Abstract: Methods and systems for the efficient tracking of a product or service within the product or service's life cycle within a supply chain. Implementations of the present invention including at least one of a method, a process, a system, an apparatus, a computer-readable medium, and a data stream. The methods and systems of the present invention providing a user with the capability to track an item or order, shipment status, or to check an inventory quantity utilizing any one of a plurality of identification numbers. The methods and systems of the present invention also providing the user with the capability to track an item or order, shipment status, or to check an inventory quantity utilizing a partial identification number. The methods and systems of the present invention further providing for secure access via a globally-distributed computer network, such as the Internet. A graphical user interface is provided that is intuitive and user friendly.

Abstract: A database statement can be identified in a software artifact that is configured to issue the database statement. At least one execution plan for the database statement can be retrieved, and reference(s) to database object(s) can be identified in the execution plan(s). Metadata from the reference(s) can be assembled, where the metadata can reflect one or more dependencies of the software artifact on the object(s). The metadata can be included in a data structure.

Abstract: Particular embodiments of the present invention are related to a digital media benefit attachment mechanism for generating or attaching revenue rights and other benefits to one or more entities associated with socially distributed media.

Abstract: The present description refers to a computer implemented method, computer program product, and computer system to store a node dependency network that includes a plurality of data nodes and one or more links between two or more data nodes, each link representing a data dependency between instances of the two or more data nodes, to forward a requested change to a first data node from a first change control component to a change control manager, identify, by the change control manager based upon the links within the node dependency network, one or more dependent data nodes that are dependent upon the first data node, and determine one or more dependent changes to be performed to one or more instances of the dependent data nodes to maintain consistency among instances of the data nodes.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for avoiding duplication of effort in drafting documents and, in particular, to a system and method for avoiding duplication of effort in preparing patent related submissions. The method is implemented on a computer infrastructure comprises storing disclosure information related to non-public proprietary innovation and receiving terms associated with an innovation. The method further comprises matching the terms with the stored disclosure information and providing an alert to a user that certain of the terms overlap with the stored disclosure information.

Abstract: A system and method for reading and writing datasets (SAS datasets) written in a proprietary runtime macro language (SAS, owned by the SAS Institute, Inc.) directly, without going through a system that uses the SAS proprietary runtime macro language. The system employs a JAVA Database Connectivity (JDBC) application program interface (API) driver usable by JDBC enabled JAVA applications. The driver extracts from the SAS dataset information from a header page that enables identification of information on metadata pages which in turn are used by the driver to present to the JAVA application a view of the data as a database table, from which the JAVA application can request reading and writing of the SAS dataset.

Abstract: An information management apparatus includes: a confidential data storing section configured to store a plurality of individual identifies (IDs) and data which is related to each of the plurality of individual IDs as confidential data. A receiving section is configured to receive a first search condition used to acquire desired confidential data to be transmitted from a first service providing unit. A searching section is configured to extract first candidate data which matches to the first search condition from the confidential data storing section. A transmission record storing section is configured to store a plurality of anonymized data which has been already transmitted to the first service providing unit. An anonymizing section is configured to generate first transmission data by carrying out processing to contain said first candidate data and the first data of the plurality of anonymized data based on first data which has data of a same kind as the first candidate data.

Abstract: A reproducing device includes: a storage unit in which data is accumulated; a program control unit controlling first and second programs respectively generating an acquisition request of the data accumulated in the storage unit and generating the acquisition request of the data, which is different from the first program; and a read control unit managing the data on a file basis, selecting one of first and second algorithms in which the file is read using a method suitable for reading the data by the first program and in which the file is read using a method suitable for reading the data by the second program based on storage position information of the file designated in the data acquisition request when the data acquisition request is inputted from the program control unit, and performing readout of the data from the storage unit based on the selected first or second algorithm.

