39th week of 2008 patent applcation highlights part 56 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20080234981 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING SAR IMAGES BASED ON A COMPLEX ANISOTROPIC DIFFUSION FILTERING ALGORITHM - A computer system for processing complex synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images includes a database for storing complex SAR images to be processed, and a processor for processing a complex SAR image from the database. The processing includes receiving a complex SAR data set for a SAR image comprising a plurality of pixels, and applying a complex anisotropic diffusion algorithm to the complex SAR data set. The complex SAR data set includes a real and an imaginary part for each pixel. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234982 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DECOMPRESSION OF SAR IMAGES - A computer system for decompressing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images includes a database for storing SAR images to be decompressed, and a processor for decompressing a SAR image from the database. The decompressing includes receiving the SAR image, performing a dynamic range compression on the SAR image, and quantizing the compressed SAR image. The quantized compressed SAR image is then decompressed by applying an anistropic diffusion algorithm thereto. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234983 | Method and system for vibration signal processing - The present invention relates to a vibration signal processing method and system that can be used to account for situations where impact or impulse events are hidden in a normal vibration reading by low frequency vibrations and high frequency noise. In one preferred form, the method of the present invention comprises the steps of obtaining electrical vibration signals that represent mechanical vibrations of a machine ( | 2008-09-25 |
20080234984 | EXTENDED DEPTH OF FIELD IMAGING FOR HIGH SPEED OBJECT ANALYSIS - A high speed, high-resolution flow imaging system is modified to achieve extended depth of field imaging. An optical distortion element is introduced into the flow imaging system. Light from an object, such as a cell, is distorted by the distortion element, such that a point spread function (PSF) of the imaging system is invariant across an extended depth of field. The distorted light is spectrally dispersed, and the dispersed light is used to simultaneously generate a plurality of images. The images are detected, and image processing is used to enhance the detected images by compensating for the distortion, to achieve extended depth of field images of the object. The post image processing preferably involves de-convolution, and requires knowledge of the PSF of the imaging system, as modified by the optical distortion element. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234985 | Non-Adhered Paint Calculation Method and Solvent Weight Calculation Method - Appropriate performance design of various mechanisms, e.g. a mist removing filter, employed in post-paint treatment of various mechanisms, e.g. a deodorizer, employed in post-dry treatment is realized. Paint weight calculation is executed. Firstly, the amount of dry adhered paint is calculated by multiplying the work area by a coating thickness distribution value and stored, and the weight of dry adhering paint is calculated by multiplying the amount of dry adhering paint by the specific gravity of the dry paint and stored. Meanwhile, the weight of dry paint or the weight of dry paint sprayed from a paint machine is calculated by multiplying the weight of sprayed paint by a paint NV and stored, the weight of dry non-adhered paint is calculated by subtracting the weight of dry adhering paint from the weight of dry sprayed paint and stored, and then capacities of various mechanisms are designed using it. Furthermore, the amount of dry adhered paint or the volume of dry paint adhered to a work is determined and multiplied by the specific gravity of dry paint to determine the weight of dry adhered paint, which is then divided by the paint NV to determine the solvent weight of adhered paint. Lastly, the VOC weight is determined as the solvent weight of adhered paint by subtracting the weight of dry adhered paint from the weight of adhered paint containing the solvent and employed in designing the capacities of various mechanisms. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234986 | INTELLIGENT LAMM SCHEMATICS - A computer implemented method and computer usable program code for interacting with a system schematic. A system schematic having a plurality of components is graphically displayed. In response to receiving a selection of a control component, a state of the control component is altered. A set of effector components from the plurality of components are animated using a cause-and-effect relationship between the control component and the set of effector components are animated. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234987 | Amalgamation of data models across multiple applications - A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to synchronize project data models across multiple computer applications. A first computer design application in a first client computer obtains files that provide a first application project definition specific to the first computer design application. A first application specific conversion application converts, on the first client computer, the first application project definition into a unified project definition that is utilized by a server application. The unified project definition is transmitted to the server application that stores the definition and synchronizes it with additional computer design applications. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234988 | UPSCALING MULTIPLE GEOLOGICAL MODELS FOR FLOW SIMULATION - A method, system and machine-readable medium encoded with machine-executable instructions for creating an ensemble of estimated upscaled reservoir models from fine-scale geological models of the subsurface region to produce coarse-scale models of the subsurface region, the method includes computing coarse-scale attributes for a plurality of realizations, numerically simulating coarse-scale properties for a subset of the plurality of realizations, generating calibration data based on the numerically simulated coarse-scale properties and corresponding coarse-scale attributes, and estimating coarse-scale properties for a plurality of realizations, wherein the estimating is done using a statistical procedure and is calibrated using the calibration data to produce coarse-scale properties of an ensemble of upscaled models. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234989 | DESIGN SUPPORT SYSTEM, SUPPORT METHOD AND SUPPORT PROGRAM OF RESIN MOLDED ARTICLE - To quick and accurately predict filling behavior at the time of injecting resin of thermosets molded articles having a complex obstacle. A model creation portion includes a space/obstacle separation model creation portion and a space/obstacle combination model creation portion. The space/obstacle combination model creation portion handles, as porous media, an obstacle in which narrow spaces are regularly arranged. A thermosets flow analysis portion includes a space/obstacle separation analysis portion and a space/obstacle combination analysis portion, and each of them has a viscosity equation for thermosets. The space/obstacle separation analysis portion analyzes by combining the viscosity equation with conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy, and the space/obstacle combination analysis portion analyzes by combining the viscosity equation with a conservation equation directed to a shape simplified as porous media. Resin flow behavior is analyzed while data in an interface between a space/obstacle separation model and a space/obstacle combination model is delivered to each other. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234990 | COMPUTATION OF MULTIPLE BODY INTERACTIONS - Distributed computation of multiple body interactions in a region uses multiple processing modules, where each of the processing modules is associated with a respective corresponding portion of the region. In some examples, the approach includes establishing multiple coordinate frames of reference, each processing module corresponding to one the coordinate frames of reference. In some examples, efficient techniques are used for selecting elements for computation of interactions according at least in part to a separation-based criterion. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234991 | CUSTOMIZING OF COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN MODELS - A CAD model customized, which represents a mechanical design of an artifact comprising a set of parts with respective dimensions. A configuration model defines an exhaustive range of ways to customize the CAD model by changing a subset the dimensions. A model translation module is arranged to convert the configuration model into: (i) a CSP representing all possible customizations defined by the configuration model, the CSP is defined by: (a) set of integer variables, wherein each variable may attain a finite number of different values, and (b) a set of constraints restricting which variable values that are simultaneously possible for the variables, (ii) a set of CSP variable-dimension pairs, and (iii) a set of CSP variable-parameter pairs. A configuration engine is arranged to: calculate a solution to the CSP, which solution is optimal with respect to a value assigned to each variable in the CSP relative to a predefined optimizing criterion, and assign a parameter value for each CSP variable-parameter pair, the allocated parameter value corresponding to the value assigned to the CSP variable in the optimal solution. A CAD interface is arranged to assign a dimension in the CAD model for each CSP variable-dimension pair, where the assigned dimension corresponds to a value assigned to the CSP variable in the optimal solution. