Abstract: An apparatus, method and program for dividing a conversational dialog into utterance. The apparatus includes a computer processor; a word database for storing spellings and pronunciations of words; a grammar database for storing syntactic rules on words; a pause detecting section which detects a pause location in a channel making a main speech among conversational dialogs inputted in at least two channels; an acknowledgement detecting section which detects an acknowledgement location in a channel not making the main speech; a boundary-candidate extracting section which extracts boundary candidates in the main speech, by extracting pauses existing within a predetermined range before and after a base point that is the acknowledgement location; and a recognizing unit which outputs a word string of the main speech segmented by one of the extracted boundary candidates after dividing the segmented speech into optimal utterance in reference to the word database and grammar database.

Abstract: Methods for selecting an initial agent for an agent transaction context (ATC) are presented, the ATC configured to process a transaction utilizing a number of active agents in a multiagent system using a computing device including: causing the computing device to determine whether an agent having a top priority message is present, where the agent is one of the number of active agents in the multiagent system; if the agent having the top priority message is present, causing the computing device to determine whether the agent having the top priority message is processing; and if the agent having the top priority message is not processing, causing the computing device to select the agent having the top priority message as the initial agent for the ATC.

Abstract: An aggregation processing system includes a data transmission unit for transforming data which is a target of an aggregation process into a format of a tuple having a key and for transmitting the tuple to a data processing unit, and the data processing unit for performing an aggregation process of a tuple which has been transmitted. When a tuple transmitted from the data transmission unit is received, the data processing unit invokes an operator and performs an aggregation process. In the aggregation process, aggregated data is generated based on the tuple received by the data processing unit and a related input table, and writing to an output table or generation of an output tuple is performed based on the generated aggregated data. A plurality of aggregation processes are implemented by combining processes by the operators, and the plurality of aggregation processes are performed as one transaction.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a system for resending a process to a backup server farm from a client without waiting for the failure-detection, if no reply is received for a certain time. The transaction processing mechanism of the present invention has a transaction start processing mechanism in which an exclusive control using a valid processing authority token and data consistency are combined, and a commit processing mechanism in which determination on whether a commit is available or not based on a distributed agreement and replication of updated data. With the mechanisms, a system for shortening a service halt time when a failure occurs to a time as such it appears to a client that the service does not stop is provided.

Abstract: Systems for synchronizing data between a first-database and a second-database are presented including: a memory; and a client configured for determining whether a retrieval request requires a synchronization of the second-database before processing the received retrieval request, where the system partially synchronizes the second-database from the first-database with only that portion of the first-database associated with the retrieval request in response to determining whether synchronization is required and for processing the retrieval request from the second-database.

Abstract: Methods of synchronizing data between a first database and a second database each holding a portion of data included in the first database using an electronic computing device are presented including: causing the electronic computing device, in response to issuing a retrieval request to the second database, to extract, from the first database, differential data between a first data set in the first database and a second data set in the second database as a retrieval target of the retrieval request, where the retrieval request includes a current retrieval request and a future retrieval request, where the future retrieval request is configured for issuance after the current retrieval request; and updating the second data set by applying the differential data to the second database, where the updated second data set is the retrieval target of the retrieval request.

Abstract: A method distributes and manages medical information on a communication network over a wide area. Encrypted medical information is acquired from one of a plurality of first computers by a second computer connected to the communication network, the plurality of first computers being connected to the communication network, holding identical medical information, encrypting medical information, and sending and receiving encrypted medical information. The second computer decrypts the acquired encrypted medical information, browses and updates decrypted medical information, and then encrypts the browsed and updated medical information. The second computer then sends the encrypted browsed and updated medical information to the plurality of first computers.

Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer program product provides medical information on a communication network. Encrypted medical information in a decryption request is received from a first computer connected to the communication network at a second computer, the second computer holding decryption information. The second computer determines whether or not the second computer holds decryption information for decrypting the encrypted medical information. In response to the second computer determining that the second computer holds the decryption information, the second computer checks with a third computer as to whether the first computer is authenticated.

Abstract: The customer agent 9 transmits a search request 15a to a manager 4, which in turn transmits a search request 15b to a shop agent 5. The shop agent 5 transmits a product information service message 16a to the manager 4. The manager 4 transmits a product information service message 16b to the customer agent 9 and a product information service message 16c to a shop agent 17. Based on the thus monitored product information service message 16c, the shop agent 17 generates an associated information service message 18a and transmits it to the manager 4. The manager 4 then transmits an associated information service message 18b to the customer agent 9.

