Abstract: A method for operating an electronic exchange includes receiving, at an exchange system, an offer that includes a description of information for offer and terms associated with access to the information. An offer processor of the electronic exchange stores an offer listing associated with the offer to an offer database. A matching engine of the electronic exchange searches a request database for a request listing that matches the offer listing. The electronic exchange communicates access instructions that enable access to the information to a requestor associated with the request listing when a match is found.

Abstract: Receive a plurality of data management policies from a user. Store in a memory the data management policies in association with a context and an identifier of the user. Receive personal data of the user collected in one or more contexts by one or more collection devices. Determine whether the personal data complies with one or more of the data management policies with respect to collecting personal data of the user. If the personal data complies with the data management policies with respect to collecting personal data on the user, then storing in the memory the personal data in association with the identifier of the user. Provide a centralized interface to the user for managing the personal data stored in the memory.

Abstract: A system and method for a verified presence data marketplace. Offers for verified location data are received wherein each offer comprises an identification of at least one target user, at least one data granularity level and data reliability level and at least one offer payment term. Location data relating to the target users is retrieved from a plurality of location data sources and the reliability of the data is then verified and the data is then stored on a computer readable medium. At least one bid for verified location data from an entity is received wherein the bid relates to the offers for verified location data. An acceptance of the bid is then processed. The verified location data relating to the bid is then retrieved and is transmitted over the network to the bidding entity and the target users are paid according to the terms of the bid payment offer.

Abstract: A system and method for verified monetization. A definition of a commercial campaign is received wherein the definition comprises an identification of an advertiser and an advertisement, at least one trigger condition, at least one monetization condition, at least one verification policy, and at least one monetization action, wherein trigger conditions relate to the occurrence of trigger events, the monetization conditions relate to location data relating to at least one person, verification policies relates to the reliability of the location data, and the monetization actions relates to payments to payees. When an indication of an association between a user and the advertisement is received, the user is associated with the commercial campaign. When the occurrence of trigger events is detected, if the campaigns monetization conditions and verification policies have been satisfied, payees are paid according to the campaign's monetization actions.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for targeting specific users with specific requested actions to be performed by the user and verified by any methods on behalf of an advertiser within an Internet display advertising campaign. The system discloses techniques for receiving an advertiser's requested actions and corresponding definitions of what constitutes a satisfaction of the action. The disclosure also details techniques for determining if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied by the targeted user, and details corresponding techniques for compensating the user and any other real or virtual entity who had contributed to the satisfaction of the requested action. The system implements a network of sensors that can aid in the determination of if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied. The network of sensors registers sensor recordings within a specialized sensor recording marketplace.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for targeting specific users with specific requested actions to be performed by the user and verified by any methods on behalf of an advertiser within an Internet display advertising campaign. The system discloses techniques for receiving an advertiser's requested actions and corresponding definitions of what constitutes a satisfaction of the action. The disclosure also details techniques for determining if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied by the targeted user, and details corresponding techniques for compensating the user and any other real or virtual entity who had contributed to the satisfaction of the requested action. The system implements a network of sensors that can aid in the determination of if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied. The network of sensors registers sensor recordings within a specialized sensor recording marketplace.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for targeting specific users with specific requested actions to be performed by the user and verified by any methods on behalf of an advertiser within an Internet display advertising campaign. The system discloses techniques for receiving an advertiser's requested actions and corresponding definitions of what constitutes a satisfaction of the action. The disclosure also details techniques for determining if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied by the targeted user, and details corresponding techniques for compensating the user and any other real or virtual entity who had contributed to the satisfaction of the requested action. The system implements a network of sensors that can aid in the determination of if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied. The network of sensors registers sensor recordings within a specialized sensor recording marketplace.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for creating and managing dynamic access control lists (ACL's). In a specific embodiment, a method of creating or modifying a dynamic access control policy (ACP) is disclosed. A current ACP for one or more specified resources is defined based on one or more membership rules for specifying users who can access the one or more specified resources based on user information that was or will be collected for a plurality of users. The collected user information includes at least user presence information or user communication data. The current ACP is retained for the one or more specified resources, wherein the current ACP is accessibly usable so as to dynamically allow a selected set of users, who each have corresponding collected user information which meets the one or more membership rules of the current ACP, to access the one or more specified resources. The selected set of users is changeable over time as different user information is collected over time.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for managing dynamic groups. In one embodiment, a method of creating or modifying a group of users is disclosed. A request is received from a first user to create or modify a current group. One or more rules are also received from the first user for specifying members of the current group based on user information that was or will be collected for a plurality of users. In one embodiment, the collected user information includes at least user presence information or user communication data. A membership policy for the current group is then retained based on the received one or more rules. The membership policy for the current group is accessibly usable so as to dynamically allow a selected set of users, who each have corresponding collected user information which meets the membership policy, to become members of the current group, wherein the selected set of users is changeable over time as different user information is collected over time.

Abstract: A system and method for verified presence tracking. A request for a location is received over a network. The request comprises a request type, a request source and at least one request target. Location data relating to the request targets is retrieved from a plurality of location data sources. The reliability of the retrieved location data is determined. A response is formulated using based on the request type, the retrieved location data, and the determined reliability of the retrieved location data. The response is then transmitted over the network to the request source.

