Abstract: A mapping engine is provided to populate data elements of a first data structure of a first data representation with values of corresponding data elements of a second data structure of a second data representation, in accordance with at least a mapping specification. The two data structures may have different data shapes. The mapping specification may have a number of data element and data attribute mapping directives, including repeating data items. A population operation in a reversed direction may also be performed using the same mapping specification. The mapping specification may also specify an external mapping specification for a subset of the mapping operations. The external mapping specification may comprise unidirectional function pairs. In one embodiment, the mapping engine performs order dependent mapping facilitating the use of separate mapping rules for different instances of the same data element based upon the relative position of the data element instances within an input data structure.

Abstract: A data extraction method comprising: storing a plurality of objects to be processed in a memory device, each of the objects including a single set of two data entities which differ in attribute from each other, converting each of the objects stored in the memory device to one of elements arranged in a matrix, by setting one of the two data entities at a row of the matrix and the other at a column of the matrix, extracting from the matrix a submatrix which is generated by replacing rows and columns of the matrix and is dense with the objects, the submatrix being configured by a part of the matrix.

Abstract: A computer and computer implemented method and program product for analyzing statistical data in which the data to be analyzed need not be transformed into a “Normal” distribution, thus avoiding introduction of error. Generally, the user first determines a test statistic (formula) and associated null hypothesis. Then the distribution from which the original data arose, consistent with the null hypothesis, is defined. The computer then produces numerous randomly-generated data sets of the identical size and dimensions of the original statistical data set, according to the distribution defined above. A numerical value of the test statistic is computed from the test statistic formula for each randomly generated data set and stored in a vectored array. The numerical value of the test statistic computed from the original statistical data is then compared with the array and the associated percentile determined.

Abstract: An enterprise-wide web data mining system, computer program product, and method of operation thereof, that uses Internet based data sources, and which operates in an automated and cost effective manner. The enterprise web mining system comprises: a database coupled to a plurality of data sources, the database operable to store data collected from the data sources; a data mining engine coupled to the web server and the database, the data mining engine operable to generate a plurality of data mining models using the collected data; a server coupled to a network, the server operable to: receive a request for a prediction or recommendation over the network, generate a prediction or recommendation using the data mining models, and transmit the generated prediction or recommendation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently classifying and categorizing data objects such as electronic text, graphics, and audio based documents within very-large-scale hierarchical classification trees is provided. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a first node of a plurality of nodes of a subject hierarchy is selected. Previously classified data objects corresponding to a selected first node of a subject hierarchy as well as any associated sub-nodes of the selected node are aggregated to form a content class of data objects. Similarly, data objects corresponding to sibling nodes of the selected node and any associated sub-nodes of the sibling nodes are then aggregated to form an anti-content class of data objects. Features are then extracted from each of the content class of data objects and the anti-content class of data objects to facilitate characterization of said previously classified data objects.

Abstract: The present invention teaches in general how to efficiently exploit active database technology and extensible database technology, i.e. triggers and user-defined functions for processing subscriptions. According to a first aspect of the present invention it is proposed to aggregate all subscriptions on a certain table, or more generally of a plurality of tables, into a single trigger on this table or tables, respectively. This will dramatically improve the trigger-based efficiency. According to a second aspect of the present invention it is proposed to deliver the information a subscriber has registered for directly out of the database systems address space via appropriate user defined functions which is another source of efficiency improvement.

Abstract: A method and system for synchronizing a plurality of data images in a computer system, includes a primary image and at least one secondary image which are synchronized. A host computer issues write requests to a primary image site which is also transmitted to a secondary image site. Writing to the primary image and the secondary image at the primary image site and secondary site is conducted simultaneously. If a failure to write to the secondary image occurs, a fracture log is created which is a bitmap representative of changed regions in the primary image at the primary image site in response to the write request. When writing to the secondary image is restored, the log can be used to synchronize the primary image and the secondary image.

Abstract: A keyterm search is a method of searching a database for subsets of the database that are relevant to an input query. First, a number of relational models of subsets of a database are provided. A query is then input. The query can include one or more keyterms. Next, a gleaning model of the query is created. The gleaning model of the query is then compared to each one of the relational models of subsets of the database. The identifiers of the relevant subsets are then output.

Abstract: A system and method for evaluating a structured message store for message redundancy is described. A header and a message body are extracted from each of a plurality of messages maintained in a structured message store. A substantially unique hash code is calculated over at least part of the header and over the message body of each message. The messages are grouped by the hash codes. One such message is identified as a unique message within each group. In a further embodiment, the messages are grouped by conversation thread. The message body for each message within each conversation thread group is compared. At least one such message within each conversation thread group is identified as a unique message.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to accelerate variable length decode is disclosed, including a method and an apparatus to initialize data structures. The initialization apparatus includes a start address storage region to receive a start address from a processor and a memory access engine coupled to the start address storage region. The memory access engine writes a predetermined pattern to a data structure located in a memory device. The data structure is defined by the start address stored in the start address storage region and is further defined by a predetermined data structure size.

