Abstract: Targeted or other advertising may comprise one or more advertisements presented to multiple users in a virtual world environment such that participating users can interact with one another and/or with executed advertisements. Groups of users may be invited to participate in collaborative virtual world environments based on consumer contact lists or profiles establishing matching preferences for such groups. Synchronized data may be narrowcasted or broadcasted to invited users. Such data may define one or more virtual world environments as well as traditional and/or virtual world advertisements for execution in the shared environment(s). Advertisements may be selected based on one or more consumer preferences associated with one or more of the users participating in the shared virtual world environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for obtaining and presenting information to a user playing a media item identifying playback positions of a number of other users also playing the media item. In one embodiment, playback information is maintained for each of a plurality of users, the playback information identifying a media item being played by the user and information identifying a playback position of the user in playback of the media item. The playback information is filtered automatically in response to one or more user provided criteria thereby resulting in playback information for each of a subset of users from the plurality of users. Playback information is provided to a user device, the playback information for one or more second users of the subset of users playing a select media item such that the playback information for the one or more second users is presented to the first user.

Abstract: A system and method for providing personal broadcast channels are provided. In one embodiment, one or more users interact with a local broadcast agent hosted by a local server to define profiles for a number of personal broadcast channels. The profiles include information identifying types of content to be broadcast on the personal broadcast channels and optionally formats for the personal broadcast channels. Based on the profiles for the personal broadcast channels, the local broadcast agent generates a request for content types desired for the personal broadcast channels and provides the request to a content distribution agent hosted by a master server. Based on content provided to the local server in response to the request and the profiles of the personal broadcast channels, the local broadcast agent generates the local broadcast channels.

Abstract: A content management system for managing content stored by a number of networked Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) associated with a user community is provided. More specifically, the storage space of each of the personal video recorders is physically or logically partitioned into a personal space and a community space. The content management system manages the community spaces of the PVRs such that content relevant to the user community is stored in the collective community space of the PVRs and available to the user community.

Abstract: A system and method for merging a first voice call and a second voice call. A first topic discussed during the first voice call is compared to a second topic discussed during the second voice call. If the first topic matches the second topic, the first voice call may be merged with the second voice call. A semantic analysis may be performed on the first topic and the second topic to determine if the first topic and the second topic match one another. Filter criteria may be defined by participants of the first voice call and the second voice call that identify criteria that may preclude merger of the first voice call and the second voice call.

Abstract: Systems and methods relating to location-based applications, such as widgets, are disclosed. In general, in one embodiment, a mobile device obtains a list of applications associated with a current or anticipated location of the mobile device from a centralized or distributed application service. One or more desired applications to be activated are either manually or automatically selected from the list of applications associated with the current location or the anticipated location of the mobile device. The mobile device then activates the one or more desired applications. Optionally, for each desired application that has been activated, the desired application may be deactivated once one or more deactivation criteria are satisfied.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a virtual peer for a peer-to-peer (P2P) content sharing system. In general, the virtual peer is a logical construct enabling a number of virtual peer members to appear as a single peer node in the P2P content sharing system. In operation, a sponsoring agent creates the virtual peer and registers the virtual peer with the P2P network. Once registered, the virtual peer appears as a new peer node in the P2P network. In order to provide efficient content sharing, the sponsoring agent operates to obtain metadata describing all or a portion of a number of digital assets shared by the virtual peer members and aggregate the metadata into a single collection of metadata, referred to herein as a metadata catalog, for the virtual peer and may cache all or a portion of the digital assets shared by the virtual peer members.

Abstract: A group licensing scheme for validating groups of virtual objects within a distributed virtual world is provided. Each of a number of distributed virtual world servers hosts a cell, or virtual space, of the virtual world. In operation, a first virtual world server categorizes virtual objects into a number of groups. Either before or after creating the groups, the first virtual world server validates each virtual object individually. Once the virtual objects are validated and the groups are formed, the first virtual world server generates a group license for each of the groups. When a group of virtual objects or an avatar associated with one or more groups of virtual objects moves to a virtual space hosted by a second virtual world server, the corresponding group licenses are provided to the second virtual world server, which validates the one or more groups of virtual objects based on the group licenses.

Abstract: A virtual environment firewall receives a message having a request from a virtual environment entity intended for a virtual environment controller. The virtual environment firewall determines whether the request complies with one or more governance rules of the virtual environment controller. If the request does not comply with the one or more governance rules, the virtual environment firewall processes the message to prevent the request from being processed by the virtual environment controller.

