Abstract: Techniques for organizing information, such as documents, presentations, web sites and web pages, audiovisual media streams, and the like are describe. This disclosed techniques include creating and using an interest graph to support the distribution of information to a user via a feed containing information items likely to be of interest to the user. An interest graph expresses the affinity between people and information—the likelihood that a particular piece of information is of interest to a particular person. The interest graph is based on an understanding of relationships, monitoring of user behavior, and analysis of each piece of information. The interest graph represents many kinds of relationships, including: between users and other users, users and items, and users and collections. The interest graph can be computed using data both from a set of items and from user behavior.

Abstract: An invention is disclosed comprising a cutting chain of links that pivot without longitudinal disarticulation, yet are connected without reliance on separate connections. Lateral dislocation of the links of the cutting chain is prevented by placement of the cutting chain in a channel, which guides the cutting chain along its operational path and provides resistance against normal load. The channel may be retractable and/or comprised of lubricious, heat absorbing materials. The blade may be flexible in order to cut a variable kerf. The invention further comprises a power train and drive train, designed to optimize the cutting chain for one of many applications.

Abstract: Described are systems and methods for surveying a destination as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) descends toward the destination. To confirm that the destination is clear of objects and includes a safe landing or delivery location, such as a substantially planar surface, the UAV may capture and process images at different altitudes during the descent. Feature points of a first image captured at a first altitude may be paired with feature points of a second image captured at a second, different altitude. A homography may be computed to confirm that the paired feature points lie in the same plane and then the two images may be registered based on the paired feature points. The registered images may then be processed to determine depth information and determine if descent of the UAV is to continue or be aborted.

Abstract: A method, which identifies information of interest within an organization, determines use data that characterizes relationships among information items within the organization, where the information items include user data and collections of information items. The method generates interest data indicating affinities among the information items based on the determined use data. After receiving a query for data regarding the information items, the method responds to the query by providing one or more results based on the generated interest data. More details are provided herein.

Abstract: Playing preselected content by a processor-based communications device includes maintaining a user profile associated with a user device including information relating to a preference of a user associated with the profile, maintaining a user listening history identifying at least a portion of Internet radio broadcast elements previously transmitted and a time at which each broadcast element was previously played by the device, in response to the device logging in and without input from the device, automatically cache a plurality of Internet radio broadcast elements sufficient to be played for a pre-determined time period and comprising a plurality of song broadcast elements and advertising broadcast elements, each based on at least one of the user profile and the user listening history, and a personalized broadcast element that includes a reference to a name of the user associated with the device, and transmitting the cached broadcast elements to the device.

Abstract: A method of playing preselected content by a processor-based communications device includes receiving an Internet radio broadcast from a personal radio server system, pre-selecting audio elements, storing the pre-selected audio elements, and playing the stored pre-selected audio elements by the processor-based communications device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting items of interest for an organization from a set of feeds, based on the interests that users have demonstrated through their interactions with existing content, are described herein. In some embodiments, the system is part of a content management service that allows users to add and organize files, media, links, and other information. The content can be uploaded from a computer, imported from cloud file systems, added via links, or pulled from various kinds of feeds.

Abstract: A suggestive mapping device may predict, suggest, and/or provide potential destinations to a user. Additionally, the device may store historical location data of the user, determine a travel vector of the user, and predict the destination of the user based at least in part on the historical location data and/or the travel vector. Further, the device may provide hands-free maps to destinations when the user does not know the address at least by receiving contextual data of the user and/or contextual data of the user's contacts. Such hands-free, suggestive mapping devices may facilitate more effective navigation.

Abstract: Images are classified as photos (e.g., natural photographs) or graphics (e.g., cartoons, synthetically generated images), such that when searched (online) with a filter, an image database returns images corresponding to the filter criteria (e.g., either photos or graphics will be returned). A set of image statistics pertaining to various visual cues (e.g., color, texture, shape) are identified in classifying the images. These image statistics, combined with pre-tagged image metadata defining an image as either a graphic or a photo, may be used to train a boosting decision tree. The trained boosting decision tree may be used to classify additional images as graphics or photos based on image statistics determined for the additional images.

Abstract: Images are classified as photos (e.g., natural photographs) or graphics (e.g., cartoons, synthetically generated images), such that when searched (online) with a filter, an image database returns images corresponding to the filter criteria (e.g., either photos or graphics will be returned). A set of image statistics pertaining to various visual cues (e.g., color, texture, shape) are identified in classifying the images. These image statistics, combined with pre-tagged image metadata defining an image as either a graphic or a photo, may be used to train a boosting decision tree. The trained boosting decision tree may be used to classify additional images as graphics or photos based on image statistics determined for the additional images.

