Abstract: An apparatus and method for maintaining a collection of test scripts. At least one test script module is identified that is common to at least two unmodularized test scripts that are each associated with a common application. The at least two unmodularized test scripts are divided into modularized test scripts that each comprise the at least one test script module. An update to the common application is received and at least one of the at least one test script modules is updated in response to the update of the common application. The updating of each of the at least one of the at least one test script module causes a corresponding update to the at least two unmodularized test scripts.

Abstract: Techniques for altering application user-interface controls are provided. More particularly the customization of a new or existing user-interface control in an application user-interface is provided. In one aspect of the invention, a method for customizing user-interface controls of an existing application comprises the recording of a procedure description performed by a user in the application user-interface. A new or modified application user-interface control relating to the procedure description is then installed in the existing application.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for aligning document actions specified in a documented procedure with demonstrated user actions. The apparatus includes an alignment device for computing an alignment between the document actions and the demonstrated user actions based on at least one similarity metric.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for aligning document actions specified in a documented procedure with demonstrated user actions. The apparatus includes an alignment device for computing an alignment between the document actions and the demonstrated user actions based on at least one similarity metric.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for aligning document actions specified in a documented procedure with demonstrated user actions. The apparatus includes an alignment device for computing an alignment between the document actions and the demonstrated user actions based on at least one similarity metric.

Abstract: Under the present invention, an illustrative feature is to provide a method and system/structure for remotely controlling multiple computer systems by interacting with GUIs. Specifically, the present invention allows a controlled computer/system to be remotely controlled via a controlling computer/system. To this extent, data/action capture instrumentation is provided on the controlling system for automatically creating a representation of content of the GUI of the controlling system, for automatically observing a set of actions performed by a user on the GUI of the controlling system, for automatically creating a representation of the observed actions, and for sending to the controlled system the representation of the observed actions. In addition, execution instrumentation is provided on the controlled system for receiving the representation and replicating the actions on the controlled system by interacting with a GUI of the controlled system.

Abstract: As indicated above, an exemplary feature of the present invention is to automatically identify corresponding GUI elements on different computer systems, or the same computer system at different points in time. Specifically, under the present invention, a user action on a widget of a GUI provided by an application loaded a first computer system is observed, and information about the widget(s) involved in the user action as well as on all other widget(s) in the GUI is collected and associated with the user action. Thereafter a widget(s) (on which the user action is to be performed) of a GUI provided by the application as loaded on a second computer system is robustly identified using the collection information. Then, the action is performed on the identified widget(s). In identifying the widget(s), the present invention utilizes a set of hard and soft constraints to identify a matching widget(s).

Abstract: A computer-based technique is provided for retrieving one or more items from a database in response to a query specified by a user via one or more example sets. Preferably the example sets include multiple positive and negative example sets. The method comprises the following steps. First, a scoring function is constructed from the one or more example sets. The scoring function gives higher scores to database items that are more closely related to the query than to database items that are not as closely related to the query. The scoring function is operable for use with a multidimensional indexing structure associated with the database. Then, the one or more database items that have the highest score as computed using the scoring function are retrieved via the multidimensional indexing structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for describing image content establish image description records which include an object set (24), an object hierarchy (26) and entity relation graphs (28). For image content, image objects can include global objects (O0 8) and local objects (O1 2 and O2 6). The image objects are further defined by a number of features of different classes (36, 38 and 40), which in turn are further defined by a number of feature descriptors. The relationships between and among the objects in the object set are defined by the object hierarchy (26) and entity relation graphs (28). The image description records provide a standard vehicle for describing the content and context of image information for subsequent access and processing by computer applications such as search engines, filters, and archive systems.

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: 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: A method and structure for emulating on a single display platform an application's user interface as it would appear on each of a number of target devices, given a set of device characteristics for any device to be emulated and a formal description of one or more applications to be emulated. The method includes combining a selected one or more of the device characteristics and a selected one of the application formal descriptions and providing a simultaneous and consistent display representation for the selected application, so as to provide a stylized rendering of the selected application's interface in a uniform appearance and in which the selected application's interface for more than one target device can be simultaneously viewed. The method also synchronizes the display representation, so that a simultaneous update to all of the selected target device representations is updated when information in a device-independent portion of the formal description is changed.

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.

Abstract: A method and structure for emulating on a single display platform an application's user interface as it would appear on each of a number of target devices, given a set of device characteristics for any device to be emulated and a formal description of one or more applications to be emulated. The method includes combining a selected one or more of the device characteristics and a selected one of the application formal descriptions and providing a simultaneous and consistent display representation for the selected application, so as to provide a stylized rendering of the selected application's interface in a uniform appearance and in which the selected application's interface for more than one target device can be simultaneously viewed. The method also synchronizes the display representation, so that a simultaneous update to all of the selected target device representations is updated when information in a device-independent portion of the formal description is changed.

Abstract: A computer-based technique is provided for retrieving one or more items from a database in response to a query specified by a user via one or more example sets. Preferably the example sets include multiple positive and negative example sets. The method comprises the following steps. First, a scoring function is constructed from the one or more example sets. The scoring function gives higher scores to database items that are more closely related to the query than to database items that are not as closely related to the query. The scoring function is operable for use with a multidimensional indexing structure associated with the database. Then, the one or more database items that have the highest score as computed using the scoring function are retrieved via the multidimensional indexing structure.

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.

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.