Abstract: A group licensing scheme for validating groups of virtual objects within a distributed virtual world is provided. Each of a number of distributed virtual world servers hosts a cell, or virtual space, of the virtual world. In operation, a first virtual world server categorizes virtual objects into a number of groups. Either before or after creating the groups, the first virtual world server validates each virtual object individually. Once the virtual objects are validated and the groups are formed, the first virtual world server generates a group license for each of the groups. When a group of virtual objects or an avatar associated with one or more groups of virtual objects moves to a virtual space hosted by a second virtual world server, the corresponding group licenses are provided to the second virtual world server, which validates the one or more groups of virtual objects based on the group licenses.

Abstract: A virtual environment firewall receives a message having a request from a virtual environment entity intended for a virtual environment controller. The virtual environment firewall determines whether the request complies with one or more governance rules of the virtual environment controller. If the request does not comply with the one or more governance rules, the virtual environment firewall processes the message to prevent the request from being processed by the virtual environment controller.

Abstract: A computerized system and method for changing the textual length of an electronic text content while maintaining the meaning of the electronic text content is disclosed. The system includes an electronic reader, or e-reader, device having an electronic touch screen for displaying an electronic text content and for receiving a user touch gesture for identifying a portion of the electronic text content targeted for a textual length change, and a semantic server programmed to receive requests for a semantic text alternative for a targeted electronic text content identified by way of the e-reader device and to determine a semantic alternative electronic text content for the targeted electronic text content, wherein the determined semantic alternative electronic text has a different textual length than the targeted electronic text content, and for replacing the targeted electronic text content displayed by the e-reader device with the determined semantic alternative electronic text content.

Abstract: An Internet radio station program discovery service is provided. In general, the discovery service subscribes to or downloads a number of Internet radio station programs. For each radio station program, the discovery service analyzes audio content of the radio station program to dynamically categorize the radio station program over time. The discovery service also enables users to discover radio station programs of interest based on the dynamic categorizations of the radio station programs. The users may be enabled to search for radio station programs of interest based on the dynamic categorizations of the radio station programs, navigate or browse the radio station programs based on the dynamic categorizations of the radio station programs, or the like.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling Quality of Service (QoS), content quality, or both QoS and content quality in a content sharing network based on user relationships. More specifically, QoS, content quality, or both QoS and content quality may be controlled based on a relationship of a user of a network node requesting content and either a user of a network node hosting the requested content or an owner of the requested content, a relationship between the user of the network node requesting the content and the content, or any combination thereof.

Abstract: A gatekeeper function is employed to control communications intended for a target user, who is associated with an electronic reader (e-reader) device. The gatekeeper function detects an attempt for an originating user to communicate with the target user. Upon detecting the attempt to communicate with the target user, the gatekeeper function determines a communication processing action that controls how to handle the communication attempt based on e-reader session information that is collected while the target user is engaged in an e-reader session. The gatekeeper function will then effect the communication processing action to control how the communication attempt is to be handled.

Abstract: Systems and methods relating to location-based applications, such as widgets, are disclosed. In general, in one embodiment, a mobile device obtains a list of applications associated with a current or anticipated location of the mobile device from a centralized or distributed application service. One or more desired applications to be activated are either manually or automatically selected from the list of applications associated with the current location or the anticipated location of the mobile device. The mobile device then activates the one or more desired applications. Optionally, for each desired application that has been activated, the desired application may be deactivated once one or more deactivation criteria are satisfied.

Abstract: A media system and method for distributed trick play resolution using user preferences. The method of distributed trick play resolution in a distributed media group network, includes: determining trick play preferences at each of a plurality of peer nodes in the distributed media group network with respect to a media item; and resolving conflicting trick play preferences between the peer nodes based on the determined trick play preferences. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide for optimizing operation of a radio program, wherein the radio program is operated by a host using a host process. Aspects include collecting and storing contextual information from participants of the radio program, the participants including listeners and callers of the radio program; analyzing the contextual information; and enabling at least one feature on the host process based at least in part on the contextual information.

Abstract: A method and system for arranging advertising breaks based on channel surfing characteristics of viewers. The surfing characteristics of a plurality of viewers is determined, the surfing characteristics bearing on a likelihood of a respective viewer channel surfing. Advertisements are assigned to time slots among a plurality of channels based on the surfing characteristics of the plurality of viewers to form an advertising schedule. Programming is delivered with the plurality of advertisements according to the advertising schedule. The reduction of simultaneous channel surfing increases availability and efficient use of a shared medium by a plurality of different users.

Abstract: Systems and methods for obtaining key frames of video content items being viewed by first users and publishing the key frames of the video content items to second users are provided. In general, either prior to playback of a video content item by a first user or during playback of the video content item by the first user, key frame information providing, referencing, or identifying key frames of the video content item is obtained. Each key frame is representative of a segment of the video content item. The key frame information for the video content item is then published such that each key frame is presented to one or more second users while the first user views the corresponding segment of the video content item.