Patents Examined by Wayne Amsbury
  • Patent number: 6553365
    Abstract: Discloses a system for the automatic classification of electronic documents that are candidates to become an official record. A training data set of documents, each document having a pre-assigned records classification instance, is processed by a classification agent operating in training mode to establish a probabilistic relationship between each classification instance and the contents of a document. The training data set includes at least several documents per classification instance. A trained classification agent operating in evaluation or classification mode receives a candidate document and produces a result. A decision control table contains user specified contiguous result ranges to select one document processing action from a list of document processing actions based on the result produced by the trained classification agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Documentum Records Management Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas A. Summerlin, Timothy Shinkle, Russell E. Stalters
  • Patent number: 6549910
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for performing data mining applications in a massively parallel relational database management system. A scalable data mining function comprising an automated, adaptive, histogram bin data description assist function is instantiated and parameterized via an analytic application programming interface (API). The automated, adaptive, histogram bin data description assist function comprises a query that is performed directly within the relational database management system, wherein the automated, adaptive, histogram bin data description assist function counts a number of occurrences of values in value ranges for a numeric data element in a column of a table stored in the relational database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Brian Don Tate
  • Patent number: 6546383
    Abstract: A method for document retrieval includes the steps of dividing a query character string into partial character strings, selecting one or more documents from a plurality of registered documents such that the one or more documents each include all the partial character strings, computing respective scores of the partial character strings for each of the one or more documents, and computing a score of the query character string from the respective scores of the partial character strings for each of the one or more documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6546399
    Abstract: A database search system that retrieves multimedia information in a flexible, user friendly system. The search system uses a multimedia database consisting of text, picture, audio and animated data. That database is searched through multiple graphical and textual entry paths. Those entry paths include an idea search, a title finder search, a topic tree search, a picture explorer search, a history timeline search, a world atlas search, a researcher's assistant search, and a feature articles search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Reed, Carol Greenhalgh, Ron Carlton, Dale Good, Carl Holzman, Harold Kester, Edwardo Munevar, Greg Bestick, Norman J. Bastin, Stanley D. Frank, Neil Holman, Ann Jensen, Gail B. Maatman, Derryl Rogers
  • Patent number: 6542910
    Abstract: A device has processing hardware to carry out a blood processing procedure. A processing control manager resides on the device to monitor status conditions over time during the blood processing procedure. A data interface also resides on the device. The data interface includes a flash memory data storage medium formatted to allocate discrete block file spaces to receive data. Chronologic data or time-specific data are created based upon sensed conditions by a data generator task, which also resides on the device. A file manager task appends chronologic data to an allocated file space to create a chronologic block file, which, when read, provides a time-ordered account of processing activities or hardware conditions. The file manager also operates to block-write time-specific data to another allocated file space, which, when read, creates a snap-shot of processing conditions at a given point in time. The data file structure created on the flash memory medium withstands corruption of data due to power failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
    Inventors: William H Cork, Mark Weber, Douglas Ceckowski, David Morrow
  • Patent number: 6542897
    Abstract: A customer support system provides a customer support service with respect to a consumer product using an Internet. The customer support system includes a customer support server having a customer support engine for providing the customer support service with respect to a consumer product, and a database for storing product-related information to be used by the customer support engine. The system also includes a user computer including Internet communications means which can be connected to the customer support server through an Internet. The customer support engine of the customer support server includes a gate page, as a homepage of the customer support system, for providing a menu with respect to a predetermined customer support service, and a service page for providing at least a customer support service, including the usage guidance on a product, according to a predetermined menu selected on the gate page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kang-dong Lee
  • Patent number: 6539369
    Abstract: We present a lookup table which allows sparse subtree descriptors and dense subtree descriptors to be stored in the same memory. A subtree entry in the memory stores a dense subtree descriptor for a dense subtree or a plurality of sparse subtree descriptors for sparse subtrees. The subtree entry is indexed by a leaf in the previous subtree. The sparse subtree descriptor stores at least one node descriptor. The node descriptor describes a set of leaves in the sparse subtree having a common value. The common value is encoded in the node descriptor using run length encoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mosaid Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David A. Brown