Abstract: When redacting natural language text, a classifier is used to provide a sensitive concept model according to features in natural language text and in which the various classes employed are sensitive concepts reflected in the natural language text. Similarly, the classifier is used to provide an utility concepts model based on utility concepts. Based on these models, and for one or more identified sensitive concept and identified utility concept, at least one feature in the natural language text is identified that implicates the at least one identified sensitive topic more than the at least one identified utility concept. At least some of the features thus identified may be perturbed such that the modified natural language text may be provided as at least one redacted document. In this manner, features are perturbed to maximize classification error for sensitive concepts while simultaneously minimizing classification error in the utility concepts.

Abstract: Image-bearing tangible items, pluralities of image-bearing tangible items, systems for granting access to electronic versions of an image associated with a tangible item, and methods for granting access to electronic versions of an image associated with a tangible item are described. Example embodiments relate to greeting cards, systems and methods.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems and methods to provide multi-client generic persistence for extension nodes are described herein. A standard field value and an extension field value specific to a client of a business data object are separated. Further, an extension node instance key associated with the extension field value is segregated. Furthermore, the standard field value and associated standard node instance key are stored in a standard persistence unit, and the extension field value is stored in an extension data persistence unit. Also, the extension node instance key and a relation between the standard node instance key and the extension node instance key are stored in an extension key persistence unit.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention may provide an approach for managing electronic records in a content management system. The content management system may use a container structure to create, edit, and manage electronic records in a coordinated way. The container structure may include a master container and a plurality of sub-containers. An associated method generally may include receiving a request comprising a record and one or more properties associated with the record; determining, from the one or more properties associated with the record, a date; based on the date of the record, associating the record with a sub-container of the container structure; and managing disposition of the sub-container based on an associated policy.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and software for identifying location based rules related to a network connected device are described. A network connected device may transmit a set of data identifying the location of the device and an identifier unique to the device to a server. The server may also receive an action request, wherein the action request is associated with the identifier. The server may select a rule in a database to address the action request, the rule applicable to the identifier and location of the device. Various embodiments related to financial card transactions, access to financial information, emergency services contact, and electronic message filtering are also addressed.

Abstract: In a consumer-producer distributed model of computing, consumers request data from producers and perform computing work on the data received from the producers, thereby transforming the data. At least some of the computing work performed by a consumer on data provided by the producer is commutable between the consumer and producer, that is, either the producer as well as the consumer can perform the computing work on the data. A producer redistributes commutable based on the work load of the producer and consumer as well as other factors.

Abstract: When a guest OS loads within the context of a container provided by the host OS, the guest OS uses PCI or other protocol to specify a virtual hardware device. The guest OS enumerates the virtual hardware device to establish the size for the BARs and establish its view of physical addresses for the memory locations. A server running in the context of the container receives read/write requests from the guest OS, maps the read/write requests to host OS physical address space, and posts responses to the virtual hardware device. Since the guest OS executes memory related operations using its own memory space, exits to the container code are not required to implement storage related actions by the Guest OS. This allows performance of an application executing in the context of the guest OS to approximate performance of an application executing in the context of the host OS.

Abstract: Techniques for creating and searching a database that stores information about a plurality of individual habitable units (IHUs) are provided. An example of an IHU is a hotel room. Image data that depicts where a plurality of IHUs reside relative to each other is placed on a base image, such as a satellite/map image. The base image is associated with a mapping that maps points on the base image to spatial (e.g., geographical) coordinates. The coordinates of the IHU may be used to generate a computer-rendered view from a window of an IHU. Also, label input is received that labels each IHU reflected in the image data with certain information. Each label indicates a value of an attribute of an IHU, such as its size, price, distance from elevators, etc. A query that targets information about each IHU may be processed and results returned that are ranked based on criteria associated with the query.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an information processing apparatus, including: a search module configured to perform a search on a plurality of pages with a designated search condition, the pages being managed by an application program capable of managing information by arranging at least one object in any desired layout on each page; and a display controller configured to display at least one object extracted through the search on a screen of a display module as a search result, with a layout of each object on the page kept unchanged.

