Abstract: The invention provides a next generation decision support system that includes highly adaptive sensors, transport, and models to enable time critical decision making. The decision support model of the system is progressive so that not all input parameters need to be available to produce model prediction output. Input parameters of the model with the largest first order derivative values are given highest priority in data acquisition and transmission. The parameters acquired at the sensors are stored in progressive data representation formats, which later on are progressively transmitted to the decision support server. Progressive data representation, progressive transmission, and progressive model are thus three key elements that need to be integrated together. The present invention presents a method and an apparatus that form an optimized process including the three elements subject to the decision making utility function.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting at least one transcoding method for manipulating multimedia data for delivery on the basis of analysis of the content of the multimedia data. Many possible transcoding operations can be performed on multimedia data to adapt it to constraints in delivery and display, processing and storage of client devices. The selection of specific transcoding operations can be made by first analyzing the features, purposes and relevances of the individual multimedia objects within the multimedia documents, then by selecting the transcoding alternatives according to the results of the analysis. Based on the analysis, different transcoding algorithms can be applied to different content, less than all of the content can be transcoded, groups of multimedia objects can be transcoded, etc.

Abstract: A method and system enables network intermediaries such as proxies to transcode multimedia data without violating end-to-end security guarantees. In one embodiment, a content provider decomposes a data stream into a plurality of components, each of which are independently encrypted. In a preferred embodiment, an intermediary or proxy performs transcoding of the components by prioritizing and dropping predetermined components, in accordance with unencrypted clear-text metadata associated with each component, without the need for decrypting the components. Clear-text metadata preferably provides a semantic understanding of the absolute or relative importance/priority of the components with respect to each other, thereby facilitating the transcoding process. The destination/client device can subsequently decrypt the components transmitted by the transcoding proxy and reassemble them into a representation of the original data content.

Abstract: Interoperability is enabled between participants in a network by determining values associated with a value metric defined for at least a portion of the network. Information flow is directed between two or more of the participants based at least in part on semantic models corresponding to the participants and on the values associated with the value metric. The semantic models may define interactions between the participants and define at least a portion of information produced or consumed by the participants. The determination of the values and the direction of the information flow may be performed multiple times in order to modify the one or more value metrics. The direction of information flow may allow participants to be deleted from the network, may allow participants to be added to the network, or may allow behavior of the participants to be modified.

Abstract: A multimedia archive description scheme is provided for characterizing a multimedia archive having records and associated record descriptions. The multimedia archive description scheme provides a data structure which relates records by similarity measures. The principle data structure in the multimedia archive description scheme is a cluster. A cluster includes one or more attributes of the records in the archive and can include one or more cluster relationships. Cluster attributes can include feature space attributes, semantic attributes, media attributes and meta attributes of the records in the archive. The cluster relationships can relate records to clusters or clusters to clusters. Cluster relationships can include feature space (syntactic) relationships, semantic relationships, media relationships and meta relationships. The multimedia archive description scheme provides an efficient form for describing a collection of records.

Abstract: Distributed resource discovery is an essential step for information retrieval and/or providing information services. This step is usually used for determining the location of an information or data repository which has relevant information. The most fundamental challenge is the usual lack of semantic interoperability of the requested resource. In accordance with the invention, a method is disclosed where distributed repositories achieve semantic interoperability through the exchange of examples and, optionally, classifiers. The outcome of the inventive method can be used to determine whether common labels are referring to the same semantic meaning.

Abstract: Described is a method and apparatus for obtaining accurate, timely information for event detection and prediction based on autonomous opportunism. The objective is to make the best possible use of all available resources at the time of acquisition, including historical data, multiple sensors, and multiresolution acquisition capabilities, under a given set of processing and communication bandwidth constraints. This method (and the corresponding apparatus) fuses multiple adaptively acquired data sources to prepare information for use by decision support models. The onboard data acquisition schedule is constructed to maximize the prediction accuracy of the decision models, which are designed to operate progressively, utilizing data representations consisting of multiple abstraction levels and multiple resolutions.

Abstract: An object tracking technique is provided which, given: (i) a potentially large data set; (ii) a set of dimensions along which the data has been ordered; and (iii) a set of functions for measuring the similarity between data elements, a set of objects are produced. Each of these objects is defined by a list of data elements. Each of the data elements on this list contains the probability that the data element is part of the object. The method produces these lists via an adaptive, knowledge-based search function which directs the search for high-probability data elements. This serves to reduce the number of data element combinations evaluated while preserving the most flexibility in defining the associations of data elements which comprise an object.

Abstract: A method and system for storing a semantic object includes summarizing the attributes of a semantic object, indexing the summary of attributes, and storing the summary of attributes and the index of the summary of attributes.

Abstract: An object tracking technique is provided which, given: (i) a potentially large data set; (ii) a set of dimensions along which the data has been ordered; and (iii) a set of functions for measuring the similarity between data elements, a set of objects are produced. Each of these objects is defined by a list of data elements. Each of the data elements on this list contains the probability that the data element is part of the object. The method produces these lists via an adaptive, knowledge-based search function which directs the search for high-probability data elements. This serves to reduce the number of data element combinations evaluated while preserving the most flexibility in defining the associations of data elements which comprise an object.

