Abstract: It is desirable that using a computer system, which administrates multiple storages, the storages are operated efficiently to minimize free spaces on the storages by assigning effectively the free spaces to the users with a wide variety of needs, resulting in their higher satisfaction. To achieve this, the storage operational system allows the SSPs to create and present the next-best proposed set-ups satisfying partially the users' requirements even if all the requirements are not satisfied by the proposed set-ups created based on the requirements for set-ups by the users assigned to rented storages. In addition, to satisfy the users' requirements as possible, such conditions as application of discounted prices can be indicated to other users for negotiation provided that the user's requirements may be satisfied by changing the conditions for using the storages through such a negotiation with other users.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of valuing property assets and methods of securitizing such assets. The present invention provides a means whereby holders or owners of proprietary intellectual property may readily determine the value to the business of the securitization of their intellectual property estate and obtain capital by securitizing all or part of their intellectual property estate.

Abstract: An automated system and method for customer management deploys customer databases to profile customer service requests for distribution to appropriately assigned agent representatives. The representatives adopt particular roles according to customer care volume, inquiry type, time of day and other customer management needs. Consumer profiles may be accessed in real time to combine customer care events with cross-selling and other promotions related to the consumer's transaction history and other factors.

Abstract: A method and system for providing travel information to a consumer are disclosed. The method includes acquiring information from at least one information source, which may be a variety of sources such as external or consumer-driven sources; characterizing the acquired information by its pertinence to travel; transforming the characterized travel information into a useable format; applying rules to this transformed travel information in connection with the consumer-specific travel profile; and, delivering a report to the consumer of the results of this application. The associated system performs these functions, among others, to provide information for a traveler planning a trip to a particular destination or destinations.

Abstract: The method of providing includes providing an assessment of the maintenance and technical service needs of a plant, as broadly defined, and recommending services for outsourcing selected from a menu of services. The services are modular and may be mixed and matched to a customized fit with the needs of the plant. Categories of services are directed to technical services, motor maintenance, electro-mechanical services, etc. A generic approach to all plant maintenance provides a framework in which to offer the services. Services are offered throughout the life cycle of a plant. Particular industries are targeted for outsourced services.

Abstract: A survey assignment method uses a weighting factor to compensate for members which are temporarily removed from a panel. This weighting factor allows for non-proportionate samples to be made from the panel. Additionally, a non-proportionate selection weighting factor can also be used. By using these weighting factors, a relatively random selection of the members for survey can be done.

Abstract: A system and method for the facilitation of sales for items or services between vendors and buyers through an intermediary platform. The sale of these goods or services would be implemented utilizing a haggling process in which the intermediary and each individual buyer would bargain for a final sale price of that item. Generally, each of the vendors provides the intermediary with a retail sale price and a minimum sale price for each of the items. Thereafter, a buyer would counter the retail price for each of the items with an offer presumably below the retail price. Haggle tables are utilized to allow the intermediary to counter the buyer's initial offer as well as subsequent counter offers by the buyer. Once a sale price for the particular item or service is finalized, the item would be delivered or service rendered to the buyer and the vendors account with the intermediary would be credited to reflect this purchase.

Abstract: The invention is a business system that incorporates Affinity organizations and secondary affinity organizations to secure subscribers as buyers for affiliate organization products. In one embodiment, purchases are made through a customizable purchasing platform that, when visited by a subscriber, appears to be a web site administered by the subscriber's partner.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for virtually presenting a product for purchase by a consumer. The product has one of the following characteristics: vibrations, a mass, a texture, a smell and a temperature. A memory stores a representation of a characteristic of the product. The representation is retrieved on demand from a shopper, and the characteristic reproduced from the retrieved representation for the benefit of the shopper. At the appropriate point—say, after the shopper's buying the product—the retrieval of the product for the shopper may be initiated. The storing of the characteristic representation may involve storing the representation in a database accessible over an internet. The apparatus may include a memory containing a representation of an approximation of a characteristic of the product for purchase, the characteristic from a set of characteristics including vibrations, a mass, a texture, a smell, and a temperature.

Abstract: In order to spread a transformer having energy saving and environmental effects widely and quickly, a method for supporting received orders of a transformer is provided. In the method, a first response including a customer's desired inquiry relating to an installation date of a measuring circuit is issued from a sales department to a customer who accessed a web site of the sales department. A second response including the installation date of the measuring circuit is issued from a measurement department in charge of measurement of the transformer. Since cooperative communication is achieved between the sales department and the measurement department in charge of the transformer measurement, the system can quickly cope with the customer who accessed the web site of the sales department and a social demand of early realization of energy saving and CO2 reduction can be realized with highly excellent effects.