Abstract: A method and system for allowing the purchaser of an on-demand entertainment session of predetermined time duration to reaccess that portion of the session not used. On-demand passenger entertainment services in airline flights often offer services, such as movies, of a predetermined time duration which time is longer than the time of flight. The method and system disclosed allows purchasers to gain access on another flight to the unused portion of the services, such as, the unseen portion of a movie, terminated at the end of the initial flight.

Abstract: Among other things, one aspect includes receiving one or more mapped relationships between a given output and one or more inputs represented by input variables, at least one of the mapped relationships including a transformational expression, the transformational expression defining an output of a mapped relationship based on at least one input variable mapped to an element of an input dataset; receiving identification of elements of an output dataset mapped to outputs of respective mapped relationships; generating output data according to the transformational expression based on input data from the input dataset associated with the element of the input dataset mapped to the input variable; determining validation information in response to the generated output data based on validation criteria defining one or more characteristics of valid values associated with one or more of the identified elements of the output dataset; and presenting visual feedback based on the determined validation information.

Abstract: A computer system monitors database servers to mitigate server availability risks. The plurality of servers may be proactively monitored to determine database status at each server before an alert is generated. An automated proactive process executes at a user's desktop to monitor database features over a plurality of database servers. Information about the server status is presented in a graphical user interface (GUI) format where status information for all of the database servers is presented in one integrated view in an automated manner. For example, the monitoring process reads a list of SQL instances and then connects to each listed SQL server to query the system catalogs of an SQL server engine. The monitoring process interprets the received information from the SQL servers and updates the GUI. The GUI may be color-coded to indicate the status state of individual SQL features for each monitored SQL server.

Abstract: Retrieving stored data is disclosed. A retrieval request is received for an object. A retrieval response is generated that includes: 1) a first set of searchable attributes associated with the object, wherein an attribute of the first set of attributes is stored in a database in a manner that enables a database query to be performed against the attribute of the first set of attributes; and 2) a second set of non-searchable attributes associated with the object, wherein an attribute of the second set of attributes is stored in the database in a manner that does not enable a database query to be performed against the attribute of the second set of attributes.

Abstract: A method for analyzing database records using sampling includes querying a recipient database for recipients with attributes that match one or more specified recipient attributes, querying a sampling database for transactions with attributes that match one or more specified transaction attributes, where the sampling database stores a subset of transactions that are also stored in a transaction database, intersecting the recipients resulting from the querying of the recipient database and the transactions resulting from the querying of the sampling database based on attributes thereof to create a set of joined sample results, and determining an approximate full count value by extrapolating a count value associated with the set of joined sample results based on both a total number of recipients in the recipient database and a total number of transactions in the transaction database.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to learning common spelling errors of metadata terms associated with content through content matching, such as content matching using fingerprints.

Abstract: A method of displaying information of interest to a user as stored in an attribute database. The attribute database is a database of parent and linked child objects that has data about a user's characteristics and interests (content, commercial products, services, etc.) learned over time. A presentation database of parent and child objects is created from the objects in the attribute database using presentation templates to identify which of the attribute objects to use to create the presentation objects. The attribute child objects are sorted based on at least one trait in the attribute child objects and the presentation objects are linked together in the same order as the sorted attribute objects. The ordered presentation child objects are then linked to the corresponding presentation parent object and the selected presentation parent object and linked presentation child objects are displayed on a display.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for diversifying selection criteria. An example method includes accessing a first set of selection criteria for a content item; selecting, based on the first set of selection criteria, a second set of selection criteria, the second set of selection criteria being a proper subset of the first set of selection criteria, the selection of each of the criteria in the second set comprising: determining a collective performance measure based on criteria that have been selected from the first set of selection criteria for inclusion in the second set of selection criteria, determining, for each criterion that has not been selected from the first set, a performance contribution to the collective performance measure, and selecting from the first set a selection criterion with the highest performance contribution relative to the performance contributions of other selection criteria that have not been selected for inclusion in the second set.

