Abstract: Methods for serving data include maintaining an incomplete version of an object at a server and at least one fragment at the server. In response to a request for the object from a client, the incomplete version of the object, an identifier for a fragment comprising a portion of the objects and a position for the fragment within the object are sent to the client. After receiving the incomplete version of the object, the identifier, and the position, the client requests the fragment from the server using the identifier. The object is constructed by including the fragment in the incomplete version of the object in a location specified by the position.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a database comprising at least one record, the aforesaid at least one record comprising: (a) solution metadata relating to an information technology solution; and (b) evaluation metadata relating to a complexity evaluation of the aforesaid information technology solution.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a database comprising at least one record, the aforesaid at least one record comprising: (a) solution metadata relating to an information technology solution; and (b) evaluation metadata relating to a complexity evaluation of the aforesaid information technology solution.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a method for calibrating the relationship between management-inherent complexity metrics deriving from the management structure and human perceived complexity of information technology management comprising: (a) obtaining a set of management-inherent complexity metrics; (b) obtaining a set of human-perceived complexity metrics; (c) constructing a control model identifying a set of dominant indicators selected from the aforesaid set of management-inherent complexity metrics; (d) establishing a value model mapping from the aforesaid set of dominant indicators to the aforesaid set of human-perceived complexity metrics.

Abstract: The invention broadly and generally provides a method of quantifying the complexity of an information technology management process, the aforesaid method comprising: (a) obtaining process-related data for the aforesaid information technology management process; wherein the aforesaid process-related data defines: at least one task, at least one role, and any number of business items which can be transferred between a plurality of roles within the aforesaid at least one role while executing the aforesaid at least one task; (b) creating a set of process component complexity metrics by applying a process complexity model to the aforesaid process-related data, the aforesaid process complexity model comprising at least one relationship of properties selected from the roles, tasks, and business items; and (c) creating a value representing the complexity of the aforesaid information technology management process from the aforesaid set of process component complexity metrics.

Abstract: The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for implementing a multi-user advance reservation system where reservations are specified in terms of flexible constraints, inflexible constraints and business values. The specification of reservations in this manner allows an entity managing the reservation system to arbitrate among reservations received from a user population with a view toward maximizing business value across the user population. In methods and apparatus of the present invention, penalties and rewards associated with various reservation outcomes can be specified in reservations to assist in business value maximization. In an example, a reservation having a low business value may be declined when there is a significant possibility that a reservation having a high business would be submitted during the pendency of service delivery to the user issuing the reservation with a low business value.

Abstract: Methods for serving data include maintaining an incomplete version of an object at a server and at least one fragment at the server. In response to a request for the object from a client, the incomplete version of the object, an identifier for a fragment comprising a portion of the object, and a position for the fragment within the object are sent to the client. After receiving the incomplete version of the object, the identifier, and the position, the client requests the fragment from the server using the identifier. The object is constructed by including the fragment in the incomplete version of the object in a location specified by the position.

Abstract: A method for preparing rules used for generating text to describe structured data comprises providing a sample of structured data, and providing a text corresponding to the sample of structured data to a pattern matching learning engine, the text comprising at least one value from within the sample of structured data. The method further comprises organizing the text into a hierarchy of syntactic components, and building rules based on the text and the sample of structured data, wherein the rules define an organization of the hierarchy of syntactic components.

Abstract: Methods for serving data include maintaining an incomplete version of an object at a server and at least one fragment at the server. In response to a request for the object from a client, the incomplete version of the object, an identifier for a fragment comprising a portion of the object, and a position for the fragment within the object are sent to the client. After receiving the incomplete version of the object, the identifier, and the position, the client requests the fragment from the server using the identifier. The object is constructed by including the fragment in the incomplete version of the object in a location specified by the position.

Abstract: A method for presenting advertising in an interactive service provided on a computer network, the service featuring applications which include pre-created, interactive text/graphic sessions is described. The method features steps for presenting advertising concurrently with service applications at the user terminal configured as a reception system. In accordance with the method, the advertising is structured in a manner comparable to the service applications enabling the applications to be presented at a first portion of a display associated with the reception system and the advertising presented at a second portion. Further, steps are provided for storing and managing advertising at the user reception system so that advertising can be pre-fetched from the network and staged in anticipation of being called for presentation.

