AOL INC. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160140621 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING NON-INTRUSIVE ADVERTISING CONTENT - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing non-intrusive advertising content to users. The method includes receiving user input reflecting user content preferences for receiving desired content related to specific topics in lieu of standard advertising content. The method may further include receiving a web request for electronic and then retrieving desired content based on user content preferences. Thereafter, the method may include choosing non-intrusive advertising content and generating one or more datagrams including the desired content and the non-intrusive advertising content. The requested electronic content along with generated datagrams content may then be provided for displaying. | 05-19-2016 |
20160140587 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING SEGMENTS OF ONLINE USERS FROM CORRELATED DATASETS - Systems and methods are disclosed for determining segments of online users from a correlated dataset. One method includes receiving, over a network, a plurality of datasets including user-related data of a plurality of users, each dataset being transmitted from a data owner; correlating, by at least one processor, the plurality of datasets into a correlated dataset; receiving a segmentation request for determining a plurality of users that qualify for a segment, the segmentation request including a set of segment rules to apply to the correlated dataset; determining, by accessing the correlated dataset, whether each user of the plurality of users qualifies for the segment based on the segment rule; and storing an indication of the segment in the correlated dataset for each user determined to qualify for the segment. | 05-19-2016 |
20160139951 | SERVICE CLEAN-UP - Versions of a service not reachable by a set of service requestors that use the service are removed. Multiple, different versions of a service are stored, along with metadata associated with the multiple, different versions of the service. The metadata is examined to determine one or more of the multiple, different versions of the service that are not reachable by the set of service requestors that use the service. Those versions are deleted. | 05-19-2016 |
20160131499 | Systems and methods for providing information about features of a route - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing information about features of a route. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes operations performed by at least one processor. The method includes receiving, from a first device, input by a first user, the input including an observed condition of at least one feature associated with a first route, and determining, based on the input and condition information received from sources other than the first user, a status of the at least one feature associated with the first route. The method further includes receiving, from a second device of a second user, a request for a second route, the second route including a plurality of features including the at least one feature associated with the first route. In addition, the method includes providing, to the second device, information about the second route and the status of the at least one feature. | 05-12-2016 |
20160112354 | CHAT ROOM VIEWING - A system and method allows a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within an online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. The online chat room enables ongoing exchanges of electronic communications between two or more participants whose participation within the chat room are mutually revealed to each other. A user is enabled to perceive the existence of the online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. Selection of the online chat room by the user is received. Responsive to user selection of the online chat room and without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room are made perceivable to the user as the communications are exchanged. | 04-21-2016 |
20160112210 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERAPPLICATION COMMUNICATIONS - A first executable program on a computer system is enabled to exchange communications with a second executable program on the computer system by determining that the first executable program requests to exchange information with the second executable program, using the second executable program to challenge the first executable program for a digital certificate, and using the second executable program to exchange information with the first executable program when the digital certificate is verified. | 04-21-2016 |
20160072860 | EXCHANGING DIGITAL CONTENT - A first content selection stored on a portable media device is associated with a first tag. In addition, a second tag that is associated with a second content selection and that indicates that supplemental content related to the second content selection is stored on a peer device is accessed from a peer device. The first tag is compared to the second tag, and, if a commonality shared by the first content selection and the second content selection is identified, an exchange of the supplemental content from the peer device to the portable media device is initiated. | 03-10-2016 |
20160026420 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC MOBILE PRINTING BASED ON SCHEDULED EVENTS - Systems and methods are disclosed method for dynamic mobile printing based on scheduled events. One method includes receiving, from a device associated with a user, an identifier associated with the user and a print request, the print request including one or more print items to be printed; accessing, by a server, a calendar of the user based on the received identifier associated with the user; determining, by the server, whether an event of the calendar is scheduled for a time of interest; locating, by the server, a printer near a location of the event when the event is scheduled for the time of interest; and transmitting, by the server, the one or more print items to the printer near the location of the event. | 01-28-2016 |
20160007153 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING MESSAGE NOTIFICATION TIMING BASED ON GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - Systems and methods are provided for timing message notifications to be provided to mobile device users based on their respective geographic locations with respect to a targeted content area. The timing of message notifications may be controlled in order to optimize the chances of delivering targeted content to a mobile device user based on the current geographic location of the user's device relative to a targeted content area. As the particular client application may not be actively executing at a time when the user's device happen to be located within a targeted content area, a general message notification sent to the user's device, which may be displayed at any time, may increase the likelihood that the user will launch the client application when it is not already executing at the device and thereby, allow targeted content to be delivered to the user's mobile device at the appropriate time and location. | 01-07-2016 |
20160005197 | COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GRAPH DATA MODELING - Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for graph data modeling. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that includes operations performed by at least one processor. The operations of the method include receiving raw data and determining a model for the raw data, wherein the model defines the graph structure for the raw data. The method also includes converting the raw data to fit the model, and generating at least a portion of a graph based on the raw data and the model, wherein the graph produces modeled data. The method also includes archiving the graph. | 01-07-2016 |
20150381701 | Reducing Latencies in Web Page Rendering - A page structure may be used to begin validation of an embedded resource prior to the time a browser issues a request to validate the embedded resource. A page structure includes information indicating one or more embedded resources in the web page and, in some implementations, its corresponding cache characteristics. The page structure may be used to generate a validation message that indicates resources to be validated. The validation message may be sent to a server at substantially the same time that the browser begins rendering the web page. The server can then begin validating the resources indicated in the validation message by sending validation requests to an origin or other server storing the embedded resources. The server then may send the validation responses back to the client computer executing the browser so that the validation responses can be used to satisfy corresponding validation requests generated by the browser. | 12-31-2015 |
20150381540 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING AND UPDATING REPUTATION RECORDS - According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method is provided for generating a reputation record and filtering electronic messages, each reputation record including a reputation score and a reputation key. The method includes receiving at least one incoming event notification, including a reputation key; determining, based on the reputation key, whether a corresponding reputation record exists; creating a new reputation record if the corresponding reputation record does not exist; determining a trust determination function based on the incoming event notification; calculating a reputation score based on the determined trust determination function, the incoming event notification, and an attribute associated with the reputation key; storing the calculated reputation score along with the reputation key in either the new reputation record or the corresponding reputation record; and filtering one or more electronic messages based on the calculated reputation score. | 12-31-2015 |
20150371270 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR EVALUATING THE DISPLAY OF ELECTRONIC CONTENT TO INDIVIDUALS IN GEOGRAPHIC ZONE HAVING INNER BOUNDARY - Systems and methods are disclosed for electronic distribution of electronic content. The method includes retrieving data indicating transmission of electronic content to a plurality of electronic devices within a geographical zone extending between an inner boundary extending around a target location and an outer boundary extending around the target location; receiving data indicating presence of one of the plurality of electronic devices in a target geographical zone, the target geographical zone being located within the inner boundary; determining a time difference between transmission of the electronic content to the one of the plurality of electronic devices and the one of the plurality of electronic devices' presence in the target geographical zone; and determining an electronic device conversion occurred when the time difference is less than a threshold period of time associated with the electronic content. | 12-24-2015 |
20150370802 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CUSTOMIZED ELECTRONIC CUMMUNICATIONS - The present disclosure relates to systems and methods customizing electronic communications. A future event associated with a first user may be determined, and a second user that is associated with the first user and the future event may be identified. A plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user may be analyzed. A selection rule may be applied based on the analyzed plurality of communications, the selection rule identifying content from the database. Content from the database may be selected based on the application of the selection rule. An electronic message may be provided to the first user identifying the future event, and the selected content may be provided to the first user. | 12-24-2015 |
20150358766 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING AND REFINING MESSAGE NOTIFICATION TIMING - Systems and methods are provided for determining release weights for geographic locations and specific times for selected users, and optimizing the timing of message notifications for a mobile device based on those release weights. The release weights may be determined based 1) generalized factors, 2) factors individualized for a particular mobile device user, and/or 3) real-time factors. These release weights are calculated to represent a user's likeliness to launch a client application from a message notification at a given time and geographic location. | 12-10-2015 |
20150356184 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING THE SELECTION AND DISPLAY OF ELECTRONIC CONTENT - Systems and methods are provided for optimizing displays in one or more user interfaces. An exemplary method may include retrieving web entries from a database and generating a plurality of candidates based on the retrieved web entries, where each web entry of the web entries is a clickable item that is displayed on the one or more user interfaces. Additionally, provide the plurality of candidates for display on the one or more user interfaces and determine click-through rates for each of the plurality of candidates. Thereafter, create a display pool of candidates to display from plurality of candidates based on the click-through rates and update the display pool of candidates responsive to retrieving additional web entries from the database. | 12-10-2015 |
20150348268 | REGISTRATION OF SEPARATIONS - Separations or images relating to film or other fields may be registered using a variety of features, such as, for example: (1) correcting one or more film distortions; (2) automatically determining a transformation to reduce a film distortion; (3) applying multiple criteria of merit to a set of features to determine a set of features to use in determining a transformation; (4) determining transformations for areas in an image or a separation in a radial order; (5) comparing areas in images or separations by weighting feature pixels differently than non-feature pixels; (6) determining distortion values for transformations by applying a partial distortion measure and/or using a spiral search configuration; (7) determining transformations by using different sets of features to determine corresponding transformation parameters in an iterative manner; and (8) applying a feathering technique to neighboring areas within an image or separation. | 12-03-2015 |
20150341747 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DEPLOYING DYNAMIC GEO-FENCES BASED ON CONTENT CONSUMPTION LEVELS IN A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - Systems and methods are provided for determining in real-time geographic areas having a threshold level of content consumption and deploying dynamic geo-fences to contain these geographic areas. These dynamic geo-fences provide a means for timing message notifications in order to optimize the chances of delivering targeted content to a mobile device user based on the current geographic location of the user's device relative to a threshold level of content consumption area. As mobile device users may be more likely to launch a client application in a place where other users are currently consuming content, a general message notification sent to the user's device located in a dynamic geo-fence created based on real-time content consumption, may increase the likelihood that the user will launch the client application and thereby, allow targeted content to be delivered to the user's mobile device. | 11-26-2015 |
20150341344 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING IMAGING TO AUTHENTICATE ONLINE USERS - Systems and methods are disclosed for authenticating an identity of an online user. One method includes receiving from the user, through a first device, a request to access a web page associated with the user's online account; transmitting to the user an image that contains a unique ID and a URL of an authentication server; and receiving from the user, through the first device, an authentication request containing the unique ID. The method also includes receiving from the user, through a second device, a log-in ID associated with the user and the unique ID; and authenticating the identity of the user to grant the user access, through the first device, to the web page associated with the user's online account. | 11-26-2015 |
20150339734 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTITY-PROTECTED ADVERTISING NETWORK - Systems and methods are disclosed for protecting consumer privacy in an online advertising environment. A request may be received from a browser for a webpage along with a unique browser identifier. The browser may be provided a first portion of the webpage that is locally available. The unique browser identifier may be provided to at least one advertising entity, wherein the advertising entity determines an advertisement based, at least in part, on the unique browser identifier. The advertisement may be received from the advertising entity, and provided to the browser as a second portion of the webpage. | 11-26-2015 |
20150339583 | MACHINE LEARNING AND VALIDATION OF ACCOUNT NAMES, ADDRESSES, AND/OR IDENTIFIERS - Systems and methods are disclosed for determining if an account identifier is computer-generated. One method includes receiving the account identifier, dividing the account identifier into a plurality of fragments, and determining one or more features of at least one of the fragments. The method further includes determining the commonness of at least one of the fragments, and determining if the account identifier is computer-generated based on the features of at least one of the fragments, and the commonness of at least one of the fragments. | 11-26-2015 |
20150319124 | SORTING ELECTRONIC MESSAGES USING ATTRIBUTES OF THE SENDER ADDRESS - Systems and methods for sorting electronic messages using attributes of senders or of sender addresses. An electronic messaging server sorts electronic messages using attributes associated with the senders or sender addresses of the electronic messages. The sender addresses and associated attributes are stored in an accept list. A sorting module uses the accept list to sort the electronic messages into various folders. The sorting module can also access other data sources, such as a contact list, to assist in sorting the electronic messages. The attributes can be determined independently of the user or can be set directly by the user. The attributes can also identify a status of a sender such as whether the sender is authorized, unauthorized, or unconfirmed. | 11-05-2015 |
20150288590 | DETERMINING LOAD STATE OF REMOTE SYSTEMS USING DELAY AND PACKET LOSS RATE - Systems and methods are provided for managing workloads across multiple resources in a distributed computing system. A data traffic flow between a source device and each of a plurality of target devices within the distributed computing system is monitored. A load state of each of the plurality of target devices is determined based on the monitored data traffic flow. Upon detecting a resource constraint for at least one of the plurality of target devices, at least a portion of the data traffic flow between the source device and the resource-constrained target device is adjusted such that the device operates at a reduced load state. The data traffic flow to the particular target device may be readjusted so as to restore its load state to a default or predetermined operating level once the resource constrained has been resolved. | 10-08-2015 |
