Abstract: A query prefix is received from a user device. A user identifier is determined based on the user device. A user category is determined based on the user identifier. A node representing the query prefix is located in a query graph. Descendent nodes of the located node that represent queries are located. Each node has one or more user category specific frequency measures and each user category specific frequency measure is associated with a user category. The queries represented by the located nodes are ranked based on the associated user category specific frequency measure associated with the identified user category. The ranked queries are sent to the user device.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a method is provided that includes the steps of (1) pre-computing a query result for each of a plurality of whole segments of data included in a database; (2) receiving a query specifying a defined range of data in the database; (3) determining if any of the whole segments are within the defined range; (4) performing the query on any partial segments of data within the defined range; and (5) determining the result of the query based on the pre-computed query results for any whole segments determined to be within the defined range and the result of the query on any partial segments within the defined range. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Abstract: A method is provided that includes specifying enabling relationships, which map enabling sets of one or more enabling attribute-value pairs to respective enableable attributes. Responsively to the search query, a current state is designated that comprises current-state attribute-value pairs, and a result set is generated containing some of the items of a corpus. An enableable attribute of one of the enabling relationships is identified as enabled when the current-state attribute-value pairs include all of the enabling attribute-value pairs of the enabling relationship. A populated attribute-value pair is found that comprises the enabled attribute and a value therefor, and which, when added to the search query, results in an extended query that is satisfied by at least one of the items in the corpus. The result set is presented in association with the value of the populated attribute-value pair as a refinement option. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Methods for electronic document searching and graphically representing an electronic document search are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of graphically representing electronic document searches includes generating a Venn diagram for display on a graphic display device including a first circle that represents a first document set and a second circle that represents a second document set. The first circle overlaps the second circle in an overlap region depicting common electronic documents that are within the first document set and the second document set. The method further includes generating a first visualization chart from the first circle and a second visualization chart from the second circle. The first visualization chart and the second visualization chart depict proportions of the first document set and the second document set according to a user-defined parameter. Additional search queries may be suggested based on similar topics within electronic documents within the Venn diagram.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for generating a custom report using outer joins in the context of an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for generating an on-demand database service custom report can enable embodiments to generate reports that reflect a relationship between at least two different objects. The ability of embodiments to provide such additional insight into database contents may lead to more efficient and effective reporting.

Abstract: A network architecture with load balancing, fault tolerance and distributed querying comprises a plurality of front-end servers, a plurality of back-end servers, and a database. The front-end servers are coupled to a network to receive data requests from client devices. The front-end servers are each coupled to the plurality of back-end servers. The front-end servers handle data requests at a macro level and divide the request into sub-requests that are sent to the plurality of back-end servers. The back-end servers are coupled to the database to retrieve data. Each data request is distributed across the plurality of back-end servers according to workload. The front-end servers are fault tolerant in that they can respond to a request for data without all of the back-end servers being responsive or providing data.

Abstract: The compiled code of a computer program is stored in multiple pieces within a database. Each piece is optionally stored within a separate data record. Execution of the computer program includes using database queries to retrieve pieces of the compiled code for execution. The database and associated database management logic are used to provide numerous advantages in execution and management of the computer program. For example, in some embodiments, database queries are used to help facilitate program flow logic.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a first search results page in response to a search query comprising at least a first map resource. The method monitors a change in position of a map resource in response to a user interaction and calculates a location corresponding to a map position. The method then re-executes at least one search query based upon said calculated location and displays a second search results page comprising a plurality of updated search results.

Abstract: A method for providing the search results by using a previous query according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is able to provide the search results that coincide with the user's intention, comprises the steps of: selecting as a second query one query among queries that are inputted before the input of a first query if the first query is inputted by the user; generating a third query by using the first and second queries; and performing a searching process by using the third query to provide the generated search results to the user.

Abstract: A method for processing queries is provided. A database server receives and executes a query to generate a relation. The query comprises first one or more clauses and a model clause. The model clause comprises a rule that has a left-side expression and a right-side expression. In one embodiment, the right-side expression of the rule includes a window function, which specifies one or more partition columns. In an embodiment, the left-side expression comprises a for-loop predicate. The for-loop predicate is unfolded after the database server compiles the query. In one embodiment, the left-side expression of the rule comprises one or more existential predicates, where each existential predicate evaluates to a Boolean value.

