Showing papers on "Object (computer science) published in 1998"

Graphical user interface for customer information management

Abstract: A method and apparatus for displaying information regarding an event are provided. The method and apparatus meets objectives of increasing sales and marketing efficiency and efficiency of technical and customer support by providing a multi-dimensional display of event information to a user. As such, a radar screen-like presentation of data is generated that allows the user to see a visual representation of the best prospective opportunities based on the strategic business importance of an event. The method and apparatus functions by determining at least one event to be displayed and generating for graphical display an event object and label corresponding to the event. The radial location of the event object on the display is related to the stage of the particular corresponding event. The location of the event object on the display can also be indicative of other characteristics of the corresponding event. Each event object has variable size, color, and shape, all of which are indicative of characteristics of the corresponding event. In addition, a displayed event object may have an object tail which is indicative of characteristics of the corresponding event. The radar screen-like display may be comprised of sectors, and the location of an event object in a particular sector is indicative of a characteristic of the corresponding event. Each event object provides an electronic link to detailed information about the corresponding event.

Integrated system for quickly and accurately imaging and modeling three-dimensional objects

Abstract: An integrated system generates a model of a three-dimensional object. A scanning laser device scans the three-dimensional object and generates a point cloud. The points of the point cloud each indicate a location of a corresponding point on a surface of the object. A first model is generated, responsive to the point cloud, that generates a first model representing constituent geometric shapes of the object. A data file is generated, responsive to the first model, that can be inputted to a computer-aided design system.

The SLam calculus: programming with secrecy and integrity

Abstract: The SLam calculus is a typed λ-calculus that maintains security information as well as type information. The type system propagates security information for each object in four forms: the object's creators and readers, and the object's indirect creators and readers (i.e., those agents who, through flow-of-control or the actions of other agents, can influence or be influenced by the content of the object). We prove that the type system prevents security violations and give some examples of its power.

Implementation of role/group permission association using object access type

Abstract: Security administration in a computer system is simplified by defining a new and independent entity called an Object Access Type (OAT). OATs comprise access control specifications associating roles with permissions, and associating the roles with a set of objects, such as resources or files. Different roles may have differing permissions to objects associated with an OAT, and objects may be assigned to plural OATs. A mechanism is also presented whereby system administrators are provided with the capability to display and manipulate access designations by operating only on the independent OATS.

Petri Nets as Token Objects: An Introduction to Elementary Object Nets

Abstract: The model of Elementary Object System is introduced and motivated by several examples and applications. Object systems support a modeling of systems by Petri nets following the paradigm of Object-Oriented Modeling. They are composed of a System Net and one or more Object Nets which can be seen as token objects of the system net. By this approach an interesting and challenging two-level system modeling technique is introduced. Similar to the object-oriented approach, complex systems are modeled close to their real appearance in a natural way to promote clear and reliable concepts. Applications in fields like workflow, flexible manufacturing or agent-oriented approaches (mobile agents and/or intelligent agents as in AI research) are feasible. This paper gives an introduction with several examples, but only few definitions and no theorems, which can be found, however, in a more elaborated paper.

File object synchronization between a desktop computer and a mobile device

Abstract: First and second computing devices each contain an object store which store objects indicative of file data. Synchronization components are provided to synchronize the objects while efficiently overcoming problems associated with synchronizing files.

Flexible Alias Protection

Abstract: Aliasing is endemic in object oriented programming. Because an object can be modified via any alias, object oriented programs are hard to understand, maintain, and analyse. Flexible alias protection is a conceptual model of inter-object relationships which limits the visibility of changes via aliases, allowing objects to be aliased but mitigating the undesirable effects of aliasing. Flexible alias protection can be checked statically using programmer supplied aliasing modes and imposes no runtime overhead. Using flexible alias protection, programs can incorporate mutable objects, immutable values, and updatable collections of shared objects, in a natural object oriented programming style, while avoiding the problems caused by aliasing.

