Showing papers on "Application software published in 2001"

Multiple description coding: compression meets the network

Abstract: This article focuses on the compressed representations of pictures. The representation does not affect how many bits get from the Web server to the laptop, but it determines the usefulness of the bits that arrive. Many different representations are possible, and there is more involved in their choice than merely selecting a compression ratio. The techniques presented represent a single information source with several chunks of data ("descriptions") so that the source can be approximated from any subset of the chunks. By allowing image reconstruction to continue even after a packet is lost, this type of representation can prevent a Web browser from becoming dormant.

Interactive evolutionary computation: fusion of the capabilities of EC optimization and human evaluation

Abstract: We survey the research on interactive evolutionary computation (IEC). The IEC is an EC that optimizes systems based on subjective human evaluation. The definition and features of the IEC are first described and then followed by an overview of the IEC research. The overview primarily consists of application research and interface research. In this survey the IEC application fields include graphic arts and animation, 3D computer graphics lighting, music, editorial design, industrial design, facial image generation, speed processing and synthesis, hearing aid fitting, virtual reality, media database retrieval, data mining, image processing, control and robotics, food industry, geophysics, education, entertainment, social system, and so on. The interface research to reduce human fatigue is also included. Finally, we discuss the IEC from the point of the future research direction of computational intelligence. This paper features a survey of about 250 IEC research papers.

Application program interface for network software platform

Abstract: An application program interface (API) provides a set of functions for application developers who build Web applications on Microsoft Corporation's .NET™ platform.

When virtual is better than real [operating system relocation to virtual machines]

Abstract: This paper argues that the operating system and applications currently running on a real machine should relocate into a virtual machine. This structure enables services to be added below the operating system and to do so without trusting or modifying the operating system or applications. To demonstrate the usefulness of this structure, we describe three services that take advantage of it: secure logging, intrusion prevention and detection, and environment migration.

Analysis and testing of Web applications

Abstract: The economic relevance of Web applications increases the importance of controlling and improving their quality. Moreover, the newly available technologies for their development allow the insertion of sophisticated functions, but often leave the developers responsible for their organization and evolution. As a consequence, a high demand is emerging for methodologies and tools for the quality assurance of Web-based systems. In this paper, a UML model of Web applications is proposed for their high-level representation. Such a model is the starting point for several analyses, which can help in the assessment of the static site structure. Moreover, it drives Web application testing, in that it can be exploited to define white-box testing criteria and to semi-automatically generate the associated test cases. The proposed techniques were applied to several real-world Web applications. The results suggest that automatic support for verification and validation activities can be extremely beneficial. In fact, it guarantees that all paths in the site which satisfy a selected criterion are properly exercised before delivery. The high level of automation that is achieved in test case generation and execution increases the number of tests that are conducted and simplifies the regression checks.

VR Juggler: a virtual platform for virtual reality application development

Abstract: Today, scientists and engineers are exploring advanced applications and uses of immersive systems that can be cost-effectively applied in their fields. However, one of the impediments to the widespread use of these technologies is the extensive technical expertise required of application developers. A software environment that provides abstractions from specific details of hardware configurations and low-level software tools is needed to provide a common base for the prototyping, development, testing and debugging of applications. This paper describes VR Juggler, a virtual platform for the creation and execution of immersive applications, that provides a virtual reality system-independent operating environment. We focus on the approach taken to specify, design and implement VR Juggler and the benefits derived from our approach.

Supporting program comprehension using semantic and structural information

Abstract: Focuses on investigating the combined use of semantic and structural information of programs to support the comprehension tasks involved in the maintenance and reengineering of software systems. "Semantic information" refers to the domain-specific issues (both the problem and the development domains) of a software system. The other dimension, structural information, refers to issues such as the actual syntactic structure of the program, along with the control and data flow that it represents. An advanced information retrieval method, latent semantic indexing, is used to define a semantic similarity measure between software components. Components within a software system are then clustered together using this similarity measure. Simple structural information (i.e. the file organization) of the software system is then used to assess the semantic cohesion of the clusters and files with respect to each other. The measures are formally defined for general application. A set of experiments is presented which demonstrates how these measures can assist in the understanding of a nontrivial software system, namely a version of NCSA Mosaic.