Abstract: A computer-readable medium including computer-readable information thereon including instructions that provides a method for refining a search, the method comprising displaying results elements with attributes associated therewith. The search being adapted to be modified on a basis of an identification of the most relevant attributes. A computer system and an graphical interface for providing same is also hereby provided.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and electronic device for hierarchical communications are disclosed. A connection interface 1260 may receive a query. A processor 1210 may select an initial expert from the hierarchical expert tree based upon the query and direct the query towards the initial expert. A session initiation protocol server 418 may generate a hierarchical expert tree from an expert pool.

Abstract: Functions are memoized automatically and transparently. Memoized code can be injected automatically within a program to facilitate efficient and/or expeditious execution thereof, among other things. The memoized code can intercept calls to an original function and return values in accordance with the code. Accordingly, callers of the function need not do anything special and can invoke the function without knowledge of it being memoized.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system and method for determining proximity to topics of content items (e.g., an advertisement or “ad”). In some implementations, a method includes identifying search criteria associated with keywords of a content item. The keywords used in determining whether or not to embed the content item in Web pages including search results. Numerical scores for the search criteria is determined based, at least in part, on a topic of the content item, the numerical score indicative of proximity to the topic of the content item.

Abstract: A method for pairing elements of a first set of elements {x(i)} with elements from a second set of elements {y(j)} subject to a plurality of pairing restrictions. In accordance with one embodiment of the method, for each of a plurality of iterations of the method, or until a set of pairings is found that satisfies the plurality of pairing restrictions, a random set of pairings between elements of the second set of elements and elements of the second set of elements is selected. The set of mismatched pairings is identified and, if the number of pairings in the set of mismatched pairings is not greater than a maximum number, pairings in the set of mismatched pairings are interchanged. If the number of pairings in the set of mismatched pairings is greater than one, each mismatched pairing is swapped with another pairing if the resulting pairings satisfy the plurality of pairing restrictions.

Abstract: Search and browse trails are temporally-ordered sequences of web pages visited by a user during post-search query navigation beginning with a page associated with one of the search results. The trails can provide useful information for a number of search-related purposes. For example, these trails can be used to leverage the post-query behavior of other users to help the current user search more effectively and allow them to make more informed search interaction decisions. The trails can also be used to establish search results and refine search result rankings, select and evaluate deeplinks, and recommend multi-step trails as an alternative to or enhancement for existing search result presentation techniques.

Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for recommending similar questions to one that a user has entered into a search engine. Previously-entered questions are subject to a clustering algorithm and placed into a hierarchy of clusters, with clusters set within clusters. For each cluster within the hierarchy, a representative vector, based on feature vectors of the items within the cluster, is calculated. A feature vector for the user's question is calculated and used, along with the representative vectors at each level in the hierarchy, to traverse and navigate the cluster hierarchy. When a leaf cluster is found, the items in the leaf cluster, such as the previously-entered questions are returned to the user. A subset of items in the leaf cluster, or items from other leaf clusters within a branch cluster, can be selected based on the number of items desired to be returned.

Abstract: A query prefix is received from a user device. A user identifier is determined based on the user device. A user category is determined based on the user identifier. A node representing the query prefix is located in a query graph. Descendent nodes of the located node that represent queries are located. Each node has one or more user category specific frequency measures and each user category specific frequency measure is associated with a user category. The queries represented by the located nodes are ranked based on the associated user category specific frequency measure associated with the identified user category. The ranked queries are sent to the user device.

Abstract: A system for index searching comprises a first index, a second index, a processor, and a memory. The processor is configured to determine, using a Bloom filter for the second index of fingerprints, whether the Bloom filter indicates that an entry corresponding to a segment has been previously stored in the second index. The processor is further configured to, in the event that the Bloom filter indicates that an entry corresponding to the segment has been previously stored in the second index, retrieve a second index entry associated with the segment that has been previously stored. The memory is coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

Abstract: Architecture that automatically detects historical search contexts as well as behaviors related to a search query. Machine learning and hand-authored rules are employed to automatically identify search contexts. Historical information likely to be useful in the current context is surfaced. When a user enters a search query or executes another search behavior, past behaviors are exposed which are contextually related to the current behavior. The architecture also provides automatic discovery of historical contexts, features related to the contexts, and training or authoring of a system for classifying behavior into contexts, using some combination of the machine learning and/or hand-authored rules. A runtime system classifies the current user behavior into a context and surfaces contextual information to the user.

Abstract: A system operating on one or more computers for accessing sensing data is operable to retrieve time-based measurement data from a system storing the time-based measurement data, display the time-based measurement data in a user interface, and receive an input corresponding to a time of an event of interest in the time-based measurement data. The system is further operable to retrieve sensing data from a sensing system generally corresponding to the time of the event of interest and display the sensing data in the user interface.