Method and apparatus for performing a clean background subtraction

Abstract: A background subtraction apparatus of the present invention includes a key point locator for locating key points on a known object type, a boundary point locator for locating boundary points of the known object that make up the edges of the known object, and an edge processor for processing the edges to provide a clean-edged extraction of the known object from a background image. Preferably, the key point locator includes an alignment detector for detecting alignment of an image of the known object type with a skeleton image. Still more preferably, the skeleton image is an exoskeleton image and the known object type is a human being.

Flexible Alias protection

Abstract: Aliasing is endemic in object oriented programming. Because an object can be modified via any alias, object oriented programs are hard to understand, maintain, and analyse. Flexible alias protection is a conceptual model of inter-object relationships which limits the visibility of changes via aliases, allowing objects to be aliased but mitigating the undesirable effects of aliasing. Flexible alias protection can be checked statically using programmer supplied aliasing modes and imposes no run-time overhead. Using flexible alias protection, programs can incorporate mutable objects, immutable values, and updatable collections of shared objects, in a natural object oriented programming style, while avoiding the problems caused by aliasing.

JHDL-an HDL for reconfigurable systems

Abstract: JHDL is a design tool for reconfigurable systems that allows designers to express circuit organizations that dynamically change over time in a natural way, using only standard programming abstractions found in object-oriented languages. JHDL manages FPGA resources in a manner that is similar to the way object-oriented languages manage memory: circuits are treated as distinct objects and a circuit is configured onto a configurable computing machine (CCM) by invoking its constructor effectively "constructing " an instance of the circuit onto the reconfigurable platform just as object instances are allocated in memory with conventional object-oriented languages. This approach of using object constructors/destructors to control the circuit lifetime on a CCM is a powerful technique that naturally leads to a dual simulation/execution environment where a designer can easily switch between either software simulation or hardware execution on a CCM with a single application description. Moreover JHDL supports dual hardware/software execution; parts of the application described using JHDL circuit constructs can be executed on the CCM while the remainder of the application the-GUI for example-can run on the CCM host. Based on an existing programming language (Java), JHDL requires no language extensions and can be used with any standard Java 1.1 distribution.

Methods, apparatus and data structures for providing a user interface, which exploits spatial memory in three-dimensions, to objects and which visually groups matching objects

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device. Furthermore, the interface determines a degree to which each such object is related, either through similarity or matching, to other such objects and displays an appropriate cue proximate to and associated with the former object to visually signify this degree.

Topological methods to organize semantic network data flows for conversational applications

Abstract: A system and methods for enforcing uniform branching of node-to-node inheritance links within semantic networks, to control data flows to and from such networks in conversational applications. Enforced uniform branching criteria converge the population of directly connected nodes of each node toward a small system-wide constant, and converge each sibling inheritance node to a similar level of abstractness, and are also used to select the best candidate tree from a set of competing representation trees within the semantic network. Uniform branching criteria are applied to competing trees for speech recognition, for object recognition in vision systems, for concept recognition in text scanning systems, and for algorithm definition. For speech recognition, phonemes are identified and matched to dictionary nodes in the semantic network. For visual object recognition, object features are identified and matched. For text scanning, words are identified and matched. For speech, visual and text the sets of competing representation trees are formed from alternative combinations of matched dictionary nodes.

Federated searches of heterogeneous datastores using a federated datastore object

Abstract: A computer method and system capable of searching multiple heterogeneous datastores with heterogeneous data types by employing an object oriented data model to define a federated datastore object. The federated query object translates a generic query into the appropriate queries for each datastore, the federated datastore object acts as a virtual datastore for multiple heterogeneous datastores with the ability to map concepts between datastores, and the federated collection object represents results from a federated query in a hierarchy that maintains sub-grouping information from each datastore to allow accessing of results by datastore or as a single collection of results. The federated objects thus provide user applications with enhanced accessibility of different hierarchies of information, as well as more robust search capabilities.