Software-based self-testing methodology for processor cores

Abstract: At-speed testing of gigahertz processors using external testers may not be technically and economically feasible. Hence, there is an emerging need for low-cost high-quality self-test methodologies that can be used by processors to test themselves at-speed. Currently, built-in self-test (BIST) is the primary self-test methodology available. While memory BIST is commonly used for testing embedded memory cores, complex logic designs such as microprocessors are rarely tested with logic BIST. In this paper, we first analyze the issues associated with current hardware-based logic-BIST methodologies by applying a commercial logic-BIST tool to two processor cores. We then propose a new software-based self-testing methodology for processors, which uses a software tester embedded in the processor memory as a vehicle for applying structural tests. The software tester consists of programs for test generation and test application. Prior to the test, structural tests are prepared for processor components in the form of self-test signatures. During the process of self-test, the test generation program expands the self-test signatures into test sets and the test application program applies the tests to the components under test at the speed of the processor. Application of the novel software-based self-test method demonstrates its significant cost/fault coverage benefits and its ability to apply at-speed test while alleviating the need for high-speed testers.

Method and system for secure payments over a computer network

Abstract: A method of conducting a financial transaction by a purchaser over a communications network is provided where the purchaser does not transmit his or her 'real' payment card information over the network but instead secure payment application software is provided which allows for the transmission of a pseudo account number that is cryptographically processed for purposes of responding to an authorization request based on the real account number.

A novel methodology for the design of application-specific instruction-set processors (ASIPs) using a machine description language

Abstract: The development of application-specific instruction-set processors (ASIP) is currently the exclusive domain of the semiconductor houses and core vendors. This is due to the fact that building such an architecture is a difficult task that requires expertise in different domains: application software development tools, processor hardware implementation, and system integration and verification. This paper presents a retargetable framework for ASIP design which is based on machine descriptions in the LISA language. From that, software development tools can be generated automatically including high-level language C compiler, assembler, linker, simulator, and debugger frontend. Moreover, for architecture implementation, synthesizable hardware description language code can be derived, which can then be processed by standard synthesis tools. Implementation results for a low-power ASIP for digital video broadcasting terrestrial acquisition and tracking algorithms designed with the presented methodology are given. To show the quality of the generated software development tools, they are compared in speed and functionality with commercially available tools of state-of-the-art digital signal processor and /spl mu/C architectures.

Extending UML for modeling Web applications

Abstract: Web sites are progressively evolving from browsable, read-only information repositories to Web-based distributed applications. Compared to traditional Web sites, these Web applications do not only support navigation and browsing, but also operations that affect their contents and navigation states. Compared to traditional applications Web applications integrate operations with the built-in browsing capabilities of hypermedia. These novelties make Web application design a complex task that requires the integration of methods and techniques developed in different "worlds". This integration is achieved in this paper by extending and customizing the Unified Modeling Language (UML) with Web design concepts borrowed from the Hypermedia Design Model (HDM). Hypermedia elements are described through appropriate UML stereotypes. UML diagrams are also tailored to model operations and relate them with hypermedia elements. The approach is exemplified by describing the design of a Web-based conference manager.

Self-tuned remote execution for pervasive computing

Abstract: Pervasive computing creates environments saturated with computing and communication capability, yet gracefully integrated with human users. Remote execution has a natural role to play, in such environments, since it lets applications simultaneously leverage the mobility of small devices and the greater resources of large devices. In this paper, we describe Spectra, a remote execution system designed for pervasive environments. Spectra monitors resources such as battery, energy and file cache state which are especially important for mobile clients. It also dynamically balances energy use and quality goals with traditional performance concerns to decide where to locate functionality. Finally, Spectra is self-tuning-it does not require applications to explicitly specify intended resource usage. Instead, it monitors application behavior, learns functions predicting their resource usage, and uses the information to anticipate future behavior.

A framework for the emerging mobile commerce applications

Abstract: We envision many new e-commerce applications will be possible and significantly benefit from emerging wireless and mobile networks. These applications can collectively be termed wireless e-commerce or mobile commerce. To allow designers, developers, and researchers to strategize and effectively implement mobile commerce applications, we propose a 4-level integrated framework for mobile commerce. Since there are potentially an unlimited number of mobile commerce applications we only identify a few important classes of applications such as mobile financial applications, mobile advertising, mobile inventory management, proactive service management, product location and search, and wireless re-engineering. We also address the networking requirements of these applications and discuss how these requirements can be supported by existing and emerging wireless networks. It is our hope that this work will become the framework for further research in mobile commerce.

