Abstract: A method, system and computer program for producing endorsements for products or services that have indisputable documentation of successful the product or service's successful use by a user in an activity.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program for operating a social network. The method may include generating and recording social rival relationships.

Abstract: A system and method for renewing business, professional and personal contacts is described. The system overcomes time and psychological hindrances to maintaining relationships by automatically selecting whom a user should keep in touch with by displaying this selection to the user. In an automatic mode, the system searches a contact list for candidates based on predetermined user preferences and a time-based algorithm (e.g. contact each week, month, 2 weeks after a meeting, etc.). Selected candidates are collected and images transferred to a display module to build a “keep in touch” section to be displayed to the user. In a manual mode, the user initiates the selection process.

Abstract: A calendar system stores and organizes materials related to scheduled events, to-dos, addresses, etc. and allows a user to browse a calendar and select entries for viewing. In addition, each entry is linked to any number of topics related to that entry and up-to-date information on these topics are displayed when the entry is viewed. Topics are published on topic channels by one or more topic providers and a calendar system administrator defines which topics relate to which calendar entries. When a client enters information related to a new calendar entry or event, the calendar system determines which topics relate to that event and identifies corresponding topic channels which currently exist or need to be created between the calendar system and the topic providers. Finally, in each calendar entry, links are created to local versions of the appropriate topic channels and the entry is then persistently stored.

Abstract: A system and method for communication of information that has particular significance to a specific location only to those individuals that are at or near that geo-spatial location. In particular, providing safety factor data and alerts is a preferred use of the invention. The invention allows information to be tailored to the individual at that location by selectively filtering what is communicated and what is not. The system includes a transmitting proximity event server, a GPS client wireless component that can be a personal wireless communication device (such as Palm Pilot, cellular digital phones, etc.) or personal computer configured for use within a global position satellite network.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an integrated matching service and calendaring system. Calendar events are utilized as a bridge between an electronic calendaring system and a matching service. A calendar event represents an activity, e.g., job opening, tennis match, bicycle race, etc., the requirements to match the activity, the entity attributes, and any match results. An entity defines criteria and information for a matching activity which is stored as a calendar event in the electronic calendar system. Portions of the criteria and information are stored as attachments to the calendar event. The calendar events representing a matching activity and associated attachments are provided to a matching server which locates suitable matches for the activity based upon the criteria and information of the activity. If a suitable match is located, the matching server notifies the entities involved by listing the corresponding entities as attendees associated with the calendar event.

Abstract: Described is a way for computing proximity (location-based proximity or preference-based proximity) between mobile wireless subscribers (who use different services) without either divulging their location/preference to the other (preservation of privacy). Privacy is kept by providing location/preference information in steps, along with an evaluation function. The services receive partial results and then locally compute the final result, or proximity. The term proximity includes not just physical proximity but also multi-dimensional data such as preference profiles and vectors (e.g., an affinity for baseball, apple pie, and ballroom dancing).

Abstract: Described is a way for computing proximity (location-based proximity or preference-based proximity) between mobile wireless subscribers (who use different services) without either divulging their location/preference to the other (preservation of privacy). Privacy is kept by providing location/preference information in steps, along with an evaluation function. The services receive partial results and then locally compute the final result, or proximity. The term proximity includes not just physical proximity but also multi-dimensional data such as preference profiles and vectors (e.g., an affinity for baseball, apple pie, and ballroom dancing).

Abstract: Indication of an interpreted meaning of a portion of a document by displaying an indication of the interpreted meaning near the document portion, where the portion may be text, nor non-text such as an image. The indication may be a symbol (without associated code) or an icon (with associated code to activate a specified function).

Abstract: Systems and methods of increasing the performance of computer networks, especially networks connecting users to the Web, are provided. Performance is increased by reducing the latency the client experiences between sending a request to the server and receiving a response. A connection is obtained by a client device to the network target node addressed by a physical I/O address, to more quickly respond to requests for resource files on data storage devices. This enhancement may be implemented by connecting the controller of the data storage device directly to the network, to reduce the latency involved in mapping the logical I/O address into a physical I/O address. In that case the requested resource file is sent to the client directly by the data storage device controller, thus saving time otherwise spent in sending the request and data between computer network components.