Abstract: Systems for executing a number of agents in a multiagent system are presented including: an agent executing apparatus for managing a number of active agents and for controlling activities associated with the number of active agents such that the number of active agents are cooperatively processed, where the agent executing apparatus is configured to provide an intra-transaction message mechanism and an out-of-transaction message mechanism; a cache for temporarily storing the number of active agents, where the number of active agents include a first active agent in a committed transaction and a second active agent in an uncommitted transaction; a permanent storage device for storing the number of agents before the number of agents enter a running state.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming section that forms an image on one side or both sides of a recording sheet; a main body, in which the image forming section is arranged; a main body discharge section arranged in the main body, and to which the recording sheet is discharged; and a discharge unit that is removable with respect to a side surface of the main body, and connectable to a reverse transportation path to reverse front and back of the recording sheet when forming images on both sides of the recording sheet; wherein the recording sheet can be selectively discharged to the main body discharge section or the discharge unit. The discharge unit includes a discharge tray, a discharge roller, a swinging member to guide the recording sheet to the discharge tray, and a rotation drive portion to rotate the discharge roller and swing the swinging member.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a number of database servers deployed onto a number of physical nodes in a distributed manner. Among the database servers, at least two servers taking care of data different from one another are deployed onto the same physical node and at least one server taking care of the same data as any of the at least two servers are deployed onto at least one other physical node. A distribution section distributes connections by monitoring load on each of the physical nodes and moving a connection with a client from a database server on a physical node with load heavier than a target to a database server on a physical node with load lighter than the target so that the connections are distributed to balance the load.

Abstract: A system and method for rapidly transmitting a large volume of e-mails. Based on domain names obtained from destination mailing addresses, a server 10 for a sender sorts e-mails to be transmitted, generates transfer data for each domain name by grouping e-mail data, and uses FTP to transmit the transfer data to servers 30 for distributors whose domain names correspond to those for which the transfer data were generated. At this time, compression is effective for improving the transmission of the transfer data. The server 30, upon receiving transfer data, analyzes the received transfer data to obtain the data for individual e-mails, and distributes the e-mail data to the mail boxes of individual recipients.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and program for dividing a conversational dialog into utterance. The apparatus includes a computer processor; a word database for storing spellings and pronunciations of words; a grammar database for storing syntactic rules on words; a pause detecting section which detects a pause location in a channel making a main speech among conversational dialogs inputted in at least two channels; an acknowledgement detecting section which detects an acknowledgement location in a channel not making the main speech; a boundary-candidate extracting section which extracts boundary candidates in the main speech, by extracting pauses existing within a predetermined range before and after a base point that is the acknowledgement location; and a recognizing unit which outputs a word string of the main speech segmented by one of the extracted boundary candidates after dividing the segmented speech into optimal utterance in reference to the word database and grammar database.

Abstract: This invention provides methods, systems and apparatus for processing a message of a large number of agents. An example of an apparatus includes: a memory; means for managing a state of an agent based on whether the agent is in the memory and whether there is a message, by determining a priority level of the agent based on a message inserted into the agent; means for assigning a thread to the agent if the agent is in the memory and for assigning a thread to the agent after calling the agent to the memory if the agent is not in the memory, on condition that the agent having a highest priority level has been detected; and message processing means for repeating message processing until a predetermined criterion is satisfied, in relation to the agent to which a thread has been assigned.

Abstract: Methods of synchronizing data between a first database and a second database each holding a portion of data included in the first database using an electronic computing device are presented including: causing the electronic computing device, in response to issuing a retrieval request to the second database, to extract, from the first database, differential data between a first data set in the first database and a second data set in the second database as a retrieval target of the retrieval request, where the retrieval request includes a current retrieval request and a future retrieval request, where the future retrieval request is configured for issuance after the current retrieval request; and updating the second data set by applying the differential data to the second database, where the updated second data set is the retrieval target of the retrieval request.

Abstract: A primary server transmits a write transaction to N backup devices. Each backup device records the write transaction to a local redo log stored at a high-performance storage and then transmits a notification to the primary device. When the primary device receives notifications from M of the N backup devices, it commits the write transaction, recording it to a low-performance storage. Once the write transaction has been recorded to the low-performance storage, the primary device requests that the backup devices delete their logs. If the primary device incurs a fault, one of the backup devices becomes the new primary device and determines which backup device has the newest local redo log. The backup device having the newest log sends it to the other backup devices, which update their local redo logs to the same state as the newest log. Thereafter, the new primary device is ready to resume transaction processing.

Abstract: A primary server transmits a write transaction to N backup devices. Each backup device records the write transaction to a local redo log stored at a high-performance storage and then transmits a notification to the primary device. When the primary device receives notifications from M of the N backup devices, it commits the write transaction, recording it to a low-performance storage. Once the write transaction has been recorded to the low-performance storage, the primary device requests that the backup devices delete their logs. If the primary device incurs a fault, one of the backup devices becomes the new primary device and determines which backup device has the newest local redo log. The backup device having the newest log sends it to the other backup devices, which update their local redo logs to the same state as the newest log. Thereafter, the new primary device is ready to resume transaction processing.

Abstract: A system and method thereby each of a plurality of agent servers keeps and manages history of movement. Each of the agent servers temporarily stores requests for updates of location information of a mobile agent associated to accumulated number of movement of the mobile agent and periodically sends it to a registration server so that no congestion will occur in accessing the registration server. The registration server renews location information of a mobile server only with the request for update of a higher accumulated number of movements so as not to overwrite newer information with older information.

Abstract: A data writing device capable of dynamically switching between a write-through mode and a write-behind mode for writing transaction data into a disk including: a memory with a queue management table for managing a write disk queue and a write memory queue to store the transaction data; means for registering the write memory queue in the table when load exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and for deleting the write memory queue in the table when the load is below the predetermined threshold value; means for receiving the transaction data stored in the write disk queue, and writing the received transaction data into the disk; and means for receiving the transaction data stored in the write disk queue, and writing the received transaction data into a redundant memory.