20150278864 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY DETERMINING PROMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DIGITAL COUPONS - Systems and methods are provided for increasing sales profits by dynamically determining a promotion associated with a coupon. The promotion may be determined and delivered to a mobile device once the mobile device is in a geographic location associated with the coupon. By allowing advertisers to change or decide promotions in real-time, demand may be smoothed and profits may be maximized. When the mobile device is in the location associated with the coupons, advertisers can use a variety of factors including location, time of day, current sales or redemption data, or information known about the mobile device to set or adjust an ideal promotion for the current situation. | 10-01-2015 |
20150271630 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING MESSAGE NOTIFICATION BASED ON GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND TIME - Systems and methods are provided for optimizing delivery of messages to mobile device users, the method comprising receiving a message to be sent to a client application executable at a mobile device of a user, along with an associated time constraint and an associated geographic constraint; determining a current time at the mobile device and a current geographic location of the mobile device via a communication network; determining, upon receiving the current geographic location of the mobile device and the current time of the mobile device, whether the current geographic location of the mobile device complies with the associated geographic constraint for the message to be sent to the client application and determining whether the current time of the mobile device complies with the associated time constraint for the message to be sent to the client application; and sending, when the current geographic location of the mobile device is determined to comply with the associated geographic constraint and when the current time of the mobile device is determined to comply with the associated time constraint, the message for display to the user at the mobile device via a message notification interface of an operating system of the mobile device. | 09-24-2015 |
20150256973 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCATION-BASED AUTHENTICATION - Systems and methods are disclosed for performing location-based authentication using location-aware devices. One method includes: receiving an access request comprising authentication credentials and a first location from a first location-aware device; receiving a second location from a second location-aware device associated with the authentication credentials; and upon determining that the first location and second location are within a pre-determined distance, authenticating the authentication credentials. | 09-10-2015 |
20150249632 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING MESSAGE NOTIFICATION TIMING BASED ON ELECTRONIC CONTENT CONSUMPTION ASSOCIATED WITH A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - Systems and methods are provided for timing message notifications to be provided to mobile device users based on their geographic locations with respect to geographic areas associated with a threshold level of content consumption. The timing of message notifications may be controlled in order to optimize the chances of delivering targeted content to a mobile device user based on the current geographic location of the user's device relative to a threshold level of content consumption area. As mobile device users may be more likely to launch a client application in a place where other users are currently consuming content, a general message notification sent to the user's device located in a geographic area associated with a threshold level of content consumption, may increase the likelihood that the user will launch the client application and thereby, allow targeted content to be delivered to the user's mobile device. | 09-03-2015 |
20150248337 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A SECONDARY WEBSITE WITH MIRRORED CONTENT FOR AUTOMATIC FAILOVER - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a secondary website with content mirrored from a primary website. One method includes accessing a generated primary website provided by one or more primary servers; generating a secondary website based on the generated primary website; storing the secondary website on a secondary server; and providing the secondary website from the secondary server when primary website is unavailable. | 09-03-2015 |
20150213496 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISPLAYING ELECTRONIC CONTENT TO INDIVIDUALS IN GEOGRAPHIC ZONE HAVING INNER BOUNDARY - Systems and methods are disclosed for electronic distribution of electronic content. The method includes receiving, from an advertiser or content provider, a request to transmit electronic content to a plurality of electronic devices of a desired subset of individuals, wherein the electronic content relates to a target location of the advertiser or content provider; identifying a geographical zone extending between an inner boundary around the target location and an outer boundary around the target location; receiving an indication that one of the plurality of electronic devices of the subset of individuals is present in the geographical zone based on determining that the one of the plurality of electronic devices is located within the outer boundary but not within the inner boundary; and transmitting electronic content to the electronic device of the one of the subset of individuals in the population, the electronic content relating to the target location. | 07-30-2015 |
20150212684 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SCHEDULING EVENTS WITH GESTURE-BASED INPUT - Computerized systems and methods are disclosed for scheduling events. In accordance with one implementation, a computerized method comprises receiving an indication of a gesture via a multi-touch display of a computing device, wherein the indication of the gesture comprises data representing a starting location and data representing a directional vector. The method also includes identifying a first graphical object associated with the gesture. In addition, the method includes displaying an event context menu in response to the received gesture and receiving a selection of an event from the event context menu, the selected event corresponding to a second graphical object. The method also includes replacing, on the multi-touch display, the first graphical object with the second graphical object to confirm the event selection. | 07-30-2015 |
20150212673 | SYNDICATION OF SLIDESHOW CONTENT THROUGH A WEB FEED - Systems and methods are provided for syndicating slideshow content in a web feed. Data is obtained for a content feed associated with a web page in response to a request by a user of a content feed reader. A slideshow within the web page is identified based on analysis of the obtained data according to a schema definition for syndication of slideshow content. A first set of properties for the slideshow is extracted from the obtained data, based on the schema definition. A set of slides of the slideshow is identified based on the first set of properties. A second set of properties for the set of slides is also extracted from the obtained data. The content feed including the set of slides of the slideshow and one or more properties of the second set are displayed to the user via the content feed reader. | 07-30-2015 |
20150207756 | ELECTRONIC INFORMATION CACHING - Electronic information is made more readily available to one or more access requestors based on an anticipated demand for the electronic information using a process, system or computer software. For instance, electronic information stored on a first storage medium is identified for transport (e.g., in response to a request of at least one of the access requestors), and the electronic information is transported accordingly. Afterwards, a determination is made to store the electronic information on a second storage medium that is more accessible to the access requestors than the first storage medium. The determination is based on an anticipated demand of the access requestors for the electronic information. The anticipated demand is determined based at least on information that is not particular to any single access requestor. The electronic information then is stored on the second storage medium and the access requestors are provided access to the electronic information from the second storage medium. | 07-23-2015 |
20150150037 | PERSONALIZED CONTENT - A media switch enables a terminal to access content by receiving a content request from a terminal for a first piece of content to be distributed over a cable system, identifying a personal channel within resources available in the cable system to distribute the first piece of content to the terminal, transmitting access information to the terminal to enable the terminal to access the first piece of content through the personal channel, and interfacing with a cable headend to provide the first piece of content on the personal channel. | 05-28-2015 |
20150143259 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MESSAGING INTERFACE - Computer-implemented systems and methods for a simplified messaging interface are provided for allowing users to initiate and engage in messaging conversations. In some embodiments, the systems and methods reduce the overhead involved in initiating and/or engaging in messaging conversations. In addition, the messaging interface may allow users to initiate and/or engage in conversations without having to open a separate standard messaging window for every conversation. Further, the simplified messaging interface may be used in conjunction with a standard messaging interface. | 05-21-2015 |
20150142770 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED WEB SEARCHING - Systems and methods are provided for improved web searching. In one implementation, suggested search queries are provided based on previous search queries and click data. A weighted bi-partite graph or index may be used to identify related search queries based on overlapping clicked URLs. According to a method, query-click log data of a search engine is processed to generate sets of suggested search queries, data corresponding to each suggested search query, and a set of clicked URLs related to each suggested search query. Additionally, or independently, methods may be provided for contextually correcting spelling errors within sets of suggested search queries using a contextual algorithm, and/or identifying and discarding sets of suggested search queries and URLs that lead to restricted material, such as restricted content and related URLs. | 05-21-2015 |
20150141055 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING MESSAGE NOTIFICATION TIMING BASED ON GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - Systems and methods are provided for timing message notifications to be provided to mobile device users based on their respective geographic locations with respect to a targeted content area. The timing of message notifications may be controlled in order to optimize the chances of delivering targeted content to a mobile device user based on the current geographic location of the user's device relative to a targeted content area. As the particular client application may not be actively executing at a time when the user's device happen to be located within a targeted content area, a general message notification sent to the user's device, which may be displayed at any time, may increase the likelihood that the user will launch the client application when it is not already executing at the device and thereby, allow targeted content to be delivered to the user's mobile device at the appropriate time and location. | 05-21-2015 |
20150106713 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING AND MANAGING AUDIO CONTENT - Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for generating and managing audio content, such as blogcast episodes. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided that includes operations performed by at least one processor including retrieving a plurality of stored snippets of media content related to a blogcast episode, the plurality of stored snippets of media content including one or more snippets of user-contributed content. The method also includes receiving snippet metric data associated with one or more snippets of user-contributed content. In addition, the method includes selecting two or more snippets of the plurality of stored snippets of media content including at least one snippet of user-contributed content and generating a blogcast episode comprising the two or more snippets of the plurality of snippets of media content. | 04-16-2015 |
20150100600 | GENERAL PROPERTY HIERARCHY SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WEB APPLICATIONS - Systems and methods are disclosed for configuring a web application based on a general property hierarchy. An application property scheme including one or more property hierarchy levels may be generated based on values within a system configuration file. Each level defines configuration values for various properties associated with the web application. A property retrieval subsystem of the general property hierarchy may be used to look up configuration values from the appropriate hierarchy level(s) of the application property scheme in order to configure one or more properties of the web application during its execution. The values in the system configuration file may be changed and the changes may be reflected dynamically in the application property scheme without substantial interruption to the execution of the web application. | 04-09-2015 |
20150081762 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTING NETWORK TRAFFIC BETWEEN SERVERS BASED ON ELEMENTS IN CLIENT PACKETS - Systems and methods are disclosed for distributing network traffic received from a plurality of client devices and bound toward a plurality of servers sharing a common network address. One method includes receiving network traffic from the plurality of client devices, addressed to an network address associated the servers; separating the received network traffic into assigned buckets based on a respective source network address associated with each unit of traffic; and forwarding the received traffic to one of a plurality of servers associated with the predetermined network address, based on the bucket assigned. The network traffic may be separated into assigned buckets by determining which subset of bits of an network address of a client device to evaluate for bucket separations. A netmask may be created based on the determined subset of bits, and each source network address may be mapped to one of the buckets using the netmask. | 03-19-2015 |
20150067804 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING RESETTING OF USER ONLINE IDENTITIES OR ACCOUNTS - Systems and methods are disclosed for managing the resetting of online identities or accounts of users of Internet web pages. One method includes: receiving, through an electronic device, a request to reset login information to access a web page associated with the user's online account; determining that an IP address associated with the request is not identified as being suspicious; receiving user data intrinsic to the user's request; automatically verifying two or more values of the data intrinsic to the user's request as being indicative of a level of trust of the identity of the user; and transmitting, to the user over the Internet, a subset of options to reset the login information, the subset being selected based on the level of trust. | 03-05-2015 |
20150051829 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING MAPPING SERVICES INCLUDING ROUTE BREAK POINT RECOMMENDATIONS - Computer implemented methods are disclosed for providing geographical information to a user. One method may include receiving, from a user's electronic device and over a network, user input data including at least the destination location and a break point parameter and calculating one or more routes from the start location to the destination location, based on the user input data. The method may also include identifying one or more intermediate break point locations along the one or more routes based on the break point parameter received from the user and identifying a range extending around each intermediate break point location, and potential break points. A step may also be executed in which a density or type of points of interest within each potential break point may be evaluated by the electronic device and a recommended for a break point made. | 02-19-2015 |
20150039700 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - Systems and methods are disclosed for managing electronic communications. According to certain embodiments, an enterprise directory is provided for listing a plurality of enterprises. In one embodiment, the enterprise directory may include an enterprise profile for each enterprise identifying, among other things, a mode of communication for the enterprise. Enterprises that wish to communicate with one another may form partnerships with one another. In one embodiment, a partnership may be formed between two enterprises when one enterprise accepts a partnership request submitted by the other enterprise. Information regarding partnerships between enterprises may be stored in a database. Further, an enterprise user may request to electronically communicate (e.g., via IM, voice, or email) with a user associated with a different enterprise. Users associated with different enterprises may be allowed to communicate electronically with one another if their respective enterprises are in a partnership with one another. | 02-05-2015 |
20150039696 | PASSIVELY POPULATING A PARTICIPANT LIST WITH KNOWN CONTACTS - Passively populating a list of participants of an electronic communications system includes maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a user of the electronic communications system. Existing users of the electronic communications system that are known to the user are identified, and communications strengths between the user and each of the identified existing users are determined. The identified existing users with the highest communications strengths are designated for addition to the participant list. An existing group or a newly created group within the participant list to which each of the designated users should be added may be identified. | 02-05-2015 |
20140380246 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-LAYER USER CONTENT NAVIGATION - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing navigation control across multiple layers of content views within a mobile application. One method includes: providing a first layer of content views that are each selectable by a user for display via a graphical user interface of an application executable at a mobile device; responsive to receiving user input selecting at least one of the content views in the first layer, obtaining content views for a second layer corresponding to the content view selected in the first layer; and enabling the user to navigate between the content views in the first layer and corresponding content views in the second layer via the graphical user interface; wherein content views obtained for the second layer are automatically updated with content views corresponding to a currently selected content view in the first layer. | 12-25-2014 |