Abstract: A system and method for contextual advertising based on status messages. A plurality of status messages sent to a user via at least one socially aware messaging service are retrieved where the user is a member of the socially aware messaging service, has defined at least one social contact on the service, and where each of status messages was sent to the user by one of the user's social contacts. The status messages are analyzed to determine the user's status update context, where the user's status update context comprises a set of social, topical, spatial and temporal data present in the messages. The user's status update context is matched to targeted advertisements. The user's status update context is matched to the targeting criteria of targeted advertisements. Matched advertisements are transmitted to the user.

Abstract: A method for constructing geo-location service replies (e.g. “You are near Bob's Café”, or “Proceed one block north to Bob's Café”) based on landmark-related relevance factors (e.g. if the user's location is close to a known landmark or sponsored location) to serve to a client terminal (e.g. a user's a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a GPS terminal). The system receives a user's geo-location service request (e.g. “Where am I”), and proceeds to construct one or more response candidates to service the user's geo-location service request. Candidate replies are then scored based on relevance factors (e.g. does the candidate location relate to the user's recent geo-service queries, is there a sponsored landmark in general proximity, etc), and high scoring geo-service replies are sent to the user's client terminal. In some cases, more than one relevance factor is considered (e.g. proximity relevance, visibility relevance, familiarity relevance, etc).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described to protect personal information by decoupling it from user identity. According to specific embodiments, this is accomplished by associating each user with an anonymous token that is decoupled from the user's identity. Personal information (e.g., a user's physical or geographic location) is stored in association with this anonymous token, with no apparent connection to the user. Those allowed to access the personal information—including the owner himself—are granted the ability through a variety of mechanisms to connect the anonymous token back to the owner. The personal information can then be retrieved by locating the data stored in association with the anonymous token in the data store.

Abstract: A method for targeted advertisement is provided, for which one or more tags relating to an advertisement is/are determined, one or more of the most representative entities for the tag(s) is/are determined, and the advertisement is targeted to the one or more most representative entities. In addition, for each of a plurality of tags, one or more of the most representative entities is/are determined based on term frequency-inverse document frequency, such that an entity is relatively more representative of a tag if the tag is more uniquely and/or frequently associated with the entity. For each tag, the associated entities may be divided into multiple categories, such that one or more most representative entities within each category is/are determined for each tag.

Abstract: A user interface for targeted advertisement is provided, which comprises a plurality of interface components, wherein selected ones of the plurality of interface components are capable of: receiving a list of advertising targets; presenting a list of most representative entities for the list of advertising targets, wherein an entity is relatively more representative of an advertising target if the advertising target is relatively more uniquely and frequently associated with the entity; receiving a list of target entities selected from the list of most representative entities; and presenting an estimated advertising cost for the list of target entities.

Abstract: A method for ranking entities with respect to a tag for targeted advertisement is provided. For each entity to be ranked, a first score is calculated, which indicates the level of uniqueness the tag is to the entity. For each entity to be ranked, a second score is calculated, which indicates the number of people connected with the entity. For each entity to be ranked, a final score is calculated, which combines the first score and the second score. The entities are ranked based on their respective final scores. Optionally, the entity rankings may be used to determine the cost of advertisement for each entity and to recommend entities with respect to an advertisement.

Abstract: A method for targeted advertisement is provided, for which one or more tags relating to an advertisement is/are accessed, one or more of the most representative activities for the tag(s) is/are determined, and the advertisement is targeted to the one or more most representative activities. In addition, for each of a plurality of tags, one or more of the most representative activities is/are determined based on term frequency-inverse document frequency, such that an activity is relatively more representative of a tag if the tag is more uniquely and/or frequently associated with the activity. The advertisement is delivered to participants of the activities, and optionally during a time interval relevant to the activities.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for facilitating annotation of media objects by a user. Mechanisms present a user with an easily usable set of annotation suggestions that are most likely to be relevant to the particular user and/or media context. In general, existing annotations are analyzed to determine a set of suggested annotations. Annotation suggestions for a particular user are based on an analysis of the relevance, to the particular user, of existing annotations of one or more media objects so that the most likely relevant annotations are presented as suggested annotations. In particular embodiments, this analysis depends on whether the existing annotations were created and/or selected by the particular user, a member of the particular user's social network, or members of the general public.

Abstract: A system and method for context based query augmentation. A question is received over a network from a questioning user comprising an identification of a user and at least one question criteria. A first query is formulated so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data so as to identify user context data relevant to question criteria. The question is modified using the user context data to create at least one modified question having at least one additional criteria based on the user context data. A second query is formulated so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the modified question criteria. The knowledge data is transmitted, over the network, to the questioning user.

Abstract: A system and method for autohyperlinking and navagation in URL based context queries. A result set from a context query is received from a user over a network, wherein the result set comprises at least one reference to a data object and further comprises the context query. The reference to the data object is translated, via the network, to a URL configured to retrieve the data object. A plurality of related URLs are generated via the network, wherein the result set of the context query is used to seed generation. At least one advertisement associated with the context query is retrieved via the network. A webpage comprising the URL configured to retrieve the data object, the plurality of related URLs and the advertisement is assembled and transmitted over the network to the user.