International Business Machines Corporation

Siemens Medical Systems, Inc.

Servicenow, Inc.

Rocket Software, Inc.

David R Schwartz

Cale R Vardy

Scott Harlan Isensee

Bryan Frederick Smith

James Lee Lentz

William Graham O'Keeffe

Robert C Johnson, Jr

David Deidou Taieb

Joel Frank Farber

Teresa Lynn Leamon

Donald Allan Weil

Steven Michael Miller

James Z Teng

James Alan Ruddy

John Marland Garth

Rodney A Smith

Carolyn A Brown

Richard M Lee

David C Vogele

Koshy John

David Warner

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for recording and maintaining stored information system object relationship information. Information contained within a stored information system (including system catalogs, referential constraints, triggers, table hierarchies, column references, indexes, stored program packages, system catalogs, stored procedures, stored queries, log/trace files of dynamically executed code, etc.) are searched to identify dependency relationships between objects. This object relationship information is stored and maintained in an information base. Information within the information based may be organized based upon subsets of objects that support a common application, service, or capability. Object relationship data is used to facilitate stored information system administration activities such as generating/restoring from archives, physically/logically segmenting data objects, replicating data objects; optimizing the distribution of data in distributed data system; and estimating operational capacity.

Method and apparatus for recording and managing data object relationship data

Mechanisms are provided, in a first computing device, for sharing content of communication sessions. The mechanisms establish a first communication session between the first computing device and a second computing device. The first computing device is operated by a first user and the second computing device is operated by a second user. The apparatus establishes, in response to content of the first communication session indicating subject matter for which additional information is desired by at least one of the first user or the second user, a second communication session between the first computing device and a question and answer (QA) system. In response to an input by the first user requesting sharing of information, the first computing device automatically copies a portion of content of the first communication session to the second communication session as an input question submitted to the QA system.

Automatic question generation and answering based on monitored messaging sessions

Aspects of the present invention disclose a method for customizing a parameter value in a software program. The method includes one or more processors receiving one integrated input requesting a change to the original value of a parameter in a software program to a new value of the parameter and defining a persistence level of the new value of the parameter. The method further includes one or more processors changing the original value of the parameter to the new value of the parameter based on the one integrated input and setting the persistence level of the new value based on the one integrated input.

Integrated parameter control with persistence indication

Display screen with graphical user interface

Mechanisms are provided for modifying an operation of a question answering (QA) system. An input question is received and processed to generate at least one query to be applied to a corpus of information. The at least one query is applied to the corpus of information to generate candidate answers to the input question from which a final answer is selected for output. A training engine modifies, using a machine learning technique that compares the final answer to a known correct answer for the input question, at least one of logic or configuration parameters of the QA system for at least one of the processing of the input question to generate the at least one query, applying of the at least one query to the corpus of information to generate the candidate answers, or the selecting of the final answer from the candidate answers.

Results of question and answer systems

Mechanisms are provided for answering questions about at least one previous execution of a question answering (QA) system on a previous input question. An input question is received that is directed to a previous execution of a QA system with regard to a previous input question. The input question is processed to generate at least one query for application to a corpus of information, which comprises information about the QA system and the previous execution of the QA system on the previous input question. The at least one query is applied to the corpus of information to generate candidate answers to the input question which are ranked according to confidence measure values associated with the candidate answers. A final answer for the input question is output based on the ranking of the candidate answers.

Disclosed is a scrolling system with adjustable granularity. The system includes a user interface that displays data on a display device. The scrolling system further includes a system for scrolling through data. The system detects a scroll command in a first direction from a user interface. A display area is configured to shift in the first direction when a user issues the scroll command. The system also detects a granularity setting command in a second direction. A scroll bar is configured to shift in the second direction when the user issues the granularity setting command. The system is configured to adjust a granularity setting corresponding to a position of the scroll bar on the display when the scroll bar crosses a threshold point. The granularity setting corresponds to various levels of response sensitivity to the scroll command. Other embodiments of the system and methods are also described.

Method for precise navigation of data

A system, method and program product for creating a UML model of a user interface environment, such as a website. A UML design system is disclosed that includes: a system for defining use cases within the UML model; a system for associating an affinity representing a user-perceived relationship between use cases within the UML model; and a system for assigning a weight to the affinity within the UML model.

Modeling user perceived use case affinity

A method, system and computer-usable medium is based on a procedure that includes: generating a graphics file for each of a plurality of Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams; creating an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema that reflects an underlying subject domain that is to be used when creating an XML representation of one or more UML models that incorporate relationships described by the UML diagrams; converting each of the UML models into an XML file using the XML schema, wherein the XML file includes XML formatted written descriptions of attributes of elements represented in the UML models; and transforming the XML file into multiple HyperText Markup Language (HTML) files, wherein the HTML files include written descriptions of attributes of and relationships among elements represented in the UML models.

Method and system for broadly sharing UML-based models

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture accesses a dataset using an unsupported access method. A first request to access a dataset is intercepted. The first request is associated with a first data structure that specifies a first access method. The first data structure is replaced with a second data structure that specifies a second access method which is different from the first access method. The dataset is accessed in accordance with the second access method of the second data structure. In another particular embodiment, the first access method is the basic direct access method, and the second access method is any of the basic sequential access method and the queued sequential access method. In yet another embodiment, the dataset is an extended format physical sequential dataset.

Accessing a dataset using an unsupported access method

A method and system in a data processing system for customizing a graphic user interface environment by utilizing graphic manipulation of selected graphic user interface elements in order to initiate the installation of optional functions and/or features. A graphical user interface element within a graphic user interface is displayed within a first region of a display screen. A data processing system user is then permitted to temporarily remove the graphical user interface element from that first region of the display screen by temporarily rendering that graphic user interface element transparent or by temporarily displaying that graphic user interface element within an alternate region within the display screen. Thereafter, a selected area is designated within the first region, and a user-selectable object which is representative of an optional function and/or feature is displayed at the selected area within the first region, in response to that designation. The graphical user interface element is then restored to the first region, and the user-selectable object is thereafter displayed at the selected area within the graphical user interface element, thereby enabling a user to customize the graphical user interface element by adding an object within an existing element of a graphic user interface which represents an optional function and/or feature within the graphic user interface element.

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

David R Schwartz