Abstract: The invention provides a system adapted to enable contextual collaboration within a computer network. In invention, a collaboration manager supports manipulation of collaboration spaces. The collaboration spaces contain one or more collaboration elements that have potentially different collaboration modalities. The context manager maintains resources and resource interrelationships within contexts. The resources can include collaboration elements, processes, tasks, business objects, users, and/or roles. A view generator selects a set of the resources to be displayed to a user of the computer network. The invention also includes an interface adapted to allow applications to specify commands to manipulate collaboration spaces, commands to maintain resources and resource interrelationships within contexts, and queries for context-sensitive views.

Abstract: An invention for generating standard description records from multimedia information. The invention utilizes fundamental entity-relation models for the Generic AV DS that classify the entities, the entity attributes, and the relationships in relevant types to describe visual data. It also involves classification of entity attributes into syntactic and semantic attributes. Syntactic attributes can be categorized into different levels: type/technique, global distribution, local structure, and global composition. Semantic attributes can be likewise discretely categorized: generic object, generic scene, specific object, specific scene, abstract object, and abstract scene. The invention further classifies entity relationships into syntactic/semantic categories. Syntactic relationship categories include spatial, temporal, and visual categories. Semantic relationship categories include lexical and predicative categories.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for classifying or annotating image and video content by assigning each class of event, action, region or object a unique symbol and then building symbol strings to represent sequences in space or time. The symbol strings can be decoded using a library of annotated PT descriptors to automatically label the image and video content. Furthermore, the PT descriptors can be used for searching by sketch or searching by example where the search query input is converted to symbol strings, which are efficiently compared based on the presence and relative counts of PT descriptors mapped into a PT matrices. The Precedence Template (PT) descriptor can be used for classifying and querying video based on the spatial and temporal orderings of regions, objects, actions or events. Applied to video, the PT descriptors provide a way to compare the temporal order of events, actions, or objects such as those represented in a scene transition graph, key-frame list, or event string.

Abstract: Ranked fuzzy cartesian queries request top-K composite objects in a multimedia database. These composite objects, comprising multiple simple objects with their relations specified, are ranked by a fuzzy AND score of individual object properties and their fuzzy relations. Ranked fuzzy cartesian queries appeared in many different applications but were not fully exploited because of high computational complexity. In accordance with the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided for preprocessing a ranked fuzzy cartesian query to prune candidates which will not appear in the final top-K composite objects. Algorithms for processing queries against two simple objects and against three or more simple objects are separately described. These algorithms use a bound-and-prune technique to determine the candidates which can be removed from the search space. Disclosed methods are guaranteed to have no false dismissal.

Abstract: A method for translating data from one representation or schema to another representation or schema. Example data encoded in both the schemas is used to generate a translator. This translator is then used for automatically translating data from one schema to another. The translator is computed by finding corresponding paths for matched data elements. When new data is presented in one schema, the translator then gives the translation for the paths of data elements in the data. A translated data is then constructed by using these translated paths. Possible applications in the Internet domain, include but are not limited to: EDI; search engines; content ingestion; content customization; data delivery; and data retrieval. Specific examples are shown for generating a translator and translating data between various schema including HTML, XML and extensions thereto such as SpeechML.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program for enabling parametric searches on source data using text search engine. The invention is generally divided into a build-time process and a run-time process. During the build-time process, a crawler extracts data units from source data. A data translator then translates data units into keyword parametric entries that are submitted to the text search engine. During the run-time process, a query translator translates parametric search queries into keyword search entries. A metatag refiner then filters intermediate search results from the search engine based on the parametric search query.

Abstract: A system and method for describing and managing media assets comprising a two-pronged solution: (1) a Digital Library to provide a centralized repository of the media assets and (2) a standard description scheme that will allow interoperation of a variety of tools and processes required for managing media assets. In the invention, a description scheme is provided that addresses information needed for managing media assets independent of their type. In addition, the invention provides a description scheme for logical collections of media assets. The media asset management description scheme may be based on eXtensible Markup Language (XML), to ensure maximum interoperability.

Abstract: A system and method for progressively querying proprietary information wherein access to the proprietary information is established in a plurality of query plans that provide proprietary information protection based on at least one of query restrictions, data access restrictions, result filtering, and result transformation. Results may be provided to a requesting user by first selling coarse views of the information and then by selling additional residual views that build up details of the information; by offering and promoting the sale of views based on the potential for deriving and synthesizing additional views; by charging based on the view data transmitted, synthesized, derived, processed, or otherwise made available to the customer; and by selling and tracking the rights to the views of the information based on the dependencies among the views.

Abstract: Described is a method and apparatus for obtaining accurate, timely information for event detection and prediction based on autonomous opportunism. The objective is to make the best possible use of all available resources at the time of acquisition, including historical data, multiple sensors, and multiresolution acquisition capabilities, under a given set of processing and communication bandwidth constraints. This method (and the corresponding apparatus) fuses multiple adaptively acquired data sources to prepare information for use by decision support models. The onboard data acquisition schedule is constructed to maximize the prediction accuracy of the decision models, which are designed to operate progressively, utilizing data representations consisting of multiple abstraction levels and multiple resolutions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a multi-tier object-relational database architecture are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a multi-tier database architecture comprises an object-relational database engine as a top tier, one or more domain-specific extension modules as a bottom tier, and one or more universal extension modules as a middle tier. The individual extension modules of the bottom tier operationally connect with the one or more universal extension modules which, themselves, operationally connect with the database engine. The domain-specific extension modules preferably provide such functions as search, index, and retrieval services of images, video, audio, time series, web pages, text, XML, spatial data, etc. The domain-specific extension modules may include one or more IBM DB2 extenders, Oracle data cartridges and/or Informix datablades, although other domain-specific extension modules may be used.