Abstract: A server according to one embodiment more appropriately sets the allocated amount of benefit for a service using an application.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for facilitating a marketing interlock between businesses. Two or more businesses may enter into a co-marketing campaign in which a sponsoring entity funds an advertisement of a sponsored entity on a third party advertising system, such as a search engine. Marketing content of the sponsoring entity is inserted on the website of the sponsored entity. Traffic originating on the third party advertising system may therefore first be driven to the sponsored entity's website, and subsequently to the sponsoring entity's website, thereby achieving a mutually beneficial co-marketing relationship. Marketing relationships among complimentary businesses based on provided service and location may also be facilitated according to the methods provided.

Abstract: A search system includes a terminal apparatus and a server apparatus. The server apparatus includes a response unit configured to respond image information about a web page of a search result corresponding to the search query for a web search transmitted by the terminal apparatus to the terminal apparatus. The terminal apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive the image information about the web page of the search result from the server apparatus, and a display control unit configured to display the image information received by the receiving unit on a display device.

Abstract: The systems and methods disclosed herein are directed to making multimedia content available over a network to users on-demand. In one representative embodiment, a method of providing sponsored downloads of multimedia content to a user on-demand comprises receiving a request to sponsor one or more downloads of one or more multimedia files by one or more users. The request can originate from a sponsoring entity, and the one or more multimedia files can be available through a multimedia provider service. The method can further comprise receiving a request originating from a multimedia player to download a multimedia file from the multimedia provider service, and transmitting the multimedia file to the multimedia player. The multimedia file can be transmitted to the multimedia player with a commercial message from the sponsoring entity.

Abstract: There is provided a system for regulating access and managing distribution of content in a network, such as the Internet. The system includes communication gateways, installed at a subscriber site, internet control points, installed remotely, and various network elements installed throughout the network. The communication gateways and network elements operate in conjunction with the internet control points to restrict or allow access to specified Internet sites and to manage efficient distribution of content such as music, video, games, broadband data, real-time audio and voice applications, and software to subscribers.

Abstract: A service providing apparatus includes a request receiving unit and a service providing unit. The request receiving unit receives, from an advertiser having the right to display an advertisement on content, a resale request to resell a right to be resold to other advertisers. When the resale request is received by the request receiving unit, the service providing unit provides a resale service for reselling the right to be resold.

Abstract: A method for tagging and displaying image data. A digital image is initially tagged with a plurality of tags to generate a tagged image. Each of the tags includes metadata associated with a corresponding item shown in the image. The tagged image is then displayed on a web browser, and a when a user selects the displayed tagged image, each of the tags is displayed proximate the corresponding item in the tagged image. In response to selecting one of the displayed tags, one or more items similar to the item corresponding to the selected tag are displayed. The item corresponding to the selected tag is then stored in a list, and an advertiser of the selected item is charged in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

Abstract: A system and process is provided for distributing branding and content messages to wireless mobile devices such as mobile handsets. The system has a mobile media portal process that enables a content owner and one or more sponsors to cooperate in negotiating, planning, and executing a branding or content campaign. For a campaign, a set of consumers has indicated a desire to receive particular content information on their mobile handset, and may have used a web interface or their phone to provide demographic information and content choices. A media center interface, either automatically or under human control, associates a particular marketing message from a sponsor with the content information, and distributes the marketing message and information to the user's handset. Since the marketing message has been selected and adapted to the demographics and preferences of the user, it is likely that the user will positively respond to receiving the marketing message.

Abstract: A promotion engine retrieves information associated with a merchant's inventory for online sites. The promotion engine uses the retrieved information to identify products to promote on an online site. An advertisement campaign is generated for the merchant by the promotion engine to promote the products and the promotion engine also purchases advertising placements associated with the online site. Advertisement content of the advertisement campaign is sent to the online site by the promotion engine and the advertisement campaign is maintained by the promotion engine for the merchant.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for an exhaust retention system is disclosed.

Abstract: Particular embodiments of the present invention are related to a digital media benefit attachment mechanism for generating or attaching revenue rights and other benefits to one or more entities associated with socially distributed media.

