Abstract: A system and method for acquiring and analyzing the bets at a plurality of locations at a plurality of tables is provided. The system includes a gaming table with a raised platform, underneath which is positioned a video camera for each of the wagering locations on the table. The video cameras one each table are coupled together into a multiplexer, and the multiplexers from the plurality of tables are coupled together and into a central computer. The system and method thus eliminate the labor intensive and often inaccurate technique of tracking the gambling habits of patrons at the gaming tables.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for storing and searching computer node addresses in a computer network system. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a frame forwarding device such as a switch (115). The switch (115) includes two MAC address tables including a primary MAC address table (220a) and secondary MAC address table (220b) both for storing and searching MAC addresses. The primary table (220a) stores records that contain compressed values of MAC addresses. The records are contained in storage locations that are referenced using the compressed value of the MAC address as a search index. In order to account for searching collisions that may result from different MAC addresses compressing to the same value, each record in the primary address table (220a) is linked to a chain of records in the secondary table (220b). The records in the secondary table (220b) store the full value of the MAC address. Each chain of records in the secondary address table (220b) contains MAC addresses that belong to the same hash family.

Abstract: A gaming table in which the outcome of the game is determined manually, and in which players place bets electronically and wins or losses are calculated electronically. The gaming system is applicable to any suitable game including roulette.

Abstract: A data access task distributor receives a request to perform a data access task. The request is received by a first processor, which identifies an appropriate processor to process the request. The first processor processes the request if the first processor is the appropriate processor to process the request. The first processor forwards the request to the appropriate processor if the first processor is not the appropriate processor to process the request. The first processor identifies the appropriate processor by retrieving data from a table that identifies the types of data access tasks handled by each processor.

Abstract: System and methods for automatically capturing and storing data from a network is disclosed. The system and methods include easy-to-use graphical user interfaces; integration with Web browsers; point-and-click selection of data targets; automatic input element parameter substitution to retrieve multiple pages from a single network address; periodic Web page retrieval from network servers at pre-specified intervals; dynamic tag string matching to locate text data on variable format HTML and XML pages; dynamic tree matching to locate data nodes in variable document object model representations of HTML and XML data; intelligent character recognition of graphical HTML or XML elements; graphical database, database table and table record creation; and automatic creation of formatted data files or direct storage to database.

Abstract: A query processing system in which a virtual table to enable multiple mapping to a plurality of databases is provided in a data processing system to receive a query from an application program and partial replicas as copies of part of the data in the virtual table is prepared in storage so that the whole or part of a query can be processed using the partial replicas. For query units which cannot be processed using the partial replica, means to select an appropriate distributed join method and optimization to push down query processing to real databases as far as possible are used. The system allows transparent access to multiple different real databases according to access conditions without changing the column to be accessed in the virtual table or switching the virtual table, thereby eliminating the need to create a new application for each newly developed service.

Abstract: A collating table containing user-defined sort criteria in ranked order is employed in sorting electronic mail messages for display to the user. Entries within the collating table prioritize unread and/or previously viewed messages based upon the address of the sender or similar attributes, and may each contain a specific username and domain address, a domain of user addresses, or a plurality of addresses of either type. Entries within the collating table may be fixed or dynamic, with dynamic entries automatically updated based on historical statistics relating to the frequency and/or speed of response by the user to messages previously received from the sender, speed of opening or deleting prior messages from the sender, or some user-specified combination of such attributes. Addresses within the dynamic entries may percolate up or down the ranking of the collating table, with aging employed in removing addresses from the collating table. Other users may be given access to portions of the collating table to rank their own messages to the user, and specific messages may be ranked within or above any messages received from addresses within the collating table until deleted.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for detecting incorrect e-mail addresses in outgoing e-mail communications. In a first embodiment, a domain name database creates a table of domain names by automatically storing the domain names of e-mail addresses from which incoming e-mails are received. When a user creates an outgoing e-mail communication, the system checks the domain names provided by the user with those domain names stored in the table. If the user-provided domain name does not match any of the domain names in the table, or closely resembles a domain name in the table, the user is prompted to confirm the provided e-mail address. In a second embodiment, e-mail addresses are extracted from incoming e-mail communications and stored in a memory in a client computer e-mail communications system. The system checks the memory for the presence of the e-mail addresses provided in outgoing e-mail communications, and generates a prompt when an e-mail address is not present in the memory.

