Abstract: A platform for providing real-time promotions determines a customer interested in a product or service. The platform identifies customer information associated with the customer, as well as a set of products of interest to the customer. The platform identifies a supplier or advertiser associated with each of the products and receives promotion bids from one or more of the suppliers or advertisers. The platform generates a score for each of the received promotion bids, selects at least one of the promotion bids for transmission to the mobile device, and transmits the selected at least one promotion bids to the mobile device. The platform tracks customer behavior associated with the at least one promotion bids and provides the tracked behavior information back to the suppliers or advertisers.

Abstract: A method for routing object data that defines a 3-dimensional (3D) object to a 3D printer includes receiving the object data at a server and determining, by the server, object attributes associated with the object defined by the object data. The server searches a database that stores 3D printer attributes for one or more 3D printers capable of printing objects that possess the determined object attributes. If one or more capable printers are identified, the server communicates a list that identifies the one or more capable printers to a user.

Abstract: A system for providing location-based services to a mobile device regularly determines the location of the mobile device. Using the location of the device, the system queries a database of virtual geographic regions to determine if the location of the mobile device falls within one or more of the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions correspond to service entities that have purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise acquired the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions cover a certain area of a map. If the mobile device is within a virtual geographic region, the system notifies the mobile device. A location-based services application installed on the mobile device launches an applet for the entity that acquired the virtual geographic region within which the mobile device is located.

Abstract: A method for routing object data that defines a 3-dimensional (3D) object to a 3D printer includes receiving the object data at a server and determining, by the server, object attributes associated with the object defined by the object data. The server searches a database that stores 3D printer attributes for one or more 3D printers capable of printing objects that possess the determined object attributes. If one or more capable printers are identified, the server communicates a list that identifies the one or more capable printers to a user.

Abstract: A method for routing object data that defines a 3-dimensional (3D) object to a 3D printer includes receiving the object data at a server and determining, by the server, object attributes associated with the object defined by the object data. The server searches a database that stores 3D printer attributes for one or more 3D printers capable of printing objects that possess the determined object attributes. If one or more capable printers are identified, the server communicates a list that identifies the one or more capable printers to a user.

Abstract: Complex collaboration or decision support applications perform complex design or planning tasks, often with the input of large groups of people over long periods of time. The combination of time and complexity can often obscure past actions, making it difficult to remember the factors that influenced earlier stages in the planning task. This is especially true if the task involves many people and different people work at different times. The application state navigation system provides an application-independent mechanism that allows operators to walk back through the history of the application in order to better understand (or remember) the application actions that were taken in the past and the triggers for those actions.

Abstract: A system distributes digital media content to a plurality of user devices, where a given user is associated with multiple user devices. First content is provided by a controller to a first user device and, in response, the controller determines interaction by the user with the first content. Thereafter, the controller provides second content to a second user device based on the prior provision of the first user content to the first user device and the first interaction information. More extensive user interaction history as well as device types may also be employed by the controller when determining the second content.

Abstract: A system for providing location-based services to a mobile device regularly determines the location of the mobile device. Using the location of the device, the system queries a database of virtual geographic regions to determine if the location of the mobile device falls within one or more of the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions correspond to service entities that have purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise acquired the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions cover a certain area of a map. If the mobile device is within a virtual geographic region, the system notifies the mobile device. A location-based services application installed on the mobile device launches an applet for the entity that acquired the virtual geographic region within which the mobile device is located.

Abstract: A system for distributed information processing and interaction includes a plurality of output devices arranged to produce a respective output portion of a system output, a plurality of application processors and a state server in data communication with the plurality of application processors. Each respective output portion is defined by context information. Each application processor is configured to process one or more respective application programs and is responsive to the context information. Each application processor is coupled with an associated respective output device for controlling the output device in producing the respective output portion. The state server provides the context information to the plurality of application processors. The architecture is extended to a more general system in which output devices produce a variety of outputs including device actuations, as well as video displays, and receive a variety of inputs.