Abstract: A method for calculating an advertisement expense for a multi-screen system comprising a host terminal and at least one sharer terminal includes obtaining device information on the host terminal and the at least one sharer terminal, determining each calculation method for advertisement expenses for the host terminal and the at least one sharer terminal, based on device information, and calculating each advertisement expense for the host terminal and at least one sharer terminal, according to the respective calculation method, and obtaining a total advertisement expense for the multi-screen system by summing up each advertisement expense. Other embodiments including a method for processing advertising expenses at a host terminal and a server for calculating an advertisement expenses for a multi-screen system are also disclosed.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the disclosed technology, advertisements are embedded on specific regions within already displayed images on websites, and valuated based on characteristics of the region with respect to the image as a whole and the corresponding web page. A method involves detecting a particular region of an image which primarily contains a particular item or type of content. The detected region of the image is analyzed pursuant to a number of factors. The factors are generally indicative of the value of the region in the context of the image as a whole, and the value of the image in the context of the page as a whole. The factors may include determining the prominence, position, relevance and size of the region within the image, as well as the image within the page. The particular regions of the image may then be assigned a value.

Abstract: The present technology proposes techniques for managing indoor geolocation conversions based on a user's intent in an indoor location. An advertiser may determine the intent of a user of a mobile device and transmit advertisements to the mobile device related to the determined intent. The intent may be determined based on events that include a location of the mobile device, network browsing history, and a transaction made using the mobile device. The advertisement may provide the user with directions to an item based on location information from the mobile device. The advertisements may also load balance geolocation conversions in order to manage a number of users at a particular location.

Abstract: Obtaining real-time advertisement fee payments is disclosed, including: receiving access behavior data from a publisher server, wherein the access behavior data comprises data associated with interactions associated with one or more ads associated with an advertiser; determining a loan amount based at least in part on total ad fees determined based at least in part on the access behavior data; generating a loan processing request including at least the loan amount; and sending the loan processing request to a loan management server, wherein the loan management server is configured to determine whether the loan amount is authorized for the advertiser based at least in part on a loan processing agreement associated with the advertiser.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a system and methods for providing advertising. In some implementations, a method includes associating a plurality of ad spaces of at least two different types as a unit. The unit is offered to one or more advertisers for purchase.

Abstract: A method of operating a digital exchange system includes providing a server connected to a communications network configured for two-way communications with system users, and configuring the server to display, on a system-user device, information on one or more community organizations or individuals and sponsorship needs thereof. The method also includes accepting, and displaying on the system-user device, electronically-submitted sponsorship offer plans from a sponsor for one of the one or more community organizations or individuals.

Abstract: A method assigns token requirements to service subscriptions in a service platform, such as a service platform containing entities, such as end-users, contacts, sponsors, membership associations or databases, or a database associating, referencing, or containing a plurality of said entities or databases. The operator of the service platform establishes customization factors and maintains records reserving particular data services associated with token requirements for delivery to entities. In addition, customization factors are determined, at least in part, from values representing the relative quantity of, or representing values or information associated with, objects in a database or data set or the like. Token requirements associated with data services or service subscriptions or contracts are calculated from one or more formulas utilizing customization factors. Sponsorships associated with the entities can be accepted by the service platform.

Abstract: Particular embodiments of the present invention are related to a digital media benefit attachment mechanism for generating or attaching revenue rights and other benefits to one or more entities associated with socially distributed media.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to dynamically determine the performance event of a listing based on the progress levels of responses received in response to a presentation of the listing. One embodiment includes: providing a listing on behalf of an entity for presentation to a user; identifying an event from a set of predetermined events based on communications made by the user responsive to a presentation of the listing; and charging the entity a fee per the event identifying from the set of predetermined events.

Abstract: A method includes detecting a substitution signal at a device and inserting an advertisement into a media stream in response to detecting the substitution signal. The advertisement is selected based on an advertising fee associated with insertion of the advertisement into the media stream. The advertising fee is a first fee when the advertisement is a local advertisement for a provider of a product or service and the advertisement is to be inserted at a first location in the media stream that follows a national advertisement for the product or service. The first fee is distinct from a second fee that is associated with insertion of the local advertisement at a second location in the media stream.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and an apparatus for at least one and including a network of enhanced drinking fountains that dispense water to the public while enabling a property owner or network operator to generate revenue from advertising, related promotional services and vending. The invention includes several embodiments of an apparatus that dispenses water, displays media content, facilitates user interactions and provides an efficient means for ensuring timely filter changes by transmitting water usage data to a server over a wide area network. By facilitating the generation of revenue, the present invention provides property owners and/or network operators with a way of offsetting the cost of purchasing, installing and maintaining enhanced drinking fountains. By improving upon the current state of the art, the present invention facilitates a faster and wider adoption of enhanced drinking fountains.