Abstract: A shareable application program interface (API) infrastructure which is used in combination with a relational database to provide data storage and processing functions for location-aware objects, including particularly mobile objects whose current position is periodically updated by a position determining system. Client and service tables in the relational database are used to store the current point location, and other data, representing virtual objects, including mobile objects. A region table stores that describing the geometry and characteristics of geographical regions having defined boundaries within which the client and service objects reside. For each client, the set of services used by that client is recorded in a client profile database table. The services available on the system which are position-dependent have a geographical location associated with them. The API makes available an assortment of location dependent processing functions which may be used by location aware applications.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing data records between a network data server and a requesting client device has a client software application and a network server software application. The system is characterized in that the client application maintains a first table of unique identifiers for data records stored at the client and sends a copy of the table with a request for data from the server, and the server maintains a second table of unique identifiers for candidate data records to be sent to the client, the identifiers at server and client formed by a common process, and in that the server, on receiving the request and first table from the client, compares the first table and the second table, then sends to the client only those records indicated by the comparison as new to the client and a notification of table updates.

Abstract: An electronic gaming device and method are set forth which provides for dynamically selected pay tables. For each hand or series of hands the device selects a prevailing pay table or a prevailing pay for one or more outcomes. The prevailing pay table can be randomly selected from a plurality of pay tables, pseudo-randomly selected or can be selected based upon the player's strategy of play.

Abstract: A database table reorganization is defined to permit online access of the table during the reorganization. Records are reorganized in the database table by vacating records from a defined number of pages and then filling the pages with records in accordance with a desired ordering for the records. Temporary pointers to the new locations of moved records are used to prevent table scanner access to the database table from missing or duplicating records while scanning the database table during reorganization. Removal of the temporary pointers is synchronized with the completion of scanning of all table scanners that are commenced during a time when records are being moved as part of a vacating or filling step.

Abstract: Optmaahty questions are examined m the following information retrieval problem. Given a set S of n keys, store them so that queries of the form, "Is x E S?" can be answered quickly It is shown that m a rather general model including all the commonly used schemes, [lg(n + I)] probes to the table are needed m the worst case, prowded the key space is sufficiently large The effects of smaller key space and arbitrary encoding are also explored

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for managing data including images, voice, characters, and the like, in a unified manner. The apparatus has an attribute file or an attribute table for registering therein an attribute peculiar to the data to be registered so that the data attribute can be registered simultaneously with the registration of the data. The data can thus be managed through an application in a unified manner based on the attribute data registered in the attribute file or the attribute table. In order to complete the processing of the application, the attribute data of the attribute file or the attribute table is set to be a mode either of "read-only" or "hidden".

Abstract: A primary computer system has a database, application programs that modify the local database, and a transaction manager that stores audit records in a local image trail reflecting those application program modifications to the local database. In a remote backup system, a Receiver process receives audit records from the primary system. The audit records include audit update and audit backout records indicating database updates and database backouts generated by transactions executing on the primary system. The Receiver stores the audit update and audit backout records in one or more image trails. For each image trail there is an Updater process that applies to a backup database volume the database updates and backouts indicated by the audit update and audit backout records in the image trail. The remote backup system periodically executes a file purge procedure, which identifies the oldest transaction table from among the transaction tables in the last image trail file accessed for each of the image trails. Then, for each image trail, the file purge procedure accesses the image trial files in a predefined chronological order and for each accessed image trail file it compares a first set of newest transaction identifiers in the file's transaction table with a second set of oldest transaction identifiers in the identified oldest transaction table. The procedure purges the accessed image trail file only when all of the transaction identifiers in the first set are older than corresponding transaction identifiers in the second set.

