Author: claimsbot

1. A method comprising:
processing multiple resources to build a word dictionary configured to enable summarizing a plurality of microblogs;
using the word dictionary to create concepts, at least some individual concepts comprising a semantic tag comprising multiple words;
assigning a plurality of microblogs to a plurality of the concepts effective to form potential clusters;
computing a membership score for each microblogcluster pairing; and
using the membership score to assign a microblog to a cluster.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing multiple resources comprises using a co-occurrence technique to build the word dictionary.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said microblogs comprise company-related microblogs.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the multiple resources to build a word dictionary comprises building a word dictionary that contains nouns associated with a particular domain.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the multiple resources to build a word dictionary comprises:
building a word dictionary that contains nouns associated with companies;
using a pre-defined window of words to select words before and after mentions associated with a company; and
computing an association measure for at least some individual words, the association measure reflecting how often the word appears in conjunction with a company mention.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the word dictionary to create concepts comprises utilizing a hypernym path.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein using the word dictionary to create concepts comprises utilizing a hypernym path, the semantic tag comprising multiple words from the hypernym path.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein using the word dictionary to create concepts comprises utilizing a hypernym path, the semantic tag comprising multiple words from the hypernym path, the multiple words appearing at different hierarchical levels of the hypernym path.
9. One or more computer readable storage media comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, implement a method comprising:
ranking individual clusters using an entropy measure on mapping words associated with the cluster, the entropy measure incorporating sentiment values associated with the mapping words, the clusters being associated with microblogs that are to be summarized; and
summarizing each cluster’s contents.
10. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein said summarizing comprises selecting one or more sentences based on a probability measure that incorporates a degree of sentiment relative to words that appear in the one or more sentences.
11. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the microblogs are associated with one or more companies.
12. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the ranking comprises computing probabilities of mapping words, wherein a mapping word’s probability incorporates an associated sentiment value.
13. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the ranking comprises computing probabilities of mapping words, wherein a mapping word’s probability incorporates an associated sentiment value, sentiment values being associated with classifications of a microblog into positive, negative, or neutral categories.
14. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the ranking comprises:
computing probabilities of mapping words, wherein a mapping word’s probability incorporates an associated sentiment value; and
computing entropy measures that take into account probabilities associated with the cluster’s mapping words.
15. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the ranking comprises:
computing probabilities of mapping words, wherein a mapping word’s probability incorporates an associated sentiment value; and
computing entropy measures that take into account probabilities associated with the cluster’s mapping words; and
further comprising weighting computed entropy measures to reduce the entropy of at least some clusters.
16. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein said summarizing comprises generating a headline for a cluster, wherein the headline comprises a sorted list of mapping words that define headline words.
17. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein said summarizing comprises generating a headline for a cluster, wherein the headline comprises a sorted list of mapping words that define headline words; and
further comprising selecting microblogs for the cluster biased toward microblogs containing the headline words.
18. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the individual microblogs have 1000 or less characters.
19. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the individual microblogs have 140 characters or less.
20. A system comprising:
a learning component comprising:
a word finding component configured to process multiple resources and compute a measure of how often individual words appear in conjunction with a company name;
a word dictionary configured to contain nouns that are identified by the word finding component;
a word mapping component configured to map words appearing in the word dictionary, using a hierarchical hypernym path, to create concepts;
a concept store configured to store concepts that are created by the word mapping component, the concepts being configured to enable summarization of microblogs having 1000 characters or less; and

a summarization component comprising:
a clustering component configured to form individual clusters based on input from a plurality of microblogs for a particular company and concepts from the concept store;
a sentiment prediction component configured to compute a sentiment value for individual microblogs;

a cluster ranking component configured to rank individual clusters from the clustering component using sentiment values computed by the sentiment prediction component and probability of words computed over microblogs in a particular cluster; and
a cluster summarization component configured to provide a summary of individual clusters.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A mass-storage device, comprising:
a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface;
a locking function coupled to the USB interface, wherein the locking function is accessible via a USB device class other than a mass-storage class; and
a data mass-storage memory coupled to the locking circuit.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the data mass-storage memory comprises one of a hard disk drive, a removable storage device, an optical disk storage device, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory device.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the locking function is implemented in a circuit.
4. The device of claim 2, wherein the locking function is implemented in firmware.
5. The device of claim 2, wherein the locking function is implemented in a universal serial bus bridge device.
6. A serial bus controller circuit, comprising:
a universal serial bus (USB) bridge controller;
a locking function coupled to the universal serial bus bridge controller; wherein the locking function is accessible via a USB device class other than a mass-storage class; and
an interface to a mass-storage device, wherein the interface is coupled to the locking function.