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234992 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PATTERN RECOGNITION IN DIABETES MANAGEMENT - A diabetes management system or process is provided herein that may be used to analyze and recognize patterns for a large number of blood glucose concentration measurements and other physiological parameters related to the glycemia of a patient. In particular, a method of monitoring glycemia in a patient may include storing a patient's data on a suitable device, such as, for example, a blood glucose meter. The patient's data may include blood glucose concentration measurements. The diabetes management system or process may be installed on, but is not limited to, a personal computer, an insulin pen, an insulin pump, or a glucose meter. The diabetes management system or process may identify a plurality of pattern types from the data including a testing/dosing pattern, a hypoglycemic pattern, a hyperglycemic pattern, a blood glucose variability pattern, and a comparative pattern. After identifying a particular pattern with the data management system or process, a warning message may be displayed on a screen of a personal computer or a glucose meter. Other messages can also be provided to ensure compliance of any prescribed diabetes regiments or to guide the patient in managing the patient's diabetes. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234993 | ORTHOGONAL BASIS BUBBLE FUNCTION ELEMENT NUMERICAL ANALYSIS METHOD, ORTHOGONAL BASIS BUBBLE FUNCTION ELEMENT NUMERICAL ANALYSIS PROGRAM, AND ORTHOGONAL BASIS BUBBLE FUNCTION ELEMENT NUMERICAL ANALYZING APPARATUS - A known analytical physical quantity of the analysis subject is obtained (S | 2008-09-25 |
20080234994 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACCOMMODATING DETERIORATION CHARACTERISTICS OF MACHINES - A method for multi-objective deterioration accommodation using predictive modeling is disclosed. The method uses a simulated machine that simulates a deteriorated actual machine, and a simulated controller that simulates an actual controller. A multi-objective process is performed, based on specified control settings for the simulated controller and specified operational scenarios for the simulated machine controlled by the simulated controller, to generate a Pareto frontier-based solution space relating performance of the simulated machine to settings of the simulated controller, including adjustment to the operational scenarios to represent a deteriorated condition of the simulated machine. Control settings of the actual controller are adjusted, represented by the simulated controller, for controlling the actual machine, represented by the simulated machine, in response to a deteriorated condition of the actual machine, based on the Pareto frontier-based solution space, to maximize desirable operational conditions and minimize undesirable operational conditions while operating the actual machine in a region of the solution space defined by the Pareto frontier. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234995 | System and method for optimizing animal production based on a target output characteristic - A system for generating optimized values for variable inputs to an animal production system. The system includes a simulator engine configured to receive a plurality of animal information inputs and generate a performance projection. At least one of the animal information inputs is designated as a variable input. The system further includes an enterprise supervisor engine configured to generate an optimized value for the at least one variable input based on an optimization criteria for at least one target output characteristic. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234996 | ANNOTATING DESCRIPTIONS OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS - A one-dimensional structural description of a ligand molecule can be annotated to include, for one or more atoms, information from a force field database. The information can be provided by an Assisted Model Building and Energy Refinement parameter list or a similar source. The annotation can be carried out using one or more intermediate structural description formats and can include identifying one or more fragment types that make up the ligand molecule. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234997 | Design Structure for Compensating for Variances of a Buried Resistor in an Integrated Circuit - A design structure comprising elements that when processed in a computer-aided design system generates a machine-executable representation of a circuit that compensates for variances in the resistance of the buried resistor during operation of the integrated circuit using a waveform that is representative of the thermal characteristics of the buried resistor. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234998 | Coordinating instances of a thread or other service in emulation - A system, method, computer program product, and carrier are described for indicating a virtually-instantiable service via a data flow between a user interface and an operating system, the virtually-instantiable service including at least a first instance; and accessing a second instance of the virtually-instantiable service at least partly in response to the user interface after indicating the virtually-instantiable service via the data flow between the user interface and the operating system. | 2008-09-25 |
20080234999 | Implementing performance-dependent transfer or execution decisions from service emulation indications - A system, method, computer program product, and carrier are described for obtaining data from a first emulator and from a first emulation environment hosting software and signaling a decision whether to transfer any of the data to a second emulator at least partly as a result of the first emulation environment hosting the software. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235000 | Implementing security control practice omission decisions from service emulation indications - A system, method, computer program product, and carrier are described for obtaining an indication of an emulation of a service in a first environment with a first security control practice or obtaining one or more gradational norms of software performance in an emulation environment; and signaling a decision whether to allow a software object to execute in another environment at least partly as a result of whether the software object apparently performed in conformity with the one or more gradational norms of software performance in the emulation environment or signaling a decision whether to use a second environment without the first security control practice in performing at least a portion of the service as a result of the indication of the emulation of the service in the first environment with the first security control practice. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235001 | Implementing emulation decisions in response to software evaluations or the like - A system, method, computer program product, and carrier are described for to obtaining a decision whether to host an instruction sequence natively in a physical environment in response to an operational history of software apparently containing the instruction sequence or obtaining a decision whether to host an instruction sequence in an emulation environment at least in response to an evaluation of software containing the instruction sequence; and causing another environment to host the instruction sequence in response to the decision whether to host the instruction sequence in the emulation environment or signaling a decision whether to cause an emulation environment to host the instruction sequence in response to the decision whether to host the instruction sequence natively in the physical environment. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235002 | Implementing performance-dependent transfer or execution decisions from service emulation indications - A system, method, computer program product, and carrier are described for obtaining data from a first emulator and from a first emulation environment hosting software; and signaling a decision whether to transfer any of the data to a second emulator at least partly as a result of the first emulation environment hosting the software. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235003 | DISAMBIGUATION OF TELEPHONE STYLE KEY PRESSES TO YIELD CHINESE TEXT USING SEGMENTATION AND SELECTIVE SHIFTING - To enter Chinese text, a user enters the corresponding phonetic spelling via telephone style keypad. Some or all keys represent multiple phonetic letters. In disambiguating entered key presses to yield a valid phonetic spelling, a computer divides the key presses into segments, while still preserving key press order. Each segment must correspond to an entry in a dictionary of Chinese characters, character phrases, and/or character components such as radicals or other predetermined stroke groupings. Upon arrival of a new key press that cannot form a valid entry when appended to the current segment, key presses are incrementally reallocated from the previous segment. As for already-resolved segments occurring prior to the previous and current segments, these are left intact. After each shifting attempt, the computer reinterprets key presses of the last two segments, and accepts the new segmentation if the segments form valid dictionary entries. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235004 | DISAMBIGUATING TEXT THAT IS TO BE CONVERTED TO SPEECH USING CONFIGURABLE LEXEME BASED RULES - A software language including language constructs for disambiguating text that is to be converted to speech using configurable lexeme based rules. The language can include at least one conditional statement and a significance indicator. The conditional statement can define a sense of usage for a lexeme. The significance indicator can define a criteria for selecting an associated sense of usage. The language can also include an action expression that is associated with a conditional statement that defines a set of programmatic actions to be executed upon a selection of the associated usage sense. The conditional statement can include a context range specification that defines a scope of an input string for examination when evaluating the conditional statement. Further, the conditional statement can include a directive that represents a defined condition of the lexeme or the text surrounding the lexeme. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235005 | Device, System and Method of Handling User Requests - Devices, systems and methods of handling user requests. For example, a method includes: receiving an electronic representation of a submitted request; calculating request-related information, submitter-related information, and/or recipient-related information; based on the request-related information and the submitter-related information, determining one or more recipients for the request; distributing the request to said one or more recipients; and storing the request and one or more responses received from said one or more recipients. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235006 | Method and Apparatus for Decoding an Audio Signal - An apparatus for decoding an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving the audio signal and spatial information, identifying a type of modified spatial information, generating the modified spatial information using the spatial information, and decoding the audio signal using the modified spatial information, wherein the type of the modified spatial information includes at least one of partial spatial information, combined spatial information and expanded spatial information. Accordingly, an audio signal can be decoded into a configuration different from a configuration decided by an encoding apparatus. Even if the number of speakers is smaller or greater than that of multi-channels before execution of downmixing, it is able to generate output channels having the number equal to that of the speakers from a downmix audio signal. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235007 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADDRESSING CHANNEL MISMATCH THROUGH CLASS SPECIFIC TRANSFORMS - A method and system for speaker recognition and identification includes transforming features of a speaker utterance in a first condition state to match a second condition state and provide a transformed utterance. A discriminative criterion is used to generate a transform that maps an utterance to obtain a computed result. The discriminative criterion is maximized over a plurality of speakers to obtain a best transform for recognizing speech and/or identifying a speaker under the second condition state. Speech recognition and speaker identity may be determined by employing the best transform for decoding speech to reduce channel mismatch. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235008 | Sound Masking System and Masking Sound Generation Method - In a masking sound generation apparatus, a CPU analyzes a speech utterance speed of a received sound signal. Then, the CPU copies the received sound signal into a plurality of sound signals and performs the following processing on each of the sound signals. Namely, the CPU divides each of the sound signals into frames on the basis of a frame length determined on the basis of the speech utterance speed. Reverse process is performed on each of the frames to replace a waveform of the frame with a reverse waveform, and a windowing process is performed to achieve a smooth connection between the frames. Then, the CPU randomly rearranges the order of the frames and mixes the plurality of sound signals to generate a masking sound signal. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235009 | Method and apparatus for reducing synchronization delay in packet switched voice terminals using speech decoder modification - A device is disclosed that makes packetized and encoded speech data audible to a listener, as is a method for operating the device. The device includes a unit for generating a synchronization request for reducing an amount of synchronization delay, and further includes a speech decoder that is responsive to the synchronization delay adjustment request for executing a time-warping operation for one of lengthening or shortening a duration of a speech frame. In one embodiment the speech decoder comprises a code excited linear prediction (CELP) speech decoder, and the CELP decoder time-warping operation is applied to a reconstructed excitation signal u(k) to derive a time-warped reconstructed signal u | 2008-09-25 |
20080235010 | Reproducing Apparatus - Disclosed is a reproducing apparatus comprising: a reproduction section to reproduce reproduction data comprising sound data and/or image data; a selection section to calculate evaluation values between a link source set for the reproduction data and each of a plurality of link destinations corresponding to the link source by a predetermined arithmetic expression based on link information of the plurality of link destinations, and to select a link destination having a highest evaluation among the evaluation values out of the plurality of link destinations; and a reproduction control section to move a reproduction point of the reproduction data reproduced by the reproduction section to a position corresponding to the link destination by linking the link source with the link destination when the reproduction point reaches a given point with respect to a position corresponding to the link source, and to instruct the reproduction section to reproduce the reproduction data. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235011 | Automatic Level Control Of Speech Signals - Automatic level control of speech portions of an audio signal is provided. An audio signal is received in the form of a sequence of samples and may contain speech portion and non-speech portions. The sequence of samples is divided into a sequence of sub-frames. Multiple sub-frames adjacent to a present sub-frame are examined to determine a peak value of samples in the sub-frames. A gain factor is computed for the present sub-frame based on the peak value and a desired maximum value for said speech portion, and each sample in the present sub-frame is amplified by the gain factor. In an embodiment, variations in filtered energy values of multiple sub-frames enable determination of whether a sub-frame corresponds to a speech or non-speech/noise portion. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235012 | System and method of identifying contact information - A system and method for identifying contact information is provided. A system to identify contact information may include an input to receive a data stream. The data stream may include audio content, video content or both. The system may also include an analysis module to detect contact information within the data stream. The system may also include a memory to store a record of the contact information. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235013 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ESTIMATING NOISE BY USING HARMONICS OF VOICE SIGNAL - Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for estimating noise included in a sound signal during sound signal processing. The method includes estimating harmonics components in a frame of an input sound signal; using the estimated harmonics components, computing a Voice Presence Probability (VPP) on the frame of the input sound signal; determining a weight of an equation necessary to estimate a noise spectrum, depending on the computed VPP; and using the determined weight and the equation necessary to estimate a noise spectrum, estimating the noise spectrum, and updating the noise spectrum. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235014 | Method and System for Processing Dictated Information - A method and a system for processing dictated information into a dynamic form are disclosed. The method comprises presenting an image ( | 2008-09-25 |
20080235015 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LIKELIHOOD COMPUTATION IN MULTI-STREAM HMM BASED SPEECH RECOGNITION - A system and method for speech recognition includes determining active Gaussians related to a first feature stream and a second feature stream by labeling at least one of the first and second streams, and determining active Gaussians co-occurring in the first stream and the second stream based upon joint probability. A number of Gaussians computed is reduced based upon Gaussians already computed for the first stream and a number of Gaussians co-occurring in the second stream. Speech is decoded based on the Gaussians computed for the first and second streams. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235016 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF SPEECH - Certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for monitoring and analyzing the language environment and the development of a key child. A key child's language environment and language development can be monitored without placing artificial limitations on the key child's activities or requiring a third party observer. The language environment can be analyzed to identify words, vocalizations, or other noises directed to or spoken by the key child, independent of content. The analysis can include the number of responses between the child and another, such as an adult and the number of words spoken by the child and/or another, independent of content of the speech. One or more metrics can be determined based on the analysis and provided to assist in improving the language environment and/or tracking language development of the key child. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235017 | VOICE INTERACTION DEVICE, VOICE INTERACTION METHOD, AND VOICE INTERACTION PROGRAM - The present invention provides a voice interaction device capable of performing an interaction meeting any demand from a user at proper time in flexible response to a circumferential condition of the user, a voice interaction method and a voice interaction program thereof. The voice interaction device controls the interaction with the user in response to an input voice from the user, including an available time calculation unit ( | 2008-09-25 |