Abstract: A system an method allowing customers of a banking institution to transmit bulk files of payment instructions to the bank for execution. The payment instructions may include a mix of domestic or international Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions, domestic or international wire transfers, multibank transactions and instructions to print checks drawn on the receiving bank or at another bank. For payments requiring payment in a foreign currency in which the customer does not have an account the present invention automatically generates and executes a contract for the foreign exchange (FX) to obtain the currency required to fulfill the payment instruction. The automatic FX process can furthermore use a real time feed of foreign exchange rates as opposed to the static rates traditionally applied to such contracts.

Abstract: A system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works using digital tickets. In the present invention, a “digital ticket” is used to entitle the ticket holder to exercise some usage right with respect to a digital work. Usage rights are used to define how a digital work may be used or distributed. Each usage right may specify a digital ticket which must be present before the right may be exercised. Digital works are stored in repositories which enforce a digital works usage rights. Each repository has a “generic ticket agent” which punches tickets. In some instances only the generic ticket agent is necessary. In other instances, punching by a “special ticket agent” residing on another repository may be needed.

Abstract: A system for controlling the distribution and use of digital works using digital tickets. In the present invention, a “digital ticket” is used to entitle the ticket holder to exercise some usage right with respect to a digital work. Usage rights are used to define how a digital work may be used or distributed. Each usage right may specify a digital ticket which must be present before the right may be exercised. Digital works are stored in repositories which enforce a digital works usage rights. Each repository has a “generic ticket agent” which punches tickets. In some instances only the generic ticket agent is necessary. In other instances, punching by a “special ticket agent” residing on another repository may be needed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for deidentifying, or anonymizing, entries in an input data source are presented. According to one embodiment, the system includes a deidentification module for modifying entries in a version of the input data source to yield an output data source such that the entries of the output data source match a specified anonymity requirement. According to one embodiment, the resulting output data source may match the specified anonymity requirement with respect to a recipient profile that is input to the system. The deidentification module may further modify the entries in the version of the input data source such that the entries in the output data source are minimally distorted given the specified anonymity requirement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a computerized decision support system and method for a) tracking participation within programs, b) capturing participant's participation activity and assessment information in a format that can be easily analyzed and c) distilling the participation and assessment data into useful management and evaluation information. The repository of longitudinal data can be analyzed and reported for case-management and program-evaluation purposes. An assessment module enables analyzable assessment instruments to be custom-defined by the system user, e.g. a program manager. The customized assessment instrument is used to provide answer-restricted questions during an assessment interview, enabling virtually any data item to be tracked historically. The system captures date/time-stamped participation information at various levels of detail and stores this information in a way that can be easily retrieved and analyzed for program and participant-focused analysis.

Abstract: Models that encapsulate information on how remote applications are controlled and data is accessed are created to be used by a runtime agent that intelligently reasons out goal-oriented plans and execute tasks to solve problem statements generated by a user interface or other software agents.

Abstract: The present invention leverages MOLAP performance for ROLAP objects (dimensions, partitions and aggregations) by building, in a background process, a MOLAP equivalent of that object. When the background processing completes, queries are switched from ROLAP queries to MOLAP queries. When changes occur to relevant relational objects (such as tables that define content of OLAP objects), an OLAP object is switched back to a ROLAP mode, and all relevant caches are dropped while, as a background process, a new MOLAP equivalent is created.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for ensuring data consistency upon mapping of a hierarchical data format to a relational database management system.

Abstract: A system and method converts database commands from one language and dialect to another and verifies the results of the conversion. If the results are accurate, changes may be committed to the database and otherwise, changes may be rolled back.

Abstract: A client initially creates a client's request for proposal (RFP) on a client computer. The client also enters information that identifies some of the client's opponents. Next, a service provider creates a service provider profile on a service provider computer. The service provider also enters information that identifies some of the service provider's clients. Next, all of this information is transmitted to a host site computer that is in communication with the service provider computer and the client computer. The host site computer then compares the information identifying the client's opponents to the information identifying the service provider's clients to determine if the service provider should be allowed access to the client's RFP. If one of the service provider's clients is the same as one of the client's opponents, the service provider is refused access to the client's RFP.