Abstract: An affiliate management device according to one embodiment includes an access monitoring unit that, in accordance with a user's click on an affiliate link, stores click information associating a publisher of the affiliate link, a linked shop from the affiliate link and the user into a specified storage unit, an acquisition unit that acquires purchase information indicating a purchaser of an item and a selling shop of the item, a specifying unit that specifies a click history indicating click on affiliate links by the purchaser based on one or more click information corresponding to the purchaser acquired from the specified storage unit, and a determination unit that determines one or more publishers to receive an affiliate fee from the selling shop and an affiliate fee to be paid to each publisher based on the click history.

Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for generating a promotional form and/or for maintaining a promotional activity catalog. For example, a promotional activity catalog comprising one or more promotional activities may be exposed to an advertiser entity (e.g., a restaurant business). A set of promotional activities selected from the promotional activity catalog may be identified (e.g., a coupon activity, a reserve table activity, a view slideshow activity, etc.). A promotional form, such as an interactive user interface, comprising promotional activity interfaces for the set of promotional activities may be generated. Monetization schemes may be associated with such promotional activity interfaces. In this way, the promotional form may comprise various promotional activities and/or monetization schemes. The promotional form may be presented to users to promote the advertiser entity (e.g.

Abstract: An intellectual contents distribution method distributes intellectual contents from a computer via a network. The contents provided from a contents provider are stored in a computer 1, along with support results from at least one supporter relating to the contents. The contents are transmitted to a system of a purchaser via a network in response to the purchaser's request. Also, purchase results of the contents are stored in the computer. Further, the computer computes earnings to be returned to the contents provider and earnings to be returned to each supporter based on a predetermined computational formula by using the support results and the purchase results stored in the computer.

Abstract: A method for enabling engagement between a first application on a device and a set of contacts associated with a second application on the device, including: receiving, at the first application, an authentication token from the second application, wherein the authentication token is configured for providing an authentication pass to a server when delivered thereto by the first application, thereby allowing the first application access to a set of messaging functionalities available at the server; delivering the authentication token to the server; upon the authentication token having been verified by the server, connecting, using a communication platform, to the server, wherein the communication platform includes communication functionalities configured for enabling communication with other devices; and communicating with contacts of a set of contacts associated with the second application using, via the communication platform, at least one messaging functionality of the set of messaging functionalities.

Abstract: Processes for determining predicted prices of social media actions from disparate social media types are disclosed. In one example process, campaign attribute data associated with an advertising campaign on a social media service may be received. The campaign attribute data and historical campaign attribute data associated with previously performed advertising campaigns may be used to generate a plurality of predicted prices for the social media action. A weighted sum of the plurality of predicted prices may be calculated to generate a final predicted price for the social media action. Predicted prices for other social media actions performed on other social media services may similarly be generated. Systems and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for performing these processes are also provided.

Abstract: A network content message placement management process is directed to the processing and management of messages in content displayed at a client computing device. A client computing device provides message placement configuration information to a network computing and storage provider. The network computing and storage transmits message placement requests to a content provider based on the message placement configuration information. The client computing device may subsequently directly or indirectly request content from the content provider. The content provided from the content provider may include one or more of the alternative messages provided in the message placement configuration information. Illustratively, the alternative messages may be included in place of other messages, such as advertisements, from third party message providers.

Abstract: A system and method to select and retrieve contact center transactions from a set of transactions stored in a queuing mechanism. The system includes an interactive voice response system configured to accept at least one call and dynamically populate a web form with call data associated with the at least one call. The system also includes a queuing engine configured to allow a call agent to access the call data prior to the at least one call being connected to the call agent.

Abstract: A product sample distribution system provides a method and system for consumers and social media follower to initiate, accept and approve delivery of product samples using the Internet and provides free product samples using a social media platform connected to the product sample distribution system. The product sample distribution system also provides a system for brands to distribute product samples and collect targeted data and analysis regarding the product sample and the consumer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for enhancing value for advertisers by helping them select and initiate the purchase of an advertisement associated with an advertising (ad) words or phrases that have strong semantic relationships to a given context, but which are not necessarily the most popular ad words or phrases with the highest costs. Advertisements associated with ad words or phrases that have strong semantic relationships to a given context, and yet are still cost effective in that their calculated value exceeds the costs of purchasing the ad keywords, are bid for and bought. In an embodiment, the system and method may be adapted to automatically purchase advertisements associated with ad words or phrases when the ad words or phrases fall within a desired price range based on their calculated value.