7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the universal serial bus bridge controller, the locking function, and the interface to a mass storage device are located in a mass storage controller chip.
8. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the locking function is implemented in a circuit.
9. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the locking function is implemented in firmware.
10. A method for accessing a lockable mass-storage device, comprising:
connecting a lockable mass storage device to a computer;
enumerating the lockable mass storage device enumerates via an alternative interface class as a device other than a mass-storage device;
opening a \u2018keyhole\u2019 program on the computer prompting for a user to provide a password or other access means;
sending a password or other access means via the alternative interface to the lockable mass storage device; and
validating if the password or other access means is valid, and if so reNumerating the mass storage device and appearing as an unlocked device.
11. The method cited in claim 10, where an incorrect password causes reNumeration as a dummy device to prevent suspicion.
12. The method cited in claim 10 where several different passwords can be used to select between multiple virtual drives.
13. The method cited in claim 10 where an incorrect password causes a program to run on the host that can notify others of the failed password attempt.
14. A docking station apparatus, comprising:
a chassis configured for docking an electronic device;
a locking circuit coupled to the chassis, the locking circuit comprising a universal serial bus (USB) bridge function; an interface coupled to the locking circuit,
configurable to communicate between the electronic device and the locking circuit; and
a mass storage device slot coupled to the locking circuit.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mass storage device slot comprises one of a hard disk drive slot, an optical disk drive slot, or a flash memory card slot.
17. The apparatus for claim 14, wherein the locking circuit is configurable to enumerating the mass storage device via an alternative interface class as a device other than a mass-storage device.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the locking circuit is configurable to request a password or other access means from the electronic device, and to validate a password or other access means received from the electronic device.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein if the locking circuit validates the password or other access means, the locking circuit ReNumerates the mass storage device so it appears as an unlocked device.
20. The apparatus of claim 18, where if the locking circuit fails to validate the password or other access means, the locking circuit denies access from the electronic device to the mass storage device.
21. The apparatus of claim 18, where if the locking circuit fails to validate the password or other access means more than a threshold number of times, the locking circuit displays a dummy partition to the host device.
22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the locking circuit is configurable to require a different password to access each of a plurality of partitions on the mass storage device.

1. An image coding apparatus for successively coding pixel values constituting an image signal on the basis of pixel values of plural peripheral pixels positioned in the vicinity of a coding target pixel, comprising:
blocking means for blocking an image signal comprising plural pixel values corresponding to a single image display region into blocks each comprising a prescribed number of pixels, and outputting, block by block, the prescribed number of pixel values constituting the image signal in each block;
pixel value replacing means for replacing a pixel value of an uncoded pixel among the peripheral pixels with a pseudo pixel value that is obtained from a pixel value of a coded pixel among the peripheral pixels on the basis of a prescribed rule; and
coding means for receiving the image signal comprising plural pixel values corresponding to each block, performing, for each block, a coding process in which the respective pixel values are successively coded on the basis of the pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel, and outputting an coded image signal.
2. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the pixel value replacing means employs, as a pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel, a pixel value of a coded pixel which is positioned at the shortest spatial distance from the uncoded pixel.
3. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the pixel value replacing means employs, as a pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel, a pixel value of a coded pixel which is positioned at the shortest spatial distance from the uncoded pixel and on the same horizontal scanning line as the uncoded pixel.
4. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the coding means comprises a prediction value generator for generating a prediction pixel value for the coding target pixel, on the basis of the pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel; and an encoder for coding a difference value between the pixel value of the coding target pixel and the. prediction pixel value of the coding target pixel, and outputting the coded difference value, block by block, as a coded image signal.
5. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 1 or 4 wherein the coding means selects code words for coding the pixel value of the coding target pixel, on the basis of the pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel.
6. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 1 or 4 wherein the coding means selects a probability table corresponding to codes for arithmetically coding the pixel value of the coding target pixel, on the basis of the pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel, and performs an arithmetic coding process for the coding target pixel on the basis of the selected probability table.
7. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising local decoding means for decoding the pixel value of the coded pixel to generate a local decoded pixel value;
wherein the pixel value replacing means is constructed so as to replace the pixel value of the uncoded pixel with a pseudo pixel value that is obtained from a local decoded pixel value corresponding to the coded pixel on the basis of a prescribed rule; and
the coding means is constructed so as to perform a non-reversible coding process for the pixel value of the coding target pixel, on the basis of the local decoded pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel.
8. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the coding means comprises a prediction value generator for generating a prediction pixel value for the coding target pixel, on the basis of the local decoded pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel; and an encoder for coding a difference value between the pixel value of the coding target pixel and the prediction pixel value of the coding target pixel, and outputting the coded difference value, block by block, as a coded image signal.
9. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 7 or 8 wherein the coding means selects code words for coding the pixel value of the coding target pixel, on the basis of the local decoded pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel.
10. An image coding apparatus as defined in claim 7 or 8 wherein the coding means selects a probability table corresponding to codes for arithmetically coding the pixel value of the coding target pixel, on the basis of the local decoded pixel value of the coded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the uncoded pixel, and performs an arithmetic coding process for the coding target pixel on the basis of the selected probability table.
11. An image decoding apparatus for decoding, block by block, a coded image signal which is obtained by performing, for each block comprising a prescribed number of pixels, a process in which pixel values constituting an image signal are successively coded on the basis of pixel values of plural peripheral pixels positioned in the vicinity of a coding target pixel, comprising:
pixel value replacing means for replacing a pixel value of an undecoded pixel among plural peripheral pixels positioned in the vicinity of a decoding target pixel, with a pseudo pixel value that is obtained from a pixel value of a decoded pixel among the plural peripheral pixels on the basis of a prescribed rule;
decoding means for receiving the coded image signal comprising plural pixel values corresponding to each block, performing, block by block, a decoding process in which the respective pixel values are successively decoded on the basis of the pixel value of the decoded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the undecoded pixel, and outputting a decoded image signal corresponding to each block; and
inverse blocking means for combining the decoded image signals corresponding to the respective blocks to convert these signals to a decoded image signal having a scanning line structure;
wherein the decoded image signal having a scanning line structure is output as a reproduced image signal corresponding to a single image display screen.
12. An image decoding apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the pixel value replacing means employs, as a pseudo pixel value of the undecoded pixel, a pixel value of a decoded pixel which is positioned at the shortest spatial distance from the undecoded pixel.
13. An image decoding apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the pixel value replacing means employs, as a pseudo pixel value of the undecoded pixel, a pixel value of a decoded pixel which is positioned at the shortest spatial distance from the undecoded pixel and on the same horizontal scanning line as the undecoded pixel.
14. An image decoding apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the decoding means comprises:
a prediction value generator for generating a prediction pixel value for the decoding target pixel, on the basis of the pixel value of the decoded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the undecoded pixel; and
a decoder for generating a decoded pixel value by decoding the pixel value of the decoding target pixel, and adding the prediction pixel value of the decoding target value to the decoded pixel value.
15. An image decoding apparatus as defined in claim 11 or 14 wherein the decoding means selects code words for decoding the pixel value of the decoding target pixel, on the basis of the pixel value of the decoded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the undecoded pixel.
16. An image decoding apparatus as defined in claim 11 or 14 wherein the decoding means selects a probability table corresponding to codes for arithmetically decoding the pixel value of the decoding target pixel, on the basis of the pixel value of the decoded pixel and the pseudo pixel value of the undecoded pixel, and performs an arithmetic decoding process for the decoding target pixel on the basis of the selected probability table.
17. An image coding method for performing, for each block comprising a prescribed number of pixels, a coding process in which pixel values constituting an image signal are successively coded on the basis of pixel values of plural peripheral pixels positioned in the vicinity of a coding target pixel, wherein:
with respect to a coded pixel among the plural peripheral pixels, its pixel value is set as a reference pixel value and, with respect to an uncoded pixel among the plural peripheral pixels, a pseudo pixel value, which is obtained from a pixel value of a coded pixel among the peripheral pixels on the basis of a prescribed rule, is set as a reference pixel value; and
the pixel value of the coding target pixel is coded on the basis of the reference pixel values set for the plural peripheral pixels of the coding target pixel, thereby generating a coded image signal corresponding to the image signal.
18. An image decoding method for decoding, block by block, a coded image signal which is obtained by performing, for each block comprising a prescribed number of pixels, a process in which pixel values constituting an image signal are successively coded on the basis of pixel values of plural peripheral pixels positioned in the vicinity of a coding target pixel, wherein:
with respect to a decoded pixel among plural peripheral pixels, its pixel value is set as a reference pixel value and, with respect to an undecoded pixel among the plural peripheral pixels, a pseudo pixel value, which is obtained from a pixel value of a decoded pixel among the peripheral pixels on the basis of a prescribed rule, is set as a reference pixel value; and
a pixel value of a decoding target pixel is decoded on the basis of the reference pixel values set for the plural peripheral pixels for the decoding target pixel, thereby generating a decoded image signal corresponding to the coded image signal.