20140372226 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AND USING AN INTERNET SENTIMENT INDEX - Systems and methods are disclosed for online distribution of content based on a user sentiment index. The method may include receiving, over a network and from a user device, one or more user generated inputs and calculating the user sentiment index based on the one or more user generated inputs. The method may also include receiving, over the network, from a content or advertising provider, instructions on publishing content or advertising to a webpage based on the calculated user sentiment index, and publishing content for display on user devices over the network based on a comparison of the calculated user sentiment index and the received instructions. | 12-18-2014 |
20140363077 | REGISTRATION OF SEPARATIONS - Separations or images relating to film or other fields may be registered using a variety of features, such as, for example: (1) correcting one or more film distortions; (2) automatically determining a transformation to reduce a film distortion; (3) applying multiple criteria of merit to a set of features to determine a set of features to use in determining a transformation; (4) determining transformations for areas in an image or a separation in a radial order; (5) comparing areas in images or separations by weighting feature pixels differently than non-feature pixels; (6) determining distortion values for transformations by applying a partial distortion measure and/or using a spiral search configuration; (7) determining transformations by using different sets of features to determine corresponding transformation parameters in an iterative manner; and (8) applying a feathering technique to neighboring areas within an image or separation. | 12-11-2014 |
20140358437 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING MOBILE MAPPING SERVICES INCLUDING TRIP PREDICTION AND ROUTE RECOMMENDATION - Computer implemented methods are disclosed for providing geographical information to a user. One method includes observing, via location information generated or obtained through a user's mobile electronic device, a user traverse a preferred user route from the start location to the destination, and saving the preferred user route in relation to the user. The method may predict, based on past behavioral information for the user, a predicted start time of a future trip to the destination and may identify one or more routes from the start location to the destination. In addition, the method may compare, at a time relative to the predicted start time of the future trip, a duration or distance associated with traversing the preferred user route to a duration or distance associated with traversing the fastest route or the shortest route from the start location to the destination. | 12-04-2014 |
20140344341 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CACHING AND SERVING DYNAMIC CONTENT - A web server and a shared caching server are described for serving dynamic content to users of at least two different types, where the different types of users receive different versions of the dynamic content. A version of the dynamic content includes a validation header, such as an ETag, that stores information indicative of the currency of the dynamic content and information indicative of a user type for which the version of the dynamic content is intended. In response to a user request for the dynamic content, the shared caching server sends a validation request to the web server with the validation header information. The web server determines, based on the user type of the requestor and/or on the currency of the cached dynamic content whether to instruct the shared caching server to send the cached content or to send updated content for serving to the user. | 11-20-2014 |
20140343980 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MOBILE APPLICATION REQUESTS OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES - Systems and methods are disclosed for enabling users to request information or services relating to a physical facility. One method includes receiving, from a device associated with a user, one or more of: a request to receive information about an asset or component of the facility, and a request to receive maintenance of an asset or component of the facility, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with the user and an identifier associated with the asset or component of the facility; accessing, based on the request, a database storing one or more user identifiers and one or more identifiers associated with a plurality of assets or components of the facility; and transmitting, to the device associated with the user, either a presentation of information about the asset or component of the facility, or a representation of a ticket for initiating maintenance of the asset or component of the facility. | 11-20-2014 |
20140337766 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MESSAGING INTERFACE - Computer-implemented systems and methods for a simplified messaging interface are provided for allowing users to initiate and engage in messaging conversations. In various embodiments, the systems and methods reduce the overhead involved in initiating and/or engaging in messaging conversations. In some embodiments, the messaging interface allows users to initiate and/or engage in conversations without having to open a separate standard messaging window for every conversation. In some embodiments, the simplified messaging interface may be used in conjunction with a standard messaging interface. | 11-13-2014 |
20140337376 | HISTORY-BASED TRACKING OF USER PREFERENCE SETTINGS - A process is disclosed for using the existing Universal Resource Identifier (URI) history feature of browsers to maintain user preference settings, or other state information, used by one or more web sites or other systems. In one embodiment, when a user makes a particular preference selection on a web site, the user's selection is recorded in the browser's URI history by causing the browser to access a URI (or a set of URIs) representing the particular selection. The same or a different web site may subsequently test the browser's URI history for this particular URI by including appropriate JavaScript or other executable code in a page requested by the browser. Depending upon the outcome of this test, the web site and/or the page's executable code may take an appropriate action or inaction consistent with the preference selection. | 11-13-2014 |
20140330550 | ENABLING AN IM USER TO NAVIGATE A VIRTUAL WORLD - A user is enabled to interact with a virtual world environment using an instant messenger application by enabling a user to enter the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface, generating and managing an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment, monitoring a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment, determining descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring, and providing the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface. | 11-06-2014 |
20140324907 | Visually-Represented Results To Search Queries In Rich Media Content - When executed, a computer program product generates a graphical user interface that renders results that are responsive to a search query of a rich media file. The graphical user interface includes a chronological representation of the rich media file, one or more occurrence markers along the chronological representation corresponding to actual occurrences of a desired term at an indicated chronological location in the rich media file, and an execution icon configured to launch a rich media application that renders a relevant portion that is responsive to the search query. | 10-30-2014 |
20140324579 | CONTENT RECOMMENDATION USING THIRD PARTY PROFILES - A method for personalizing content for a particular user in a computing system comprising a user interface configured to display content. The method comprises identifying one or more features of a short term profile of a user that are not included in a long term profile of the user, using the one or more features to identify one or more third party profiles having features that substantially match the one or more features of the user's short term profile, accessing the identified one or more third party profiles, and providing one or more content items included in the third party profile to the user, the one or more content items having associated features that match the one or more features of the short term profile. An alternative method comprises accessing one or more third party profiles that are not a profile of the user, and using the accessed third party profile to identify a plurality of content items for recommendation to the user based on a feature set of the third party profile. | 10-30-2014 |
20140310783 | MESSAGING GATEWAY FOR DIRECTORY AND ANONYMOUS SERVICES - A subscriber who seeks to block access to contact information may receive identifying information for people attempting to access the subscriber's contact information. The subscriber also may be provided interfaces to enable the attempting person to contact the subscriber, in a variety of escalating forms, without revealing the subscriber's contact information. In a particular implementation, a request is received from an information seeker for contact information for a subscriber. A data structure is accessed that includes an indication that the subscriber should be provided with information relating to requests received for the subscriber's contact information. A message address for the subscriber is accessed, and a message is sent to the subscriber indicating the request for the subscriber's contact information. The requested contact information for the subscriber is withheld from the information seeker absent an indication from the subscriber that the requested contact information may be provided to the information seeker. | 10-16-2014 |
20140310563 | COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR TESTING ONLINE SYSTEMS AND CONTENT - Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for scanning web sites and/or parsing web content, including for testing online opt-out systems and/or cookies used by online systems. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for testing an opt-out system associated with at least one advertising system that uses cookies. The method includes transmitting a first request to an opt-out system, wherein the first request corresponds to a first test for testing at least one of the opt-out system and an advertising system; receiving a first stream sent in response to the first request; determining a first outcome of the first test based on the first stream; and generating a report based on the first outcome. | 10-16-2014 |
20140304790 | DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION AND SUBSCRIPTION SYSTEM - Digital content distribution systems and methods are provided for distributing for digital data files, such as digital audio and video data files. In accordance with one implementation, a token-based authentication system is provided that does not require knowledge of the individual user requesting the download of digital content data or real-time access to user account information. Instead, the token-based authentication system embeds the authentication information, or token, in the download request information itself. In this way, the download or content server authenticates the download request using the token contained in the download request information and therefore does not require any additional information to carry out this authentication, such as access to user account information. | 10-09-2014 |
20140304331 | PAGE VIEWS FOR PROXY SERVERS - Distinctions between resources explicitly selected by a user and resources indirectly selected may be enabled by identifying an explicitly selected web page or other resource as such in the request for the web page or other resource, which may allow the web page or resource to be differentiated from web pages or other resources that are requested as a consequence of their indirect selection. Moreover, a log of web pages or other resources explicitly selected by a user may be maintained at the client and later reference by a local processor or communicated to a host process seeking to differentiate directly and indirectly selected web pages or other resources. These techniques also may allow a proxy or other server to perform processing related to parentally controlled accounts or related to accurately tracking frequently requested resources such as web pages. | 10-09-2014 |
20140282961 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING IMAGING TO AUTHENTICATE ONLINE USERS - Systems and methods are disclosed for authenticating an identity of an online user. One method includes receiving from the user, through a first device, a request to access a web page associated with the user's online account; transmitting to the user an image that contains a unique ID and a URL of an authentication server; and receiving from the user, through the first device, an authentication request containing the unique ID. The method also includes receiving from the user, through a second device, a log-in ID associated with the user and the unique ID; and authenticating the identity of the user to grant the user access, through the first device, to the web page associated with the user's online account. | 09-18-2014 |
20140258824 | ENHANCED FAVORITES SERVICE FOR WEB BROWSERS AND WEB APPLICATIONS - The invention provides two enhancements for the use of favorites during a Web browsing session. A first enhancement identifies when a user is adding a favorite to his favorites list and auto-suggests a category under which the favorite could be stored. A second enhancement allows a user to review his favorites list and see a summary of feed content (RSS or other standard) on each feed enabled page on his favorites list, without requiring the user to link to the page in question. | 09-11-2014 |
20140237188 | ELECTRONIC INFORMATION CACHING - Electronic information is made more readily available to one or more access requestors based on an anticipated demand for the electronic information using a process, system or computer software. For instance, electronic information stored on a first storage medium is identified for transport (e.g., in response to a request of at least one of the access requestors), and the electronic information is transported accordingly. Afterwards, a determination is made to store the electronic information on a second storage medium that is more accessible to the access requestors than the first storage medium. The determination is based on an anticipated demand of the access requestors for the electronic information. The anticipated demand is determined based at least on information that is not particular to any single access requestor. The electronic information then is stored on the second storage medium and the access requestors are provided access to the electronic information from the second storage medium. | 08-21-2014 |
20140215597 | Transparent Reconnection - In the event of an unintentional interruption, a token issued by a host system to a client system is used to reestablish communications without disrupting applications on the client system. If the host system provided an Internet Protocol address to the client system to be used during the interrupted communications session, the host system reserves the communications address during an interruption in communications for a period sufficient to permit reestablishment of communications using the reserved address. | 07-31-2014 |
20140207798 | CLIENT APPLICATION FINGERPRINTING BASED ON ANALYSIS OF CLIENT REQUESTS - Processes are disclosed for fingerprinting and identifying client applications based on the analysis of client requests. In an HTTP-based embodiment, a fingerprint is constructed based on the presence and order of HTTP headers included in a request from a client application or device. This fingerprint may then be compared to known fingerprints associated with particular client applications to identify the particular client application and/or to assess whether the client application is malicious. The results of this analysis may, for example, be used to determine how to respond to the current request and/or subsequent requests. | 07-24-2014 |
20140189480 | DYNAMIC AGGREGATION AND DISPLAY OF CONTEXTUALLY RELEVANT CONTENT - A web-based system scans content for specific terms, and transforms occurrences of the terms into hypertext links. Each hypertext link provides access to a dynamically generated web page which contains aggregated content related to the respective term. The aggregated content may be gathered through a distributed keyword search of various content sources, including web sites and other sources on a wide area network. The results of the keyword search are aggregated into a single page or document, preferably with filtering to remove page elements not well suited for display on a mobile device. Occurrences of specific terms on this dynamically generated page may similarly be transformed into links, such that the user can browse content from various sources within a confined environment. | 07-03-2014 |
20140172847 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CULTURALLY-RELEVANT SEARCH RESULTS TO USERS - Search results may be provided to a user. A search query may be received from the user. A query feature vector may be formed for the search query. The query feature vector may be compared with news feature vectors associated with documents related to current events. An augmented query feature vector may be formed based on results of the comparison of the query feature vector with the news feature vectors. The augmented query feature vector may be compared with feature vectors related to target documents. Search results that include target documents may be identified based on results of the comparison of the augmented query feature vector with the feature vectors related to the target documents. The user may be made able to perceive at least some of the identified search results. | 06-19-2014 |
20140164401 | Systems and Methods for Providing Personalized Recommendations for Electronic Content - Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for presenting content recommendations. In one implementation, a method is provided for providing content recommendations to a plurality of users. The method may include generating a first plurality of content recommendations for a first user using a first plurality of methods, each of the first plurality of methods having a weight associated therewith. The method may further include selecting a second plurality of content recommendations from the first plurality of content recommendations based on the weights associated with the first plurality of methods. The method may further include providing the second plurality of content recommendations to the first user. The method may further include updating the weights associated with the first plurality of methods based on engagement by the first user with the second plurality of content recommendations. | 06-12-2014 |
20140164396 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CUSTOMIZED ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS - The present disclosure relates to systems and methods customizing electronic communications. A future event associated with a first user may be determined, and a second user that is associated with the first user may be identified. A plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user may be analyzed. A selection rule may be applied based on the analyzed plurality of communications, the selection rule identifying content from the database. Content from the database may be selected based on the application of the selection rule. An electronic message may be provided to the first user identifying the future event, and the selected content may be provided to the first user. | 06-12-2014 |