  • Patent number: 6539395
    Abstract: A method for creating a database that allows content based searching in the music domain is provided. The process provides music samples to music listeners, wherein the music listeners include a plurality of average music listeners and a plurality of expert music listeners. The process further provides a plurality of questions to the average music listeners and the expert music listeners; wherein the plurality of questions require a listener response and every listener response assigns a value to a feature vector, wherein the feature vector defines a music attribute. The process then compares the plurality of music samples, wherein comparing the feature vectors compares the music sample. Thereafter, the process stores the compared data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Mood Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert O. Gjerdingen, Rehan M. Khan, Marc Mathys, Christian D. Pirkner, Pete W. Rice, Thomas R. Sulzer
  • Patent number: 6535886
    Abstract: A method and system for compressing a data structure. A segment is identified within the data structure. Each segment identified is counted for the number of occurrences of the segment within the data structure. If the number of occurrences is greater than one, the segment is saved in a recurring data structure. Also, the recurring segment within the data structure is replaced with an index to the segment stored in the recurring data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Eugene Koontz
  • Patent number: 6532459
    Abstract: A system implemented with user software, running either stand-alone or in conjunction with a web site and central server, that enables a user to input identifying information about himself, and then be guided through a methodical process to find personal information regarding himself in various external databases on a network such as the Internet. Once records about the user have been located at a database, the system, upon authorization by the database owner, may be used to access that database, to the extent possible, subject to the restrictions of the owner, and to erase, modify, or correct the pertinent personal data found therein. Thus, an individual is provided with a system for finding, accessing, and searching external databases containing information of interest and particularly personal information of interest that may be inaccurate and can be corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Berson Research Corp.
    Inventor: William Berson
  • Patent number: 6529921
    Abstract: Each node in a network accessing a common database caches a copy of the database tables it uses and updates those tables based on changes made by other nodes in a coherent cache, i.e., those node that also have a copy of the tables in their cache. When a new node joins the coherent cache, dynamic synchronization of the table is performed by having one of the existing nodes act as a source to populate the table(s) required on the new (destination) node from its own copy. The dynamic synchronization controls the population operation and allows for the populating of tables on the destination node from partially populated tables on the source node. The dynamic synchronization of the tables permits database updates to continue to be made to the tables by the existing nodes in the coherent cache and provides a mechanism to propagate the committed updates to the tables on the destination node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brian T. Berkowitz, Peter A. Christofferson
  • Patent number: 6526415
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing composite data by a server computer involves deforming a template creating a mapping relationship between co-registered data and subject data, filtering the co-registered data, and mapping this filtered co-registered data according to the mapping data. A client computer requests the composite data from the server computer and transmits the subject data to the server computer. The client presents the received composite data to an operator and monitors the operators use of the composite data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Surgical Navigation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt R. Smith, Richard D. Bucholz, Timothy J. Schaewe
  • Patent number: 6523043
    Abstract: A system and method of tracking the performance characteristics of an organization including storing a plurality of measurements in a database and organizing the plurality of measurements into packages that are displayed on a computer via an electronic network. A target value is associated with at least one of the measurements and a measurement value is color coded based on the relative value of the measurement value with respect to the target value. An indicator that indicates whether it is desirable for the measurement value to be increasing or decreasing towards the target value is also displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
    Inventors: Todd A. Miranda, Louis M. Jamison
  • Patent number: 6523040
    Abstract: A method for performing table summarization. In a data network requests arrive at random from viewing devices (i.e., PC, PDA, laptop, etc.) to view objects which oftentimes contain large tables. The table summarization method compresses the rows/columns of the large tables in addition to the column formats to more easily display the table on the viewing device, which oftentimes has a limited display capability. A set of default rules is specified for determining how the table compression is to be performed. In addition to the default rules, a user may specify a user viewing preference to further modify the table display. The table summarization method is performed dynamically. That is, it is performed in real-time in response to a user request which typically is issued over a data network such as the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: IBM Corporation
    Inventors: Ming-Ling Lo, Kun-Lung Wu, Philip Shi-Lung Yu