19. A data recording medium containing a program for performing an image signal coding process or decoding process, wherein the program is an image processing program for making a computer perform processing of an image signal by the image coding method described in claim 17 or the image decoding method described in claim 18.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A puncturing system comprising:
a carrier tape that carries multiple lancets and comprises position marks;
a device housing that comprises a conveying facility for positioning the lancets consecutively in a usage position by moving the carrier tape in a conveying direction and has a housing opening for touching against a body part in which a puncture is to be made by a puncturing motion of one of the lancets;
a puncturing drive for accelerating one of the lancets that is positioned in the usage position for the puncturing motion;
a storage medium on which distance values for the lancets are stored, said distance values depending on distances between the lancets of the carrier tape and position marks allocated to the respective lancets;
a sensor for detecting position marks in a detection position through which the position marks proceed upon a motion of the carrier tape that is effected by the conveying facility; and
a control unit that is connected to the sensor for controlling the conveying facility, wherein, in order to position a lancet in the usage position, the control unit is configured for stopping the conveying facility as soon as the carrier tape has been moved by a positioning distance starting from a tape position, in which a position mark has reached the detection position, wherein the length of the positioning distance depends on the distance between the lancet to be positioned and the detected position mark and is determined by the control unit by utilizing the distance value that is stored on the storage medium for the lancet to be positioned.
2. The puncturing system of claim 1 wherein the carrier tape is moved by the conveying facility only in the conveying direction.
3. The puncturing system of claim 1 wherein the sensor produces a sensor signal that changes while the carrier tape is moved by the positioning distance past a tape position, in which a position mark has reached the detection position, whereby the control unit determines by analysis of the changing sensor signal when the carrier tape has been moved by the positioning distance and, the conveying facility is to be stopped.
4. The puncturing system of claim 1 wherein the position marks comprise multiple marking segments that are arranged adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the carrier tape.
5. The puncturing system of claim 4 wherein the marking segments are arranged at a distance that corresponds to their width.
6. The puncturing system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.
7. The puncturing system of claim 6 wherein the sensor comprises a light source which is configured for emitting light that is focused onto a measuring spot on the carrier tape, wherein an extension of the measuring spot in the conveying direction of the carrier tape deviates maximally by 30% from the extension in the conveying direction of a respective marking segment.
8. The puncturing system of claim 7 wherein the extension of the measuring spot in the conveying direction of the carrier tape deviates maximally by 20% from the extension in the conveying direction of the respective marking segment.
9. The puncturing system of claim 1 wherein the test fields for testing a sample of body fluid that is obtained from a puncturing wound are arranged between the lancets on the carrier tape.
10. The puncturing system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a measuring facility for photometric testing of a color change of a test field that is effected by an analyte that is contained in a sample of body fluid.
11. The puncturing system of claim 1 wherein the information concerning functional elements that are positioned on the carrier tape outside an acceptable tolerance range or are flawed is stored on the storage medium, whereby this information is analyzed by the control unit such that functional elements that are positioned on the carrier tape outside an acceptable tolerance range or are flawed are passed over in operation and, instead, the next closest functional element in a conveying direction is positioned in the usage position.
12. A lancet reservoir system for a puncturing system, the lancet reservoir system comprising a carrier tape that carries multiple lancets and comprises position marks, and a storage medium on which distance values for the lancets are stored, which each depend on the distance between one of the lancets of the carrier tape and the position mark allocated to it.
13. The lancet reservoir system of claim 12 wherein test fields for testing a sample of body fluid that is obtained from a puncturing wound are arranged between the lancets on the carrier tape.
14. A method for manufacturing a lancet reservoir system, comprising:
providing a carrier tape;
placing position marks on the carrier tape;
placing lancets on the carrier tape;
measuring the distances between the lancets and the respective position marks allocated to them; and
storing distance values from which the distances can be determined on a storage medium.
15. A method for positioning functional elements that are arranged on a carrier tape in a usage position by moving the carrier tape in a longitudinal direction, wherein position marks that are placed on the carrier tape are detected by use of a sensor and, in response, a motion of the carrier tape by a positioning distance is effected, whereby the length of said positioning distance depends on a stored distance value that depends on the distance between the functional element to be positioned and the detected position mark.