Abstract: A computer server system may include a plurality of database modules for storing user data for a plurality of users, and at least one processing module comprising a plurality of processing threads for processing jobs for users based upon respective user data. The computer server system may further include a database pool module connected between the plurality of database modules and the at least one processing module. The database pool module may be for selectively connecting the processing threads to corresponding database modules including respective user data for jobs to be processed, and determining when a database module becomes unresponsive and terminating processing thread connections to the unresponsive database module based thereon. The database pool module may also be for determining when the unresponsive database module becomes responsive and restoring processing thread connectivity thereto based thereon.

Abstract: One particular embodiment accesses a first set of search queries comprising one or more first search queries; extracts one or more features based on the first set of search queries, trains a search-query classifier using the features; accesses a second search query provided by a user; determines whether the second search query has implicit and general local intent using the search-query classifier; if the second search query has implicit and general local intent, then determines a location associated with the user; and identifies a search result in response to the second search query based at least in part on the location associated with the user; and presents the search result to the user.

Abstract: Improved techniques for enhancing, associating, and linking various sources of metadata for music files, to allow integration of commercially generated metadata with user-entered metadata, and to ensure that metadata provided to the user is of the highest quality and accuracy available, even when the metadata comes from disparate sources having different levels of credibility. The invention further provides improved techniques for identifying approximate matches when querying metadata databases, and also provides improved techniques for accepting user submissions of metadata, for categorizing user submissions according to relative credibility, and for integrating user submissions with existing metadata.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer method and system for querying or searching for at least one data file corresponding to a query definition. A first query is received which may provide a query definition that may be used as a scope of search for a second query. Modifications of the scope of search based on modification of the first query may be automatically reflected in the scope of search for the second query. The scope of search for the second query may further be a combination of a plurality of scopes based on a plurality of user-defined queries.

Abstract: A system for device profiling using cascaded databases includes a client configured to deliver data to a device, and a plurality of databases accessible by the client, each of the plurality databases containing information relevant to the device, such that the plurality of databases are queried in a prioritized order to obtain information relevant to the device.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for Configuration-Parametric Query Optimization (C-PQO) that can improve performance of database tuning tools. When first optimizing a query, a compact representation of the optimization space is generated. The representation can then be used to efficiently produce other execution plans for the query under arbitrary hypothetical configurations.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to achieve performance improvements for path-based access to hierarchical data and for utilizing an extensible indexing framework. Extensible operators may be optimized by evaluating the operators using functions native to the database system instead of using functions defined through an extensible indexing mechanism. Furthermore, the database system may resolve a resource path of a query when the query is compiled, and may store the mapping of the resource path to one or more resources in a cursor for the query execution plan to avoid resolving the resource path each time the cursor is used to run the query. The cursor may be made dependent on the one or more resources to which the resource path refers at compile time. This takes advantage of the observation that the mapping of the resource path to particular resources rarely changes between evaluations of a particular query.

Abstract: A method is provided that includes specifying enabling relationships, which map enabling sets of one or more enabling attribute-value pairs to respective enableable attributes. Responsively to the search query, a current state is designated that comprises current-state attribute-value pairs, and a result set is generated containing some of the items of a corpus. An enableable attribute of one of the enabling relationships is identified as enabled when the current-state attribute-value pairs include all of the enabling attribute-value pairs of the enabling relationship. A populated attribute-value pair is found that comprises the enabled attribute and a value therefor, and which, when added to the search query, results in an extended query that is satisfied by at least one of the items in the corpus. The result set is presented in association with the value of the populated attribute-value pair as a refinement option. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described for searching and retrieving documents based on a natural language input. A computer-implemented natural language processor electronically receives a natural language input phrase from an interface device. The natural language processor attributes a concept to the phrase with the natural language processor. The natural language processor searches a database for a set of documents to identify one or more documents associated with the attributed concept to be included in a response to the natural language input phrase. The natural language processor maintains the concepts during an interactive session with the natural language processor. The natural language processor resolves ambiguous input patterns in the natural language input phrase with the natural language processor. The natural language processor includes a processor, a memory and/or storage component, and an input/output device.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques of dynamically assembling and utilizing a pedigree of a resource. A pedigree of a resource is a set of statements that describe a provenance of the resource. As described herein, a set of one or more servers may host context objects that contain the statements that make up the pedigree of the resource. In order to obtain the pedigree of the resource, a context assembly device may send queries to the servers for context objects that are likely to contain statements in the pedigree of the resource. After receiving context objects from the servers in response to the queries, the context assembly device may query the statements in the received context objects in order to identify, among the statements in the context objects, the statements that constitute the pedigree of the resource. The dynamically assembled pedigree may then be used in a variety of ways.