Abstract: A semantic network is disclosed herein that is useful for identifying word patterns in text. The semantic network may be used to identify word patterns accurately and substantially in real time. The semantic network is comprised of recognized words, which form word patterns, and objects, which are identified by certain of the word patterns. The word patterns are located at nodes in the semantic network. The nodes are linked in a hierarchical structure, with varying, identifiable levels. Under the method of building a semantic network, a computer program is provided and loaded onto a computer. The software is preferably linked with a knowledge base from which identified objects can be obtained. The objects are each classified by object type as they are received. Each object has a label which corresponds to a upper level word pattern. The word pattern is parsed or “tokenized” and combinations of the words in the label are assigned as word patterns at various nodes.

Abstract: A search condition is accepted (S803), a search module which matches that search condition is generated (S809), and a database is searched for data (S810, S811, S812). The database search results by the search modules are acquired (S813), and are saved in a memory (S815). This invention allows to efficiently search distributed databases for required data alone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for identifying textual information for use in a threaded discussion. The method includes the steps of detecting key words and key words in context of the threaded discussion and weighting the detected words based upon an information content and context of each word and upon a time period since each word was last used to produce a weighted information content of the threaded discussion. The method further includes the steps of searching for and locating textual information within a database with an information content related to the weighted information content, comparing the information content of the located textual information with the weighted information content to provide an objective difference value and presenting the located textual information to the discussion where the objective difference value exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: A system for providing high speed external backup and restoration of data in a data storage system. Individual data objects are backed up in logical order on backup media such as magnetic tape so that they may be retrieved individually. Minimized descriptions of backed up data are transmitted between the host and backup systems to control high speed transfer of data between data servers and backup devices on a separate data channel. The descriptions are manipulated by the backup system to comply with formats of any number of host systems and data storage systems and to efficiently map the backed up data onto the backup devices. The system also provides for restoration of data to the data storage system by using a host system to pre-allocate space for the restored data, obtaining mapping information for the allocated space from the host system, and then directly writing the restored data into the allocated space, based on the mapping information.

Abstract: A data file mirroring application that monitors data files stored in a source directory for archiving on high capacity media. The mirroring application archives the data files to the high capacity removable media in accordance with user configured settings, and without user intervention. The data files may be archived based on a time period elapsing or a data file being revised and saved. The application may identify the high capacity media in accordance with a unique identifier of the high capacity media.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for recommending items of interest to a user, such as television program recommendations, before a viewing history or purchase history of the user is available. A third party viewing or purchase history is processed to generate stereotype profiles that reflect the typical patterns of items selected by representative viewers. A user can select the most relevant stereotype(s) from the generated stereotype profiles and thereby initialize his or her profile with the items that are closest to his or her own interests. A clustering routine partitions the third party viewing or purchase history (the data set) into clusters using a k-means clustering algorithm, such that points (e.g., television programs) in one cluster are closer to the mean of that cluster than any other cluster.

Abstract: When a sweeping process and a backup process are performed on an electronic library file in an electronic library, a file storing a history of the sweeping process or a history of a backup process is generated, and the sweeping and the backup processes are managed. Thus, a user can easily manage as to which medium an original document has been swept to or where a backup copy of the original document is. If the uniqueness of the original document shown in a sweep history and a backup history can be secured, the problem that there can be a plurality of original documents on the storage media of a plurality of electronic libraries can be avoided.

Abstract: A method and system for operating a questionnaire. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of questions, associating at least one condition with each of at least some of the questions, and storing each of the questions in an associated computer file. For each of said some of the questions, the at least one condition associated with the question is stored in the same computer file in which the question is stored. In accordance with this method, satisfied conditions are identified, the stored conditions are parsed and questions whose associated conditions are all satisfied, are identified, and the identified questions are presented to a respondent.

Abstract: In a metasearch conducted across multiple document collections, a multi-phase approach is employed in which local and global statistics are dynamically exchanged between the search engines and the metasearch engine in response to a user's query. In the first phase, the query is transmitted to the search engines from the metasearch engine, and each search engine computes or retrieves previously-computed local statistics for those terms in its associated document collection. In the second phase, each search engine returns its local statistics. A third phase consists of computing metacollection level statistics at the metasearch engine, based upon the information contained in the local statistics. The metacollection level statistics are disseminated to the search engines. In the final phase, the search engines rank the documents in their respective collections pursuant to the metacollection level statistics, and transmit the rankings to the metasearch engine.

Abstract: Provided is a method, system, and program for processing a query including a query operation on a table derived from a set operation on two result tables. The query operation is performed on each result table separately to produce two intermediate result tables. The set operator is then applied to the two intermediate result tables to produce a final result table that is a same result table that would have been produced by performing the query operation on the table derived from the set operation performed on the two result tables.