Program slicing: methods and applications

Abstract: Program slicing is a viable method to restrict the focus of a task to specific sub-components of a program. Examples of applications include debugging, testing, program comprehension, restructuring, downsizing, and parallelization. The paper discusses different statement deletion based slicing methods, together with algorithms and applications to software engineering.

Accelerating development with agent components

Abstract: As the demand for more flexible, adaptable, extensible, and robust Web based enterprise application systems accelerates, adopting new software engineering methodologies and development strategies becomes critical. These strategies must support the construction of enterprise software systems that assemble highly flexible software components written at different times by various developers. Traditional software development strategies and engineering methodologies, which require development of software systems from scratch, fall short in this regard. Component based software engineering offers an attractive alternative for building Web based enterprise application systems. CBSE works by developing and evolving software from selected reusable software components, then assembling them within appropriate software architectures. By promoting the use of software components that commercial vendors or in-house developers build, the component based software development approach promises large scale software reuse.

Software, devices and methods facilitating execution of server-side applications at mobile devices

Abstract: Software, devices and methods allowing varied mobile devices to interact with server side software applications are disclosed. Data from an application executing at a computing device is presented at a remote wireless device by providing the device an application definition file, containing definitions for a user interface format for the application at the wireless device; the format of network messages for exchange of data generated by the application; and a format for storing data related to the application at the wireless device. Using these definitions, the wireless device may receive data from the application in accordance with the definition and present an interface for the application. Preferably, the application definition file is an XML file. Similarly, application specific network messages provided to the device are also formed using XML. Data from the application may be presented at the mobile device by virtual machine software that uses the application definition file.

Printing service method for printing system and the printing system

Abstract: In a print service method for a printing system, text data contained in a mail received by a mobile phone owned by a user, and attachment file data attached to the received mail are downloaded into the printing system from the mobile phone Application software corresponding to the attachment file data is selected from application software stored in the printing system, thereby opening the attachment file data by using the selected application software The text data and the attachment file data opened by the selected application software are printed onto a printing medium

Multimedia player and browser system

Abstract: A multimedia software application that can include audio, video and/or graphics, in a manner that combines the multimedia experience with the transfer of information from and between a variety of sources (126), in a variety of directions, and subject to a variety of prompts. The application provides a 'Web in Page' approach, in which a series of windows have the same or similar 'look and feel', yet can be used to access and display information from a variety of sources (126), including local content (112) (hard drive or other locally stored media), and web-based online content (118), including that available from a dedicated, integrated server (114), affiliated servers (114), or even other computer users. The application of the present invention can be provided in stand-alone form, to be loaded on a client device (116) (e.g., personal computer) from either a recorded medium or downloaded online. In addition to this 'Web in Page' application interface, a 'Web in Skin' interface may be provided, by which the application interface may be varied based on client user (110) or advertiser (126) preferences to provide a customized interface format. Optionally,and preferably, the application is provided in a form where it i s recorded on, and thereby combined with, digitally recorded content, such as a music CD or DVD.

Cryptographic security for mobile code

Abstract: We address the protection of mobile code against cheating and potentially malicious hosts. We point out that the recent approach based on computing with "encrypted functions" is limited to the case where only the code originator learns the result of the completion and the host running the code must not notice anything at all. We argue that if the host is to receive some output of the computation, then securing mobile code requires minimal trust in a third party. Tamper-proof hardware installed on each host has been proposed for this purpose. We introduce a new approach for securely executing (fragments of) mobile code that relies on a minimally trusted third party. This party is a generic independent entity, called the secure computation service, which performs some operations on behalf of the mobile application, but does not learn anything about the encrypted computation. Because it is universal, the secure computation service needs to be only minimally trusted and can serve many different applications. We present a protocol based on tools from theoretical cryptography that is quite practical for computing small functions.

