location pointed to by an internal hypertext link definition, may also be displayed. Moreover, a computer system and method may also display the position of the location pointed to by an internal hypertext link definition on a scroll bar such that location information about a particular document is centralized within a common user interface component.

Abstract: A system for referencing a range of cells in a spreadsheet formula by using label references. The label references are used to identify labels within the spreadsheet which, in turn, refer to a range of cells. First, a formula is parsed in order to identify any label references within the formula. Second, the cells of the spreadsheet are searched in order to generate a list of labels within the spreadsheet that match the label references identified in the formula. Third, each of the labels are examined and a preferred label set is selected. The preferred label set represents the actual labels that were intended by the formula references. Finally, the range of cells referenced by the preferred label set is determined. Thus, a user is able to reference a cell within a spreadsheet table by entering column and row labels that intersect at that cell.

Abstract: Multidimensional similarity join finds pairs of multi-dimensional points that are within some small distance of each other. Databases in domains such as multimedia and time-series can require a high number of dimensions. The .epsilon.-k-d-B tree has been proposed as a data structure that scales better as number of dimensions increases compared to previous data structures such as the R-tree (and variations), grid-file, and k-d-B tree. We present a cost model of the .epsilon.-k-d-B tree and use it to optimize the leaf size. This new leaf size is shown to be better in most situations compared to previous work that used a constant leaf size. We present novel parallel procedures for the .epsilon.-k-d-B tree. A load-balancing strategy based on equi-depth histograms is shown to work well for uniform or low-skew situations, whereas another based on weighted, equi-depth histograms works far better for high-skew datasets. The latter strategy is only slightly slower than the former strategy for low skew datasets.

Abstract: A method and system for preserving document integrity between potentially partially incompatible versions of a program module by maintaining forwards compatibility and backwards compatibility. Version (n') of the program module is released after version (n). A "saved by version (n)" bit may be activated any time that version (n) saves a file. The "saved by version (n)" bit indicates to subsequently-released versions, such as version (n'), that the file has been saved by version (n) and, based upon this information, appropriate action should be taken by the subsequently-released version. A "warning from future version" bit may be activated to indicate that a feature or features of the subsequently-released version is not supported by version (n). Based upon receiving this bit, version (n) may open the file with these features disabled or may take some other appropriate action.

Abstract: An information processor and a method of information processing enables a write once type disc to be used as a rewritable recording medium. There can be realized an address control mechanism wherein even if the physical recording position is changed, the logical address of the same block is not changed by controlling the physical recording position on the recording medium on an imaginary address space in correspondence to the logical address. Thus the write once type recording medium can be realized as a rewritable recording medium.

Abstract: A computer-based method and system of processing records read respectively from first and second related tables of a database includes determining whether data contained in the records read from the first or second tables is unevenly distributed. Records corresponding to evenly distributed data are searched for matches using a first set of instances of the hash-join operator, and records corresponding to data which is unevenly distributed are searched for matches using a second set of instances of a hash-join operator.

Abstract: A computer system or other internet access device is programmed to automatically access specified web pages periodically and download the information from the web page to the computer system. Through a user interface, a user programs the computer system by entering an internet address of the web page and an access interval. The access interval is the interval at which versions of the web page will be downloaded; e.g. hourly, daily or weekly. On that periodic basis the computer system or other internet access device then automatically accesses the specified web page and downloads the available information. This information is stored within a memory device associated with the computer system. The user can then access the downloaded information and view the web page without connecting to the internet to determine if there is anything of interest to the user on the web page.