Abstract: A method of monetizing web site avatar customization by executing computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium provides the user of a website with a digital avatar. The user may customize the digital avatar with various clothing or food items or other aspects, some of which are associated with the brand of an advertising affiliate. When the user chooses branded customizations for the avatar, the advertising affiliate associated with the brand chosen by the user is charged a fee, and the avatar is shown with the branded item displayed on the website, effectively making the avatar a platform for advertisement of the affiliate's brand.

Abstract: A system and method for booking an online advertising campaign simplifies a process of onboarding an advertiser to a new online advertising product. An offer message for an advertising campaign is communicated from an online service provider to an advertiser. The offer message includes pre-generated advertising creative information for the advertising campaign, pricing information for the advertising campaign; and an initiation actuator selectable by the advertiser to accept the offer for the advertising campaign. If the offer is acceptable, the advertiser may simply click the initiation actuator to book the campaign.

Abstract: The disclosure details the implementation of apparatuses, methods and systems for a Framework for Ad-hoc Applications Based on Advertising (FAABA). The FAABA may employ short-range radio-frequency communications. The disclosure teaches mechanisms for providing targeted advertising in connection with ad-hoc applications/point-to-point (P2P) communications between user terminals. In a manner, the invention teaches general collection components for user terminals, which is responsible for collecting and maintaining a dynamic set of advertisements as a background operation. This allows the user terminals to initiate applications that are based on P2P communication, and furthermore, allows collections of pre-loaded advertisements to be provided to the user terminals along and/or during the P2P communications.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using a digital image in a social networking system may use digital image to identify a physical entity. Information about the identified physical entity may be provided to an electronic display for review by a user. The user may perform a social networking action with the identified physical entity or a website associated with the physical entity. Social networking actions may include rating or commenting about the physical entity or the associated website via a social networking system. Social networking actions may also include sharing information about the physical entity or associated website with another user via the social networking system.

Abstract: This object is aimed to provide an advertisement providing system, etc. that defines a web API that contributes to the creation of an advertisement attached webpage for making it possible to distribute referral fees of the advertisement. A system carries out processing while taking a session ID generated by an advertisement intermediary service (105) among a website (103), a web API (104) and the advertisement intermediary service (105), wherein the website (103) creates a webpage including a result of processing by the web API (104), a link for acquiring a resource of advertisement information, and a link having as a parameter a session ID which is called on selection of an advertisement.

Abstract: A banner advertisement system includes an advertisement terminal, a banner advertisement server, and an image forming apparatus. The advertisement terminal generates a banner advertisement. The banner advertisement server distributes the banner advertisement generated by the advertiser terminal. The image forming apparatus includes a displaying mechanism for displaying the banner advertisement distributed by the banner advertisement server and a response sending mechanism for sending to the advertiser terminal at least one of an order and an inquiry for at least one of a product and services offered by the banner advertisement displayed on the displaying mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention relates to online national and local text, banner and video advertisement self-creation. The method is developed for the business to design and post either text, banner or video at the level which the business choose. There nine different levels. The business follow the created steps which include logging on to the internet, assessing the service provider's website, creating an account, selecting a level, selecting advertisement format, choosing an advertisement location or a service, designing text, banner or video advertisement, uploading advertisement content, choosing posting period, previewing the created advertisement, making online payment, and submitting. The present invention is web-based. It is built by Java. The compiled programs enable the user to access the web server application, create and manage advertisement by themselves. They are logically related set of language statements that perform a specific task. The programs are called by triggering.

Abstract: A method and system for managing media advertising campaigns accesses a set of programming data that contains various attributes of media assets that a media service provider will present to consumers. A media advertising campaign manager receives various buyer criteria for the inclusion of advertisements in a buyer's advertising campaign. The system uses the attributes in the data set to develop an advertising campaign that satisfies the buyer's criteria. In various embodiments, the method system may consider buyer preferences, seller criteria, and campaign requests for other buyer's so that the advertising campaign is developed in a manner that maximizes a revenue opportunity for the media service provider.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to accessing computer resources by sensing audio with a microphone.

