Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a system, method and article of manufacture for validating annotations describing one or more portions of a data object. In general, prior to displaying a requested annotation, a current change detection value may be calculated from current data extracted from portions of the data object described by the annotation. The current change detection value may be compared to a previously saved change detection value calculated from data extracted from the portions of the data object at the time the annotation was generated. A mismatch in the current change detection value and the previously saved change detection value indicates a change in the annotated portions of the data object, which may render the annotation invalid. The annotated portions of the data object may be continuous or discontinuous.

Abstract: A method, meeting scheduler and computer program product are provided for automated meeting scheduling using delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams. Meeting settings and invitees data are stored for a meeting. The meeting settings and invitees data includes invitee attendance type, delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams data. A solution time block for automated meeting scheduling including at least a subset of a plurality of selected invitees is identified utilizing the invitee attendance type, delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams data. A selection score is calculated for each potential time block for automated meeting scheduling utilizing the stored meeting settings and invitees data including the invitee attendance type, delegates, representatives, quorums, and teams data. The solution time block for automated meeting scheduling including a subset of a plurality of selected invitees is identified utilizing the calculated selection score.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for indexing annotations made for a variety of different type (i.e., heterogeneous) data objects are provided. A set of parameters uniquely identifying an annotated data object may be converted to an index comprising a set of index values, each corresponding to a column in a homogeneous index table. In order to accommodate the indexing of heterogeneous data objects, a mapping may be provided for each different type (or classification) of data object that may be annotated, that defines how the identifying parameters of that type will be mapped to the columns of the homogeneous index table.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize automated analysis techniques to assist in the determination of acceptable usages of linguistic terms (e.g., words, phrases, acronyms, etc.). In particular, an acceptable usage of a linguistic term in a document on the Internet may be determined by detecting a spell definition tag in the document. In response to detecting the spell definition tag, automatically adding the acceptable variant of the linguistic term to an electronic dictionary.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a system, method and article of manufacture for managing federated queries. In general, the availability of one or more databases targeted by a federated query may be determined prior to running the federated query against the targeted databases. In response to determining one or more of the targeted databases are unavailable, a user may be notified. The user may also be presented with options for running the federated query. The options may include being notified when all of the targeted databases are available, automatically running the federated query (in the background) when all of the targeted databases are available, and modifying the query to run against currently available databases.

Abstract: An apparatus and method helps a user to determine parts of an electronic document that are of interest by allowing the user to define preferences for processing an electronic document, and by automatically highlighting one or more portions of the document according to the user preferences. Highlighting includes any way to enhance or alter the appearance of text, including bold, italics, underlining, change in font style, change in font size, change in color, change in background color, etc. The automatic highlighting of portions of the document attract the user's eyes to that portion of the document, which helps the user to discern whether or not the highlighted portion is relevant or interesting. The preferred embodiments also include a document generator that takes an input document and generates therefrom an output document that has one or more highlighted portions that are hard-coded into the document according to the user preferences.

Abstract: An apparatus and method helps a user to determine parts of an electronic document that are of interest by allowing the user to define preferences for processing an electronic document, and by automatically highlighting one or more portions of the document according to the user preferences. Highlighting includes any way to enhance or alter the appearance of text, including bold, italics, underlining, change in font style, change in font size, change in color, change in background color, etc. The automatic highlighting of portions of the document attract the user's eyes to that portion of the document, which helps the user to discern whether or not the highlighted portion is relevant or interesting. The preferred embodiments also include a document generator that takes an input document and generates therefrom an output document that has one or more highlighted portions that are hard-coded into the document according to the user preferences.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading a web page according to a set of user-configurable settings. In one embodiment, a set of user-configurable settings configured for reading the web page is determined. An initial reading position on the web page is determined as specified by the user-configurable settings. The web page is then read from the initial reading position according to the set of user-configurable settings.

Abstract: A method and system for displaying annotations is provided. The method includes displaying current data to a user through a GUI, displaying at least one of current and historic annotations to a user through the GUI, providing a user selectable link between the historic annotations and historic data associated with the historic annotation, and displaying the historic data to the user through the GUI when the user selectable link is activated by the user.