Abstract: A mesh structure can be a type concept that extends internal tables or other data structures of a business programming languages (e.g., ABAP) by associations, as known from a data object meta-model. A mesh can include a set of operations, such as for example iteration via an iterator object and selection of instances expressed by a path language. A mesh structure can be optimized for read access and traversal, and can provide a working area that is processed with statements in the business programming language to implement one or more core services directly from the mesh data structure. Related methods, computer program products, and systems are described.

Abstract: A method of tracking an entity includes generating data relevant to the entity at a first location, storing the data at a server, and accessing at least a portion of the data at the first location or at a second location. The data can include location information, time information, image data, text, and/or biometric data. The data an be encrypted, organized, categorized, updated, accumulated with other data, classified, and/or disseminated, and an automated search can include an image feature recognition and facial recognition search. The entity can be a person, an animal, or an object. A communications system includes a processing device and a server that includes an automated search engine. The server can be configured to perform data analysis, such as data grouping.

Abstract: Systems, methods and devices described herein enable producing and utilizing a clustered search index as a way of searching correlated data groups, such as channel lineups. In particular, in some implementations systems, methods and devices are operable to create a clustered search index that includes clusters of TV channels frequently provided together in various channel lineups in order to improve searching efficiency. That is, the resultant search index is based on sub-lineups of channels that are shared by multiple channel lineups (i.e. sub-lineup indexing). Each sub-lineup includes channels that are frequently provided together, as determined by analysis of the channel lineups offered by the various providers. Additionally and/or alternatively, in some implementations systems, methods and devices are operable to process a search query by selecting a number of pertinent channel clusters from a clustered search index associated with one or more characteristics associated with the query.

Abstract: A method of operating a content management system, the content management system including a central server and a plurality of content servers connected to the central server, each content server associated with a respective location, the method including receiving data at the central server for distribution to at least one of the content servers, accessing user information relating to one or more users at one or more locations, determining, from the user information, whether the received data is relevant to each user, and transmitting the data from the central server to one or more content servers according to whether the data is relevant for users at the respective locations of the content servers.

Abstract: Access destination determination means determines a read destination and/or a write destination of specified data from nodes corresponding to the data and stored in data store destination storage means. Access probability calculation means calculates an access probability based on a history of accesses to the data, and stores the calculated access probability in access probability storage means. When no node corresponding to the specified data is stored in the data store destination storage means, access probability estimation means estimates an access probability of the data based on access probabilities stored in the access probability storage means, and the access destination determination means determines a write destination of the data based on the estimated access probability.

Abstract: A computer system and method for identifying and pairing devices. The system includes a plurality of remote user interface computers, each having a display device and a user input device and each connected to a first network via a first respective data communication link. The system also includes a plurality of medical devices each having a medical device user interface and a second data communication link adapted to exchange data with the remote user interface computers. The system also includes a database adapted to communicate with the remote user interface computers via a connection to the first network or via a direct connection to one of the remote user interface computers, the database being adapted to store patient medical information including a treatment prescription that includes use of one of the medical devices.

Abstract: Embodiments of apparatus, systems and methods facilitate knowledge dissemination and promote knowledge acquisition, in part, by automatically presenting elements of an interlinked knowledge base to optimize learning efficiency. In some embodiments, a graphical user interface (GUI) facilitates user interaction with subject items, ordered arrangements of subject items, and display of subject items and their interconnections in the knowledge base. For example, the GUI facilitates operations such as the determination and display of: subject items with the same subject tag, and subject items with similar connectivity. Other operations facilitate simplification and modification of the displayed knowledge graph comprising the subject items.

Abstract: Access to information related to a digital image record is provided on a data processing device having a display. The digital image record is presented on the display. An indication of user interaction with the displayed digital image record is received. In response to the received indication, a labeled tab is presented on the display. The tab displays or emanates near or from an edge of the displayed digital image record or from an edge of a displayed digital image record container including the digital image record. The tab includes an access point configured to allow a user to access information about a personal social association related to content contained within the digital image record.

