Abstract: Methods and/or systems for representing and/or managing and/or querying data in an information system that allows non-programmer users to make additions of and/or modifications to data items while optionally preserving an underlying potentially complex data structure and preserving the ability to perform flexible and powerful queries and relationships in the data.

Abstract: A system to automatically gather attribute data about elements such as networks, network interface cards, operating systems, device types, installed software, processes in execution, financial data, etc. in an organization or a designated subset of the organization. Fingerprint files are used, each fingerprint file corresponding to an element of a specific type and each containing a list of attributes that will be found if that element exists in the system. Each fingerprint contains or points to one or more collection instructions which control a data collector process to attempt to gather attribute data. Each fingerprint contains or points to rules that are used to analyze the attribute data gathered to calculate the probability that the element exists. The rules can be fired sequentially, in if-then-else fashion or can be incorporated in a script in loops and with mathematical manipulations, tests and branching for more sophisticated analysis.

Abstract: A multiphase matching process to reconcile imported asset records from a first legacy computer systems and inventory asset records which are either imported from a second legacy system or which are automatically discovered assets on a network of assets in a company or other entity by any automated asset discovery process. The multiphase matching process repetitively imports asset records, creates unique signatures for each to prevent duplication, and applies different techniques during each phase to automatically find matches, or provide tools to assist and operator to manually find matches and correct, complete or annotate asset records with incorrect or missing information and make new asset records for assets which have no asset records in the reconciliation database. Corrected, completed or new asset records can be exported through a reverse mapping processing into corrected, completed or new asset records in the original legacy computer systems.

Abstract: A computer system to reconcile hard assets carried on the financial data reporting computer systems of a corporation or government entity with actual inventory assets discovered on the networks of said entity. Automatic discovery of inventory assets is performed by executing scripts specified in fingerprints of the types of machines the system can recognize. When a machine is found at a live P address, the fingerprint scripts determine the operating system type and extract data from the operating system regarding the attributes of the machine. Hard assets are then imported from the financial data reporting computer system, and automatic reconciliation rules are drafted by a user and run on the asset data to find inventory assets which match hard assets. Linking or pointer data is established to record each match. Then unmatched inventory and hard assets are displayed and manual matching occurs where in the user points to and selects inventory assets which match particular hard assets.

Abstract: A process for automatically selecting sensitive information in any form of document being displayed and/or generated on a computer to select sensitive information for protection by encryption, redaction or removal of only the sensitive text. Selection is done by using pattern recognition rules, dictionaries of sensitive terms and/or manual selection of text. The sensitive text is automatically protected on the fly in the same manner as a spell checker works so that the sensitive information immediately is removed and replaced with the encrypted or redacted version or a space and a pointer to where the decryption key or the original of the redacted or removed text is stored. Other embodiments require manual approval of automatically selected text prior to protection.

Abstract: A process and apparatus to remotely gather data about cellphone hardware and software configurations and usage. The system uses agents which are resident on the phones and which can be remotely launched by a data collection server by sending a message to a public P address of the phone and addressed to a special port designated for launch. The agent specifies the launch port and a data collection port upon installation and registration with the cellphone operating system. Data on hardware configuration, software version and phone usage can be gathered. Data collection sessions are established by the data collection server sending a message addressed to the public P address of the cellphone and the data collection port specified by the agent process upon registration with the operating system. Many alternative embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for automatically selecting sensitive information in documents being displayed and/or generated on a computer to select sensitive information for encryption using pattern recognition rules, dictionaries of sensitive terms and/or manual selection of text. The sensitive text is automatically encrypted on the fly in the same manner as a spell checker works so that the sensitive information immediately is removed and replaced with the encrypted version or a pointer to where the encrypted version is stored. The keys used to encrypt the sensitive information in each document are stored in a table or database, preferably on a secure key server so that they do not reside on the computer on which the partially encrypted document is stored. Several learning embodiments that determine overinclusion and underinclusion errors in various ways and make adjustments to the rules and/or dictionary entries used to select sensitive information to reduce the errors are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and/or systems for managing information between a customer and a vendor, for example using the Internet. According to specific embodiments of the invention, for example, during a sales or service provision transaction, a vendor includes in a vendor maintained database various information about the products supplied to a customer. At the customer side, various utilization information is maintained about goods or services supplied. This information is then communicated to the vendor side where it can be stored, compared with other metrics, such as other customer data or expected utilization data, etc, which allows a vendor to provide various different sales and/or service opportunities to a customer.

Abstract: A process and apparatus to remotely gather data about cellphone hardware and software configurations and usage. The system uses agents which are resident on the phones and which can be remotely launched by a data collection server by sending a message to a public IP address of the phone and addressed to a special port designated for launch. The agent specifies the launch port and a data collection port upon installation and registration with the cellphone operating system. Data on hardware configuration, software version and phone usage can be gathered. Data collection sessions are established by the data collection server sending a message addressed to the public IP address of the cellphone and the data collection port specified by the agent process upon registration with the operating system. Many alternative embodiments are also disclosed.