Abstract: A method for presenting advertising in an interactive service provided on a computer network, the service featuring applications which include pre-created, interactive text/graphic sessions is described. The method features steps for presenting advertising concurrently with service applications at the user terminal configured as a reception system. In accordance with the method, the advertising is structured in a manner comparable to the service applications enabling the applications to be presented at a first portion of a display associated with the reception system and the advertising presented at a second portion. Further, steps are provided for storing and managing advertising at the user reception system so that advertising can be pre-fetched from the network and staged anticipation of being called for presentation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for rendering modality-independent scripts (e.g., intent-based markup scripts) in a multi-modal environment, whereby a user can interact with an application using a plurality of modalities (e.g., speech and GUI) with I/O events being automatically synchronized over the plurality of modalities presented. In one aspect, immediate synchronized rendering of the modality-independent document in each of the supported modalities is provided. In another aspect, deferred rendering and presentation of intent-based scripts to an end user is provided, wherein a speech markup language script (such as a VoiceXML document) is generated from the modality-independent script and rendered (via, e.g., VoiceXML browser) at a later time.

Abstract: Methods for serving data include maintaining an incomplete version of an object at a server and at least one fragment at the server. In response to a request for the object from a client, the incomplete version of the object, an identifier for a fragment comprising a portion of the object, and a position for the fragment within the object are sent to the client. After receiving the incomplete version of the object, the identifier, and the position, the client requests the fragment from the server using the identifier. The object is constructed by including the fragment in the incomplete version of the object in a location specified by the position.

Abstract: A method for preparing rules used for generating text to describe structured data comprises providing a sample of structured data, and providing a text corresponding to the sample of structured data to a pattern matching learning engine, the text comprising at least one value from within the sample of structured data. The method further comprises organizing the text into a hierarchy of syntactic components, and building rules based on the text and the sample of structured data, wherein the rules define an organization of the hierarchy of syntactic components.

Abstract: A distributed processing, interactive computer network and method of its operation is described. The network is designed to provide very large numbers of simultaneous users access to large numbers of applications which feature interactive text/graphic sessions and advertising targeted to users. The network includes one or more host computers including computing resources capable of communicating with one and another. Additionally, the network includes a plurality of reception system computers capable of communicating with the host computers, the reception system computers being arranged so that users can request interactive applications and advertising at their respective reception systems. The method for operating the network includes steps for generating the interactive text/graphic sessions of at least some applications and advertising from information that include data and/or program instructions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for rendering modality-independent scripts (e.g., intent-based markup scripts) in a multi-modal environment and, in particular, to a multi-modal user interface for an application, whereby the user can interact with the application using a plurality of modalities (e.g., speech and GUI). The multi-modal interface automatically synchronizes I/O events over the plurality of modalities presented. In one aspect, the system provides immediate, synchronized rendering of the modality-independent document in each of the supported modalities. In another aspect, the system provides deferred rendering and presentation of intent-based scripts to an end user, wherein the system comprises a transcoder for generating a speech markup language script (such as a VoiceXML document) from the modality-independent script and rendered (via, e.g., VoiceXML browser) at a later time.

Abstract: A method for dynamically converting electronically encoded HTML document from a text format to an image format. The method includes receiving a request for the content from a client, obtaining the content in text format, determining a content creation preference, and converting the content in text format to content in the image format according to the content creation preference. The method includes replying to the requests wherein the reply includes the content in the image format. The method applies a watermark to the content in the image format according to a watermarking preference. The method generates an image map in accordance with a mapping preference, wherein the image map relates selectable spatial display coordinates to external document identifiers.

Abstract: A method for presenting advertising in an interactive service provided on a computer network, the service featuring applications which include pre-created, interactive text/graphic sessions is described. The method features steps for presenting advertising concurrently with service applications at the user terminal configured as a reception system. In accordance with the method, the advertising is structured in a manner comparable to the service applications enabling the applications to be presented at a first portion of a display associated with the reception system and the advertising presented at a second portion. Further, steps are provided for storing and managing advertising at the user reception system so that advertising can be pre-fetched from the network and staged anticipation of being called for presentation.

Abstract: A method of operating a distributed processing, interactive computer network is described. The network is designed to provide very large numbers of simultaneous users access to large numbers of applications which feature interactive text/graphic sessions. The network includes one or more servers, interactive applications, and one or more reception systems, the reception systems being capable of communicating with the respective servers and receiving applications from them. In this arrangement, application are structured from packets termed “objects”, the objects including the display data and/or program code required to support execution of the application. When a request for an application is received at a reception system, if any objects for the application are unavailable from the reception system, the objects are requested from the server and supplied to the reception systems requesting the application objects.

Abstract: A method is described for operating a distributed processing, interactive computer network. The network is intended to provide very large numbers of simultaneous users access to large numbers of applications which include pre-created, interactive text/graphic sessions. The network includes one or more servers, interactive applications, and one or more user reception systems. The respective reception systems are designed to and are capable of communicating with the respective servers and receiving applications from them. The respective reception systems feature a display interface, as well as reception system software, operating system software and CPU for executing the applications and presenting applications to respective users.