Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a computer system comprising a first memory and a second memory, where the first memory is substantially faster than second and that performs a method includes steps of: receiving requests for blocks from scan processes; serializing requests for blocks with a request queue; inspecting requests, with a request handler process, R, for blocks and determining whether the requests can be fulfilled from the first memory, if possible; and using an interface for: getting a next data item not yet processed by a calling process, starting a new one-time table access operation, and ending one-time table access operation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for incremental approximate nearest neighbor searching. An approximate nearest neighbor is incrementally retrieved from a data set having a plurality of objects and cells of objects in a hierarchical organization based on a query object. The present invention maintains an object priority queue to organize the objects based on a distance to the query object and a cell priority queue to organize the cells of objects based on a distance to the query object. The next approximate nearest neighbor is incrementally retrieved based on a state of one or more of the object priority queue and the cell priority queue.

Abstract: A method of utilizing one or more hints for query processing over a hierarchical tagged data structure having a plurality of nodes in a computing system having memory, the hint being positive if there is a tag accessible in top-down traversal from a child node, and otherwise negative. For each tag in the data structure, the method calculates a bitmap for a current node with all bits set to 1 and for each child node, followed by AND-ing all child bitmaps and setting a bit corresponding to a tag ID of a current tag to zero if such current tag exists. The method further sets a bit of a current tag to 0, calculates a plurality of possible non-redundant hints for each child node, and refreshes a hint list.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calibrating 3D image sensors. Work tolerances, temperature variations and aging processes result in that the various pixels in a receiving array deviate from one another to different degrees. The aim of the invention is therefore to calibrate the entire receiving array with respect to every pixel. During operation of the 3D image sensor there is usually no reference scene available with which every pixel could be calibrated based on known phase relations. According to the invention, the entire receiving array is illuminated at defined intervals exclusively with one modulated light source. Alternatively, the emitted light source can be used via a deflection device. Two different distances can be simulated by carrying out two calibrating measurements with different phase relations between emitted and received signal, thereby making it possible to detect distance-related errors for every pixel individually.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting properties of a digital-analog mixed signal system (1) by formally verifying a digital substitution system (20). Component parameters and environment parameters are depicted as additional signals in the digital substitution model (substitution model, 20) for the analog components, and the analog part of the system is divided (90) into time-independent and linear time-dependent subsystems. The time-independent subsystems are regarded as stateless and are converted by combinatorial logic and the linear time-dependent subsystems for time-discretization while being substituted by finite automations. Despite the digitizing errors, it is possible to reliably draw conclusions about the original system from the verification results of the substitution model.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conducting attribute-based queries over a plurality of objects using bounded memory locations and minimizing costly input and output operations are provided. A plurality of attributes are associated with each object, and a plurality of data groups, one each for the identified attributes are created. The objects associated with the attributes are placed into the appropriate data groups, and the objects contained within each data group are sorted into blocks such that each block within a given attribute contains that objects having the same attribute value. Results to the query are created by loading blocks into a primary memory location in a middleware system and combining the loaded blocks to create the desire query results. Block combinations are created based upon the fit of the given block combination to the query as expressed in an aggregation function.

Abstract: Methods and systems for analyzing XML documents. The system scans an XML document, identifies different dimensions that span the XML document and detects scoping relationships amongst them. The system uses the dimensional information to create a logical hierarchical scoped dimension analysis model, maps the logical XML tree to this model, and then implements the analytical method over the logical model. The logical model allows both structural features and numeric/non-numeric data to be used for analysis. The analytical method allows users to query irregular structural properties of the XML documents using the XPath navigational API.

Abstract: The introduction of extensions to query processing systems for XML documents that allow the analysis of such documents via grouping and aggregation operations. Assumed is the existence of an analysis module for extracting information on how parts of an XML document interrelate with other parts. This information is then used together with a user query in order (1) to partition the nodes of the document in various ways and (2) to compute and output the aggregation value of each such partition. To these ends, there are provided new query operators and extensions to query processing systems comprising a hierarchical node list generator and a hierarchical node list processor. The former takes the grouping information from the query as input and generates document node partitionings. The latter takes the node partitionings as input and computes aggregation values for each partition and generates a query result that is returned to the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a photodetector arrangement for stray light compensation with a photodetector unit for detecting and determining at least two measuring signals and with a differential unit for subtraction of the measuring signals, wherein between the photodetector unit and the differential unit a compensation unit is provided for compensating the constant components forming the basis of the respective measuring signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a pixel gray scale value image, particularly for a multi-dimensional image system. According to said method a first modulation signal (M1) which is emitted at the emitting end and is reflected on an object that is to be recorded is correlated with a second modulation signal (M2) and is recorded at the receiving end based on at least two correlation signals (Ua, Ub or Ia, Ib) that are proportional to the respective received first modulation signal (M1). One of said modulation signals (M1, M2) is phase shifted in several phase steps (?k) at the emitting or receiving end and a differential signal (D) is determined for each phase step (?k) based on the correlation signals (Ua, Ub or Ia, Ib,) and a pixel gray scale value (PGray) is determined based on said difference signal (D) independently of interfering signals.

Abstract: Improved document annotation techniques are provided. For example, in one aspect of the invention, a technique for determining an annotation for a document includes the following steps/operations. A user-proposed annotation to be associated with the document is obtained. Then, the technique automatically determines, in accordance with a knowledge base, whether the user-proposed annotation matches at least one allowed annotation.

Abstract: A method of utilizing one or more hints for query processing over a hierarchical tagged data structure having a plurality of nodes in a computing system having memory, the hint being positive if there is a tag accessible in top-down traversal from a child node, and otherwise negative. For each tag in the data structure, the method calculates a bitmap for a current node with all bits set to 1 and for each child node, followed by AND-ing all child bitmaps and setting a bit corresponding to a tag ID of a current tag to zero if such current tag exists. The method further sets a bit of a current tag to 0, calculates a plurality of possible non-redundant hints for each child node, and refreshes a hint list.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for ascertaining a knock intensity signal of an internal combustion engine, wherein an electrical light signal corresponding to the light emission in the combustion chamber is obtained by way of an optical sensor which extends into the combustion chamber, and by way of a photodetector, and then evaluated, wherein firstly the first derivative of the electrical light signal in respect of time is formed and a knock intensity signal is obtained therefrom.