20140149282 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS BASED ON CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS - Methods are disclosed for processing electronic transactions between a merchant and a consumer based on physical geography. A method includes receiving payment data associated with a consumer payment card; transmitting the payment data, over a network, to a third party; receiving, over the network, information for determining whether a geofence associated with the merchant matches a geofence associated with the consumer; and processing a transaction with the consumer based on whether the consumer geofence ID matches a geofence ID associated with the merchant. Systems for processing electronic transactions between a merchant and a consumer based on physical geography are also disclosed. | 05-29-2014 |
20140129952 | USER INTERFACE SYSTEM FOR HANDHELD DEVICES - One or more handheld devices may be configured to receive and display content. A server may be configured to help the handheld devices display content. For example, by using at least some of the contents of one or more of feeds, the server may generate user interface data, which the handheld devices may use to display user interfaces that are configured to request content associated with the feeds. | 05-08-2014 |
20140129656 | INTERNET CONTENT MARKING - Distributing content markings includes receiving, from a first entity, marking content corresponding to Internet content and author presentation instructions associated with the marking content. When a request to view the Internet or marking content is received from a second entity, the received author presentation instructions are used to determine whether the second entity is approved to view marking content associated with the requested Internet content. Dependent on whether the second entity is approved to view the marking content, presentation of the information associated with the marking content concurrently with the requested Internet content is enabled. | 05-08-2014 |
20140129649 | SORTING ELECTRONIC MESSAGES USING ATTRIBUTES OF THE SENDER ADDRESS - Systems and methods for sorting electronic messages using attributes of senders or of sender addresses. An electronic messaging server sorts electronic messages using attributes associated with the senders or sender addresses of the electronic messages. The sender addresses and associated attributes are stored in an accept list. A sorting module uses the accept list to sort the electronic messages into various folders. The sorting module can also access other data sources, such as a contact list, to assist in sorting the electronic messages. The attributes can be determined independently of the user or can be set directly by the user. The attributes can also identify a status of a sender such as whether the sender is authorized, unauthorized, or unconfirmed. | 05-08-2014 |
20140125703 | Systems and Methods for Generating and Presenting Augmented Video Content - Computerized systems and methods are provided for generating and providing augmented video content to viewers. In one implementation, a media player executed by a user device obtains playlist data identifying underlying video content and elements of overlay content. The media player may generate augmented video content by merging an element of the overlay content into the underlying video content at a temporal position within the underlying video content that is relevant to the overlay content element, and further, may present the augmented video content to a viewer. The media player may detect a triggering event during the presentation of the augmented video content, and may modify the augmented video content in response to the triggering event. | 05-08-2014 |
20140122473 | Systems and Methods for Providing Meta-Social Graphs - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a meta-social graph. In accordance with one implementation, a computerized method comprises collecting a plurality of different online identities of a first online user, each of the different online identities corresponding to a unique social network system. The method also includes collecting a plurality of communication data associated with the first user and determining bi-directional connections of the first user with other users from the collected communication data. In addition, the method may also include creating a meta-social graph from the determined bi-directional connections and the plurality of different online identities and generating a global identifier for the first user. The method also includes storing, in at least one memory device, the meta-social graph with at least one of the generated global identifier, the determined bi-directional connections, and the collected communication data. | 05-01-2014 |
20140122217 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING DIGITAL BUNDLES OF SERVICES - Systems and methods are disclosed for bundling digital services for users. In accordance with one implementation, a method comprises storing, in a memory device, information related to a set of digital services, the set digital services being implemented by a plurality of different service providers. The method also includes aggregating, based on the stored information, the set of digital services into a bundle and providing, to a user, access to the bundle of digital services through a graphical user interface. The method may also include generating, with at least one processor, a set of tokens, each token associating the user with at least one digital service in the bundle. Additionally, the method may include providing at least one token, from the set of tokens, to one of the plurality of different service providers in order to activate one of the digital services for the user. | 05-01-2014 |
20140115141 | USING A HOME-NETWORKING GATEWAY TO MANAGE COMMUNICATIONS - Techniques are provided for managing communications from an external computer system to a gateway device on a home network. Content is downloaded to the home network, stored on the home-networking gateway and then made available to a device on the home network that is capable of using the stored content. Additionally, a home-networking gateway manages communications between external computer systems and the home network to give priority to human interactive communications over the downloading of entertainment content for future use. | 04-24-2014 |
20140115130 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACCESSING CONTENT OVER A NETWORK - A client may be configured to access a network by identifying a network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing a networked content source, enabling the client to access the content source using the network bandwidth configuration setting, monitoring client access to the content source, comparing client access metrics to metrics associated with the network bandwidth configuration setting, determining, based on the comparison, whether to adjust the network bandwidth configuration settings for the client, and adjusting the network bandwidth configuration setting if appropriate. | 04-24-2014 |
20140114566 | BIASING OF SEARCH RESULT CLUSTERING TO ENSURE MORE EFFECTIVE POINT OF INTEREST (POI) TARGETING - Directory service results responsive to a request for a desired good or service provider may be provided based on one or more user-selected locations. The user may seek a desired good or service provider that is proximate to a location from which the user may begin traveling to the point of interest, referred to as a source location, and satisfies a beneficial objective held by the user. The beneficial objective may relate to, for example, a directional travel preference, avoiding rush hour traffic or proximity to a specific location or another type of good or service provider that differs from the user's desired good or service provider that is the subject of the user's request. A sequence of geometrical representations, such as, for example, Delauney Triangles, may be generated to provide directory service results that satisfy the user's request. | 04-24-2014 |
20140108954 | PEER-TO-PEER ACCESS OF PERSONALIZED PROFILES USING CONTENT INTERMEDIARY - A method for personalizing content for a particular user in a computing system comprising a user interface configured to display content. The method comprises identifying a content item accessed by a user, identifying features associated with the content item; using the features of the content item to identify one or more third party profiles that substantially match a content profile of the content item, and displaying a list of the identified third party profiles. | 04-17-2014 |
20140108546 | ANNOUNCING NEW USERS OF AN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM TO EXISTING USERS - Announcing new users of an electronic communications system includes receiving an indication of a new user of an electronic communications system. The new user has an identifier for the electronic communications system. Existing users of the electronic communications system that are known to the new user are identified. The identified existing users are sent a message notifying the identified existing users of the identifier of the new user. The identified existing users may be enabled to add the identifier of the new user to participant lists used by the identified existing users. The new user may be enabled to add identifiers of the identified existing users to a participant list of the electronic communications system used by the new user. | 04-17-2014 |
20140095532 | Methods and Systems for Identifying Local Search Queries - Methods and systems are provided for determining whether a search query with an observed number of occurrences in a set of search queries is a local search query. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that comprises determining an expected number of occurrences of a search query and comparing the expected number of occurrences to a threshold. Further, the method includes determining whether the search query is a local search query based, at least in part, on the comparison. | 04-03-2014 |
20140089665 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A STREAMING PROTOCOL - An initialization vector (IV) is employed to decrypt a block of a stream that has been encrypted with Cypher Block Chaining (CBC) encryption, without requiring decryption of previous blocks within the stream. For example, a listener who accesses a distribution point to retrieve encrypted content authenticates himself to an application server that regulates access to encrypted content on the distribution point, and responsively receives a key. The listener then requests access to a reference point within the encrypted content stream somewhere after its beginning (e.g., using preview clips). The distribution point relates the reference point to a corresponding block of the encrypted stream, and identifies an IV previously used for encryption of that block. The distribution point provides the associated encrypted block of content and the IV to the listener to enable mid-stream rendering of the encrypted content, without requiring the listener to decrypt previous blocks within the encrypted stream. | 03-27-2014 |
20140089245 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING AND NOTIFYING USERS OF ELECTRONIC CONTENT BASED ON BIOMETRIC RECOGNITION - Systems and methods are disclosed for manipulating electronic multimedia content to a user. One method includes generating a plurality of biometric models, each biometric mod& corresponding to one of a plurality of people; receiving electronic media content over a network; extracting image or audio data from the electronic media content; detecting biometric information in the image or audio data; and calculating a probability of the electronic media content involving one of the plurality of people, based on the biometric information and the plurality of biometric models. | 03-27-2014 |
20140087881 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SOCIAL GAMES FOR COMPUTING DEVICES - Computer-implemented systems and methods are disclosed for providing social games. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method comprises receiving a selection from a user to activate the social game. The method also includes receiving, with at least one processor, the previously recorded content for the social game. In accordance with the present disclosure, the method also includes playing back, in response to the selection, the previously recorded content to the user and recording the user's interaction with the previously recorded content while playing back the previously recorded content. | 03-27-2014 |
20140082189 | INTELLIGENT MANAGEMENT OF APPLICATION CONNECTIVITY - Network connectivity is selectively established by monitoring, on a client, communications activity incident to accessing a network, the communications activity including a request to access the network. An application associated with the communications activity is be identified. A communications configuration associated with the application is accessed, the communications configuration indicating how the application is configured to access the network. Network connectivity is selectively established based on the communications configuration, and the application may be enabled to access the network to support the communications activity. | 03-20-2014 |
20140082089 | SOCIAL NETWORKING PERMISSIONS - Enabling access to user-specific content includes maintaining data indicating a social network that indicates a first user and a second user that are connected by one or more relationships through zero or more intermediary users. At least one of the relationships that connect the first and second users is categorized. A request for access to content maintained by the second user is received from the first user. One or more of the relationships that connect the first user to the second user are identified using the data indicating the social network. A category of at least one of the identified relationships is identified. A type of access to the content to be provided to the first user is identified based on the identified to category. The first user is enabled to access the content in accordance with the identified type of access. | 03-20-2014 |
20140082058 | GENERIC DOWNLOAD AND UPLOAD FUNCTIONALITY IN A CLIENT/SERVER WEB APPLICATION ARCHITECTURE - The present invention relates generally to client-server architectures for allowing generic upload and download functionality between a web application at a server and a client. One exemplary method includes sending a download/upload request to a web application at the server, where the download/upload request specifies at least one file to download/upload; receiving a transmission from the server; parsing the transmission to identify a download/upload command and an associated download/upload manifest, where the download/upload manifest includes executable code that, when executed on the client, will perform the download/upload of the at least one file. | 03-20-2014 |
20140068756 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CHALLENGE-RESPONSE ANIMATION AND RANDOMIZATION TESTING - Systems and methods are provided for challenge/response animation. In one implementation, a request for protected content may be received from a client, and the protected content may comprise data. A challenge phrase comprising a plurality of characters may be determined, and a computer processor may divide the challenge phrase into at least two character subsets selected from the characters comprising the challenge phrase. Each of the at least two character subsets may include less than all of the characters comprising the challenge phrase. The at least two character subsets may be sent to the client in response to the request; and an answer to the challenge phrase may be received from the client in response to the at least two character subsets. Access to the protected content may be limited based on whether the answer correctly solves the challenge phrase. | 03-06-2014 |
20140067926 | SHARING NETWORK ADDRESSES - A network address assigned a shared designation by a first client computer is received, in a first data format, automatically, at a host computer from the first client computer. The network address is categorized and published. Publishing the network address includes converting the network address into a second data format, receiving, at the host computer, a subscription request from a second client computer, and sending the network address to the second client computer in response to receiving the subscription request. | 03-06-2014 |
20140058996 | RULE-BASED PLAYLIST ENGINE - A client device is enabled to access content by generating a request to access content residing on a host. A rule set associated with a user is accessed that includes one or more rules configured to identify content responsive to a predicted interest of the user. The rule set is used to identify content selections from a library of content selections available on the host. A first address corresponding to a first content selection and a second address for a second content selection identifying are identified from among the identified content selections. The first content selection is accessed from among the identified content selections by establishing a connection to the host at the address identified for the first content selection. In response to receiving a change instruction to change a content selection being rendered, the second content selection is accessed from the identified content selections at the second address. | 02-27-2014 |
20140056179 | CONTENT DISTRIBUTION TRACKING THROUGH WIRELESS MESH NETWORKS - A distribution of a content selection being distributed throughout a wireless mesh network may be tracked. A wireless device in the wireless mesh network enables the content selection to be exchanged. Wireless devices then exchange the content, and a network topology is recorded in response. Finally, the network topology is reported to a reporting agent. | 02-27-2014 |
20140050374 | USING RELEVANCE FEEDBACK IN FACE RECOGNITION - Images are searched to locate faces that are the same as a query face. Images that include a face that is the same as the query face may be presented to a user as search result images. Images also may be sorted by the faces included in the images and presented to the user as sorted search result images. The user may provide explicit or implicit feedback regarding the search result images. Additional feedback may be inferred regarding the search result images based on the user-provided feedback, and the results may be updated based on the user-provided and inferred feedback. | 02-20-2014 |
20140047029 | SHARING SOCIAL NETWORK INFORMATON - Social network information may be shared across online service providers. Thus, one online service provider M that maintains a membership separate from a second online service provider N may nevertheless use the social network maintained by the second online service provider N to tailor content and/or services based on such social network information. | 02-13-2014 |