20080235018 | Method and System for Determing the Topic of a Conversation and Locating and Presenting Related Content - A method and system are disclosed for determining the topic of a conversation and obtaining and presenting related content. The disclosed system provides a “creative inspirator” in an ongoing conversation. The system extracts keywords from the conversation and utilizes the keywords to determine the topic(s) being discussed. The disclosed system then conducts searches to obtain supplemental content based on the topic(s) of the conversation. The content can be presented to the participants in the conversation to supplement their discussion. A method is also disclosed for determining the topic of a text document including transcripts of audio tracks, newspaper articles, and journal papers. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235019 | AGE DETERMINATION USING SPEECH - A device may include logic configured to receive voice data from a user, identify a result from the voice data, calculate a confidence score associated with the result, and determine a likely age range associated with the user based on the confidence score. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235020 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRAINING A TEXT INDEPENDENT SPEAKER RECOGNITION SYSTEM USING SPEECH DATA WITH TEXT LABELS - There is provided an apparatus for providing a Text Independent (TI) speaker recognition mode in a Text Dependent (TD) Hidden Markov Model (HMM) speaker recognition system and/or a Text Constrained (TC) HMM speaker recognition system. The apparatus includes a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) generator and a Gaussian weight normalizer. The GMM generator is for creating a GMM by pooling Gaussians from a plurality of HMM states. The Gaussian weight normalizer is for normalizing Gaussian weights with respect to the plurality of HMM states. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235021 | Indexing Digitized Speech With Words Represented In The Digitized Speech - Indexing digitized speech with words represented in the digitized speech, with a multimodal digital audio editor operating on a multimodal device supporting modes of user interaction, the modes of user interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal digital audio editor operatively coupled to an ASR engine, including providing by the multimodal digital audio editor to the ASR engine digitized speech for recognition; receiving in the multimodal digital audio editor from the ASR engine recognized user speech including a recognized word, also including information indicating where, in the digitized speech, representation of the recognized word begins; and inserting by the multimodal digital audio editor the recognized word, in association with the information indicating where, in the digitized speech, representation of the recognized word begins, into a speech recognition grammar, the speech recognition grammar voice enabling user interface commands of the multimodal digital audio editor. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235022 | Automatic Speech Recognition With Dynamic Grammar Rules - Automatic speech recognition implemented with a speech recognition grammar of a multimodal application in an ASR engine, the multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of user interaction including a voice mode, the multimodal application operatively coupled to the ASR engine, including: matching by the ASR engine at least one static rule of the speech recognition grammar with at least one word of a voice utterance, yielding a matched value, the matched value specified by the grammar to be required for processing of a dynamic rule of the grammar; and dynamically defining at run time the dynamic rule of the grammar as a new static rule in dependence upon the matched value, the dynamic rule comprising a rule that is specified by the grammar as a rule that is not to be processed by the ASR until after the at least one static rule has been matched. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235023 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESPONDING TO NATURAL LANGUAGE SPEECH UTTERANCE - Systems and methods for receiving natural language queries and/or commands and execute the queries and/or commands. The systems and methods overcomes the deficiencies of prior art speech query and response systems through the application of a complete speech-based information query, retrieval, presentation and command environment. This environment makes significant use of context, prior information, domain knowledge, and user specific profile data to achieve a natural environment for one or more users making queries or commands in multiple domains. Through this integrated approach, a complete speech-based natural language query and response environment can be created. The systems and methods creates, stores and uses extensive personal profile information for each user, thereby improving the reliability of determining the context and presenting the expected results for a particular question or command. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235024 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TEXT-TO-SPEECH SYNTHESIS WITH PERSONALIZED VOICE - A method and system are provided for text-to-speech synthesis with personalized voice. The method includes receiving an incidental audio input ( | 2008-09-25 |
20080235025 | PROSODY MODIFICATION DEVICE, PROSODY MODIFICATION METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING PROSODY MODIFICATION PROGRAM - A prosody modification device includes: a real voice prosody input part that receives real voice prosody information extracted from an utterance of a human; a regular prosody generating part that generates regular prosody information having a regular phoneme boundary that determines a boundary between phonemes and a regular phoneme length of a phoneme by using data representing a regular or statistical phoneme length in an utterance of a human with respect to a section including at least a phoneme or a phoneme string to be modified in the real voice prosody information; and a real voice prosody modification part that resets a real voice phoneme boundary by using the generated regular prosody information so that the real voice phoneme boundary and a real voice phoneme length of the phoneme or the phoneme string to be modified in the real voice prosody information are approximate to an actual phoneme boundary and an actual phoneme length of the utterance of the human, thereby modifying the real voice prosody information. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235026 | VOICE ACTIVATED DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICE - A voice activated device for annunciating a message indicative of a distance of the device spaced from another location is disclosed. The device comprises a voice sensor for receiving a voice command requesting annunciation of a message indicative of the distance of the device spaced from the other location, converting circuitry coupled to the voice sensor for converting the received voice command to a corresponding electrical command, determining circuitry responsive to the electrical command for determining the distance of the device from the other location, and a speaker coupled to the determining circuitry for annunciating the message indicative of the determined distance of the device from the other location. The device may be used for informing a golfer of the golfer's distance from the pin. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235027 | Supporting Multi-Lingual User Interaction With A Multimodal Application - Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for supporting multi-lingual user interaction with a multimodal application, the application including a plurality of VoiceXML dialogs, each dialog characterized by a particular language, supporting multi-lingual user interaction implemented with a plurality of speech engines, each speech engine having a grammar and characterized by a language corresponding to one of the dialogs, with the application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the application operatively coupled to the speech engines through a VoiceXML interpreter, the VoiceXML interpreter: receiving a voice utterance from a user; determining in parallel, using the speech engines, recognition results for each dialog in dependence upon the voice utterance and the grammar for each speech engine; administering the recognition results for the dialogs; and selecting a language for user interaction in dependence upon the administered recognition results. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235028 | Creating A Voice Response Grammar From A Presentation Grammer - Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for creating a voice response grammar in a voice response server including identifying presentation documents for a presentation, each presentation document having a presentation grammar. Typical embodiments include storing each presentation grammar in a voice response grammar on a voice response server. In typical embodiments, identifying presentation documents for a presentation includes creating a data structure representing a presentation and listing at least one presentation document in the data structure representing a presentation. In typical embodiments listing the at least one presentation document includes storing a location of the presentation document in the data structure representing a presentation and storing each presentation grammar includes retrieving a presentation grammar of the presentation document in dependence upon the location of the presentation document. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235029 | Speech-Enabled Predictive Text Selection For A Multimodal Application - Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for speech-enabled predictive text selection for a multimodal application, the multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal application operatively coupled to an automatic speech recognition (‘ASR’) engine through a VoiceXML interpreter, including: identifying, by the VoiceXML interpreter, a text prediction event, the text prediction event characterized by one or more predictive texts for a text input field of the multimodal application; creating, by the VoiceXML interpreter, a grammar in dependence upon the predictive texts; receiving, by the VoiceXML interpreter, a voice utterance from a user; and determining, by the VoiceXML interpreter using the ASR engine, recognition results in dependence upon the voice utterance and the grammar, the recognition results representing a user selection of a particular predictive text. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235030 | Automatic Method For Measuring a Baby's, Particularly a Newborn's, Cry, and Related Apparatus - The present invention concerns an automatic method for measuring a baby's cry, comprising the following step: A. having N samples ρ(i), for i=O, 1, . . . , (N−1), of an acoustic signal p(t) representing the cry, sampled at a sampling frequencŷ for a period of duration P; the method being characterised in that it assigns a score PainScore to the acoustic signal p(t) by means of a function AF of one or more acoustic parameters selected from the group comprising: —a root-mean-square or rms value prms of the acoustic signal p(t) in the period P; —a fundamental or pitch frequency F | 2008-09-25 |