Abstract: A user interface provides historical and hierarchical search and navigation modes through previously selected and hierarchically linked multimedia applications, documents and directories. The system permits a search for information through hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document. The systems includes an input processor for receiving a user entered search information item identifying an object associated with at least one of the hierarchically linked documents. An Internet processor for searching and identifying a plurality of child documents hierarchically linked to a parent document identified by the object and excluding non-hierarchically associated documents in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search. An output processor processes data identifying the plurality of child documents for communication to a reproduction device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to analysis of large, disk resident data sets using a Patient Rule Induction Method (PRIM) in a computer system wherein a relational data table is initially received. The relational data table includes continuous attributes, discrete attributes, a matter parameter and a cost attribute. The cost attribute represents cost output values based on continuous attribute values and discrete attribute values as inputs. A hyper-rectangle is then formed which encloses a multi-dimensional space defined by the continuous attribute values and the discrete attribute values. The continuous attribute values and the discrete attribute values are represented as points within the multi-dimensional space. A plurality of points along edges of the hyper-rectangle are then removed based on an average of the cost output value from the plurality of points until a count of the points enclosed within the hyper-rectangle equals the meta parameter.

Abstract: A method assigns importance ranks to nodes in a linked database, such as any database of documents containing citations, the world wide web or any other hypermedia database. The rank assigned to a document is calculated from the ranks of documents citing it. In addition, the rank of a document is calculated from a constant representing the probability that a browser through the database will randomly jump to the document.

Abstract: New lock modes are based on the concept of neighborhoods and are applied to spaces in indexes. The new lock modes include a Read, or shared, neighborhood (Snei) lock mode and a Write neighborhood (Xnei) that enhance concurrency among non-serializable transactions.

Abstract: A backup method is provided for backing up a data base of an additional storage type that added data is not updated and deleted. An attribute of data update refusal, i.e., an attribute of only data reference permission is set to each storage area in which a table is stored. It is judged for each storage area that a file once backed up is not necessary to be backed up again. Data stored in the storage area and backed up as the collective backup or divisional backup is not backed up again. The backup time can therefore be shortened.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards managing a view of a social network user's personal information based, in part, on user-defined criteria. The user-defined criteria may be applied towards a user's relationship with each prospective viewer. The user-defined criteria may include degrees of separation between members of the social network, a relationship to the prospective viewer, as well as criteria based, in part, on activities, such as dating, employment, hobbies, and the like. The user-defined criteria may also be based on a group membership, a strength of a relationship, and the like. Such user-defined relationship criteria may then be mapped against various categories of information associated with social network user to provide customized views of the social network user.

Abstract: A web server for providing a pay-for-service web site is disclosed configured to execute an HTML front-end entry process configured for creating and storing a personal homepage for a owner. The web server is also configured to receive a fee for making the personal homepage accessible on a network.

Abstract: A method of storing and retrieving data in a computer system comprises steps of forming at least one object model, the object model including at least one class structure; allocating data according to one or more classes of said at least one class structure; providing a set of rules, the rules forming a declarative system and linking components of class structures; providing a query command; and in response to the query command, processing a series of said rules to obtain one or more output variables.

Abstract: A database hierarchically stores a plurality of classes and a plurality of contents data corresponding to each class. Each contents data has a value of each property. The plurality of contents data of selected class are divided into a plurality of groups. A display presents a first table of contents data of a selected group. A memory stores a second table of a plurality of record data. An indication unit selects a first property from the plurality of properties of the selected class, and selects a first item from a plurality of items. The contents data of the first table and record data of the second table are joined on condition that a value of the first property is equal to a value of the first item. A third table of a plurality of joined data each having a value of each property of the selected class and a value of each item is generated.

Abstract: A system is utilized for determining a relationship between first and second textual inputs. The system identifies constituents in the first textual input, having predetermined characteristics indicative of usefulness in determining the relationship. The relationship is then determined based on the constituents identified. The constituents can be eliminated from the first textual input, weighted in the first textual input, or simply annotated in one of a variety of ways.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for reducing the amount of downtime during a database reorganization. The invention provides a method whereby data values are unloaded from a table in a database, stored in a substantially original format in another location within the database whilst the database is modified, and reloaded into the modified table.