20140040256 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING ELECTRONIC CONTENT - Systems and methods are disclosed for processing electronic content, such as text, videos, and images. According to certain embodiments, user interactions with electronic content may be tracked over a plurality of modalities, such as web pages, email, mobile applications, and social media. The tracked user interactions may include copy/paste events, explicit user highlighting, social sharing, and user voting. Key passages of electronic content may be identified based on the tracked user interactions and ranked against one another. Ranking of passages may be based, for example, on a raw or normalized score for the identified key passages. Alternatively, the ranking of a passage may be based on a ratio of user interactions with the passage to total views of the electronic text containing the passage. One or more of the identified key passages (e.g., the highest ranked passages) may be published to one or more applications. | 02-06-2014 |
20140040047 | METHOD OF DISSEMINATING ADVERTISEMENTS USING AN EMBEDDED MEDIA PLAYER PAGE - A method of disseminating advertisements includes the step of transmitting to a media device ( | 02-06-2014 |
20140032971 | Computer-Implemented Methods and Systems for Testing Online Systems and Content - Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for scanning web sites and/or parsing web content, including for testing online opt-out systems and/or cookies used by online systems. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for testing an opt-out system associated with at least one advertising system that uses cookies. The method includes transmitting a first request to an opt-out system, wherein the first request corresponds to a first test for testing at least one of the opt-out system and an advertising system; receiving a first stream sent in response to the first request; determining a first outcome of the first test based on the first stream; and generating a report based on the first outcome. | 01-30-2014 |
20140032561 | SEARCHING FOR TRANSIENT STREAMING MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES - A software and/or hardware facility is described that enables searches for transient multimedia resources that are contained in real-time multimedia streams. Because real-time data streams are not archived for subsequent access, transient resources contained in the streams are preferably quickly identified, characterized in a database, and indexed so that the facility can locate transient resources that are responsive to search queries. Stream listeners are disclosed that are configured to monitor data streams and identify transient resources within the streams based on associated metadata. Various techniques are disclosed to optimize the operation of the stream listeners. In response to a search query, search results are generated by the facility that include transient multimedia resources that are accessible via a network at the time that the search query is received. | 01-30-2014 |
20140019553 | EXCHANGING DIGITAL CONTENT - A first content selection stored on a portable media device is associated with a first tag. In addition, a second tag that is associated with a second content selection and that indicates that supplemental content related to the second content selection is stored on a peer device is accessed from a peer device. The first tag is compared to the second tag, and, if a commonality shared by the first content selection and the second content selection is identified, an exchange of the supplemental content from the peer device to the portable media device is initiated. | 01-16-2014 |
20140019552 | METHODS AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING LOCATION-BASED COMMUNICATION SERVICES - Systems and methods are provided for providing location-based communication services, such as location-based chat sessions and location based-data feeds. Access to a chat session or data feed may be provided to a user of a mobile device when the current location of the mobile device is determined to be within a predetermined geographic region. In one implementation, the chat session or data feed relates to content provided by members of a group or social network. In other implementations, the content related to chat session or data feed is provided by members of the general public. | 01-16-2014 |
20140019258 | ADVERTISEMENT DELIVERY - Advertisement delivery capable of providing data to satisfy advertising requests for displaying information to a user accessing an online computer system, generally includes using a first server that is structured and arranged to deliver advertisements to a first region of a display, and a second server that is structured and arranged to deliver advertisements to a second region of a display that is different from the first region. Advertisement delivery may also include a display server that sends input based on demographic data to the servers, where the display server receives instructions from at least one of the first and second servers based on the region controlled by the server, and a configuration system that generates and sends a first configuration file to the first server and a second configuration file to the second server, where the first configuration file includes instructions for displaying advertisements to the first region, and the second configuration file includes instructions for displaying advertisements to the second region. | 01-16-2014 |
20140019245 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROTECTING CONSUMER PRIVACY IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS - Systems and methods are provided for protecting consumer privacy. According to one implementation, a method is provided for protecting consumer privacy in an online advertising environment. The method includes receiving an ad-related communication with associated ad notice metadata containing information about the ad-related communication, analyzing the ad notice metadata, and executing a consumer privacy response based on the analysis. | 01-16-2014 |
20140006406 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANALYZING AND MANAGING ELECTRONIC CONTENT | 01-02-2014 |
20130343643 | DETECTING FACIAL SIMILARITY BASED ON HUMAN PERCEPTION OF FACIAL SIMILARITY - Similar faces may be determined within images based on human perception of facial similarity. The user may provide an image including a query face to which the user wishes to find faces that are similar. Similar faces may be determined based on similarity information. Similarity information may be generated from information related to a human perception of facial similarity. Images that include faces determined to be similar, based on the similarity information, may be provided to the user as search result images. The user then may provide feedback to indicate the user's perception of similarity between the query face and the search result images. | 12-26-2013 |
20130343598 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSOCIATING ELECTRONIC CONTENT - Systems and methods are provided for identifying and recommending electronic content to consumers. In accordance with an implementation, one or more elements of electronic content are associated to generate video graph data. In an exemplary method, information associated with first and second elements of video content is obtained and decomposed into corresponding first and second segments. A value indicative of an association between the first and second elements of video content is generated when the similarity measure satisfies at least one association rule. | 12-26-2013 |
20130343597 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING ELECTRONIC CONTENT USING VIDEO GRAPHS - Systems and methods are provided for identifying and recommending electronic content to consumers. In accordance with an implementation, one or more elements of electronic content are identified based on video graph data. In an exemplary method, information associated with a first element of video content is received, and corresponding video graph data is obtained. One or more second elements of video content that are similar to the first element of video content are identified based on the obtained video graph data. A subset the first and second elements of video content is subsequently identified for delivery to the user. | 12-26-2013 |
20130325982 | CHAT ROOM VIEWING - A system and method allows a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within an online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. The online chat room enables ongoing exchanges of electronic communications between two or more participants whose participation within the chat room are mutually revealed to each other. A user is enabled to perceive the existence of the online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. Selection of the online chat room by the user is received. Responsive to user selection of the online chat room and without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room are made perceivable to the user as the communications are exchanged. | 12-05-2013 |
20130318200 | SERVER EVALUATION OF CLIENT-SIDE SCRIPT - A facility is described for server-side evaluation of client-side script, such as to crawl and index dynamically generated links. In various embodiments, the facility provides an object that emulates a browser object. The provided object exposes a function for performing steps comprising receiving a first link and storing the received first link in a list of links to be processed. The facility receives a second link to be processed, loads a second document identified by the received second link, and assigns the provided object to a global variable so that a script associated with the loaded second document invokes the function exposed by the provided object instead of a function with a similar name that is exposed by the emulated browser object. The function with the similar name exposed by the emulated browser object handles the received first link without storing it in the list of links to be processed. | 11-28-2013 |
20130298044 | MOOD-BASED ORGANIZATION AND DISPLAY OF CO-USER LISTS - A mood state may be modeled using mood information for a content selection (e.g., a digitally-encoded song) and/or by using mood information determined by how a user is interacting with a media player. For example, a playlist engine on a host may determine that a particular song is associated with an uplifting mood, thus determining that a user who has selected that particular song currently is in an uplifting mood, and correspondingly may select additional songs and advertisements consistent with, or responsive to, the uplifting mood. Mood information also may be used to present a mood state of users (e.g., co-users) in a network for display in a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, a user's screen name appearing in an America Online (AOL) Instant Messenger's Buddy List may indicate a determined user's mood, such as “happy”, “sad”, “silly”, or “angry.” | 11-07-2013 |
20130268548 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED WEB SEARCHING - Systems and methods are provided for improved web searching. In one implementation, suggested search queries are provided based on previous search queries and click data. A weighted bi-partite graph or index may be used to identify related search queries based on overlapping clicked URLs. According to a method, query-click log data of a search engine is processed to generate sets of suggested search queries, data corresponding to each suggested search query, and a set of clicked URLs related to each suggested search query. Additionally, or independently, methods may be provided for contextually correcting spelling errors within sets of suggested search queries using a contextual algorithm, and/or identifying and discarding sets of suggested search queries and URLs that lead to restricted material, such as restricted content and related URLs. | 10-10-2013 |
20130262606 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method for communicating between an operator at an operator device and a user recipient includes enabling an operator of the operator device to enter a device-independent unique identifier for a user recipient by requiring interaction between the operator and the operator device without requiring interaction between the operator and software on the operator device that is designed for communication over an IP-based network. The method includes identifying an IP network address associated with the user recipient based on the device-independent unique identifier and routing a message entered by the operator to the determined IP network address. | 10-03-2013 |
20130254316 | OFFLINE AWAY MESSAGES - A computer program or method provides away messages from a first user to other users of a communications system, where the first user has grouped the other users into two or more groups. An interface is provided to the first user that displays representations of the other users in a manner that identifies how the first user has grouped the other users into the groups. The first user is able to select a selected group from the groups using the interface. The first user also is able to set a group away message for the selected group using the interface. The group away message is sent to a second user that has been grouped in the selected group when the second user attempts to communicate with the first user using the communications system and the first user is offline. | 09-26-2013 |
20130243245 | PERSONALIZING CONTENT BASED ON MOOD - In order to increase the efficacy of a mood-based playlisting system, a mood sensor such as a camera may be used to provide mood information to the mood model. When the mood sensor includes a camera, a camera may be used to capture an image of the user. The image is analyzed to determine a mood for the user so that content may be selected responsive to the mood of the user. | 09-19-2013 |
20130230238 | REGISTRATION OF SEPARATIONS - Separations or images relating to film or other fields may be registered using a variety of features, such as, for example: (1) correcting one or more film distortions; (2) automatically determining a transformation to reduce a film distortion; (3) applying multiple criteria of merit to a set of features to determine a set of features to use in determining a transformation; (4) determining transformations for areas in an image or a separation in a radial order; (5) comparing areas in images or separations by weighting feature pixels differently than non-feature pixels; (6) determining distortion values for transformations by applying a partial distortion measure and/or using a spiral search configuration; (7) determining transformations by using different sets of features to determine corresponding transformation parameters in an iterative manner; and (8) applying a feathering technique to neighboring areas within an image or separation. | 09-05-2013 |
20130212654 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR PROFILING CLIENT DEVICES - Systems and methods are provided for providing generating and managing profiles. Such systems and methods may be implemented to control access to a function of a web server or site based on a level of trust associated with a user or device profile. According to one exemplary method, session information associated with a request to access a function of a web server is identified. At least one processor determines whether the request is associated with a trusted device profile based on the at least the session information. Access to the requested function is provided when the request is associated with a trusted device profile. | 08-15-2013 |
20130212638 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TESTING ONLINE SYSTEMS AND CONTENT - Systems and methods are provided for automatically monitoring a compliance of web pages and graphical user interfaces with governmental and self-regulatory privacy and security policies. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that comprises instructing the execution of an operation on content associated with at least one web page is generated. The operation may include at least one of (i) a scanning operation that generates forensic data corresponding to the web page or (ii) an analytical operation that analyzes at least a portion of the forensic data corresponding to the web page. The method further comprises obtaining output data associated with the executed operation, and generating information indicative of a compliance of the web page with at least one of a privacy regulation or a security regulation, the information being generated based on the output data. | 08-15-2013 |
20130185765 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RESTRICTING ELECTRONIC CONTENT ACCESS BASED ON GUARDIAN CONTROL DECISIONS - Methods, computer-readable media, and systems are provided to facilitate a second user to allow or deny a first user, such as a child, from accessing content by proving the second user with a content profile based on decisions made by other users with respect to the content. In one implementation, a system allows the second user to set a threshold to automatically allow or deny access based on the other users' decisions. The decisions made by other users are aggregated into information that may be based on similarities between the child and other children from whom other users have previously made decisions regarding the particular content. In addition, the aggregation may more heavily weight decisions by users that have a history of making similar decisions to the second user. | 07-18-2013 |
20130185358 | PROMOTING INTEROPERABILITY OF PRESENCE-BASED SYSTEMS THROUGH THE USE OF UBIQUITOUS ONLINE IDENTITIES - A client system is configured to submit a request to a first instant messaging system for access to the first instant messaging service The request includes an online identity that is currently being used to access a second instant messaging service associated with the second instant messaging system. The second instant messaging system is configured to send a message to the first instant messaging system that indicates the online identity is currently being used to access a second instant messaging service associated with the second instant messaging system. The first instant messaging system maintains a profile that is updated to indicate that the online identity is currently being used to access the first instant messaging service and, in response to the message, the profile is also updated to indicate that the online identity is currently begin used to access the second instant messaging service. | 07-18-2013 |
20130174052 | MULTIPLE AVATAR PERSONALITIES - Perception of multiple online personas is enabled in an instant messaging communications session. At least two identities within a communications environment to whom messages may be directed are identified. A first persona of a user is enabled to be projected to a first of the identities while a second persona of the same user is enabled to be concurrently projected to a second of the identities. The first and second personas each include an avatar capable of being animated, and the first persona and the second persona differ. | 07-04-2013 |
20130151443 | Systems and methods for performing contextual classification using supervised and unsupervised training - Computerized systems and methods are disclosed for performing contextual classification of objects using supervised and unsupervised training. In accordance with one implementation, content reviewers may review training objects and submit supervised training data for preprocessing and analysis. The supervised training data may be preprocessed to identify key terms and phrases, such as by stemming, tokenization, or n-gram analysis, and form vectorized objects. The vectorized objects may be used to train one or more models for subsequent classification of objects. In certain implementations, preprocessing or training, among other steps, may be performed in parallel over multiple machines to improve efficiency. The disclosed systems and methods may be used in a wide variety of applications, such as article classification and content moderation. | 06-13-2013 |
