Patents by Inventor John Thrall

John Thrall has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10372738
    Abstract: Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query is described. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Jollify Management Limited
    Inventors: Stephen L Hood, Ralph Rabbat, Mihir Shah, Adam Durfee, Alastair Gourlay, Peter Anick, Richard Kasperski, Oliver Thomas Bayley, Ashley Woodman Hall, Shyam Kapur, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 9754029
    Abstract: A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Jollify Management Limited
    Inventors: Qi Lu, John Thrall, David Ku
  • Patent number: 9684720
    Abstract: A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Jollify Management Limited
    Inventors: Qi Lu, John Thrall, David Ku
  • Publication number: 20160314194
    Abstract: Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query is described. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen L HOOD, Ralph RABBAT, Mihir SHAH, Adam DURFEE, Alastair GOURLAY, Peter ANICK, Richard KASPERSKI, Oliver Thomas BAYLEY, Ashley Woodman HALL, Shyam KAPUR, John THRALL
  • Patent number: 9405857
    Abstract: Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query is described. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Jollify Management Limited
    Inventors: Stephen L. Hood, Ralph Rabbat, Mihir Shah, Adam Durfee, Alastair Gourlay, Peter Anick, Richard Kasperski, Oliver Thomas Bayley, Ashley Woodman Hall, Shyam Kapur, John Thrall
  • Publication number: 20140365499
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for indexing one or more items of content. The method of the present invention comprises extracting one or more items of text from a given item of content. The one or more items of extracted text are tokenized into one or more concepts. One or more related concepts associated with the one or more concepts are identified. A support score is generated for the one or more concepts, and the item of content is index with the one or more concepts and the one or more associated support scores.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: JIGNASHU PARIKH, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 8856145
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for indexing one or more items of content. The method of the present invention comprises extracting one or more items of text from a given item of content. The one or more items of extracted text are tokenized into one or more concepts. One or more related concepts associated with the one or more concepts are identified. A support score is generated for the one or more concepts, and the item of content is index with the one or more concepts and the one or more associated support scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Jignashu Parikh, John Thrall
  • Publication number: 20140195511
    Abstract: A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Lu, John Thrall, David Ku
  • Publication number: 20140195508
    Abstract: A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Lu, John Thrall, David Ku
  • Publication number: 20140181069
    Abstract: Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query is described. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Hood, Ralph Rabbat, Mihir Shah, Adam Durfee, Alastair Gourlay, Peter Anick, Richard Kasperski, Oliver Thomas Bayley, Ashley Woodman Hall, Shyam Kapur, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 8732169
    Abstract: A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Lu, David Ku, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 8666962
    Abstract: Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Hood, Ralph Rabbat, Mihir Shah, Adam Durfee, Alastair Gourlay, Peter Anick, Richard Kasperski, Oliver Thomas Bayley, Ashley Woodman Hall, Shyam Kapur, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 8538921
    Abstract: A system and method for publishing a file on a network is. A caching service reduces the load on the publisher's server by publishing that the file is at a fictitious network location. Requests directed to the fictitious location are received by the caching service and the fictitious network location is parsed to determine what file is being requested. If the caching service already has a copy of the file, then the copy is transmitted to the requestor without alerting to the requester that the address is fictitious. If the caching service does not have a copy of the file, then a copy is automatically obtained based on information contained in the fictitious network location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: David Hall, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 8312014
    Abstract: A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Qi Lu, John Thrall, David Ku
  • Patent number: 8065619
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for customizing content presented to individual users or user segments is provided. There may be three components, a web portal and toolbar component, a modeling component, and a scoring component. The web portal and toolbar component presents content items and collects data. The web portal and toolbar component generates user event data based on the user actions. The user event data is forwarded to the modeling component. The modeling component generates content scoring functions based on user event data and attributes of content items. Content scoring functions may be unique to individual user segments. The content scoring functions based on content features generate probability a content item will be viewed. The scoring component decides which content items are placed in a portal. The scoring component uses the scoring functions generated by the modeling component to rank content items in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Deepak Agarwal, Bee-Chung Chen, Pradheep Elango, Nitin Motgi, Vijay K. Narayanan, Raghu Ramakrishnan, Howard Scott Roy, Amitabh Seth, Vik Singh, Joe Zachariah, Sharat Israni, John Thrall, Chandar Venkataraman, Amit Phadke, Michael Salisbury
  • Publication number: 20110238656
    Abstract: Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Stephen Hood, Ralph Rabbat, Mihir Shah, Adam Durfee, Alastair Gourlay, Peter Anick, Richard Kasperski, Oliver Thomas Bayley, Ashley Woodman Hall, Shyam Kapur, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 8005827
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems, methods and computer-readable media comprising program code for affording access to a preferred provider of audio content. A method according to one embodiment of the present invention for presenting a control to navigate to a server for a preferred provider of audio content comprises identifying a link to an item of audio content in a result set generated in response to a search by the given user for one or more items of audio content. A preferred audio provider is determined for a given user and whether the item of audio content is available at the preferred audio provider for the given user. If the item of audio content is available at the preferred audio provider, a control is presented to navigate to a server of the preferred provider from which the user may download or stream the item of audio content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan Fassett, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 7958110
    Abstract: Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Hood, Ralph Rabbat, Mihir Shah, Adam Durfee, Alastair Gourlay, Peter Anick, Richard Kasperski, Oliver Thomas Bayley, Ashley Woodman Hall, Shyam Kapur, John Thrall
  • Patent number: 7860878
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described by which media assets may be prioritized and published in accordance with current topics of interest derived from a dynamic data set representing the online activity of a relevant population of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: John Thrall, Michael Elliott, Owen Pingchi Cheung, Brian Evan McMullin
  • Patent number: 7849070
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems, methods and computer-readable media comprising program code for dynamically ranking links to items of audio content returned to a user in response to the execution of a query by a search engine. A method according to one embodiment of the present invention for dynamically ranking links to items of audio content returned to a user in response to the execution of a query by a search engine comprises receiving a query to identify links to one or more items of audio content; parsing the query into one or more logical units; determining an annotation for each of the one or more logical units; selecting a ranking heuristic according to the annotation for each of the one or more logical units and ranking a result set according to the selected ranking heuristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan Fassett, John Thrall