Abstract: An audio/video generation apparatus comprises an audio and/or video generation device operable to generate audio and/or video material, and a metadata generation processor. The metadata generation processor is operable to generate metadata describing the content and/or attributes of the audio/video material. The metadata generation processor is operable to generate a reference value providing a quasi-unique reference to the audio/video material with a reduced amount of data with respect to the audio/video material itself, the reference value being generated from data values representing the audio/video material in accordance with a predetermined relationship. The quasi-unique reference may be stored in association with the metadata describing the audio/video material from which the quasi-unique reference was generated. Generating a quasi-unique reference from the information material provides a facility for identifying the audio/video material. In one embodiment the quasi-unique reference is a hash value.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for forming a decision tree by considering multiple possible alternative tests or thresholds as well as the possible alternative branches from each test or threshold. This method of making decision trees may be referred to as “look-ahead” or “chart-ahead” recursive partitioning because tests or thresholds can be selected not only for their own ability to divide items into different classes, but also for the ability of future tests or thresholds, enabled by the present tests or thresholds, to further divide items into classes. In preferred embodiments, the method of making the decision tree includes generating clusters of items having similar descriptors and properties, and then evaluating various tests or thresholds for their ability to isolate clusters. Also disclosed are methods of using such decision trees, particularly for the purpose of predicting the unknown properties of molecules.

Abstract: An extension of an inverse inference search engine is disclosed which provides cross language document retrieval, in which the information matrix used as input to the inverse inference engine is organized into rows of blocks corresponding to languages within a predetermined set of natural languages. The information matrix is further organized into two column-wise partitions. The first partition consists of blocks of entries representing fully translated documents, while the second partition is a matrix of blocks of entries representing documents for which translations are not available in all of the predetermined languages. Further in the second partition, entries in blocks outside the main diagonal of blocks are zero. Another disclosed extension to the inverse inference retrieval document retrieval system supports automatic, knowledge based training.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting a user activity level associated with an application. An activity level is a number of transactions performed by users utilizing the application per time period or a number of users utilizing the application per time period. Measurements of activity levels are assigned to a user activity metric (UAM) variable, and associated values are assigned to a set of factors. At least one correlation coefficient between each factor and the UAM is calculated. In response to a maximum correlation coefficient associated with a factor being less than a pre-defined threshold, the factor is excluded from the set of factors to facilitate forming a subset of factors associated with correlation coefficients whose absolute values are greater than or equal to the pre-defined threshold. A regression model utilizing the subset is generated to predict an activity level.

Abstract: In a system, in order to allow transfer of information relating to image data and the like to a desired directory in a directory structure in a host information processing apparatus, without performing an operation at the host information processing a directory-information management unit acquires and manages directory information of a storage unit in a first apparatus managed by a filing system of a second apparatus, and a display unit displays the directory information managed by the directory-information management unit. The user assigns a directory to which the image data and the like are to be transferred in the storage unit of the second apparatus, using an assignment unit.

Abstract: The information delivery system is configured with a media database 1009 which stores media data, a sequence information database 1008 which stores sequence information for specifying the address of media data to deliver, a scene searcher 1005 which verifies the sequence information according to a request of the controlling media received from client terminal 1000 and retrieves appropriate media data from the media database 1009 starting from a prescribed point based on a result of the verification, and an output unit 1006 which delivers the retrieved media data to the client terminal 1000.

Abstract: A method for defining description objects to be included into a hierarchical structured device description framework (DDF), where the DDF is constituted by a plurality of objects being hierarchically inter-associated to each other forming a kind of tree-like structure. The hierarchical structure is obtained by using different types of objects comprising at least: fixed parent object, run-time parent object, leaf object and link object. Each description object has one directly superordinate associated object, i.e. a parent object, whereas objects of the types fixed parent object and run-time parent object are allowed to have none, one or more objects being directly associated subordinate, i.e. child objects. At least one new object is defined to be associated to a parent object. If the parent object is a fixed parent object, the at least one new object is allowed to be a fixed object, run-time object, leaf object or link object.

Abstract: A naming service for locating a service in an enterprise is provided. The naming service comprising a binding module to associate a first service with a location of an interface maintaining a reference to the first service, the binding module further operable to associate a second service with a location of the second service. The naming service further comprising a look-up module operative to provide the location of the interface in response to a request by an application for the first service, the look-up module further operable to provide the location of the second service in response to a request by a second application. A method for locating a service in an enterprise is also provided.

Abstract: A system of and method for maintaining data objects in containers across a network of distributed heterogeneous resources in a manner which is transparent to a client. A client request pertaining to containers is resolved by querying meta data for the container, processing the request through one or more copies of the container maintained on the system, updating the meta data for the container to reflect any changes made to the container as a result processing the re quest, and, if a copy of the container has changed, changing the status of the copy to indicate dirty status or synchronizing the copy to one or more other copies that may be present on the system.