20130138664 | Distributing Personalized Content - The invention provides a method and system for distributing personalized content to potentially large numbers of recipients. A pool is selected, from among all content available for distribution, of those content elements that will be made available for simultaneous distribution, and personalized content is selected for distribution from that pool. The content of the pool can change with new selections over time. For each individual recipient, content elements in the pool are examined to determine if they are predicted to be of sufficient interest to that recipient for distribution, and if so, those content elements are distributed. If not, successive content elements in the pool are examined, relaxing the standard for sufficient interest, until at least one content element is found and distributed to the individual recipient. | 05-30-2013 |
20130138645 | Grouping multimedia and streaming media search results - A method and system for grouping metadata search results associated with media on a computer network, such as multimedia and streaming media include binning and iterative masking. The media metadata has an associated media file, which has an associated uniform resource locator (URL). Each URL has at least one field, and each field has at least one character. Binning includes selecting, sorting, and putting URLs having a common attribute into the same bin. Masking includes creating a mask of masking characters. Each field in each URL in each bin is compare with the mask. If a masking character matches a character in a field, the character in the field is removed from the field. This produces at least one resultant URL. Identical resultant URLs are collapsing into one URL. Redundant and variant URLs are collapsed into a single URL. | 05-30-2013 |
20130132605 | Systems and Methods for Internet Video Delivery - Systems and methods are disclosed for delivering video content over a network, such as the Internet. Videos are identified and pre-processed by a web service and then separated into a plurality of segments. Based on user interests, video segments may be pre-fetched and stored by a client associated with a user. Upon receiving a selection from a user to play a video, the first video segment may begin playing instantaneously from a local cache. While the first video segment plays, subsequent video segments are transmitted from the web service to the client, so that the subsequent video segments will be ready for viewing at the client when playback of the first video segment has finished. | 05-23-2013 |
20130104026 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WEB SITE CUSTOMIZATION BASED ON TIME-OF-DAY - Systems and methods are provided for delivering customized versions of web pages to users. In one implementation, a method is provided for customizing a delivered version of a web page to reflect a current time-of-day at a geographic location of the user. According to the method, a request for a web page is received from a client device of the user. The request for the web page includes an IP address of the client device. Based on the IP address, a current time is determined for the received request. Thereafter, a version of the requested web page corresponding to the current time is generated, and the generated version of the requested web page is delivered to the client device. | 04-25-2013 |
20130080927 | Multiple personalities in chat communications - The same user is able to project different personalities while visiting different chat rooms. The personalities are tailored to the chat room being visited. Different personalization items (e.g., an icon or avatar, wallpaper, sounds, a smiley set, and text style) are provided based upon the chat room that the user is visiting. The personalization items may be customized based upon the identity of the chat room (such as a particular chat room, the type of chat room, or the content of the chat room). The personalization items may be host based and may leverage instant messaging (“IM”) personalization items. The personalization items may be user selected or user provided. | 03-28-2013 |
20130073380 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEDIA INITIALIZATION VIA DATA SHARING - A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium estimate media performance on advertising space inventory. The method selects at least one media cell that shares one or more common attributes with a target media cell. The method subsequently estimates mean revenue per impression (RPI) of the selected media cell, and then defines an initial estimate of a RPI of the target media cell based on the estimated RPI of the selected cell. The method computes the RPI of the target media cell by combining the initial RPI estimate for the target media cell with performance data associated with the target media cell. | 03-21-2013 |
20130066973 | CONTENT RECOMMENDATION USING THIRD PARTY PROFILES - A method includes identifying one or more features of a short term profile of a user that are not included in a long term profile of the user, using the one or more features to identify one or more third party profiles having features that substantially match the one or more features of the user's short term profile, accessing the identified one or more third party profiles, and providing one or more content items included in the third party profile to the user, the one or more content items having associated features that match the one or more features of the short term profile. An alternative method includes accessing one or more third party profiles that are not a profile of the user, and using the accessed third party profile to identify a plurality of content items for recommendation based on a feature set of the third party profile. | 03-14-2013 |
20130066958 | MANAGING ACCESS TO DIGITAL CONTENT SOURCES - Access to content may be enabled by receiving an instruction indicating a client request to access content, accessing a list of content sources capable of rendering the content for which access is requested by the client, determining a performance metric for at least two of the content sources, and selecting among the content sources based on the performance metric to identify a content source to be accessed by the client. | 03-14-2013 |
20130054712 | TRI-STATE PRESENCE INDICATOR - Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communication system by delivering an e-mail message from a sender to at least one recipient and indicating the online state of at least one of the sender and any other recipient of the e-mail message upon opening of the e-mail message by the recipient. | 02-28-2013 |
20130054348 | Systems and Methods for Web Page Optimization - Systems and methods are provided for web page optimization. In accordance with one implementation, a system for web page optimization is provided, wherein the system comprises a computing device configured to provide at least one of user data, content categories, and page performance metrics, and receive, from the module server, a bid to include at least one proposed module on a page, the bid including an impact score of the at least one proposed module based on the page performance metrics. The system also includes a feedback component configured to provide performance feedback indicative of how the page performed based in part on the page performance metrics, and a page assembler coupled configured to select for display on the page a module combination comprising the at least one proposed module, wherein the module combination is selected based in part on the impact score and the performance feedback. | 02-28-2013 |
20130041953 | Conference Calls and Meetings Via Electronic Messaging Interface - Initiating a conference call includes receiving a conference call request message from an initiating user specifying a plurality of other users and determining an availability of the other users to receive conference call invitations. A conference call is initiated between the initiating user and one or more of the other users that are determined to be available. The availability of one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable is monitored and interaction with a conference call invitation by one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable is enabled upon their monitored availability changing from unavailable to available. The interaction with the conference call invitation by the other users is conditioned on whether the conference call is still in progress. | 02-14-2013 |
20130031638 | DYNAMIC LOCATION OF A SUBORDINATE USER - Providing location information to a supervisory user includes providing a parental control, using a computer automatically to determine a location of a subordinate user, and storing location information indicative of the location of the subordinate user in a database. A request of the supervisory user to locate the subordinate user is received and a user interface informs the supervisory user of the location of the subordinate user based on the stored location information. At least one of the storing and/or the informing are based on the parental control. | 01-31-2013 |
20130028522 | USING RELEVANCE FEEDBACK IN FACE RECOGNITION - Images are searched to locate faces that are the same as a query face. Images that include a face that is the same as the query face may be presented to a user as search result images. Images also may be sorted by the faces included in the images and presented to the user as sorted search result images. The user may provide explicit or implicit feedback regarding the search result images. Additional feedback may be inferred regarding the search result images based on the user-provided feedback, and the results may be updated based on the user-provided and inferred feedback. | 01-31-2013 |
20130024950 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CHALLENGE-RESPONSE ANIMATION AND RANDOMIZATION TESTING - Systems and methods are provided for challenge/response animation. In one implementation, a request for protected content may be received from a client, and the protected content may comprise data. A challenge phrase comprising a plurality of characters may be determined, and a computer processor may divide the challenge phrase into at least two character subsets selected from the characters comprising the challenge phrase. Each of the at least two character subsets may include less than all of the characters comprising the challenge phrase. The at least two character subsets may be sent to the client in response to the request; and an answer to the challenge phrase may be received from the client in response to the at least two character subsets. Access to the protected content may be limited based on whether the answer correctly solves the challenge phrase. | 01-24-2013 |
20130024443 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANALYZING AND CLUSTERING SEARCH QUERIES - Computerized systems and methods are disclosed for analyzing search query relationships and managing electronic content. In accordance with one implementation, log data pertaining to a plurality of queries may be received over an electronic network. A click graph may be generated representing one or more relationships between the queries. Further, temporal similarities may be identified between the queries, for example, by looking at peaks in frequency of queries over time. A pair of search queries may be evaluated based on the generated click graph and the identified temporal similarities to determine whether the queries in the pair are related. | 01-24-2013 |
20130018972 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING AND UPDATING REPUTATION RECORDS - According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method is provided for generating a reputation record and filtering electronic messages, each reputation record including a reputation score and a reputation key. The method includes receiving at least one incoming event notification, including a reputation key; determining, based on the reputation key, whether a corresponding reputation record exists; creating a new reputation record if the corresponding reputation record does not exist; determining a trust determination function based on the incoming event notification; calculating a reputation score based on the determined trust determination function, the incoming event notification, and an attribute associated with the reputation key; storing the calculated reputation score along with the reputation key in either the new reputation record or the corresponding reputation record; and filtering one or more electronic messages based on the calculated reputation score. | 01-17-2013 |
20130018906 | Systems and Methods for Providing a Spam Database and Identifying Spam CommunicationsAANM NIGAM; RakeshAACI ChennaiAACO INAAGP NIGAM; Rakesh Chennai INAANM Chandrasekharappa; Santhosh BaramasagaraAACI BangaloreAACO INAAGP Chandrasekharappa; Santhosh Baramasagara Bangalore INAANM Ekambaram; SivakumarAACI BangaloreAACO INAAGP Ekambaram; Sivakumar Bangalore INAANM Sargent; JamesAACI PurcellvilleAAST VAAACO USAAGP Sargent; James Purcellville VA USAANM Moortgat; Jean-JacquesAACI CliftonAAST VAAACO USAAGP Moortgat; Jean-Jacques Clifton VA USAANM Selvaraj; Senthil Kumar SellaiyaAACO USAAGP Selvaraj; Senthil Kumar Sellaiya US - Systems and methods are provided for identifying unsolicited or unwanted electronic communications, such as spam. The disclosed embodiments also encompass systems and methods for selecting content items from a content item database. Consistent with certain embodiments, computer-implemented systems and methods may use a clustering based statistical content matching anti-spam algorithm to identify and filter spam. Such a anti-spam algorithm may be implemented to determine a degree of similarity between an incoming e-mail with a collection of one or more spam e-mails stored in a database. If the degree of similarity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the incoming e-mail may be classified as spam. Further, in accordance with other embodiments, systems and methods may be provided to determine a degree of similarity between a query or search string from a user and content items stored in a database. If the degree of similarity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the content item from the database may be identified as a content item that matches the query or search string provided by the user. | 01-17-2013 |
20130018884 | Systems and Methods for Providing a Content Item Database and Identifying Content ItemsAANM Chandrasekharappa; Santhosh BaramasagaraAACI BangaloreAACO INAAGP Chandrasekharappa; Santhosh Baramasagara Bangalore INAANM Ekambaram; SivakumarAACI BangaloreAACO INAAGP Ekambaram; Sivakumar Bangalore INAANM Sohoney; SaurabhAACI BangaloreAACO INAAGP Sohoney; Saurabh Bangalore INAANM Nigam; RakeshAACI ChennalAACO INAAGP Nigam; Rakesh Chennal IN - Systems and methods are provided for identifying unsolicited or unwanted electronic communications, such as spam. The disclosed embodiments also encompass systems and methods for selecting content items from a content item database. Consistent with certain embodiments, computer-implemented systems and methods may use a clustering based statistical content matching anti-spam algorithm to identify and filter spam. Such a anti-spam algorithm may be implemented to determine a degree of similarity between an incoming e-mail with a collection of one or more spam e-mails stored in a database. If the degree of similarity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the incoming e-mail may be classified as spam. Further, in accordance with other embodiments, systems and methods may be provided to determine a degree of similarity between a query or search string from a user and content items stored in a database. If the degree of similarity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the content item from the database may be identified as a content item that matches the query or search string provided by the user. | 01-17-2013 |
20130018731 | DISPLAYING ADVERTISEMENTS IN A COMPUTER NETWORK ENVIRONMENT - A method of presenting advertising to viewers in a computer network environment includes monitoring a viewer's interactions with an associated computer system, and adjusting a timing of displayed advertisements on the viewer's associated computer system based on one or more of the viewer's monitored interactions. | 01-17-2013 |
20130013754 | NETWORK SCORING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A client may be configured to access a network by identifying a network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing a networked content source, enabling the client to access the content source using the network bandwidth configuration setting, monitoring client access to the content source, comparing client access metrics to metrics associated with the network bandwidth configuration setting, determining, based on the comparison, whether to adjust the network bandwidth configuration settings for the client, and adjusting the network bandwidth configuration setting if appropriate. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013711 | SORTING ELECTRONIC MESSAGES USING ATTRIBUTES OF THE SENDER ADDRESS - Systems and methods for sorting electronic messages using attributes of senders or of sender addresses. An electronic messaging server sorts electronic messages using attributes associated with the senders or sender addresses of the electronic messages. The sender addresses and associated attributes are stored in an accept list. A sorting module uses the accept list to sort the electronic messages into various folders. The sorting module can also access other data sources, such as a contact list, to assist in sorting the electronic messages. The attributes can be determined independently of the user or can be set directly by the user. The attributes can also identify a status of a sender such as whether the sender is authorized, unauthorized, or unconfirmed. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013686 | People Lists - Enabling management of contacts includes passively recognizing a set of contacts that are, as a group, repeatedly sent communications by a member, bringing the member's attention to the recognized set of contacts, enabling the member to name the set of contacts, and enabling the member to address future communications to the set of contacts through use of the name associated by the member with the set of contacts. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013365 | Time Request Queue - A group scheduling solution offers an organized and formalized solution to the time management problem in which the desired meeting includes a person who is difficult to schedule. A scheduling system is provided in which a hard-to-schedule attendee takes over responsibility for setting the start time of an event. A workflow is provided, in which the organizer sends a request to the hard-to-schedule person. The request contains the desired duration of the meeting, and possibly a list of attendees, location, and other details. These requests are maintained in a queue for the hard-to-schedule person. The hard-to-schedule person, or their proxy, reviews these requests and selects a suitable time for the meeting, thereby causing an update to be sent back to the organizer and the other attendees, thus indicating the appointed time for the meeting. | 01-10-2013 |