Abstract: An online ad provisioning system couples persuasive media items (ads) with an established viewership/recipient set by first identifying a popularity, or number of recipients of a requested media item, and subsequently associating the media item with an advertisement (banner, window, video segment) expecting the established viewership. While conventional advertising seeks to divert the readers attention before their eyes are on the page, the system identifies and targets recipients after their eyes are on the page (or screen, window, etc.). Such an association allows an advertiser to specify, for example, to associate an ad (persuasive media item) with the most popular web page, or to run a commercial in a video stream only if at least a predetermined number of viewers are receiving the stream.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for identifying and assigning advertisements to impression slots based on each advertisement's impression set. An advertisement has one or more attributes, or impressions, that characterize it, which are collectively known as an impression set. Media content providers may take into account an advertisement's impression set when linking advertisements to impression slots. By iterating through a direct access table that contains impression slots and pointers, an advertisement inventory server can link, re-link, and award impression slots to the advertisement that has the highest value. The resulting direct access table shows the value-optimized impression slot assignments as well as the unsold inventory of impression slots in real-time. Furthermore, if a query is submitted, the advertisement inventory server can include the query results in the direct access table.

Abstract: An online social network or webpage that allows users to create accounts with a corresponding user page and compensates the users based upon traffic that views the posted content or referrals from the user page. The amount of compensation a user account receives is displayed on the user page, encouraging other users to maintain their own user pages, constantly strive to discover interesting content, and strive for large number of followers in order to similarly obtain compensation. A trust rating is generated and displayed on each user page to reduce fraudulent links and users with spam or negative intent. A user can upgrade to a premium account, allowing advertisers to bid for advertising space upon their user page. Statistical data is generated for each user page and is available to advertisers for aiding in the selection of user pages of most interest to those advertisers for bidding on advertising space.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to provide communication connections at a cost reduced via advertising. One embodiment includes: receiving a request from a first user over a data communication network; response to the request, initiating a first telephonic connection to the first user and a second telephonic connection to a second user to provide a telephonic connection between the first and second users; presenting an advertisement to at least one of the first and second users; and reducing a communication fee for the telephonic connection between the first and second users using a portion of an advertisement fee charged for the advertisement.

Abstract: An organization stores customer relationship management information in a social networking system. For example, the customer relationship management information is stored in a graph maintained by the social networking system. The graph includes nodes representing organizations and other objects maintained by the social networking system that are connected by edges. The edges store information describing relationships between the nodes, including information determining a user's authority to access an organization's resources or to act on behalf of an organization on the social networking system. The organization may reconstruct its customer relationship information from the graph and dynamically modify the edges used by the social networking system to represent the customer relationship management information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system for monetizing internet content. The system can include a website providing a viewable online section for displaying user-generated content on a client system which is at least one of a computer, a laptop, and a mobile device. The online section can be capable of having posted thereto the user-generated content in a default format or a visibly distinctive format. Computer executable instructions can perform steps including: displaying to a reader who has entered the user-generated content an offer via an on screen prompt to pay a fee in exchange for the reader's entered user-generated content to be posted in the visibly distinctive format; receiving, in response to the on screen prompt, an acceptance of the offer from the reader; and promoting the reader's entered user-generated content by displaying it in the visibly distinctive format relative to the default format in the online section.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which a first telephone number is associated with a second telephone number, and a web-based advertisement is served for an advertiser that includes the first telephone number. A call placed to the first telephone number is received, and the call is routed to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number. A determination as to whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred, and an advertiser associated with the second telephone number is charged a cost-per-call amount if the call-through event is determined to have occurred.

Abstract: In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems and program products. A server system receives from a plurality of computing devices indications that a user of each of the computing devices requested to receive posts that a first user authors. The server system receives from a first computing device a post that was authored by the first user. The post is transmitted from the server system to the plurality of computing devices. A score for the post is determined to satisfy a criteria for transmission to a second user who has not requested to receive posts authored by the first user. The determination uses a distance of the second user to the first user in a social network graph. In response, the post is transmitted from the server system to a second computing device that is associated with the second user.

Abstract: A system for selectively displaying content may include one or more processors and a memory. The one or more processors may display a graphical object at a first location on a map, determine a user interaction with the graphical object, and display, in response to the determining, a first content item on the map at a second location that is proximal to the first location, the first content item being associated with the graphical object. The one or more processors may identify a selection of the graphical object and display, in response to the identifying, a second content item on the map at a third location that is disparate from the first and second locations, the second content item being associated with the first content item and the graphical object. The one or more processors may transmit an indication of the selection of the graphical object.

Abstract: Tools and techniques are described herein for determining click values, along with incentive schemes for website visitors and advertisers. These tools may provide a click value system that includes a click value determination unit and an incentive administration unit. The click value determination unit may compute respective click values for different visitors to a website. These click values may indicate a likelihood that the visitors may transact for particular goods or services offered through the website. The incentive administration unit manages visitor incentives provided to the visitors, and also manages advertiser incentives provided to the advertisers.