Abstract: A facility for enhancing the information available for contact entry stored by a personal information manager (“PIM”) is described. After the PIM is installed, the facility installs an enhanced contact manager program (“ECM”) as an add-in module to the personal information manager. The first time after the ECM is executed, the facility copies contact entries stored by the PIM to a data store maintained by the ECM. Each time the ECM is executed, for each contact entry stored by the PIM that was opened since the previous time the ECM was executed, the facility recopies the contact entry to the data store maintained by the ECM.

Abstract: In a business system, one or more methods can be used to reduce an amount of redundancy in the storage of data. One implementation includes a method of reducing a memory footprint of a database table having multiple rows and one or more columns, in which each of the one or more columns has a cardinality, and the cardinality is a total number of different values in the rows of each column. The method includes comparing the cardinality with a total number of possible values in the rows of at least one column based on a width of the column. The method also includes reducing the width of the column if the cardinality is less than a threshold based on the total number of possible values in the rows of the column.

Abstract: According to the method for establishing a log point an information technology infrastructure is provided. Transactions are performed by at least two database units of the information technology infrastructure. Then, “suspending prepare to commit”-requests are sent from said coordinating device to said database units. The log writes of all database units are suspended and recorded, whereas these log points form a global log point. Finally the log writes of all database units and all the suspended transactions are resumed.

Abstract: An object cache stores objects in a cyclic buffer to provide highly efficient creation of cache entries. The cache efficiently manages storage of a large number of small objects because the cache does not write objects into a file system as individual files, rather the cache utilizes cyclical buffers in which to store objects as they are added to the cache. Because of the use of a cyclic buffer, the high-overhead process of purging cache entries never needs to be performed. Cache entries are automatically purged as they are overwritten when the cyclic buffer becomes full and the input pointer wraps around from the end of a cyclic buffer to the beginning of a cyclic buffer. Additionally, in the event of a system crash or disk subsystem malfunction, inspect and repair time is independent of the size of the cache, as opposed to conventional file systems in which the time is proportional to the size of the file system.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide for preserving memory resources by selecting property values to be assigned time-date information used in resolving conflicts between sync values. The property values may be selected based on the available resources of a remote device, e.g., when the time-date information is to be stored in a field of limited space. Further, the property values may be selected based on historical information, such as the most recently or frequently modified values. Other example embodiments also provide for storing an upper and/or lower boundary of time-date information for the remaining property values not selected. For example, the most recently modified property time-date value may be used for the upper boundary and the oldest modified time-date value may be used for the lower boundary.

Abstract: A system and method to observe user behavior and perform actions on interospectable objects is presented. A console logs backend events it receives from plug-ins and user actions it receives from a user. The console mines the logged entries and creates initial rules in response to mining the log entries. The console proceeds through a series of steps using the initial rules' cause nodes and effect nodes to generate deduced rules. The deduced rules include global user actions and global backend events. When the console receives subsequent backend events, the console matches the backend events with one of the global backend events included one of the deduced rules, and performs a corresponding global user action.

Abstract: The present invention prevents erroneous control performed on the basis of volumes storing old data in cases where trouble occurs in remote copying. The storage system is constructed by connecting a first site 1A and second site 1B with networks CN1 and CN2. Reference designating parts 5 are disposed in respective host computers 3A1, 3B1 and the like. In cases where trouble occurs in remote copying, the reference designating parts 5 specify and manage the site (volume) in which the most recent data is stored. As a result, failover or the like can be performed within a site that can utilize the most recent data following the occurrence of trouble in remote copying.

Abstract: Provided are data structures for use in storing data. A plurality of data structures are defined in a computer readable medium, wherein each data structure indicates a plurality of attributes and at least one function of a storage resource to store data. Policies are defined in the computer readable medium that associate data characteristics to data structures based on a correspondence of data characteristics and the attributes defined in the data structures, wherein each defined data structure is adapted to provide requirements to determine a storage resource to store associated data, and wherein the defined data structure is adapted to provide the storage resource with requirements for storing the data.

Abstract: An information recording medium comprises a data recording area. A lead-in area and a volume space are allocated in the data recording area in advance. The volume space is constructed so as to allow a logical zone for recording at least a volume-file structure and an over-run protection area for preventing an access to an unrecorded area to be alternately allocated in the volume space. The lead-in area and the over-run protection area each include a chain volume management information area for storing chain volume management information. The chain volume management information includes address information of a subsequent logical zone and address information of a subsequent chain volume management information area.

Abstract: A random number generator comprises random number generation circuitry to generate and output random bits. The random number generator comprises interface circuitry to receive and store random bits output by the random number generation circuitry and to output random bits. The interface circuitry prevents outputting the same random bits more than once.