20130007871 | MIGRATING CONFIGURATION INFORMATION BASED ON USER IDENTITY INFORMATION - Techniques are provided for the configuration of a home-networking system. Home-networking configuration information may be stored on a host system in a manner accessible to the home-networking system and migrated to a home-networking gateway or router that has not yet been configured. Wireless configuration information may be stored on a home-networking gateway or router and used to configure one or more wireless access points through the use of a physical connection, such as a wired communications pathway. One or more wireless home-networking devices may be configured based on wireless configuration information stored in a central repository on a host system or a home-networking system. The wireless configuration information may be accessible only through the use of a security code. | 01-03-2013 |
20130007600 | USER INTERFACE SYSTEM FOR HANDHELD DEVICES - One or more handheld devices may be configured to receive and display content. A server may be configured to help the handheld devices display content. For example, by using at least some of the contents of one or more of feeds, the server may generate user interface data, which the handheld devices may use to display user interfaces that are configured to request content associated with the feeds. | 01-03-2013 |
20130007152 | ONLINE ADAPTIVE FILTERING OF MESSAGES - In general, a two or more stage spam filtering system is used to filter spam in an e-mail system. One stage includes a global e-mail classifier that classifies e-mail as it enters the e-mail system. The parameters of the global e-mail classifier generally may be determined by the policies of e-mail system owner and generally are set to only classify as spam those e-mails that are likely to be considered spam by a significant number of users of the e-mail system. Another stage includes personal e-mail classifiers at the individual mailboxes of the e-mail system users. The parameters of the personal e-mail classifiers generally are set by the users through retraining, such that the personal e-mail classifiers are refined to track the subjective perceptions of their respective user as to what e-mails are spam e-mails. | 01-03-2013 |
20120324103 | INTELLIGENT MANAGEMENT OF APPLICATION CONNECTIVITY - Network connectivity is selectively established by monitoring, on a client, communications activity incident to accessing a network, the communications activity including a request to access the network. An application associated with the communications activity is be identified. A communications configuration associated with the application is accessed, the communications configuration indicating how the application is configured to access the network. Network connectivity is selectively established based on the communications configuration, and the application may be enabled to access the network to support the communications activity. | 12-20-2012 |
20120324003 | SEARCHING RECENT CONTENT PUBLICATION ACTIVITY - Collecting and distributing information related to recent content publication activity of an instant messaging (IM) user provides other users in a network with timely, relevant information about people known to the user or within the same social network. A user participating in a social network can quickly and efficiently perceive new information related to other users (referred to as co-users) in a social network by reviewing the co-users' recent content publication activity. A user may be made able to do so without requiring the co-user to send a communication directly to the user regarding the new facts or new content, and also without requiring the user to actively browse or request information about the co-user. | 12-20-2012 |
20120317467 | IDENTIFYING URL TARGET HOSTNAMES - Techniques are provided for displaying a uniform resource locator (URL) to assist a user in determining whether a URL destination is what the user expects. A link is presented for selection to a user, and a URL corresponding to the link is accessed. A portion of the URL that corresponds to a hostname component of the URL may be identified, and the URL may be displayed. The hostname component of the URL is visually distinguished from other components of the URL. In addition to or as an alternative to displaying the URL and visually distinguishing the hostname component, a warning message relating to the hostname portion of the URL may be displayed. The techniques may be implemented as a software plug-in or in any type of software application that is capable of recognizing URLs. | 12-13-2012 |
20120317212 | DEGREES OF SEPARATION FOR HANDLING COMMUNICATIONS - A sender's degrees of separation from a recipient may be used to aid in spam filtering or to otherwise handle a communication. The “degrees of separation” represent a metric used to quantify whether/how the recipient is linked to the sender through intermediary people or other entities. For example, a recipient may know a first user (first degree of separation) and the first user may know a second user (second degree of separation) who knows the sender of an e-mail. In this case, the sender is separated from the recipient by two degrees of separation (by two other contact). A level of “trust” or “legitimacy” about a sender's communication can be inferred by looking at whether the sender is linked to an intended recipient. Typically, user contact lists are evaluated to determine the number of degrees (or hops) are required to link or relate two users. | 12-13-2012 |
20120311418 | MEDIA FILE FORMAT, SYSTEM, AND METHOD - Digital content encoded in a media file format may be presented by accessing the media file, reading parameters that describe the content, and processing the media file using the encoded parameters to “play” or generate output. Although the media file format may have multiple optional extensions, the media file generally includes one or more frames. Each frame may include a synchronized frame with the synchronized frame having a synchronized header, a video format indicator, an audio format indicator, a width indicator, a height indicator, a frame rate index, and a payload. Although the digital content may include different types and formats, the parameters used in the media file may be used to describe the digital content so that it may be processed independent of the underlying algorithm used. For example, multiple channels of audio signals may be described. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311027 | CLIENT APPLICATION FINGERPRINTING BASED ON ANALYSIS OF CLIENT REQUESTS - Processes are disclosed for fingerprinting and identifying client applications based on the analysis of client requests. In an HTTP-based embodiment, a fingerprint is constructed based on the presence and order of HTTP headers included in a request from a client application or device. This fingerprint may then be compared to known fingerprints associated with particular client applications to identify the particular client application and/or to assess whether the client application is malicious. The results of this analysis may, for example, be used to determine how to respond to the current request and/or subsequent requests. | 12-06-2012 |
20120231822 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MESSAGING ACROSS CELLULAR NETWORKS AND A PUBLIC DATA NETWORK - A computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user, the destination address is associated with an instant message name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message name. | 09-13-2012 |
20120131671 | Securing An Access Provider - To secure an access provider, communications to/from the access provider are monitored for a partially-completed connection transaction. Detected partially-completed connection transactions are terminated when they remain in existence for a period of time that exceeds a threshold period of time. The monitoring may include detecting partially-completed connection transactions initiated by an access requestor, measuring the period of time that a partially-completed connection transaction remains in existence, comparing the period of time with the threshold period of time, and resetting a communication port located on the access provider. | 05-24-2012 |
20120110104 | MESSAGE SCREENING SYSTEM - A message screening system includes routing to a supervisory recipient an electronic message directed to an intended recipient. The supervisory recipient then is allowed to screen the electronic message by approving or rejecting the electronic message. The electronic message then is forwarded to the intended recipient if the electronic message is approved by the supervisory recipient. | 05-03-2012 |
20120106870 | Registration of Separations - Separations or images relating to film or other fields may be registered using a variety of features, such as, for example: (1) correcting one or more film distortions; (2) automatically determining a transformation to reduce a film distortion; (3) applying multiple criteria of merit to a set of features to determine a set of features to use in determining a transformation; (4) determining transformations for areas in an image or a separation in a radial order; (5) comparing areas in images or separations by weighting feature pixels differently than non-feature pixels; (6) determining distortion values for transformations by applying a partial distortion measure and/or using a spiral search configuration; (7) determining transformations by using different sets of features to determine corresponding transformation parameters in an iterative manner; and (8) applying a feathering technique to neighboring areas within an image or separation. | 05-03-2012 |
20120020467 | RECIPIENT CONTROL OF SOURCE AUDIO IDENTIFIERS FOR DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS - Enabling a recipient to control presentation of an audio identifier informing the recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender in a communication session includes receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient. A sender-designated first audio identifier or sender-related information that identifies the sender to the recipient is accessed upon arrival of the digital communication. The first audio identifier or sender-related information is presented to the recipient contemporaneous with receipt of the digital communication. The recipient is able to specify, upon presentation of the first audio identifier or sender-related information, whether to enable subsequent presentation of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with receipt of a future digital communication from the sender. | 01-26-2012 |
20110292160 | CONFIGURING OUTPUT ON A COMMUNICATION DEVICE - In one general sense, display of content communicated by a sender communication device to a destination communication device may be enabled by receiving, at a destination communication device, content to be displayed by the destination communication device. Characteristics of a display of the received content by the destination communication device may be algorithmically identified in accordance with display configuration settings for the destination communication device. Based on the identified characteristics, at least one change to be made to capture configuration settings at a capturing communication device used to capture the received content may be identified. At least one alternative capture configuration setting may be communicated to the capturing communication device. Content that is captured by the capturing communication device is received at the destination communications device based on the alternative capture configuration setting communicated. | 12-01-2011 |
20110225041 | System and Method for Using Voice Over a Telephone to Access, Process, and Carry Out Transactions Over the Internet - A method for executing a transaction related to an item or a service using a telephone includes providing information identifying the item or the service, providing a query as to a transaction to be performed in which the transaction is related to the identified item or service, and sending to a server system a request to execute the transaction related to the identified item or service in response to a user answer. The transaction is executed without the user performing a single action on a computer interface. | 09-15-2011 |
20110184979 | PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR LOCATING A MEDIA ASSET BASED ON AUDIT TRAIL INFORMATION INCORPORATED INTO THE ASSET ITSELF - An enhanced metadata structure and associated process is provided which captures and stores metadata gathered about the source and usage of a media asset or file. The source and usage metadata is integrated, such as by encoding within the enhanced media file, as the media asset is transferred and used. The integrated metadata accumulates, as a trail of source information and usage information in the enhanced media asset, and can be extracted upon arrival at a target computer system. | 07-28-2011 |
20110129145 | DETECTING FACIAL SIMILARITY BASED ON HUMAN PERCEPTION OF FACIAL SIMILARITY - Similar faces may be determined within images based on human perception of facial similarity. The user may provide an image including a query face to which the user wishes to find faces that are similar. Similar faces may be determined based on similarity information. Similarity information may be generated from information related to a human perception of facial similarity. Images that include faces determined to be similar, based on the similarity information, may be provided to the user as search result images. The user then may provide feedback to indicate the user's perception of similarity between the query face and the search result images. | 06-02-2011 |
20110106900 | MESSAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A third-party can subscribe to one or more electronic message group lists without joining the group lists by creating a trust relationship between the subscriber and a group list member. In particular, the subscriber can send a trust indicator to the group member, who can then determine whether to accept the trust indicator for all or specific groups that are associated with the group member, as appropriate. In at least one embodiment, the group member can send a trust indicator acceptance message to the subscriber that identifies the group member, and any or all group lists associated with the group member. The subscriber can then receive messages directed to the trusted group member or group lists, and can send group messages to the group lists subject to a receive setting associated with the group lists or group members of the group lists. | 05-05-2011 |
20110016131 | METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING OMNIBUS VIEW OF ONLINE AND OFFLINE CONTENT OF VARIOUS FILE TYPES AND SOURCES - An online service provider (OSP) operates online data centers to store members' data objects relating to various online member services of the OSP. An aggregated catalog lists members' data objects residing in the online data centers and also those residing in member computers' local storage. An aggregator monitors contents of the online storage facilities to detect new storage of prescribed types of data objects owned by the members, and also communicates with member computers to identify prescribed types of data objects newly stored in the respective local storage. The aggregator updates the aggregated catalog to list the newly stored data objects. Responsive to a request by a member, a finder searches the aggregated catalog and utilizes results of the search to provide, for display at the requesting member's computer, a consolidated listing of online data objects and locally stored data objects owned by the requesting member. | 01-20-2011 |
20110002313 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MESSAGING ACROSS CELLULAR NETWORKS AND A PUBLIC DATA NETWORK - A computer program product for instant message communication in a wireless and non-wireless environment. A message is sent from a mobile unit device over a wireless communication network. The message includes a destination address, information associated with the mobile unit device's user, message content and message address. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user at the instant message system, the destination address is associated with an instant message function, the associated instant message function is executed at the instant message system using the information contained in the message content, if required as determined by the associated instant message function. If, according to information previously stored for the mobile unit device's user, the destination address is associated with an instant message name, an instant message is created according to the message content and is sent to the user with the associated instant message name. | 01-06-2011 |
20100315966 | DYNAMICALLY MANAGING AND RECONFIGURING WIRELESS MESH NETWORKS - A wireless network with multiple subscriber systems in a lobe pool may operate by determining a state of the wireless network, identifying a new condition, the new condition including a new demand condition or a new network health condition, determining whether the new condition has a threshold impact on operations of the wireless network or component subscriber systems of the wireless network, and if the threshold impact exists, reconfiguring the wireless network to accommodate the new condition. | 12-16-2010 |
20100306660 | METHOD FOR DISPLAYING WEB USER'S AUTHENTICATION STATUS IN A DISTRIBUTED SINGLE LOGIN NETWORK - The invention provides a system and method for automatically displaying a user's logged-in status across an Internet based network of affiliated Web sites via a visual indicator such as a toolbar to help the user to be certain about his logged-in status when he stays with one or switches from one to another affiliated Web site. | 12-02-2010 |
20100306050 | Distributing Personalized Content - The invention provides a method and system for distributing personalized content to potentially large numbers of recipients. A pool is selected, from among all content available for distribution, of those content elements that will be made available for simultaneous distribution, and personalized content is selected for distribution from that pool. The content of the pool can change with new selections over time. For each individual recipient, content elements in the pool are examined to determine if they are predicted to be of sufficient interest to that recipient for distribution, and if so, those content elements are distributed. If not, successive content elements in the pool are examined, relaxing the standard for sufficient interest, until at least one content element is found and distributed to the individual recipient. | 12-02-2010 |
20100299611 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNITY CENTRIC RESOURCE SHARING BASED ON A PUBLISHING SUBSCRIPTION MODEL - The invention provides a Web service which enables a publisher to share his digital resources such as an address card or a calendar with a number of subscribers based on different sharing relationships. The Web service includes a host-based interface called “My Community”, for example, with which the publisher manages the share-relationships with his community members. The community members are organized into different groups. Each group includes a number of community members who have a common sharing relationship with the publisher with respect to one or more views of the shared resources. A resource may have multiple views. Each of the views has Metadata describing sharing-styles, as well as version, creation date, size, and the like. Each sharing style corresponds to a specific sharing relationship between a community member and the publisher. | 11-25-2010 |