20080235031 | Interface apparatus, interface processing method, and interface processing program - An interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes: an operation detecting section configured to detect a device operation; a status detecting section configured to detect a status change or status continuance of a device or in the vicinity of the device; an operation history accumulating section configured to accumulate a operation detection result and a status detection result in association with each other; an operation history matching section configured to match a status detection result for a newly detected against accumulated status detection results, and select a device operation that corresponds to the status detection result for the newly detected; and an utterance section configured to utter as sound a word corresponding to the selected device operation. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235032 | Method and Apparatus for Data Capture Using a Voice Activated Workstation - A method and apparatus for capturing data in a workstation, wherein a large number of data associated with a sample which is viewed, by a user, through an optical device, such as a microscope, is to be entered in a computer related file. The optical device can be moved to a data-sampling position utilizing voice commands. A pointer can then be moved to an appropriate place in the file to receive the data relating to the data-sampling position. Data can be then entered in the appropriate position utilizing a voice command. The steps of moving the pointer and entering the data can then be repeated until all data is provided with respect to the data-sampling positions. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235033 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENCODING AUDIO SIGNAL, AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DECODING AUDIO SIGNAL - Methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding of an audio signal using a mixture of a time-frequency method and a parametric method according to the audio band are provided. An encoding method of an audio signal includes: dividing input audio signals into a plurality of audio bands; selecting a coding method for each audio band; encoding each audio band according to the selected coding method for each band; and generating a bit stream including all the data encoded for each audio band, wherein selecting a coding method for each band comprises selecting smaller encoded data either from a parametric coding method or a time-frequency coding method. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235034 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENCODING AUDIO SIGNAL AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DECODING AUDIO SIGNAL - Provided are a method and apparatus for encoding an audio signal to efficiently encode a harmonic envelope and a method and apparatus for decoding an audio signal to decode the harmonic envelope. The method of encoding an audio signal includes performing harmonic analysis with respect to an input signal to determine harmonic parameters with respect to harmonic signals; regarding amplitudes of the harmonic signals included in the harmonic parameters as signals in the time domain so as to perform time-frequency transformation; and encoding the time-frequency transformed values. When expressing a harmonic envelope, the amplitudes of the harmonic signals are regarded as signals in the time domain so as to perform a time-frequency transformation and only a part from among the transformed values is selected to be encoded. Therefore, sound quality is not affected and coding efficiency greatly improves. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235035 | Method For Decoding An Audio Signal - The invention relates to a method for decoding an audio signal, to allow an audio signal to be compressed and transferred more efficiently. The inventive method comprises steps of receiving an audio signal with spatial information signal, obtaining location information using the number of time slot and parameter of audio signal, establishing a multi-channel audio signal by applying spatial information signal to down-mix signal, and performing a multi-channel array for a multi-channel audio signal in response to the output channel. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235036 | Method For Decoding An Audio Signal - The invention relates to a method for decoding an audio signal, to allow an audio signal to be compressed and transferred more efficiently. The inventive method comprises steps of receiving an audio signal with spatial information signal, obtaining location information using the number of time slot and parameter of audio signal, establishing a multi-channel audio signal by applying spatial information signal to down-mix signal, and performing a multi-channel array for a multi-channel audio signal in response to the output channel. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235037 | Bonus Point System to Create a Profile of a Person - This invention relates to method and a system for collecting and managing bonus points in order to generate a personal profile based on said bonus points, wherein the bonus points are related to activities performed by a person. Therefore, the personal profile is obtained by accessing a manager server where the bonus points are stored and viewing the number of points in a certain activity. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235038 | METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR ENABLING LIVE SALES SUPPORT - A method, system and computer program is provided for enabling live sales support for a salesperson where the sales process depends on information or approvals from a remote office. The invention provides for the capture and digitization of written information obtained by a salesperson in consultation with a customer. Data is transferred to one or more remote computers defining back office systems, and processed according to pre-determined rules that support the particular sales process. Feedback is provided to the salesperson, including, for example, enabling conclusion of a sales transaction. The invention enables the mobilization of salespersons at relatively low cost while maintaining integration with office systems located at a remote office location. The invention also enables interaction with other system(s) or personnel assisting/providing approval to the sales transaction. The invention further enables the payment to conclude the sales transaction. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235039 | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A consortium or professional employee organization (PEO) is used to assist in providing business support services to economic development clients. The consortium/PEO reports economic development data concerning the economic development clients to an economic development commission. The economic development commission ties the granting of economic development incentives to the use of the consortium/PEO. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235040 | GPS-BASED ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT - A remote device may received location information identifying a location of the remote device. An event is written to a data store upon receiving the information concerning the location of the remote device, the event including the location of the remote device and an identifier for the remote device or a user thereof. The data store is selectively queried for an association between the event and the customer location. A remote application is queried via a network, upon receiving the association, for information regarding a customer associated with the customer location. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235041 | Enterprise data management - Methods and systems manage data for an enterprise. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for managing data for an enterprise. According to the method, data may be imported from a plurality of data sources into a staging area of a server. In the staging area, the data may be processed. The processing may comprise determining a category identifier for a subset of the data based on one of the plurality of data sources from which the subset of the data originated and assigning the category identifier to the subset of the data. The method may further comprise transmitting the subset of the data from the staging area to a work area of the server and applying, by the work area, one or more logical rules to the subset of the data based on the category identifier. The one or more logical rules may convert the subset of the data. The method further comprises storing the subset of the data in a database. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235042 | NETWORK REPUTATION AND PAYMENT SERVICE - This document discusses, among other things, example embodiments of a transaction system that may receive, over a network, a first set of transaction data associated with a transaction for an item. In an example embodiment, a reputation application may adjust a rating associated with the transaction when the first set of transaction data indicates a purchase or a return of the item. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235043 | System and Method For Communicating Messages Between Users of a System - A distributed system for communicating messages between registered users of the system, each registered user communicating with the system via a user terminal, the messages relating to an original electronic document that is stored on the system and associated with one of the user terminals, the system comprising a plurality of registries, each registry having a mutual trust relationship with each of the other registries and each registry being associated with one or more user terminals; wherein each registry is connectable to a data communications network, and comprises a processing means arranged to validate the eligibility of each of its registered users' user terminals to send or receive a message relating to the stored electronic document, the processing means further being arranged to notarise a message sent from or received by the user terminal of one of its one or more registered users, the notarisation indicating the validity of the message relating to the stored document. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235044 | Methods for enhancing child safety - This invention includes a method for providing enhanced child safety for a child including subscribing to a child safety service provider, receiving child safety material from the child safety service provider, submitting child identifying material relating to the child to the child safety service provider, associating the child identifying material with a unique identifier, determining that the child is missing, retrieving the child identifying material utilizing the unique identifier, and disseminating the child identifying material to one or more persons conducting a search for the missing child wherein it is preferable for at least one of the persons conducting the search to be a private investigator. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235045 | WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A disclosed workflow management system dynamically formulates a workflow model at the time of executing a workflow. The workflow management system includes a unit configured to access the contents of an e-mail transmitted or received by a user of the workflow management system, and a unit configured to operate a task in the workflow management system based on the accessed contents of the e-mail. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235046 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONNECTING BUSINESSES THROUGH COMMON INTERESTS - A method of connecting businesses through common interests can include storing business profiles comprising business attributes in an online business registry. Responsive to a query from an inquiring business, the online business registry can be searched to locate at least one business having a business profile including at least one business attribute corresponding to the query. At least one communications link between the inquiring business and the located business can be established according to at least one business attribute of the business profile of the located business. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235047 | Method and system for ordering customized cosmetic contact lenses - A method of configuring and ordering a customized contact lens for a user. The method includes the steps of displaying a template eye image to assist the user in visualizing selected options for a customized contact lens, and displaying a plurality of contact lens selection options to the user. The information includes a plurality of selectable lens colors and lens design patterns. The method also includes the steps of sending an ordering request to order a contact lens incorporating lens colors and lens design patterns selected by the user, receiving the ordering request, and manufacturing a contact lens incorporating the lens colors and lens design patterns selected by the user. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235048 | Roaming agreements in a wideband wireless system - A terminal's home network service provider H-NSP determines that the terminal is connected to an access provider, and sends to the terminal a list of access providers and a list of service providers. The list of access providers indicates the H-NSP's preferences of the listed access providers relative to one another, and the list of service providers indicates the H-NSP's preferences of the listed service providers relative to one another. The terminal receives the list and connects to an access provider and a service provider according to the preferences indicated. Methods, apparatus, and software/hardware/firmware is detailed for implementing these aspects, from the H-NSP, V-NSP and terminal's perspectives. Much additional information is described that may be included in the preference lists according to various embodiments, and the invention is particularly advantageous for use in a WiMAX system. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235049 | Method and System for Predictive Modeling of Patient Outcomes - A method and system for predictive modeling of patient outcomes. The predictive method includes the steps of applying an algorithm to patient data and displaying predicted patient data. The predictive method may further include the step of adjusting one or more clinical variables. The system includes a database of patient data, a rules engine operably connected to the database wherein the rules engine is capable of applying algorithms to the patient data to generate predicted patient data, and a user interface operably connected to the database. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235050 | Tricare payment process - An apparatus, a system, and a method are provided to pay a dispensing fee to a pharmacy and configured to replenish a pharmacy's inventory with prescription drugs by a wholesaler at no cost. Rather than being replenished for any prescription drug dispensed to a patient, a pharmacy would be paid a dispensing fee. To compensate for the wholesaler for replenishing the pharmacy at no cost, the wholesaler would receive an administrative fee. Furthermore, order rights are maintained for each participating pharmacy and wholesaler and monitor and record the transfer of order rights from a pharmacy to a wholesaler and the execute or the use by the wholesaler of the order rights. The order rights may include, in the alternative, a right assigned to the pharmacy to replenish the prescription drug dispensed or a different prescription drug for credit. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235051 | Internet-based system for curing alcoholism and other human problem conditions, and for assuring continued participation by clients to assure commercial viability - An Internet methodology for the treatment of human problem conditions such as alcoholism, obesity/weight loss, depression or the like, or for long-term commercial enterprise, wherein capturing the client during a short window of opportunity and providing means to assure continued participation in the treatment program is essential, both for the success of the treatment and for providing a viable commercial enterprise. The methodology comprises control of website design, advertising, sale closing, pricing, guaranteed payment, monitoring and quality control of nutraceuticals. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235052 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING MEDICAL INFORMATION BETWEEN IMAGE-GUIDED SURGERY SYSTEMS - An expert image-guided surgical system and method for accessing, storing and sharing medical information between expert imaging apparatus for use during the planning and performance of surgical procedures. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235053 | COMMUNICATION MEDIUM FOR DIABETES MANAGEMENT - A diabetes management system or process is provided herein that may be used to analyze and recognize patterns for a large amount of blood glucose concentration measurements and other physiological parameters related to the glycemia of a patient. In particular, a communication medium is provided. The communication medium includes first, second, third, fourth and fifth display areas. The second through fifth display areas can be disposed in the first display area. The second display area has identification information of a patient. The third display area has a plurality of textual messages indicative of glycemic status of the patient. The fourth display area includes a chart indicative of a variability of the glucose concentration of the patient over a predetermined time period. Other messages can also be provided to ensure compliance of any prescribed diabetes regiments or to guide the patient in managing the patient's diabetes. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235054 | DIABETIC CARE PRODUCTS WEB SHOP WITH ENHANCED USABILITY - The present invention relates to the field of medical care technology, and in particular to the repeated purchase procedures as it is required for diabetes mellitus patients. In order to increase the usability and user-friendliness for purchasing procedures performed by diabetics when they purchase a new test strip lot, it is proposed to perform the steps of:
| 2008-09-25 |