An approach to automated hardware/software partitioning using a flexible granularity that is driven by high-level estimation techniques

Abstract: Hardware/software partitioning is a key issue in the design of embedded systems when performance constraints have to be met and chip area and/or power dissipation are critical. For that reason, diverse approaches to automatic hardware/software partitioning have been proposed since the early 1990s. In all approaches so far, the granularity during partitioning is fixed, i.e., either small system parts (e.g., base blocks) or large system parts (e.g., whole functions/processes) can be swapped at once during partitioning in order to find the best hardware/software tradeoff. Since the deployment of a fixed granularity is likely to result in suboptimum solutions, we present the first approach that features a flexible granularity during hardware/software partitioning. Our approach is comprehensive in so far that the estimation techniques, our multigranularity performance estimation technique described here in detail, that control partitioning, are adapted to the flexible partitioning granularity. In addition, our multilevel objective function is described. It allows us to tradeoff various design constraints/goals (performance/hardware area) against each other. As a result, our approach is applicable to a wider range of applications than approaches with a fixed granularity. We also show that our approach is fast and that the obtained hardware/software partitions are much more efficient (in terms of hardware effort, for example) than in cases where a fixed granularity is deployed.

Method and system for producing an electronic business network

Abstract: An electronic commerce network that facilitates the exchange of goods and services is described that includes configurations for physically implementing the system and data structures for logically implementing the method. The physical components of the system include a wide area network, a message bus (5006), data channels and system connectors (5004). The logical components of the system include system software, client application software, databases and an event coordinator/workflow processor (5011). Functions of the system include business network registration (5008), user registration, definition of roles, assignment of roles to business networks and user registrants, definition of logical products, definition of physical products, identification of the goods needed by a participant, identification of the goods offered by a participant and the brokering of a solution that takes into account the needs of one participant and the offer of another participant.

Browser proxy client application service provider (ASP) interface

Abstract: A system for serving applications, including legacy applications, from an application server to browser clients. The system is capable of serving any application to any client using any browser, removing the need for upgrading client application software and the need for installation of additional software bits on the client. Preferably, the system includes an application server configured to execute an application thereon and communicate the user interface portion of the application through a web server to a browser proxy client for publication directly into a browser. The system may also incorporate a caching module for selectively capturing data from the user interface corresponding to the execution of the application on the application server. The system may also provide auditing, monitoring, reviewing, and reporting computer data communicated corresponding to the execution of the served applications. The browser proxy client is also capable of publishing the user interfaces of many executing applications to the browsers of many users, in a one to many or many to many relationship. The caching module also may render the captured data inaccessible to users. The system may also include an audit module for providing to an independent agent data reflecting computer usage corresponding to the execution of the application for audit in accordance with a classification system that identifies data for audit. The system may also include a reporting module for providing instant alerts and periodic reports constituting usage summaries and regarding access to data to a reviewing authority. The system may also include an archive module for creating and maintaining records of computer usage, Internet access, or data access.

Method and arrangement for the management of database schemas

Abstract: The invention relates generally to the management of distributed databases, and more particularly to a method and an arrangement associated with managing database schemas and configuration of software that uses those schemas. The objective of this invention is to present a method and a system, which allows managing database schemas and application software in large distributed multi-database systems and avoiding problems that are related to the prior art systems. The objective of the invention is attained by using configuration manager apparatus (231), which is external to the configuration and databases being managed (200). The objective of the invention is preferably also attained by providing a mechanism for keeping multiple, possibly different database schemas and application software in synchronization. The external configuration management node (231) manages the configuration management replicas (203, 213, 223) in each part (201, 211, 221) of the distributed database system (200). These synchronized configuration management replicas comprise scripts that are used for creating and/or updating the schemas of the database nodes and configuration of software that uses these database nodes (202, 212, 222)

Dynamic and selective combination of extensions in component-based applications

Abstract: Support for dynamic and client-specific customization is required in many application areas. We present a (distributed) application as consisting of a minimal functional core — implemented as a component-based system, and an unbound set of potential extensions that can be selectively integrated within this core functionality. An extension to this core may be a new service, due to new requirements of end users. Another important category of extensions we consider, are non-functional services such as authentication, which typically introduce interaction refinements at the application level. In accordance to the separation of concerns principle, each extension is implemented as a layer of mixin-like wrappers. Each wrapper incrementally adds behavior and state to a core component instance from the outside, without modifying the component's implementation. The novelty of this work is that the composition logic, responsible for integrating extensions into the core system, is externalized from the code of clients, core system and extensions. Clients (end users, system integrators) can customize this composition logic on a per collaboration basis by `attaching' high-level interpretable extension identifiers to their interactions with the core system.