20100251347 | SIMPLE, SECURE LOGIN WITH MULTIPLE AUTHENTICATION PROVIDERS - A secure distributed single-login authentication system comprises a client and a server. The client collects authentication credentials from a user and tests credentials at a variety of potential authentication servers to check where the login is valid. It combines a password with a time-varying salt and a service-specific seed in a message digesting hash, generating a first hash value. The client sends the hash value with a user name and the time-varying salt to a selected server. The server extracts the user name and looks up the user name in the server's database. If an entry is found, it retrieves the password, performing the same hash function on the combination of user name, service-specific seed, and password to generate a second hash value, comparing the values. If the values match, the user is authenticated. Thus, the system never reveals the password to authentication agents that might abuse the information. | 09-30-2010 |
20100250452 | HELP CENTER AND PRINT CENTER APPLICATIONS - Various disclosed help center features provide help to a user without a staffed help center, provide help to a user before the user recognizes the need, or create targeted commerce opportunities for a provider of goods or services. One help center feature provides a user with help that is specifically related to a component in the user's computer system and that is supplied to the help center feature by the component manufacturer. Another help center feature detects a condition that degrades performance, and hence user satisfaction, and alerts the user. Another help center feature detects an attempt by a computer system to inform the user of degraded performance and offers the user a solution. Another help center feature provides a user with a commerce opportunity specifically related to a component in the user's computer system and/or to the user's geographic location. | 09-30-2010 |
20100241351 | IDENTIFYING A RESULT RESPONSIVE TO A CURRENT LOCATION OF A CLIENT DEVICE - A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device includes receiving, form a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a current location of the client device. The method also includes automatically updating the search query as the current location of the client device changes and instructing the host to identify a potential location associated with the point of interest and located within a user-defined proximity from the current location of the client device. | 09-23-2010 |
20100235508 | LOCATION-BASED REGULATION OF ACCESS - Generally, access to content may be regulated by receiving a content request initiated at a jukebox for access to a content selection, identifying a jukebox location corresponding to a location of the jukebox, determining a permissible location for rendering the content selection, relating the jukebox location to the permissible location, and enabling the content request when the permissible location supports access to the content selection from the jukebox location. | 09-16-2010 |
20100235506 | SECURING AN ACCESSIBLE COMPUTER SYSTEM - To secure an accessible computer system, the computer system is monitored for connection transactions. An access requestor is denied access to the computer system when the access requestor initiates a number of connection transactions that exceed a configurable threshold number during a first configurable period of time. The monitoring may include detecting connection transactions initiated by the access requestor, counting the number of connection transactions initiated by the access requestor during the first configurable period of time, and comparing the number of connection transactions initiated by the access requestor during the first configurable period of time to the configurable threshold number. | 09-16-2010 |
20100235375 | TEMPORAL SEARCH QUERY PERSONALIZATION - A user is made able to configure a search query to be responsive to temporal factors in order to adjust the search query to more accurately reflect the user's true information need. By adjusting the search query in this way, the user is more likely to receive satisfactory search results. | 09-16-2010 |
20100228965 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A STREAMING PROTOCOL - An initialization vector (IV) is employed to decrypt a block of a stream that has been encrypted with Cypher Block Chaining (CBC) encryption, without requiring decryption of previous blocks within the stream. For example, a listener who accesses a distribution point to retrieve encrypted content authenticates himself to an application server that regulates access to encrypted content on the distribution point, and responsively receives a key. The listener then requests access to a reference point within the encrypted content stream somewhere after its beginning (e.g., using preview clips). The distribution point relates the reference point to a corresponding block of the encrypted stream, and identifies an IV previously used for encryption of that block. The distribution point provides the associated encrypted block of content and the IV to the listener to enable mid-stream rendering of the encrypted content, without requiring the listener to decrypt previous blocks within the encrypted stream. | 09-09-2010 |
20100228719 | PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR INCORPORATING AUDIT TRAIL INFORMATION OF A MEDIA ASSET INTO THE ASSET ITSELF - An enhanced metadata structure and associated process is provided which captures and stores metadata gathered about the source and usage of a media asset or file. The source and usage metadata is integrated, such as by encoding within the enhanced media file, as the media asset is transferred and used. The integrated metadata accumulates, as a trail of source information and usage information in the enhanced media asset, and can be extracted upon arrival at a target computer system. | 09-09-2010 |
20100226284 | WIRELESS SOCIAL NETWORKING - A first device may communicate by joining a wireless mesh network that includes at least one wireless device configured to operate a wireless routing protocol, discovering a group of other wireless devices configured to participate in the wireless mesh network, and accessing an interest metric for a second wireless device in the group of other wireless devices. The interest metric is based in part on a network topology from the wireless mesh network. The interest metric is related to an interest threshold and it is determined whether relating the interest metric to the interest threshold supports enabling messaging communications. If so, messaging communications may be enabled. | 09-09-2010 |
20100223470 | SECURE INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM - A secure instant messaging (IM) system integrates secure instant messaging into existing instant messaging systems. A certificate authority (CA) issues security certificates to users binding the user's IM screen name to a public key, used by sending users to encrypt messages and files for the user. The CA uses a subscriber database to keep track of valid users and associated information, e.g. user screen names, user subscription expiration dates, and enrollment agent information. A user sends his certificate to an instant messaging server which publishes the user's certificate to other users. Users encrypt instant messages and files using an encryption algorithm and the recipient's certificate. A sending user can sign instant messages using his private signing key. The security status of received messages is displayed to recipients. | 09-02-2010 |
20100220660 | WIRELESS DATAGRAM TRANSACTION PROTOCOL SYSTEM - Systems are provided for sequencing, delivery acknowledgement, and throttling of data packets over a network layer, such as UDP and SMS. To support devices with limited battery resources, the invention incorporates asymmetric retry logic and/or acknowledgements with overlapping ranges, to minimize the transmissions required for the device. The sender of a data-bearing frame does not need to wait for a frame to be acknowledged before sending the next, such that many frames can be “in flight” at once. | 09-02-2010 |
20100219971 | Concatenated Audio Messages - Audibly identifying an event includes enabling selection of a first sound based upon an identifier. The identifier enables identification of an entity related to the event. A notification of an occurrence of the event is received. The notification includes the identifier. An intended recipient is alerted of the event by playing, in response to the notification, at least a portion of the first sound and at least a portion of a second sound that is related to the event. | 09-02-2010 |
20100219937 | Instant Messaging Sound Control - Controlling the volume of an audible alert associated with an instant messaging communications session includes rendering, on a first instant messaging user system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least a first instant messaging user and a second instant messaging user, receiving notification of an event related to the instant messaging communications session, determining a characteristic of the event, accessing an audible alert to be rendered to signal existence of the event, adjusting based upon the determined characteristic of the event a volume of the audible alert corresponding to the event, and rendering the audible alert to signal existence of the event. | 09-02-2010 |
20100217863 | Securing An Access Provider - To secure an access provider, communications to/from the access provider are monitored for a partially-completed connection transaction. Detected partially-completed connection transactions are terminated when they remain in existence for a period of time that exceeds a threshold period of time. The monitoring may include detecting partially-completed connection transactions initiated by an access requestor, measuring the period of time that a partially-completed connection transaction remains in existence, comparing the period of time with the threshold period of time, and resetting a communication port located on the access provider. | 08-26-2010 |
20100205546 | ORGANIZING ENTRIES IN PARTICIPANT LISTS BASED ON COMMUNICATIONS STRENGTHS - Organizing a participant list includes maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system. Communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the participant list are determined. The users included in the participant list are organized based on the corresponding communications strengths. Communications strengths may be determined for users included in a group within a participant list, and the users within the group may be organized within the group based on communications strength. An additional group in the participant list in which some or all of the users included in the participant list are organized based on communications strength may be provided. | 08-12-2010 |
20100191819 | Group Based Spam Classification - An e-mail filter is used to classify received e-mails so that some of the classes may be filtered, blocked, or marked. The e-mail filter may include a classifier that can classify an e-mail as belonging to a particular class and an e-mail grouper that can detect substantially similar, but possibly not identical, e-mails. The e-mail grouper determines groups of substantially similar e-mails in an incoming e-mail stream. For each group, the classifier determines whether one or more test e-mails from the group belongs to the particular class. The classifier then designates the class to which the other e-mails in the group belong based on the results for the test e-mails. | 07-29-2010 |
20100185778 | DUPLICATING SWITCH FOR STREAMING DATA UNITS TO A TERMINAL - Streaming to a terminal by using a duplicating switch to receive a stream of data units, using the duplicating switch to store content from the stream, using the duplicating switch to generate a second stream that incorporates the content that was stored and address information corresponding to more than one terminal whose addressing information was not part of the first stream, and using the duplicating switch to make the second stream of data units available to two or more terminals. | 07-22-2010 |
20100174996 | Rendering Destination Instant Messaging Personalization Items Before Communicating With Destination - Perception of a personalization item in an instant messaging communications session may be enabled by perceiving an identifier corresponding to an intended instant message recipient designated by an instant message sender system, accessing personalization items corresponding to the perceived identifier, and making perceivable the personalization items corresponding to the received identifier to the instant messaging sender system for rendering in an instant messaging application running on the instant messaging sender system, where the personalization items are made perceivable prior to communication with the intended instant message recipient. | 07-08-2010 |
20100174799 | MANAGING AND COLLABORATING WITH DIGITAL CONTENT - A universal digital content system provides a dynamic user interface having a viewing area, an action menu area, and an organizing area. A user can create, organize, send, receive, access, collaborate with and otherwise manage digital content through a single user interface. The universal digital content system provides multiple ways of viewing and organizing all of the digital content accessible through the dynamic user interface. In addition, a user can create a collaboration session with one or more contacts using one or more digital content files. | 07-08-2010 |
20100169448 | Recipient Control of Source Audio Identifiers for Digital Communications - Enabling a recipient to control presentation of an audio identifier informing the recipient of an arrival of a digital communication from a sender in a communication session includes receiving a digital communication from a sender directed to a recipient. A sender-designated first audio identifier or sender-related information that identifies the sender to the recipient is accessed upon arrival of the digital communication. The first audio identifier or sender-related information is presented to the recipient contemporaneous with receipt of the digital communication. The recipient is able to specify, upon presentation of the first audio identifier or sender-related information, whether to enable subsequent presentation of the first audio identifier prior to or concurrent with receipt of a future digital communication from the sender. | 07-01-2010 |
20100146612 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRUST-BASED, FINE-GRAINED RATE LIMITING OF NETWORK REQUESTS - A method and apparatus for fine-grained, trust-based rate limiting of network requests distinguishes trusted network traffic from untrusted network traffic at the granularity of an individual user/machine combination, so that network traffic policing measures are readily implemented against untrusted and potentially hostile traffic without compromising service to trusted users. A server establishes a user/client pair as trusted by issuing a trust token to the client when successfully authenticating to the server for the first time. Subsequently, the client provides the trust token at login. At the server, rate policies apportion bandwidth according to type of traffic: network requests that include a valid trust token are granted highest priority. Rate policies further specify bandwidth restrictions imposed for untrusted network traffic. This scheme enables the server to throttle untrusted password-guessing requests from crackers without penalizing most friendly logins and only slightly penalizing the relatively few untrusted friendly logins. | 06-10-2010 |
20100146054 | Indicating Recent Content Publication Activity by a User - Collecting and distributing information related to recent content publication activity of an instant messaging (IM) user provides other users in a network with timely, relevant information about people known to the user or within the same social network. A user participating in a social network can quickly and efficiently perceive new information related to other users (referred to as co-users) in a social network by reviewing the co-users' recent content publication activity. A user may be made able to do so without requiring the co-user to send a communication directly to the user regarding the new facts or new content, and also without requiring the user to actively browse or request information about the co-user. | 06-10-2010 |
20100124322 | NEGOTIATING CONTENT CONTROLS - Access to an electronic conference may be administered by receiving an electronic instruction configured to establish the electronic conference, enabling more than one user to generate content restrictions that limit content rendered during the electronic conference, analyzing one or more participant devices to ensure compliance with the content restrictions, establishing the electronic conference in accordance with the content restrictions, and enabling user access to the electronic conference consistent with the content restrictions. | 05-20-2010 |
20100122190 | CALENDAR OVERLAYS - Implementing an electronic calendar can include accessing a first electronic calendar owned by a first party, accessing a second electronic calendar owned by a second party, and presenting a view that combines at least one existing entry from within each of the first and second electronic calendars. Source information for each of the first and second electronic calendars may be electronically maintained. The combined view may be updated electronically to reflect a change to at least one of the existing entries from within at least one of the first and second electronic calendars. Electronic calendars may be accessed and overlaid without importing events, thus enabling simple updating. Event information may be imported and source or other attributes may be associated with imported information to enable updating and other sorting functions. | 05-13-2010 |
20100121562 | AUTOMATED ROUTE DETERMINATION - A preferred route may be determined from an origin location to a destination location. The determination is made by processing directed links (e.g., one-way edges) in a graph that includes one or more links and two or more nodes. The determination of a preferred route may include an estimate of the time required at one or more intersections along alternative. Individual routing preferences, such as a preference of a rural over an urban route, also may be considered. Techniques are described that may help reduce the time required to identify a preferred route, including the identification and removal of no outlet routes before processing the directed links and techniques using particular data formats. | 05-13-2010 |
20100114904 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY ORGANIZING AND CLASSIFYING BUSINESSES ON THE WORLD-WIDE WEB - A method and search engine for classifying a source publishing a document on a portion of a network, includes steps of electronically receiving a document, based on the document, determining a source which published the document, and assigning a code to the document based on whether data associated with the document published by the source matches with data contained in a database. An intelligent geographic- and business topic-specific resource discovery system facilitates local commerce on the World-Wide Web and also reduces search time by accurately isolating information for end-users. Distinguishing and classifying business pages on the Web by business categories using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes is achieved through an automatic iterative process. | 05-06-2010 |