Abstract: A computer implemented process for generating customized, user-specific programming for delivery over a network, each programming unit comprising one or more media items, such as song tracks, and at least one promotional media item, such as a commercial advertisement. The media items are selected in response to implicit user taste data, and promotional media items or ads are selected where a media item associated with the promotional media item matches at least one media data item identified as responsive to the user taste data. The media items and the promotional media items are selected so as to constrain the promotional program unit to incur a net cost of no more that a selected maximum cost, wherein the net cost is determined as a sum of the licensing costs of the selected media items, reduced by a sum of the expected revenues generated by the selected promotional media items.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for an anonymous personalized recommendation is provided. The method includes receiving select server fingerprints selected from server fingerprints based on predetermined metrics. The server fingerprints correspond to a plurality of public entities and each server fingerprint includes encoded information about a corresponding public entity. The method also includes generating a user fingerprint based on user information associated with a user, the user fingerprint comprising encoded user information. The method further includes comparing the user fingerprint with the select server fingerprints to select a server fingerprint for recommendation, generating a recommendation of a public entity corresponding to the server fingerprint for recommendation, and displaying the recommendation. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: A method to prioritize emails based on financial management data configured to analyze an email to determine an identity of a sender of the email, to compare the identity of the sender to contact information contained within business data of a financial management application to identify a portion of the business data as being associated with the sender, to analyze the portion of the business data to generate a score representing a level of importance of the sender to the email recipient based on a pre-determined criterion, to generate a priority ranking of the email among a number of emails based on the score, and to display the email among the number of emails to the recipient with a priority indication based on the priority ranking.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for resolving ambiguous queries. A search query is received and metrics are identified for the query that are associated with respective categories. Each metric indicates a user preference for search results that are responsive to the query and associated with the metric's respective category. The identified metrics are used to determine whether the query is ambiguous. Responsive to determining that the query is ambiguous, the identified metrics are used to determine a user preference for one or more categories of search results responsive to the ambiguous query. Search results associated with the one or more user preferred categories are ranked higher than search results that are not associated with the one or more user preferred categories.

Abstract: Provided is a search method, system and device. The search method includes obtaining a keyword, a relationship chain classification and a user account that are inputted by a user; obtaining a user account list that corresponds to the obtained user account and belongs to the obtained relationship chain classification; and searching for information corresponding to the obtained keyword from information posted by each user account in the user account list to obtain a search result, and displaying the search result. By the search method, system and device, the practicability and reliability of information may be improved.

Abstract: A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for controlling metadata associated with content on an electronic device that includes displaying interface screens for user entry of metadata control instructions, accepting user instructions, modifying metadata of applicable content, and associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. The system can export and/or store the applicable content along with modified metadata. The system can automatically modify metadata according to one or more profiles. Relevant profiles can be determined based on the export mechanism, destination or type of content. The system can add watermarks to indicate metadata modification. The system can display metadata for user modification. The content can include photos, videos or other content. The system can display metadata and geolocation indicators for each content item that indicate whether that item has associated metadata and geolocation information. The user can selectively modify metadata of selected content.

Abstract: A method for brokering of know-how in various formats between users on an electronic Web service platform includes the following steps: allowing users access to the electronic Web service platform, requesting registration data from a user on the platform, managing interest area categories, receiving user offers for know-how in at least one interest area category, enabling searches of users for know-how in at least one interest area category, calculating and displaying a rating in respect of offers in at least one interest area category, approving to a selected offer an agreed exchange of know-how and a corresponding transfer of credit points, conveying selected know-how from the provider to the consumer and booking a corresponding transfer of credit points, and accepting and storing a rating given to the provider by the consumer in respect of the transferred know-how, wherein the rating is assigned to the interest area category of the transferred know-how.

Abstract: A similarity calculating method and apparatus are disclosed. A similarity calculating method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes extracting similarity calculating data, which is determined in advance, by receiving a communication activity record for every user; modeling a communication activity pattern for every user and common information between the users based on the extracted similarity calculating data; and calculating a similarity between users using the modeled communication activity pattern for every user and common information. The modeling includes: modeling the communication activity pattern by calculating a value of a static feature from the similarity calculating data, and modeling the common information by calculating a value of a dynamic feature from the similarity calculating data.

Abstract: A computer-based apparatus for compiling and evaluating character traits, including at least one processor for at least one specially programmed computer arranged to: transmit a plurality of queries regarding a plurality of character traits; receive a first response, from a first user, to the plurality of queries, including a respective first evaluation, by the first user, of the first user with respect to the character traits; generate, using the first response, a self-rating score regarding the character traits; transmit the queries to a second user; receive, from the second user a second response to the plurality of queries, the second response including a respective second evaluation, by the second user, of the first user with respect to said each character trait; generate, using the second response, an outside review score regarding the character traits; and transmit the self-rating score and the outside review score for display by at least one graphical user interface.