  • Patent number: 6523046
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing access by applications/utilities/tools to multimedia file metadata originally provided in any of a set of supported formats. A metadata abstraction interface is interposed between multimedia files and applications that seek to read and/or modify metadata associated with the multimedia files. The metadata abstraction interface supports program access to multimedia file metadata provided in a variety of formats and comprises a multimedia application program interface corresponding to a set of core multimedia file metadata management functions accessible by multimedia applications. The metadata abstraction interface includes an extensible set of file type-specific metadata decoders. Each decoder includes a metadata converter for parsing a metadata portion of a multimedia file stored in a particular native format (e.g., .bmp). The decoders render metadata in a generic format from the parsed metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Min Liu, Michael D. Stokes, Gilman K. Wong
  • Patent number: 6516326
    Abstract: An improved system and method of automating the integration of different Energy Management Systems (EMS) electrical power grid databases into a single power grid database. This method imports proprietary EMS raw data from various vendors' formats into a Common Information Model (CIM) with specific connectivity extensions and produces an electrically connected power systems database that can be viewed or edited. Direct network topology conversion from one EMS vendor data format to another is also supported. Two generated databases can then be selectively integrated and maintained to produce a fully populated network topology without disclosing EMS vendor specific proprietary information. The new, possibly larger, database can then be added to yet another database that is similarly processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Stone and Webster Consultants, Inc.
    Inventors: Margaret E Goodrich, Jeffrey S Peterson, David B McClendon, Kevin B Perry
  • Patent number: 6516313
    Abstract: A method optimizes a system. Performances of a plurality of design parameters of an objective function modeling the system are represented in a search space. A set of vertices are positioned in the search space, and each vertex has an associated performance. The model also includes a plurality of constraints. The constraints and the objective function are grouped according to a plurality of unique hierarchical levels. The group including the objective function has a highest level. The performance of a particular vertex is evaluated, in a low to high order of the levels, according to the groupings of the constraints and the objective function. The evaluated performance and the associated level is assigned to the particular vertex as soon as the evaluated performance is negative, unless the associated level is the highest level, in which case the assigned performance is evaluated from the objective function to partition the search space into a plurality of partitions according to the levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald N. Perry
  • Patent number: 6516322
    Abstract: A methodology is provided for encoding mobile process calculi in XML. Mobile process calculi (e.g., &pgr;-calculus, Join Calculus, Blue Calculus) are often employed in modeling business processes. The present method provides for encoding a mobile process algebra in XML by providing a mobile process algebra, reducing the process algebra to infix notation, transforming the mobile process algebra from infix notation to prefix notation, and then transforming the prefix notation to a set of tags via structural induction. Annotating tags can then be provided around the basic process algebra constructors. The set of tags represent an XML schema. The XML schema can then be reduced to a programming language. An example of reducing a specific algebra (combinators—a derivative of &pgr;-calculus) to an XML schema is provided. The XML schema is reduced to a programming language ideal for business workflow processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Lucius Gregory Meredith
  • Patent number: 6513039
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for generating a profile of a network user based on a user's access privileges stored in an access control list (ACL). The system may include an accessible objects determining object for determining objects that are accessible by a particular user. An access privilege determining object may be used to determine a user's access privileges for each accessible object. The system may also include an object topic determining object for determining the subject matter of the object. The subject matter of the object may be used to generate a profile indicating a user's affinity (e.g., experience, knowledge, interest, etc.). A user affinity object may be used to determine a user's affinity based on, for example, the accessible objects, the user's access privileges, and the subject matter of the accessible objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Carl J. Kraenzel
  • Patent number: 6513052
    Abstract: A method and system for presenting targeted advertising during an Internet-based connection, such as a web-based data backup session in which data is communicated from a user computer to a remote storage area for archival via the Internet. According to the invention, the user computer is communicatively coupled to the server via a computer network and an asset profile for the computer is generated. The asset profile identifies the software applications that are currently loaded on the computer and the current hardware configuration for the computer including a processor type and connected hardware devices. In addition, the asset profile contains usage information such as a frequency of use for the various software applications. As a function of the uploaded asset profile, advertisements are selected from an advertisement database and are communicated to the computer for display to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventor: Erin A. Binder