Abstract: An apparatus, program product and method utilize automated analysis techniques to assist in the determination of acceptable usages of linguistic terms (e.g., words, phrases, acronyms, etc.). In particular, an acceptable usage of a linguistic term may be determined by scanning a plurality of documents for variants (e.g., based on differing spellings, punctuation, capitalization, meaning or definition, etc.) of the term, and tracking relative occurrences of a plurality of such variants found in the plurality of documents during scanning. By tracking occurrences of linguistic term variants, users may be able to use such statistical information to select which of the available variants represents an acceptable usage, or even a most acceptable usage, of a term. Scanned documents may be retrieved from the Internet, and scanning may occur while a user is browsing the Internet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a telephonic annotation services is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile telephone may be configured to include an annotation component used to record audio-based annotations for a telephone conversation. In another embodiment, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) enabled telephone is used. Annotation recordings may be created both during and after a telephone conversation. The annotation recordings may be stored in a database and indexed to a telephone number associated with the other participant in the conversation. Subsequently, prior to calling the same telephone number, or prior to placing a call to the same telephone number, annotations may be selectively played back, according to criteria specified in an annotation profile. Additionally, annotations templates may be used to structure an annotation recording according to a predefined format.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for proving global annotation services are disclosed. Global annotations are used to annotate a data element independently from the internal representation of a data element employed by a particular software application. Data elements are normalized into a form used by a global annotation system to identify the data element, and corresponding global annotations, independent from the application in which the data element may appear. An annotation cache may be used to store the global annotations that have been created for a particular data source, improving the efficiency of the global annotation system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for indexing annotations made for a variety of different type (i.e., heterogeneous) data objects are provided. A set of parameters uniquely identifying an annotated data object may be converted to an index comprising a set of index values, each corresponding to a column in a homogeneous index table. In order to accommodate the indexing of heterogeneous data objects, a mapping may be provided for each different type (or classification) of data object that may be annotated, that defines how the identifying parameters of that type will be mapped to the columns of the homogeneous index table.

Abstract: A method, system, and article of manufacture that allows amateur camera operators to share video and audio with other amateur camera operators at the same event over a cooperative, ad hoc network. One embodiment of the present invention comprises forming an ad hoc network comprising a plurality of recording devices, and communicating audiovisual signals between the plurality of recording devices in the ad hoc network. In some embodiments, this method may further comprise transmitting a replay request to the plurality of recording devices and receiving an audiovisual signal corresponding to the replay request, transmitting a push request to the plurality of recording devices, and/or transmitting a message to at least one of the plurality of recording devices.

Abstract: A method of providing rebroadcast programming includes encoding a rebroadcast program, specifying a preferred play time, and providing a broadcast that fits the preferred play time. The encoding of the rebroadcast program can use a replay plan which prioritizes portions of the rebroadcast. A priority can be assigned to commercials which have been made to be shortened or dropped, or an alternative commercial substituted, depending on time limitations. A rebroadcast packaging and playlist are provided.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to map alternative short captions that are displayed in a constrained display environment instead of displaying standard captions. When designing a display panel, the designer identifies shorter captions to use in a constrained environment. Shorter captions are helpful in preventing text from wrapping or having to horizontally scroll to in order to read a longer caption. Varying levels of short captions are provided so that a standard size display displays the full caption, a somewhat smaller size display displays smaller captions, while an even smaller display displays even smaller captions. National language support is also provide to translate both full captions as well as the short version(s) of the captions.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to display a common display page on a variety of display devices using the item's tab order property to determine the display order. Controls that are displayed on a display device typically have a tab order. When a window that has controls is displayed, the cursor is typically placed at the control with the lowest (i.e., first) tab order. When the user presses the tab key, the cursor moves to the control corresponding to the next lowest tab order. This allows the designer to design a single window (or panel) that is displayed differently on constrained devices. However, even though the window is displayed differently, using tab order mapping maintains a consistent visible proximity between controls despite the type of display device being used by the user.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to selectively exclude elements from a user interface window depending upon the type of device upon which the interface is being displayed. A designer (or a user) decides which elements in a window should be excluded when operating a certain type of device. It is likely that some user interface elements will not be deemed critical enough to provide when the user is using a constrained device, such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). An element can be an image, an audio file, a table, a column in a table, a page in a property notebook, a wizard (or page in a wizard), or a group of related items. The judgment to exclude an element is based upon the value of the piece of data (element) in comparison to the visual bandwidth (display space) and/or network bandwidth needed to provide the element.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for maintaining annotations for changing source documents are provided. For some embodiments, an annotation system may support multiple policies, with each policy dictating how (or if) an annotation created for a version of a source document should be applied to subsequent versions of the source document. For some embodiments, a user creating an annotation may select from a group of available policies to be applied to the annotation.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for maintaining annotations for changing source documents are provided. For some embodiments, an annotation system may support multiple policies, with each policy dictating how (or if) an annotation created for a version of a source document should be applied to subsequent versions of the source document. For some embodiments, a user creating an annotation may select from a group of available policies to be applied to the annotation. For some embodiments, policies may be enforced when annotated documents are checked into a content management system used to manage the annotated documents.