Abstract: A system and method of implementing thereof that maps and condenses system control using reachable state control words is described. The system includes a control logic block, a look-up table which stores N-bit reachable state control words derived from an implementation description N-bit control signal, and a logic hardware block. The control logic block accesses the look-up table with a M-bit control word address. The accessed look-up table outputs a N-bit reachable state control word which is used to control the logic hardware block so as to simulate functions as defined by a user input description. A method for implementing the system is performed by synthesizing the user input description to generate an implementation description which describes a control model of the system in terms of a control logic block driving a logic hardware block with a N-bit control signal. The implementation description is analyzed to determine the reachable states of the N-bit control signal. A look-up table is created by storing N-bit reachable state control words corresponding to each reachable state of the N-bit control signal. A mapping function is determined between each reachable state control word stored in the look-up table and a M-bit control word address for accessing the look-up table. Finally, a control logic block is configured or programmed to implement the determined mapping function.

Abstract: A computer-implemented data mining system includes an Interface Tier, an Analysis Tier, and a Database Tier. The Interface Tier supports interaction with users, and includes an On-Line Analytic Processing (OLAP) Client that provides a user interface for generating SQL statements that retrieve data from a database, and an Analysis Client that displays results from a data mining algorithm. The Analysis Tier performs one or more data mining algorithms, and includes an OLAP Server that schedules and prioritizes the SQL statements received from the OLAP Client, an Analytic Server that schedules and invokes the data mining algorithm to analyze the data retrieved from the database, and a Learning Engine performs a Learning step of the data mining algorithm. The Database Tier stores and manages the databases, and includes an Inference Engine that performs an Inference step of the data mining algorithm, a relational database management system (RDBMS) that performs the SQL statements against a Data Mining View to retrieve the data from the database, and a Model Results Table that stores the results of the data mining algorithm.

Abstract: A system and method for efficient layout of a display table. Given a description of a table, such as a markup language description, the table description may be parsed and data structures representing the table description may be created. The table description data structures may then be “inspected”, in order to determine the possible size of the table. Once the table has been inspected, the table may then be “apportioned”, based on the results of the inspection step. That is, final dimensions may be assigned to the table. The table coordinates may then be “normalized”, which may involve converting relative table coordinates into absolute coordinates. Table layout optimizations are described, e.g., in order to efficiently handle various aspects of table layout, such as table cells that span multiple columns or rows, table cells that include nested tables, etc. Thus, the table layout method described herein may be well-suited for use in an environment in which software optimizations are necessary or desirable, such as within a resource-constrained small footprint device.

Abstract: A conversation processing apparatus and method determines whether to change the topic. If the determination is affirmative, the degree of association between a present topic being discussed and a candidate topic stored in a memory is computed with reference to a degree of association table. Based on the computation result, a topic with the highest degree of association is selected as a subsequent topic. The topic is changed from the present topic to the subsequent topic. The degree of association table used to select the subsequent topic is updated.