Abstract: A search unit searches an address coinciding with a search character string inputted by a user, with reference to stored address data. A district detection unit detects a character string, which coincides with a district of the search character string. A nearby district search unit searches a nearby district in the vicinity of the district specified by a detected character string, based on stored position information on the district. When it is determined that a coinciding address does not exist, a re-search unit replaces the character string of the district of the search character string with the character string of the searched nearby district to generate an after-replacement string. The re-search unit further re-searches an address coinciding with the after-replacement string with reference to stored address data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for searching a corpus of documents includes defining a query as a twig including a root annotation operator having an associated tag specifying a span and having an associated expression indicative of one or more terms whose occurrence within the span will satisfy the query. An object is recursively selected from a group of objects that consists of the tag and the expression, and is used in advancing through the corpus until a candidate document is found that contains the tag and satisfies the expression. The candidate document is evaluated to determine whether the one or more terms indicated by the expression occur within the span in the candidate document so as to satisfy the annotation operator.

Abstract: A disclosed device includes a simulation apparatus which simulates a shift in signal characteristics occurring in a wiring pattern formed in a printed wiring board including a first database that stores wiring pattern attribute information and wiring pattern positional information, a second database storing solid lack portion size information and solid lack portion positional information, a third database that stores shift amount information relative to positional relationships between the wiring patterns and the solid lack portions, a shift amount processing unit configured to obtain the shift amount of the signal characteristics in the wiring pattern corresponding to the wiring pattern attribute information which is input based on the wiring pattern positional information corresponding to the wiring pattern attribute information which is input, the solid lack portion positional information, the solid lack portion size information, and the shift amount information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and mechanism for processing expressions and operator trees. An approach is particularly useful to optimize processing of XML statements with respect to SQL operators. A top-down processing approach can be taken to directly output data from operators to a data stream. In addition, multiple processing approaches can be taken within a single expression tree, with some operators processed using the top-down approach and other operators processed with the bottom-up approach. Even data that can not be streamed is copied fewer times using this approach, intermediate values from bottom-up processing may still be streamed if it is used by an operator that is eligible for top-down processing.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for caching caller-specific information to reduce query costs and to provide faster access when providing caller-specific information to called parties within communication networks.

Abstract: A query-centric system and process for distributing reverse indices for a distributed content system. Relevance ranking techniques in organizing distributed system indices. Query-centric configuration subprocesses (1) analyze query data, partitioning terms for reverse index server(s) (RIS), (2) distribute each partitioned data set by generally localizing search terms for the RIS that have some query-centric correlation, and (3) generate and maintain a map for the partitioned reverse index system terms by mapping the terms for the reverse index to a plurality of different index server nodes. Indexing subprocess element builds distributed reverse indices from content host indices. Routines of the query execution use the map derived in the configuration to more efficiently return more relevant search results to the searcher.

Abstract: The invention includes a computer readable medium with executable instructions to generate a report. The executable instructions include executable instructions to supply a prompt group corresponding to a cascading prompt. A list of values is accessed to identify values to be supplied to the prompt group. Prompt presentation values are selected in accordance with access restrictions for a specified user. Parameters are selected based upon the prompt presentation values. A report is then generated based upon the parameters. Thus, the specified user receives a personalized report in accordance with the access restrictions.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture for data processing and, more particularly, for managing execution of complex data access operations in a data processing system. One embodiment provides a method of managing execution of query operations in a data processing system. The method comprises issuing, by a requesting entity, a request to perform a composite query operation defining an initial query operation and a subsequent query operation to be executed against a data repository of the data processing system, executing the initial query operation, determining an operation status of the initial query operation, and managing execution of the subsequent query operation on the basis of the determined operation status.

Abstract: A device of the invention includes a search inputting unit inputting a search object service and a search condition of content; a first search processing unit, when an accumulation method corresponding to an inputted search object service is a preliminary accumulation method, searching the metadata coincident with an inputted search condition in a first metadata storage; a second search processing unit, in case that the accumulation method corresponding to the inputted search object service is a search-based accumulation method, when the inputted search condition is registered in a second metadata storage in association with the inputted search object service, obtaining corresponding metadata from the second metadata storage, whereas when not registered, obtain and accumulate the metadata coincident with the inputted search condition in the second metadata storage in association with the inputted search condition; and a search-result displaying unit displaying the metadata acquired.