Abstract: A method, system and program product for advancing a trust stage with a human contact, the method in embodiments comprising: adding for a user a new human contact to the one or more electronic databases; receiving and/or generating identification of a trust stage for the new human contact; receiving a project with project information comprising one or more parameters; receiving and/or determining one or more human contacts to associate with the project; determining for the user a set of next steps for advancing the trust stage for one of the human contacts associated with the project; determining if a predetermined one or more of the next steps have been performed; advancing the trust stage for the one human contact to a higher trust stage; and sending or having sent an electronic communication to the user about one or more next steps that are remaining.

Abstract: A statistical information generation system includes a condition input section, an extracting section that extracts unidentifiable location data and unidentifiable attribute data, a magnification factor adding section that adds a magnification factor to the unidentifiable attribute data, a statistics section that calculates statistical data by using the unidentifiable location data, the unidentifiable attribute data, and the magnification factor, a counting section that counts the unidentifiable location data, a determining section that determines a magnitude of the number of pieces of data, and an output section that hides the statistical data to output the statistical data.

Abstract: A feeding module for an address book includes a processor and a memory. The processor receives at least one search parameter. The processor accesses information sources to find existing entities and expecting entities that match the at least one search parameter. The memory stores the found existing entities and the found expecting entities. The feeding module forwards the found existing entities and the found expecting entities to an address book to be displayed.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer readable mediums are provided for indexing network resources. One method includes accessing, using one or more computer systems, a data store of menu items. The method further includes accessing identification information associated with one or more food providers from one or more data sources. One or more network resources are crawled based on the identification information to search for one or more menu items in the data store of menu items associated with corresponding ones of the food providers. Using the one or more computing systems, an index feed is generated, the index feed comprising the identification information of one or more of the food providers, and one or more menu items associated with the identification information of corresponding food providers based on the crawl and search.

Abstract: A World Wide Web registration processing system is disclosed for assisting World Wide Web users in registering at World Wide Web web sites. For each such user, the registration processing system includes a long term repository for the user's web site registration information so that this information can be automatically transferred to a plurality of web sites to which the user may at time to time request to be registered. Further, the registration processing system provides the user with the capability to have a common user identification that may be used for accessing services at a plurality of web sites.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an easy-to-use interface for verifying semantic tags in a steering application in order to generate a natural language grammar. The method includes obtaining user responses to open-ended steering questions, automatically grouping the user responses into groups based on their semantic meaning, and automatically assigning preliminary semantic tags to each of the groups. The user interface enables the user to validate the content of the groups to ensure that all responses within a group have the same semantic meaning and to add or edit semantic tags associated with the groups. The system and method may be applied to interactive voice response (IVR) systems, as well as customer service systems that can communicate with a user via a text or written interface.

Abstract: The present disclosure facilitates servicing information technology support tickets. In some embodiments, the system includes a server configured to access a database storing two support tickets, each of which can have a ticket identifier and information to facilitate providing information technology support to a computing device. The server can receive an indication of a status from two computing devices, each of which can be associated with one of the support tickets. The server can determine a priority of each ticket based on its status, where the priority of the first ticket is higher than the priority of the second ticket. The server can initiate a chat session associated with the first computing device and the first ticket to provide information technology support to the first computing device, based on the priority of the first ticket and the status of the first computing device.

Abstract: A computer implemented system produces an optimization graph in an online advertising system. The system presents at a computer, a supply of advertising inventory and advertising demand contracts, where each advertising inventory is presented as a supply node and each advertising demand contract is presented as a demand node. The system processes the supply of advertising inventory and the advertising demand contracts. For example, the system partitions the supply nodes into supply partitions and determines whether each supply node is eligible for each demand node. In addition, the system determines the number of eligible supply nodes to be drawn from each supply partition for each demand node.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for query clarification. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in computer-implemented methods that include the actions of receiving in a search interface a user input associated with a search query; determining whether the associated search query is a trigger query, the trigger query being a query identified for clarification; when the search query is a trigger query, prompting the user for additional information to form a clarified search query, the clarified search query including the additional information, the prompting occurring prior to submission of the search query to a search system; and submitting the clarified search query to the search system.