Defining a uniform subject classification system incorporating document management/records retention functions

Abstract: An interlingual mechanism to achieve uniformity when classifying anything by subject. Using generic terminology in an especially oriented hierarchical structure, it directs the user to a single classification. The system captures acronyms, vernacular and industry-specific, as well as foreign terms, into a thesaurus that can be modified and appended as classification needs change. The system “learns” as synonyms are added to “family groups”, capturing differences in individual perception. Searching for an entity is quickly successful by reversing the process. To ask the system for the location of any item, a descriptive term is entered that the individual believes best describes the object in question. If this entry results in a “hit”, all information pertaining to the item is then available to query. If the entry term does not find a match in the generic structure, the system will search the synonym data base for a match. By arranging “generic terms” in a classified format, the system provides a single location for each record series and enables linking all relevant administrative document management functions and legal retention requirements. Selective and timely purging of documents is thus made possible, greatly facilitating the management of information for both current and prospective use.

Does consistent scene context facilitate object perception

Abstract: The conclusion that scene knowledge interacts with object perception depends on evidence that object detection is facilitated by consistent scene context. Experiment 1 replicated the I. Biederman, R. J. Mezzanotte, and J. C. Rabinowitz (1982) object-detection paradigm. Detection performance was higher for semantically consistent versus inconsistent objects. However, when the paradigm was modified to control for response bias (Experiments 2 and 3) or when response bias was eliminated by means of a forced-choice procedure (Experiment 4), no such advantage obtained. When an additional source of biasing information was eliminated by presenting the object label after the scene (Experiments 3 and 4), there was either no effect of consistency (Experiment 4) or an inconsistent object advantage (Experiment 3). These results suggest that object perception is not facilitated by consistent scene context.

Semiautomatic segmentation and tracking of semantic video objects

Abstract: This paper introduces a novel semantic video object extraction system using mathematical morphology and a perspective motion model. Inspired by the results from the study of the human visual system, we intend to solve the semantic video object extraction problem in two separate steps: supervised I-frame segmentation, and unsupervised P-frame tracking. First, the precise semantic video object boundary can be found using a combination of human assistance and a morphological segmentation tool. Second, the semantic video objects in the remaining frames are obtained using global perspective motion estimation and compensation of the previous semantic video object plus boundary refinement as used for I frames.

Access control and authorization system

Abstract: A process of encrypting an object includes applying a hash algorithm to the object, generating a random number, combining a first plurality of splits including the random number to form a working split, encrypting the object using the working split, combining a second plurality of splits not including the random number to form a value, encrypting the random number using the value, encrypting the hashed object according to a signature algorithm using a user private key, encrypting the hashed object according to a selected algorithm using the working split as a key, forming a header including information that can be used to decrypt the object, encrypting the header, and adding the encrypted header to the encrypted object. The pluralities of splits include a fixed split, a variable split, and a label split corresponding to a selected label. The header includes the encrypted random number, a label, and a digital signature.

The Dependencies of Objects

Abstract: Introduction and proposal case making and object raising case marking and economy case alternations.

Method and apparatus for storing and manipulating objects in a plurality of relational data managers on the web

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for the retrieval, construction and manipulation of any kind of objects using Structured Query Language (SQL) over disparate relational storage systems on the web. Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are used by the present invention to locate objects corresponding to component relational databases on the web and other web objects. URLs locating relational schema components and other web objects are stored as attribute values in tables. Object methods and operators on such web objects are defined as part of user defined type definition for an attribute type in a table. Object request brokers apply such methods or operators on web objects anywhere on the web. Since URLs can point to relational data store under a remote schema definition, a business application logic in the form of object package is executed after constructing proper sets of records by relational operations at the remote schema location. This leads to partitioning of a logical schema into many physical schema components with business objects. Also by this invention, parts of a web object can be intelligently manipulated and access methods through index creation enable range access over web objects. Additionally, this invention suggests possible internet security by authorizations at component schema locations and by further maintaining processing logic for secured transmission over the internet. SQL queries create, retrieve and manipulate disparate web objects with implicit or explicit calls to business application logic as object methods. This invention uniquely incorporates a cooperative method of preparation, execution and resolution of a SQL query manipulating uniform resource locators and object definitions at multiple locations on the web.