Abstract: Complex collaboration or decision support applications perform complex design or planning tasks, often with the input of large groups of people over long periods of time. The combination of time and complexity can often obscure past actions, making it difficult to remember the factors that influenced earlier stages in the planning task. This is especially true if the task involves many people and different people work at different times. The application state navigation system provides an application-independent mechanism that allows operators to walk back through the history of the application in order to better understand (or remember) the application actions that were taken in the past and the triggers for those actions.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns methods of playback of a video stream comprising: receiving from a first user device (102) first media content associated with said video stream; associating with said first media content a time stamp indicating the time at which said first media content is received with respect to a reference time associated with said video stream; and during delayed playback of said video stream on a second user device (104), transmitting, at the time indicated by said time stamp, said first media content for display by said second user device.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for determining an effect of characteristics of a first message on interaction with the first message over an electronically meditated forum. The first message may be posted to the electronically mediated forum to provide a first posted message. The first posted message includes characteristics. The electronically mediated forum may be monitored to detect at least one instance of interaction with the first posted message. Interaction data may be extracted. Interaction data may include data describing at least one interaction the first posted message. The interaction data may be analyzed to determine the effect of the characteristics of the first posted message on the interaction(s) with the first posted message to provide determined effect data.

Abstract: A system for providing location-based services to a mobile device regularly determines the location of the mobile device. Using the location of the device, the system queries a database of virtual geographic regions to determine if the location of the mobile device falls within one or more of the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions correspond to service entities that have purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise acquired the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions cover a certain area of a map. If the mobile device is within a virtual geographic region, the system notifies the mobile device. A location-based services application installed on the mobile device launches an applet for the entity that acquired the virtual geographic region within which the mobile device is located.

Abstract: A system for providing location-based services to a mobile device regularly determines the location of the mobile device. Using the location of the device, the system queries a database of virtual geographic regions to determine if the location of the mobile device falls within one or more of the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions correspond to service entities that have purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise acquired the virtual geographic regions. The virtual geographic regions cover a certain area of a map. If the mobile device is within a virtual geographic region, the system notifies the mobile device. A location-based services application installed on the mobile device launches an applet for the entity that acquired the virtual geographic region within which the mobile device is located.

Abstract: Complex collaboration or decision support applications perform complex design or planning tasks, often with the input of large groups of people over long periods of time. The combination of time and complexity can often obscure past actions, making it difficult to remember the factors that influenced earlier stages in the planning task. This is especially true if the task involves many people and different people work at different times. The application state navigation system provides an application-independent mechanism that allows operators to walk back through the history of the application in order to better understand (or remember) the application actions that were taken in the past and the triggers for those actions.

Abstract: A method for routing object data that defines a 3-dimensional (3D) object to a 3D printer includes receiving the object data at a server and determining, by the server, object attributes associated with the object defined by the object data. The server searches a database that stores 3D printer attributes for one or more 3D printers capable of printing objects that possess the determined object attributes. If one or more capable printers are identified, the server communicates a list that identifies the one or more capable printers to a user.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for managing data across an enterprise. A request for information is received from a user. Data relating to the user request is searched for in at least two geographically separated information repositories. The results of the search are presented to the user. The user is allowed to browse through additional data of the information repositories. Links between data items and other data entries in the information repositories are created according to relationships the data items have to the other data entries.

Abstract: A platform for providing real-time promotions determines a customer interested in a product or service. The platform identifies customer information associated with the customer, as well as a set of products of interest to the customer. The platform identifies a supplier or advertiser associated with each of the products and receives promotion bids from one or more of the suppliers or advertisers. The platform generates a score for each of the received promotion bids, selects at least one of the promotion bids for transmission to the mobile device, and transmits the selected at least one promotion bids to the mobile device. The platform tracks customer behavior associated with the at least one promotion bids and provides the tracked behavior information back to the suppliers or advertisers.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of determining, by an electronic processing device coupled to the internet, a score (Si) indicating the amount of internet activity associated with a subject, the method comprising: receiving one or more search terms relating to said subject, and initiating a search via the internet for items of digital content relating to said one or more search terms; identifying from results of said search a plurality of items of digital content; for each of said plurality of items of digital content, requesting, from at least one digital content sharing site (412, 414), activity data indicating at least the number of times said item of media content has been accessed; and calculating said score based on the activity data for each of said plurality of items of digital content.

Abstract: The time required to review or playback multi-media program material can be controlled to reduce the time required to review a program. Segments of the program are indexed to mark their beginning and/or end. By detecting segments in the program material, segments can be selectively played back that are of interest to a viewer with other segments being skipped over.