20080235055 | Laboratory instrumentation information management and control network - Described are techniques for identifying samples processed in a laboratory using harmonized identifier. A case identifier identifying a patient from whom a specimen is collected is determined. A specimen identifier associated with the specimen is determined. An entry for the specimen is recorded in a data store where the entry being associated with the case identifier and the specimen identifier. A harmonized specimen identifier including the case identifier and the specimen identifier is formed. The specimen is labeled with the harmonized specimen identifier. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235056 | Service for Managing Medications - A health management service includes a computerized management site having one or more servers executing software from coupled computer-readable media, and a data repository storing information regarding a plurality of enrolled persons, including at least medications and medication schedules for individual ones of the persons, and storing information regarding a plurality of associate or partner entities comprising at least physicians. In this service persons, in enrollment, enter personal data and medication data, the service stores the data in the repository associated with each enrolling person entering the data, associates the person with one or more physicians and other partner entities, whom also enter data in enrollment, and enables enrolled persons to share their individual medication data with associated physicians and other partner entities. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235057 | Clinical Workflow Management and Decision System and Method - A method of clinical workflow management and decision making comprises receiving clinical information from a hospital information system ( | 2008-09-25 |
20080235058 | VITAL SIGN MONITOR UTILIZING HISTORIC PATIENT DATA - A vital sign monitoring system that can be used with multiple patients and utilizes historic patient data information for the patient to optimize the process of obtaining current vital sign measurements. Each patient is identified with a unique patient identification device that is automatically detected by the vital sign monitor. The vital sign monitor communicates with a medical records database and obtains historic patient data information and previously diagnosed characteristics for the patient identified by the patient identification device. The historic patient data information and previously diagnosed characteristics of the patient can be utilized by the vital sign monitor to set alarm limits for the vital sign measurements and automatically adjust the blood pressure estimation algorithm of the NIBP monitor. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235059 | Service for managing medications - A health management service includes a computerized management site having one or more servers executing software from coupled computer-readable media, and a data repository storing information regarding a plurality of enrolled persons, including at least medications and medication schedules for individual ones of the persons, and storing information regarding a plurality of associate or partner entities comprising at least physicians. In this service persons, in enrollment, enter personal data and medication data, the service stores the data in the repository associated with each enrolling person entering the data, associates the person with one or more physicians and other partner entities, whom also enter data in enrollment, and enables enrolled persons to share their individual medication data with associated physicians and other partner entities. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235060 | Precise medical information retrieval - A method of using the outcomes of relating the headings in the first and second templates to the information on diseases, illnesses, health and health-care on patients generated and/or selected by physicians wherein the relations of headings and information are input and stored in the database or databases and the headings and information are used to effect the retrievals and displays of more information on the information for and viewable by patients and physicians. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235061 | Arrangements For Deriving Financial Benefits From Equity Owned in Property - A system and method for providing equity based benefits to a person dependent upon equity in property owned by the person is disclosed. The method ( | 2008-09-25 |
20080235062 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INITIALLY PROJECTING AN INSURANCE COMPANY'S NET LOSS FROM A MAJOR LOSS EVENT - A system and method by which an insurance company can project an initial net projected loss arising from a major loss event quickly after the occurrence of the event. The system uses a networked central repository, such as an electronic collaboration site, for collecting and sharing information to be used in the initial net loss projection process. After the occurrence of a major incident, media reports can be reviewed to identify entities involved in, or affected by, the event. In-force insurance policies and applicable reinsurance information of the identified entities are collected and stored in the repository and reviewed to identify those that should be included in the initial net loss projection. Additional information can be entered into a policy database regarding those policies which allows aggregation of net policy limits and an initial projection of the net loss arising from the major loss event. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235063 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING INSURANCE BENEFITS AND PREMIUMS FROM DYNAMIC CREDIT INFORMATION - The embodiments described herein are directed to a method of obtaining credit life insurance for an individual by means of a service organization. In detail, the steps include: 1) registering the individual with the service organization via a computer system in a computer network; 2) accessing credit information on the individual by means of the computer system in the computer network and determining the total debt of the individual; 3) determining the amount of debt to be covered by credit life insurance benefits; 4) creating a data base including insurance companies that provide credit life insurance benefits, the data base further including the premiums that the insurance companies charge for issuing their credit life insurance; 5) selecting specific coverage with required specific premiums; 6) obtaining the individual's approval of the required specific premiums via the computer system in the computer network; and 7) obtaining credit life insurance benefits for the individual. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235064 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING ASSESSMENTS - Described are techniques used in connection with providing insolvency services in connection with guaranty funds, such as property and casualty guaranty funds, upon the occurrence of an insurance company insolvency. A client/server system provides for creating and maintaining a database of state and insurance company member information. Operations, such as calculations, are performed in accordance with different rules that are associated with varying state laws and rules that may vary with insurance account. A range of functions are performed by the system comprising report generation, unearned premium calculations, assessment calculation, claim entry and management, administrative tasks, and other related operations. The system which provides services and operations in connection with managing insolvency funds may interact with other applications and systems, such as an accounting system, word processing system, and the like by generating data used as input in these other systems. Also described is a database schema representing a relationship between the different data entities that may be stored in a database in connection with performing insolvency operations. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235065 | Methods and Apparatus for Implementing a Flexible Multi-User Advance Reservation System Where Reservation Requests are Specified in Terms of Multiple Options and Where Each Option Has an Associated Business Value - The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for implementing a multi-user advance reservation system where reservations are specified in terms of flexible constraints, inflexible constraints and business values. The specification of reservations in this manner allows an entity managing the reservation system to arbitrate among reservations received from a user population with a view toward maximizing business value across the user population. In methods and apparatus of the present invention, penalties and rewards associated with various reservation outcomes can be specified in reservations to assist in business value maximization. In an example, a reservation having a low business value may be declined when there is a significant possibility that a reservation having a high business would be submitted during the pendency of service delivery to the user issuing the reservation with a low business value. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235066 | TASK MANAGEMENT DEVICE, TASK MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND TASK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - In a task management device which manages a plurality of tasks arranged in a hierarchical structure and stored in a storage unit, task definition data which describes contents of a task is input. Task information of the task is generated from the input task definition data. The generated task information is stored into the storage unit. A request for generating a set of lower-level tasks from the task information is received. When the request is received, task information of each of the set of lower-level tasks is generated based on a result of analysis of the task definition data for the task information which analysis is performed in accordance with predetermined rules used to define contents of each lower-level task. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235067 | Predictive Cost Reduction Based On A Thermodynamic Model - Predictive cost reduction based on a thermodynamic model, in which parameters associated with a process are accessed. The parameters include a quantity of units of work-in-process at first and second times, and first and second constants respectively indicative of growth between the first and second times, and of a translated reduction of the work-in-process to a reduction of cost. A thermodynamic model is applied to the accessed parameters, and a predictive cost reduction associated with an improvement of the process based on applying the thermodynamic model is output. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235068 | METHOD, COMPUTER SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR DETERMINING A RISK/REWARD MODEL - Determining a risk/reward model for a service provided by a service provider to a serviced entity where a service provider value function for the service is dependent on at least one service provider value parameter. It further comprises provision of a serviced entity value function for the service being dependent on at least one serviced entity value parameter. It further comprises provision of weighting values for the serviced entity value function and the service provider value function. It further comprises provision of a serviced entity base case being characteristic for at least one serviced entity value parameter without provision of a service by the service provider and provision of a set of projects and their interdependencies being eligible for providing the service, each project having a given impact on a subset of one or both of the at least one serviced entity value parameter and at least one service provider value parameter. The risk/reward model is determined by way of performing a selection of the sets of projects resulting in a selection set. The selection takes into consideration the serviced entity value function, the weighting value for the serviced entity value function, the service provider value function, the weighting value for the service provider value function and the serviced entity base case. The risk/reward model provides a risk/reward line for the service to be provided relative to at least one serviced entity value parameter. The risk/reward line is characteristic for whether a reward or a penalty is accredited to the service provider depending on achieved results relative to the risk/reward line. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235069 | Software Application Portfolio Management for a Client - An information technology services providing company manages a portfolio of software applications for a client company. A plurality of the applications are preselected along with a recommendation for each. The recommendations have value drivers with parameters. Values for the parameters are received from the client as responses to questions or through collaboration with the client. A business value is then determined for the value drivers using the parameter values. Total cash flow, return on investment, net present value, internal rate of return, or other financial measures may be calculated. The client decides to proceed with the recommendations and the services providing company delivers services and software according to the recommendations. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235070 | Method and System For Processing and/or Managing Typesetting Orders For Advertisements in Print and/or Online Media and Corresponding Computer Program and Corresponding Computer-Readable Storage Medium and Data Management Method For Distributed Object-Oriented Workflow Systems - The invention is directed to a method and a system for processing and/or managing typesetting orders for advertisements in print and/or online media, as well as a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can be used, in particular, to provide greater flexibility and automation of the entire production process of digital advertisement designs for press, print and the other media enterprises. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235071 | Automatic Generation of Personalized Meeting Lists - A method and system for providing a personalized list of meetings per subject per user of the system ( | 2008-09-25 |
20080235072 | ACHIEVING RECURRING ITEM RECORDINGS FROM CALENDARING APPLICATIONS OVER LOB SYSTEMS - Recurring appointment items in a calendaring application are synchronized and recorded in a backend Line Of Business (LOB) service. Items marked in the calendaring application for time recording are used to create a recurring bound item with extended properties. A sweeper module scans on every run the mailbox for such recurring bound items. Occurrences of bound recurring appointments, which occur between the last scan and the current scan are determined and detached from the corresponding recurring series such that standalone bound items are created for such occurrences that can be recognized by an LOB application. Entries for bound items are retrieved from a client data store and synchronized it with the backend LOB service through a create-, update-, or delete-operation request. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235073 | AUTOMATICALLY PRESCRIBING TOTAL BUDGET FOR MARKETING AND SALES RESOURCES AND ALLOCATION ACROSS SPENDING CATEGORIES - A facility for automatically prescribing, for a distinguished offering, an allocation of resources to a total marketing budget and/or individual marketing activities is described. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235074 | Method for Forecasting and Managing Multimedia Contacts - Multimedia contacts are forecasted, propagated, and managed for each period in a range. The number of contacts received in a period is forecasted using historical methods and is propagated to succeeding periods based on the business goals, such as how quickly a certain contact type is to be handled. After the contacts have been propagated, a total contacts to handle is determined for each period, and the staffing requirements are calculated therefrom. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235075 | ENTERPRISE APPLICATION PERFORMANCE MONITORS - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for receiving a first information related to a first transaction associated with a first user session with a multi-tier enterprise application, the first information including performance data that is representative of how well components in at least two tiers of the enterprise application perform in executing the first transaction; and determining based on the first information whether the first transaction is associated with a prioritized aspect of the enterprise application, and if so, taking an action based on the determining. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235076 | OPPORTUNITY MATRIX FOR USE WITH METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING OPTIMAL PRICING OF RETAIL PRODUCTS - A data warehouse system and application which analyzes historical sales and product data contained within a data warehouse to determine the best product prices across a set of products for a retailer. The application analyzes historical sales and product data contained in a database to determine an opportunity score for multiple products sold by a retailer, the opportunity score indicating potential benefit to said business from changing the pricing of a product; and analyzes historical sales data contained in the database to determine an ability to change score for each product, the ability to change score indicating potential risk of lost sales for the retailer from changing the pricing of a product. Results of the analyses are displayed in a scatter plot graph with the graph axes being the opportunity scores and ability to change scores, respectively. Each product is represented by a point in the scatter plot, the coordinates of the point being the opportunity score and the ability to change score associated with the represented product. The scatter plot graph can be divided into quadrants, wherein products having favourable opportunity scores and favourable ability to change scores are displayed together in one the four quadrants. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235077 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO IDENTIFY INTENTIONALLY PLACED PRODUCTS - Systems and methods to identify intentionally placed products in media content are disclosed. A disclosed system to detect intentionally placed products in media content includes a placement monitor site to record an occurrence of a first intentionally placed product within first broadcast media content in a product placement record; an audience measurement site to record an audience interaction with a second intentionally placed product in second broadcast media content in an event record; and a collection facility to receive the product placement record and the event record | 2008-09-25 |
20080235078 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TARGET ADVERTISING - A computer-based system and method are described to provide advertisers with effective target advertising. More specifically, the system and method enable individuals to explicitly specify which brands they feel an affinity for in order to determine and present advertisements based on the individual's actual self-described affinities. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235079 | Method, Apparatus, and Program for Implementing an Automation Computing Evaluation Scale to Generate Recommendations - An automation assessment tool is provided that defines autonomic technology, processes, organization, and skill sets that apply to autonomic computing. The automation assessment tool provides educational material about autonomic computing and a scale of maturity levels, which is used to assess on-demand preparedness. The automation assessment tool presents a survey and collects answers to the survey questions. The automation assessment tool then determines solutions and recommendations to achieve a target level of on-demand preparedness. | 2008-09-25 |
20080235080 | Performance Prediction Service Using Business-Process Information - Performance prediction techniques are provided that utilize business-process information such as transaction history and log information. For example, in one aspect of the invention, a computer-based technique for providing a performance prediction service comprises the following steps/operations. First, business-process information associated with a business is obtained. Then, a performance estimation function is generated based at least in part on the business-process information, the performance estimation function being usable in responding to a query obtained from a potential customer of the business. | 2008-09-25 |