Abstract: Techniques for organizing information, such as documents, presentations, web sites and web pages, audiovisual media streams, and the like are describe. This disclosed techniques include creating and using an interest graph to support the distribution of information to a user via a feed containing information items likely to be of interest to the user. An interest graph expresses the affinity between people and information—the likelihood that a particular piece of information is of interest to a particular person. The interest graph is based on an understanding of relationships, monitoring of user behavior, and analysis of each piece of information. The interest graph represents many kinds of relationships, including: between users and other users, users and items, and users and collections. The interest graph can be computed using data both from a set of items and from user behavior.

Abstract: Techniques for organizing information, such as documents, presentations, web sites and web pages, audiovisual media streams, and the like are describe. This disclosed techniques include creating and using an interest graph to support the sharing of information via search, browsing, and discovery, etc. and measuring consumption, engagement, and/or influence based on that information. An interest graph expresses the affinity between people and information—the likelihood that a particular piece of information is of interest to a particular person. The interest graph is based on an understanding of relationships, monitoring of user behavior, and analysis of each piece of information. The interest graph represents many kinds of relationships, including: between users and other users, users and items, and users and collections. The interest graph can be computed using data both from a set of items and from user behavior.

Abstract: Techniques for organizing information, such as documents, presentations, web sites and web pages, audiovisual media streams, and the like are describe. This disclosed techniques include creating and using an interest graph to assist in a user's browsing of information. An interest graph expresses the affinity between people and information—the likelihood that a particular piece of information is of interest to a particular person. The interest graph is based on an understanding of relationships, monitoring of user behavior, and analysis of each piece of information. The interest graph represents many kinds of relationships, including: between users and other users, users and items, and users and collections. The interest graph can be computed using data both from a set of items and from user behavior.

Abstract: A method, which identifies information of interest within an organization, determines use data that characterizes relationships among information items within the organization, where the information items include user data and collections of information items. The method generates interest data indicating affinities among the information items based on the determined use data. After receiving a query for data regarding the information items, the method responds to the query by providing one or more results based on the generated interest data. More details are provided herein.

Abstract: A personal broadcast server system provides a customized broadcast to one or more users over a transmission media. A data storage device stores a plurality of broadcast elements. A data management system stores a user profile and a user state for each of the one or more users and also stores information associated with each of the plurality of broadcast elements. A broadcast element selector, having at least one broadcast element selector function, selects broadcast elements from the data storage device based on information contained in the data management system. A broadcast server receives the selected broadcast elements from the data storage device and provides the selected broadcast elements to a user over the transmission media. The personal broadcast server system may provide streaming audio, streaming video, or other forms of broadcast signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting people or speakers in an automated fashion are disclosed. A pool of features including more than one type of input (like audio input and video input) may be identified and used with a learning algorithm to generate a classifier that identifies people or speakers. The resulting classifier may be evaluated to detect people or speakers.

Abstract: Document features or document ranking values can be associated with a distribution of values. Feature values, feature value coefficients, and/or document ranking values can be generated based on sampled values from the distribution of values. This can allow the relative ranking of a document to vary.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting people or speakers in an automated fashion are disclosed. A pool of features including more than one type of input (like audio input and video input) may be identified and used with a learning algorithm to generate a classifier that identifies people or speakers. The resulting classifier may be evaluated to detect people or speakers.

Abstract: A suggestive mapping device may predict, suggest, and/or provide potential destinations to a user. Additionally, the device may store historical location data of the user, determine a travel vector of the user, and predict the destination of the user based at least in part on the historical location data and/or the travel vector. Further, the device may provide hands-free maps to destinations when the user does not know the address at least by receiving contextual data of the user and/or contextual data of the user's contacts. Such hands-free, suggestive mapping devices may facilitate more effective navigation.

Abstract: A two-dimensional representation of a document is leveraged to extract a hierarchical structure that facilitates recognition of the document. The visual structure is grammatically parsed utilizing two-dimensional adaptations of statistical parsing algorithms. This allows recognition of layout structures (e.g., columns, authors, titles, footnotes, etc.) and the like such that structural components of the document can be accurately interpreted. Additional techniques can also be employed to facilitate document layout recognition. For example, grammatical parsing techniques that utilize machine learning, parse scoring based on image representations, boosting techniques, and/or “fast features” and the like can be employed to facilitate in document recognition.