Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for processing data items in a data source, and an equivalent method. More specifically, the apparatus is configured to reduce a lattice representation of data items in a data source. The apparatus has a processor that is operable to retrieve data items from the data source and to determine a context defining relationships between data items and one or more properties associated with the data items. An initial lattice data structure is generated based on the determined context. The processor then reduces the size of the lattice by dividing the initial lattice data structure into a plurality of subgroup lattice, reducing the size of each of the subgroups of lattice, and combining them to form a reduced lattice data structure.

Abstract: An electronic document repository system comprises a storage arrangement (30-36) for storing a plurality of electronic documents; tagging means (132) for permitting users of the repository to apply tags to the documents; automatic tag processing means (134) for generating a lattice representation and assigning stored documents to nodes of the lattice representation based upon the tags applied to the documents; wherein, the repository further comprises a lattice representation difference determiner (138) which is operable to compare two lattice representations of the type generated by the automatic tag processing means (134) and to generate a difference value indicating an extent by which the compared lattice representations differ from one another according to an edit distance measure.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for processing data items in a data source, and an equivalent method. More specifically, the apparatus is configured to reduce a lattice representation of data items in a data source. The apparatus has a processor that is operable to retrieve data items from the data source and to determine a context defining relationships between data items and one or more properties associated with the data items. An initial lattice data structure is generated based on the determined context. The processor then reduces the size of the lattice by dividing the initial lattice data structure into a plurality of subgroup lattice, reducing the size of each of the subgroups of lattice, and combining them to form a reduced lattice data structure.

Abstract: A computer system 1 is operable to receive a plurality of XML (or other marked-up) documents associated with heterogeneous databases 20, 30 and to process these to generate a virtual integrated view presenting a seemingly merged view of the database structures.

Abstract: An electronic document repository system comprises a storage arrangement (30-36) for storing a plurality of electronic documents; tagging means (132) for permitting users of the repository to apply tags to the documents; automatic tag processing means (134) for generating a lattice representation and assigning stored documents to nodes of the lattice representation based upon the tags applied to the documents; wherein, the repository further comprises a lattice representation difference determiner (138) which is operable to compare two lattice representations of the type generated by the automatic tag processing means (134) and to generate a difference value indicating an extent by which the compared lattice representations differ from one another according to an edit distance measure.

Abstract: A computer system 1 is operable to receive a plurality of XML (or other marked-up) documents associated with heterogeneous databases 20, 30 and to process these to generate a virtual integrated view presenting a seemingly merged view of the database structures.

Abstract: A method of transmitting information between first and second electronic devices.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for detecting conflicts in policy-based management rule sets. This is achieved by expanding a set of input rules such that each rule relates only to one subject performing one action on a single object, and is known as a singleton rule. Then, data defining the semantic relationships between the different actions is received, and this is used to further expand the singleton rules to give a complete rule set defining every possible rule according to the semantic relationships between rules. This complete set can the be processed to detect conflicts between two or more rules, and any conflicting rules are identified and displayed to a user. Additionally, the invention also provides that the rule sets may be reduced to a canonical form for compact representation thereof.