Abstract: A data storage and retrieval mechanism includes a base table to store attributes common to each of the customer-specific variants and a spill-over table to store customer-specific attributes for associated individual ones of the customer-specific variants, the attributes of the base table and spill-over table each sharing a common, human readable name-referencing scheme. The customer-specific variants provide for corporate personalization of data storage, retrieval, and input and output operations/presentations as well as workflows that use such data. The name-referencing scheme may utilize multi-part names for data objects and such names may be used by other applications within the hosted environment for creating workflows, visual representations of the workflows, and/or data forms. Preferably, workflows are customized to customer-specific variants and may be created by a workflow engine that segregates scheduled transactions according to processes described by the workflows into asynchronous operations when such transactions cause actions outside the hosted environment.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for identifying useless or insignificant documents in a document hit list assembled from documents stored in one or more document collection databases. A search engine is used to compose the document hit list based on a query presented by a user. A text extraction algorithm run by a processor is then used to process the documents identified by the document hit list to produce a table of terms and their corresponding collection-level importance ranking called the IQ or Information Quotient. The text algorithm also produces a table of the most important terms per document. The documents are also scanned independently and a table of documents with filenames and lengths is also produced. A summarizing text algorithm is also run by a processor against the documents of the document hit list to produce a table of terms having a high tf*idf value for each document. All of the tables are stored in a relational database, which allows the system of the present invention to generate a table of terms per document ranked by decreasing IQ. To determine whether a document is useful or useless, the table of terms and IQs, the table of most important terms per document, the table of documents with filename and lengths, and the table of high tf*idf values are examined.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of customizing a database application at runtime includes steps of storing a value associated with a new attribute in an attribute table. The attribute table is configured as a logical extension of a base table that is configured to store values associated with a number of base attributes. The definitions of the new attributes may be stored in an attribute metadata table that is adapted to store the definition of each of the new attributes of the attribute table. A base-attribute pair may be stored in a base-attribute mapping table, the base-attribute pair mapping the name of the base table to the name of the attribute table. An extended attribute may also be stored in an extended attribute table, the extended attribute table including a name column configured to store the extended attribute and a value column configured to store an extended attribute value corresponding to the extended attribute. Rows of the extended value table may be mapped to corresponding rows in the base table. A rule may be stored in a rules table, the evaluation of the rule determining whether the extended attribute value in the extended attribute table is valid.

Abstract: A system and method of composing a query object for application against a database is provided. The method composes a selection clause for the query. Next, a criteria clause for the query is generated, with the criteria clause comprising input criteria related to the query, additional criteria specified against the query, and generated criteria based on a joint relationship. Next a source clause utilizing elements in the database accessed by the query is generated. A database traversal system and method is provided. The method identifies all tables directly accessible by each table and creates a data structure comprising an entry for each table. The entry comprises an identification field for each table and a link field identifying all tables directly accessible by each table. The data structure is traversed and an optimum path of the traversal paths utilizing data obtained from traversing the data structure is identified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus accepts a query to update or delete rows in a temporal table of a database. The query may describe which rows are to be updated, a calculation for the value to be used to update each row of the table, and a period of validity, during which the changes are to take place. The method and apparatus creates a sequence of queries and SQL program elements that together can make up an SQL program that will execute the query received. The SQL program can split any row of the table to be updated into multiple rows so that each of the multiple rows of the table to be changed have an effective period during which no changes occur in the table to be changed or any other tables referenced in the query received and no effective periods span the beginning or the end of the period of validity. The specified change may then be made to the resulting rows, and rows that are adjacent in time with identical values may be collapsed into a single row. The result is inserted into the table to be changed and the corresponding original rows in the table to be changed are deleted. The method and apparatus operates for queries received to update or delete a table.

Abstract: We report on a project that explored emerging technologies for intuitive and unobtrusive information interfaces in a compelling setting. An installation at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, was part of a public exhibit and included an interactive table that presented information associated with the exhibit to the gallery visitors without visible conventional computing elements. The enabling devices included noncontact sensing of low-cost tags in physical icons, electrostatic detection of hand location in three dimensions, and sensor fusion through lightweight Internet Protocol access.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and mechanism for encoding multiple virtual tables into one or more source tables. An aspect of the invention is directed to the access of a virtual table virtual table without requiring separate entries for the virtual table in the meta-data of a database system. Another aspect of the invention is directed to a virtual table that has different column signatures than its underlying source table(s).

Abstract: A hybird Notes/DB2 environment provides a requisition catalog on the Web. Client browsers are connected to a GWA infrastructure including a first network dispatcher and a virtual cluster of Domino.Go servers. The network dispatcher sprays out browser requests among configured .nsf servers in virtual server cluster. Communications from this virtual server cluster are, in turn, dispatched by a second network dispatcher servers in a Domino cluster. External objects, primarily for a GUI, are served in a .dfs and include graphic files, Java files, HTML images and net.data macros. The catalog is built from supplier provided flat files. A front end is provided for business logic and validation, as also is a relation database backend. HTML forms are populated using relational database agents. A role table is used for controlling access both to Notes code and DB2 data. Large amounts of data is quickly transferred using an intermediate agent and window.