Three-dimensional object recognition is viewpoint dependent

Abstract: The human visual system is faced with the computationally difficult problem of achieving object constancy: identifying three-dimensional (3D) objects via two-dimensional (2D) retinal images that may be altered when the same object is seen from different viewpoints1 A widely accepted class of theories holds that we first reconstruct a description of the object's 3D structure from the retinal image, then match this representation to a remembered structural description If the same structural description is reconstructed from every possible view of an object, object constancy will be obtained For example, in Biederman's2 oft-cited recognition-by-components (RBC) theory, structural descriptions are composed of sets of simple 3D volumes called geons (Fig 1), along with the spatial relations in which the geons are placed Thus a mug is represented in RBC as a noodle attached to the side of a cylinder, and a suitcase as a noodle attached to the top of a brick The attraction of geons is that, unlike more complex objects, they possess a small set of defining properties that appear in their 2D projections when viewed from almost any position (eg, all three views of the brick in Fig 1 include a straight main axis, parallel edges, and a straight cross section) According to the RBC theory, a complex object can therefore be recognized from its constituent geons, which can themselves be recognized from any viewpoint

Object-oriented programmable industrial controller with distributed interface architecture

Abstract: A controller capable of interacting with a remotely located computer has an object-oriented control structure facilitating remote access to data formatted in accordance with instructions defined by the controller. The control structure may be organized around a database of object items each associated with a control function. For each control function, the items include one or more procedures for performing an action associated with the control function, and one or more procedures for displaying data associated with the control function. The action procedures effectively define the controller's repertoire with respect to a particular control function. The display procedures comprise instructions retrievable and executable by the remotely located computer, causing display thereon of the data in a predetermined format (i.e., the format prescribed by the instructions). The controller facilitates selection and performance of actions in the database, and execution of the display procedure makes the display instructions accessible to the remotely located computer.

System and method for allocating requests for objects and managing replicas of objects on a network

Abstract: A system and method for distributing requests for objects to hosts that store replicas of the objects, and for managing the placement of the replicas among hosts. Metrics for the historical demand of a replica at a host and the distance of the host from the requester of the object are evaluated and used to make decisions as to where to forward the request substantially independently from any input provided by a host to which a request is forwarded. This simplifies autonomous replica placement decisions made by hosts. A host substantially autonomously uses request metric and load information to select a replica to be deleted, migrated or replicated, and to delete, migrate or replicate a selected replica.

Extensible security system and method for controlling access to objects in a computing environment

Abstract: A method and computing system for extending access control of system objects in a computing environment beyond traditional rights such as read, write, create and delete. According to the invention, a system administrator or user application is able to create control rights that are unique to the type of object. Rights can be created that do not relate to any specific property of the object, but rather define how a user may control the object. A novel object, referred to as a control access data structure, is defined for each unique control right and associates the control right with one or more objects of the computing environment. In order to grant the right to a trusted user, an improved access control entry (ACE) is defined which holds a unique identifier of the trusted user and a unique identifier of the control access data structure.