Abstract: A method and system for matching an unknown facial image of an individual with an image of a celebrity using facial recognition techniques and human perception is disclosed herein. The invention provides a internet hosted system to find, compare, contrast and identify similar characteristics among two or more individuals using a digital camera, cellular telephone camera, wireless device for the purpose of returning information regarding similar faces to the user The system features classification of unknown facial images from a variety of internet accessible sources, including mobile phones, wireless camera-enabled devices, images obtained from digital cameras or scanners that are uploaded from PCs, third-party applications and databases. Once classified, the matching person's name, image and associated meta-data is sent back to the user. The method and system uses human perception techniques to weight the feature vectors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating and updating a facial image database from a collection of digital images is disclosed. A set of detected faces from a digital image collection is stored in a facial image database, along with data pertaining to them. At least one facial recognition template for each face in the first set is computed, and the images in the set are grouped according to the facial recognition template into similarity groups. Another embodiment is a naming tool for assigning names to a plurality of faces detected in a digital image collection. A facial image database stores data pertaining to facial images detected in images of a digital image collection.

Abstract: An information searching apparatus retrieves a sub graph matching an inquiry graph from a graph to be searched. The apparatus includes an extracting unit that extracts, from among clusters of nodes in the graph to be searched, plural cluster pairs that each include a first cluster and a second cluster including a node linked by a link to a node in the first cluster and a calculating unit that calculates a bonding strength for each of the cluster pairs. The apparatus further includes a determining unit that determines, among the cluster pairs and based on the bonding strength of each of the cluster pairs, a cluster pair to be merged; a merging unit that merges the cluster pair; and a searching unit that searches the merged clusters for a sub graph matching the inquiry graph. An output unit outputs a search result of the searching unit.

Abstract: Techniques for efficiently indexing and searching similar data are described herein. According to one embodiment, in response to a query for one or more terms received from a client, a query index is accessed to retrieve a list of one or more super files. Each super file is associated with a group of similar files. Each super file includes terms and/or sequences of terms obtained from the associated group of similar files. Thereafter, the super files representing groups of similar files are presented to the client, where each of the super files includes at least one of the queried terms. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Abstract: A secure search mechanism (or search engine) for use with content based information security repositories. The present invention may be embodied in an information security system or method. In accordance with the present invention, a search occurs in a protected device that contains classified metadata and addresses of encrypted headers relating to classified data or information objects. A search request comes in from a user in a particular access level and the search engine returns a set of addresses that are at appropriate access levels and satisfy the search criteria. These addresses are passed or transferred to another device that stores the encrypted headers, and the encrypted headers are sent to the user.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and correspondingly configured computer program, in which a querying device inputs a user an identification of desired content and sends a query request for the desired content to surrounding memory devices. The query request is adapted to cause compatible receiving memory devices to perform a search based on the request. The memory devices are configured to listen to query requests and responsively perform searches based on the queries. Any memory device that finds content according to the query request responds to the query device which, after sending the query request, monitors for the compatible receiving memory devices for information that the queried content is found. Responsive to receiving the information from a given memory device, the querying device establishes a connection with the given memory device and obtains the content.

Abstract: Building, reusing and calibrating network of authored content, in one aspect, may comprise clustering a plurality of problem tickets into one or more clusters. The clusters may be associated to one or more FAQ nodes in a FAQ network. The associated one or more FAQ nodes may be checked to determine whether the nodes are part of a broken branch. If the one or more FAQ nodes leads to a broken branch, a user may be notified to update the branch, e.g., with an answer or resolution to the one or more FAQ nodes.

Abstract: A system and method for location based event management is disclosed for organizing content based on time, location, application, and relates this information to the user by linking an associated relevant content. This is accomplished by utilizing a time module, a people module, a location module, an applications module, a browser module, an event module, and a content module to filter and display associated content. Through these modules, an event list is updated with results based on time, location, and relevance to the user and location, thus prioritizing information in a unique and novel manner.