Abstract: A method and apparatus for a general container mechanism for storage of object-oriented Java Beans. A repository is created for a persistent collection of items called ManagedBeans. Each ManagedBean contains a structured collection of code and data that makes up a Java Bean. The structured collection consists of items called ManagedBean Elements (MBE) which correspond to different types of code and data. Each ManagedBean Element is a subclass of the generic ManagedBean Element class. Each subclass identifies the different kinds of Bean sub-elements and contains the data contained in the corresponding file, and method that works on this data.

Abstract: A system and method for clustering data from a server computer and sent to a client computer. The server computer obtains a requested cluster size for the client computer. The requested cluster size includes the optimal size cluster the client computer can handle and the largest manageable cluster size that can be handled by the client. Fuzzy logic computations are performed on the data to determine an optimal cluster size and an optimal point at which to split the data for the particular client. Part of the cluster computations are based upon the affinity of individual data items to adjacent data items in the clustered list. The server computer also checks the affinity between the item with the largest score and the first item in the next cluster. If this affinity is higher than other affinity scores within the cluster, the cluster split is moved accordingly. Once an optimal cluster is determined, the data is transmitted from the server computer to the client computer.

Abstract: A method and structure for searching multi-media data having different modes using a query, includes processing the multi-media data to extract text and time reference points, identifying overlapping time periods when text in two or more of the modes corresponds to the query, and ranking a relevance of the overlapping time periods.

Abstract: A system and method for conducting fast biometric database searches using iris recognition and digital certificates. Authentication of a computing platform is provided based on a digital certificates attached thereto. Fast database searching and identification of a person at the computing platform are provided based on the digital certificate which is used to point to a database partition having stored biometric images and an obtained biometric image, such as an iris template, which is compared to the stored biometric images in order to identify the person. Access to the database containing stored biometric images may be granted based on the results of the digital certificate authentication process. The use of digital certificates narrows the database search to only those individuals who have authorized access to a particular computing platform by using the digital certificates.

Abstract: A system and method track changes to a document and analyze the changes to the document against a set of predefined queries without re-analyzing the entire document. Hence, after a document has been processed in the system (i.e., had its terms matched against the set of predefined queries), only a small subset of the document needs to be reprocessed and analyzed after changes (i.e., edits) are made. The analysis of the small subset is accomplished by maintaining an incremental-results data set for each document. The incremental-results data set is much smaller than the actual document, only comprising a set of unique words found in a document. After a document is changed, only the words deleted or added to the changed portion are used to update the incremental-results data set.

Abstract: There is provided a process for predicting whether a query will produce a result in an information system formed of objects having different instances and relations between the objects. An instance-to-object bitmap is computed off-line, before queries are generated by a user: the bitmap is used to represent the existence of a relation path from instances to the other objects of a database. When a query is generated, the bitmap is accessed to predict whether there exists a relation from the instance to the object, that is whether the query will issue a result. The process makes it possible for a user to abort queries without consuming run-time. It also makes it possible to guide users through navigation of a Webpage or the like, by suggesting relations that will produce results.

Abstract: A user inputs a retrieval query represented by a set of propositions using a modal operator through an interface. The retrieval query is passed to a document set gathering unit through a retrieval input unit. The document set gathering unit refers to an index, gathers a set of documents having a true proposition, and writes it to a work area. A similarity computation unit computes the similarity of the gathered set of documents and writes it to the work area. The retrieval result output unit refers to the work area, ranks the gathered sets of documents in consideration of a true/false value and a similarity, and the ranking result to the interface as a retrieval result. A common keyword extraction unit extracts a keyword for output from the ranked sets of documents, and outputs the keyword after adding a corresponding modal operator to the keyword to the interface.

Abstract: A rule-based methodology is described which supports automatic mapping of data fields between different data sets in a data processing environment. If a field cannot be mapped or matched based on name alone (e.g., an identical match), the methodology employs rules to determine a type for the field, based on the field's name. The determined type of the field is then used for matching. The methodology can be employed to match fields which appear dissimilar phonetically but are otherwise appropriate for matching. In the currently-preferred embodiment, rules are stated in form of: regular expression=type. Here, the regular expression member lists the text strings or substring(s) for the field. The rules are ordered in descending preference according to the likelihood that a given rule will correctly identify a field. In this mariner, the methodology allows the task of mapping fields from one data set to another to be entirely automated.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and system for use in reconciling a first record, which may be selected from a plurality of first records, with a matching record included in a plurality of second records. The first records may comprise a first database and the second records may comprise a second database, or the first records and second records may comprise separate tables within the same database. A search of the second records for records possibly matching the first record is performed. The search may be performed by comparing data within progressively smaller sets of query fields comprised of data fields of the first record to data within corresponding progressively smaller sets of search fields comprised of data fields of the second records. For each pair of query and search field sets, the search generates a set of suggested matching records, which may be empty. The first record and the sets of suggested matching records are then displayed together on a first interface.