Common object architecture supporting application-centric building automation systems

Abstract: An object-oriented building automation system architecture allows complex building automation applications to be developed and deployed as distributed objects across a network Applications are distributed in the form of objects that may in turn be made up of other application objects, assembly objects and standard objects All objects are inherited from a superclass that defines a command component and a view component The command component identifies those methods within the object that may be executed by other objects, and ultimately by the user through the user interface The view component identifies the attributes or data stored in the object that may be displayed on the user interface The view component encapsulates the information needed to display the object's data, so that the user interface can be a generic browser The standard objects encapsulate physically-constrained properties or human comfort-constrained properties Applications constructed from these objects can be revised and enhanced more easily because the embedded knowledge is preserved through encapsulation

Methods, apparatus and data structures for providing a user interface, which exploits spatial memory in three-dimensions, to objects and which provides spatialized audio

Abstract: A graphical user interface in which object thumbnails are rendered on a simulated three-dimensional surface which (i) exploits spatial memory and (ii) allows more objects to be rendered on a given screen. The objects may be moved, continuously, on the surface with a two-dimensional input device.

System and method for accessing object capabilities in a graphical program

Abstract: A system and method for creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program is operable to access capabilities of an object During creation of the graphical program, the user operates to place an object node in the graphical program, wherein the object node is operable to access capabilities of the object This preferably includes the user arranging on the screen the graphical program, including the object node and various other nodes, and connecting the various nodes to create the graphical program The user then configures the object node to receive information on the object, preferably by the user configuring the object node with a reference to the object, eg, a pointer, address, or other information which specifies the identity and/or location of the object The user also selects one or more methods to be invoked on the object and/or one or more properties to get/set on the object Once the graphical program has been created, then during execution of the graphical program, the object node accesses the capabilities of the object

Force feedback interface with selective disturbance filter

Abstract: A force feedback interface and method providing a selective disturbance filter for providing selective reduction or elimination of displayed disturbances associated with output force sensations. A force feedback interface device (14) is connected to a host computer (12) that displays a graphical environment. The interface device (14) includes a user manipulatable object (34), sensors (28) for detecting movement of the user object (34), and actuators (30) to apply output forces to the user object (34). A microprocessor (26) outputs controlling force signals to the actuators (30), receives signals from the sensors (28), and reports locative data to the host computer (12) indicative of the movement of the user object (34). The host computer (12) updates a position of a displayed user-controlled graphical object in the graphical environment based on the reported data. The microprocessor (26) implements a selective disturbance filter for modifying the locative data reported to the host computer (12) when the output force would cause a disturbance to the user-controlled graphical object, the disturbance occurring when an output force sensation affects the position of the user object (34) such that the host computer (12) would display the user-controlled graphical object in an undesired location or with an undesired motion in the graphical environment.

Gradual Molding of the Hand to Object Contours

Abstract: Santello, Marco and John F. Soechting. Gradual molding of the hand to object contours. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 1307–1320, 1998. Subjects were asked to reach to and to grasp 15 similarly sized objects ...

Method, system and computer program product for automatic character transliteration in a text string object

Abstract: A three-field text string class is employed for data entered in a language which does not employ the latin alphabet or latin character set, but does employ a character set which may be readily sound-mapped to the latin character set. The entered text is stored in a first field of the text string class, while an automatically transliterated representation of the data entered is stored in a second field. The transliteration is generated utilizing a character-mapping resource file table specific to the language in which the text was entered and the language employing the latin character set. The contents of the second field thus provide a recognizable representation of the text string to users unfamiliar with the character set of the language in which the text was entered. The second field's contents also provide a pronunciation key for the entered text string for nonspeakers. An abstract object name entered in Cyrillic characters may thus be recognized and properly pronounced by an user who only speaks English.

Method and system for remote automation of object oriented applications

Abstract: An object oriented programming environment is extended to allow a client object oriented application running under a client/server operating system to communicate with a plurality of server object oriented applications located on one or more remote computers in a distributed computer environment. The extended object oriented programming environment provides the capability for a client object oriented application to connect to, and communicate with remote server object oriented applications as well as make object references to remote objects and remote object data. The extended object oriented programming environment is used for designing N-tiered logical models for distributed computing applications, while providing a flexible and adaptable M-tiered physical model underneath the N-tiered logical model. This environment is also used to provide the ability to reference remote objects from Internet and other client network applications.