Energy is just another resource: energy accounting and energy pricing in the Nemesis OS

Abstract: In this paper, we argue that, with an appropriate operating system structure, energy in mobile computers can be treated and managed as just another resource. In particular, we investigate how energy management could be added to the Nemesis OS which provides detailed and accurate resource accounting capabilities in order to provide Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees for all resources to applications. We argue that, with such an operating system, accounting of energy to individual processes can be achieved. Furthermore, we investigate how an economic model, proposed for congestion avoidance in computer network, and recently applied to CPU resource management, can be used as a dynamic, decentralised energy management system, forming a collaborative environment between operating system and applications.

A method and system for detecting rogue software

Abstract: A method of detecting rogue software includes the step of creating a first database containing pre-calculated fingerprints for each file relating to typical operating systems and application software, wherein the pre-calculated fingerprints are calculated using one or more cryptographic formulae. The one or more cryptographic formulae are then used to calculate fingerprints of files on a computer system which is to be scanned for rogue software. The fingerprints calculated for the files on the computer system are compared with the fingerprints which are contained in the first database of pre-calculated fingerprints. Files on the computer system which may contain rogue software are identified by identifying files the calculated fingerprints of which do not correspond to the pre-calculated fingerprints which are stored in the first database.

Communication handling in integrated modular avionics

Abstract: Techniques for inter-application communication and handling of I/O devices in an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) system enable the integration of multiple applications (B) while maintaining strong spatial and temporal partitioning between application software modules or partitioned applications (P1, P2) The integration of application modules is simplified by abstracting the desired application interactions in a manner similar to device access Such abstraction facilitates the integration of previously developed applications as well as new applications The invention requires the least support from the operating system and minimizes the dependency of the integrated environment on application characteristics

A methodology for the design of application specific instruction set processors (ASIP) using the machine description language LISA

Abstract: The development of application specific instruction set processors (ASIP) is currently the exclusive domain of the semiconductor houses and core vendors. This is due to the fact that building such an architecture is a difficult task that requires expertise knowledge in different domains: application software development tools, processor hardware implementation, and system integration and verification. This paper presents a retargetable framework for ASIP design which is based on machine descriptions in the LISA language. From that, software development tools can be automatically generated including HLL C-compiler, assembler, linker, simulator and debugger frontend. Moreover, synthesizable HDL code can be derived which can then be processed by standard synthesis tools. Implementation results for a low-power ASIP for DVB-T acquisition and tracking algorithms designed with the presented methodology will be given.

Data exchange for two software systems co-existing on a computer

Abstract: A data exchange system is disclosed for exchanging data between two software systems running on a computer for maintaining data consistency in databases in the two software systems in real-time. The data exchange system comprises a first and a second data-exchanging software systems. The first data-exchanging software system operates as an application software under the Microsoft Windows or Linux operating system of the computer and comprises an OS data synchronization module, an OS data exchange module, an OS exchange databank, and an OS standard-format databank. The second data-exchanging software system operates as another application software under the One-Touch OS™ operating system and comprises an AP data synchronization module, an AP data exchange module, an AP exchange databank, and an AP standard-format databank. The OS data exchange module accesses information stored in the AP standard-format databank for comparison with information stored in the OS exchange databank. The OS data synchronization module synchronizes the compared information designated by a user of the computer, and the AP data exchange module accesses information stored in the OS standard-format databank for comparison with information stored in the AP exchange databank. The AP data synchronization module synchronizes the compared information designated by the user.

Managed hosting server auditing and change tracking

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for auditing and tracking changes in a managed hosting server. Embodiments of the present invention track changes made to systems in a server farm or data center. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention track changes to the operating system, file system, registry, application software files, and other important files and maintain the changes in a database. This database of changes can then be queried to identify the root cause of problems and aid in systems and applications management in the data center.