Abstract: A method for performing cluster analysis inside a relational database management system. The method defines a plurality of tables for the storage of data points and Gaussian mixture parameters and executes a series of SQL statements implementing an Expectation-Maximization clustering algorithm to iteratively update the Gaussian mixture parameters stored within the tables.

Abstract: A method and system for ascertaining warranty issues associated with transportation products is provided. Transportation products are manufactured at a factory, and as the products are made, historical information concerning significant events related to the manufacturing process may be stored. As the transportation product is delivered to a retail outlet, other significant event information may be stored. Locations are determined within a region for warranty claims related to the servicing of selected transportation products. Product history information for the selected transportation products may be retrieved from one or more databases. Data mining algorithms may be employed to generate input data for forming a set of spatial relationships. The locations of products within the region are then associated with the product history information to form a set of spatial relationships.

Abstract: Techniques are described which allow function-defined hierarchies to be registered with a database server. The information provided to the server during the registration process is used by the server to determine how to roll up data that has been aggregated at one level of a function-defined hierarchy to another level of the function-defined hierarchy. Techniques are also provided to perform rollup from one level of a function-defined hierarchy to another level of the function-defined hierarchy on data stored in a materialized view. Further, techniques are provided for rewriting queries that require aggregation at one level of a function-defined hierarchy to cause them to access data from a materialized view that stores data at a different level of the function-defined hierarchy.

Abstract: An e-commerce exchange for gathering and managing a widely distributed inventory of blood, tissue and other samples for the biomedical research community and pharmaceutical industries worldwide. Samples belonging to registered sample providers are entered into a database at a central host site which is part of a distributed computer network. The samples are tagged by fields to cross reference the samples according to a number of specified criteria. Registered buyers search the database according to desired criteria. When the criteria of the search request matches the criteria specified for a particular sample, the central host site approves and supervises transfer of the particular sample from the supplier to the requesting buyer. Additionally, when the search request is not successful, there being no matching sample, the buyer may enter the requested sample criteria onto a wish list.

Abstract: A multi-way tree data structure is provided that supports a longest match lookup. Data elements stored therein that have no overlapping prefixes are arranged in a standard B-tree arrangement. Data elements that have overlapping prefixes are arranged within the tree such that a respective one of these prefixes contains the prefixes of all such data elements that succeed it.

Abstract: Syncpoint processing is performed for a distributed transaction. The distributed transaction includes a plurality of units of recovery, and syncpoint processing is performed for at least a portion of the units of recovery, without passing messages between the units of recovery of the at least a portion of the plurality of units of recovery. Instead, syncpoint processing (including transactional logging) is controlled by one syncpoint manager associated with one of the units of recovery, and that unit of recovery collects information representative of the other units of recovery.

Abstract: A method of reclaiming memory space allocated to a data structure comprising data objects (910-960) linked by identifying pointers, in which the memory allocated to data objects is reclaimed using two systems: a first system (980), by which a selected part of the data structure is traversed by following the pointers, one of at least two identifiers being allocated to the data objects, a first identifier which indicates that the data object has been traversed so that the data objects referenced by the pointers of that data object have been identified, and a second identifier which indicates that the data object is referenced by a pointer, but the data object has not yet been traversed; and a second system (990), by which an individual data object is selected for deletion to enable the associated memory space to be reclaimed.

Abstract: A user interface for querying and displaying records from a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. User profiles are presented and manipulated to operate with queries in the same way as other criteria. For example, in one embodiment, the search criteria are shown as the beads on respective strings, the strings representing categories of criteria. One of the strings is a set of user profiles that can be added to a query in the same manner as the addition of criteria. Criteria are selected to form a query by moving corresponding beads to a query string. User preference profiles can be constructed in the same manner. Profiles are saved and represented as bead strings that can be used in further interactions in the same manner as criteria beads, Profiles can also be the result of automatic machine-analysis of user interaction.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing calendar year dates that increase upward from 2000, by forming a series of hexadecimal dates, each hexadecimal date having two digits, each digit being four binary bits, the binary bits being placed in two memory block, each memory block having four memory locations for holding four binary bits, and relating the hexadecimal dates to calendar year dates that increase upward from 2000.

Abstract: A database network system is capable of recognizing in a short time (within several minutes) the state of damage or the like of city lifelines (waterworks, electricity, and gas supplies) over a whole city. A database network system according to the present invention includes a center station, relay database stations (RDSs), and terminal stations. A terminal station group includes a plurality of terminal stations for acquiring changing information to accumulate the information as data and for transmitting the data as requested. Each of the plurality of relay database stations (RDSs) is arranged for the terminal station group, and accumulates pieces of information sequentially received from the terminals as specific data and other data and transmits the data as requested.

Abstract: A method for localizing execution of subqueries and determining collocation of execution of subqueries in a shared-nothing database. The concept of compatible partitioning is used to localize database operations in order to eliminate excess processes and communication, and thereby improve response time and throughput for the database management system. The method reduces the number of process by reducing the number of nodes involved in processing a query and by combining multiple processes.