Abstract: Calendar entries provide for a wealth of information. For example, for a meeting, information such as the start date, subject, attendees, and location are provided. Yet, when writing a follow up e-mail, that's exactly the information a user has to copy/or cut and paste from the calendar entries to the e-mail. Significant time is saved by automatically finding the relevant calendar entry(ies), extracting the known information, and augmenting that information into the e-mail and sending it via a server.

Abstract: An electronic calendaring system that automatically predicts calendar entries based upon previous activities. The system presents a user with an intelligent sequence of forms which query the user about events such as hotels for travel, attendees for meeting, etc. The initial information contained within the forms is generated by looking at previous records generated by the user; or in the case of a first time use, either selected defaults or blanks for data entry. Furthermore, the system automatically presents the user with an option to select a new activity or maintain the previous one. By presenting a structured sequence of appropriate forms and event history, the calendaring system simplifies planning for the user, or refreshes the user's memory, thereby intelligently assisting the user in the entry of event data.

Abstract: A group notification system and associated method that allow particular activities to be executed based on the group dynamics, such as the dynamics of organizing meetings. The system facilitates the availability of knowledge concerning the proximity and direction of movement of individuals, objects, or groups, and whether this information satisfies preset criteria or rules. One such criterion is that the proximity distance of the group members be less than a predetermined threshold range. The threshold range can be adjustable or programmable.

Abstract: A group notification system and associated method that allow particular activities to be executed based on the group dynamics, such as the dynamics of organizing meetings. The system facilitates the availability of knowledge concerning the proximity and direction of movement of individuals, objects, or groups, and whether this information satisfies preset criteria or rules. One such criterion is that the proximity distance of the group members be less than a predetermined threshold range. The threshold range can be adjustable or programmable.

Abstract: Internet technologies, location tracking systems, and wireless handheld devices are integrated to target advertisement content to users based upon their interest in events in particular locations. Thus, advertisements are matched to correspond to real world events (i.e., traffic jams, weather events, etc.). Furthermore, event reporters who report information regarding new events are given a cut of the revenue generated by advertisements based upon how many other subscribers request and view the information reported by them.

Abstract: An “active” calendar automatically analyzes a user's calendar entries and sends machine-readable messages to destinations appropriate to content of the calendar entry. A group of event categories is established, each category specifying one class of anticipated calendar entry. An action rule database pre-associates each event category with one or more message formats each having a content and a destination. The action rule database also contains data identifying sources containing the content and destination for each message format. These sources include records of the action rule database itself, subparts of calendar entries of the pre-associated event category, one or more other databases, or a combination of the foregoing. After the calendar receives a user-submitted computer calendar entry describing a planned event, it identifies one of the event categories of the established group that classifies the planned event.

Abstract: A system and associated method that allow particular requests to be executed at some point in the future without specifying the exact time or necessarily a precise location. The execution time of the request is linked to the arrival of a person or object at, or near a geographic destination location. When a person, an object, or a group of persons or objects, arrives at the destination location, or comes close to it, the request to interact will be executed. The proximity threshold can be adjustable or programmable.

Abstract: A system and method for communication of information that has particular significance to a specific location only to those individuals that are at or near that geo-spatial location. In particular, providing safety factor data and alerts is a preferred use of the invention. The invention allows information to be tailored to the individual at that location by selectively filtering what is communicated and what is not. The system includes a transmitting proximity event server, a GPS client wireless component that can be a personal wireless communication device (such as Palm Pilot, cellular digital phones, etc.) or personal computer configured for use within a global position satellite network.

Abstract: A distributed collection of web-crawlers to gather information over a large portion of the cyberspace. These crawlers share the overall crawling through a cyberspace partition scheme. They also collaborate with each other through load balancing to maximally utilize the computing resources of each of the crawlers. The invention takes advantage of the hierarchical nature of the cyberspace namespace and uses the syntactic components of the URL structure as the main vehicle for dividing and assigning crawling workload to individual crawler. The partition scheme is completely distributed in which each crawler makes the partitioning decision based on its own crawling status and a globally replicated partition tree data structure.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for dynamically adding functionality to a server. A first operator is received at the server from an attached client, wherein the first operator indicates that new functionality is to be added to the server. A first handler is located for the first operator. The first handler is executed in the server, wherein the first handler registers a second operator associated with the new functionality and installs a second handler for the second operator to perform the new functionality.