Abstract: Internet websites that are popular for users in a specific location are determined and displayed to a user of an electronic device. The popularity information may be of benefit to users in the location or to users of inherently portable devices, such as a mobile telephone or a laptop computer, that travel to the location. In one embodiment, position data relating to devices used to access websites is used to establish statistics regarding the most visited websites based on location. For instance, positioning data may be added to “webpage look-up/URL requests” that are made by the devices. This data may be transmitted to a server for deriving of the statistics.

Abstract: A method of establishing personalized limits on a search responsive to a key word query in an enterprise search system is described that includes receiving an object types access history for a particular user. Applying this method, the object types access history includes records of object types selected from search results returning multiple object types and records of object types selected via interfaces other than search results. The method continues with determining and storing in computer readable memory a personalized scope of object types. The personalized scope of object types sets a limit on object types initially returned by an enterprise search system for the particular user in response to key word queries by the particular user that do not specify object types to search.

Abstract: Techniques for ranking search results generated by a search engine are described. Consistent with some embodiments, a search engine processes a search query to identify member profiles of members of a social network service for presentation in a search results page or user interface. The member profiles are presented in the search results ordered based on a ranking score that is derived at least in part by identifying similarities in the member profile attributes of the member profiles satisfying the search query and the member profile of the person performing the search. Accordingly, to the extent that a member profile has similarities shared in common with the member profile of the member performing the search, that member profile is more likely to be presented more prominently in the search results.

Abstract: Techniques are described for aggregating person-based information on a computing device. The computing device includes a display device and one or more processors. The processors are configured to determine a context of the computing device, and identify a contact associated with the currently-executing application and a plurality of contact identifiers associated with the contact. The processors are configured to receive, from two or more different sources and based on at least one contact, information associated with the contact that includes a respective portion of information received from each of the different sources, determine, based on the context of the computing device, a respective priority value for each of the portions of the information, select, based on the respective priority value, one or more portions of the information, and output, for display, a graphical user interface including at least the selected one or more portions of the information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a search ranking method for community users. The method includes: calculating a pre-ranking factor and an offline ranking factor according to historical behavior data of users; performing weighted ranking on inverted indices of the users by taking the pre-ranking factor as a weight, to obtain orderly inverted user index data; and with respect to a logged-in search user, in search results obtained according to the index data, performing weighted calculation on the search results according to the offline ranking factor, to obtain final ranking results. Also disclosed is a search ranking system for community users. The method and system can enable a user to obtain more optimized search ranking results.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a meta-social graph. In accordance with one implementation, a computerized method comprises collecting a plurality of different online identities of a first online user, each of the different online identities corresponding to a unique social network system. The method also includes collecting a plurality of communication data associated with the first user and determining bi-directional connections of the first user with other users from the collected communication data. In addition, the method may also include creating a meta-social graph from the determined bi-directional connections and the plurality of different online identities and generating a global identifier for the first user. The method also includes storing, in at least one memory device, the meta-social graph with at least one of the generated global identifier, the determined bi-directional connections, and the collected communication data.

Abstract: The present technology includes systems and methods for searching for social profiles based on user search queries and sorting search results based on determining and matching personal similarities. In some implementations, the systems and methods retrieve a plurality of search results that either partially or fully match a search query by a user of an online community for a particular social profile. The systems and methods determine a plurality of personal similarity factors relating to the search results and compare them to the profile of the user requesting the search based on predetermined criteria and assign varying weights to the personal similarity factors. The weights are aggregated and total scores for the search results are computed. The systems and methods sort the search results based on the total scores to identify and separate results of greater interest to the user from those that of less interest.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for associating objects in databases of a web site by rate-based tagging. The frequencies of users entering specific tag terms for objects stored in the databases of the web site are used to determine hard associations between objects and tag terms and between objects. When the frequencies of user tags exceed established thresholds, hard associations between objects and tag terms are established. When objects are identified or determined to have hard association with tag terms, the objects are determined to be more clearly associated with the corresponding tag terms. Therefore, they should be highlighted or featured in more prominent locations on web pages of the web site to increase users' confidence in content of the web site. To identify hard-associated objects, more weights can be assigned to the hard-associated objects, which allows them to be more likely to be selected for display in prominent locations.

Abstract: A system which implements a method for providing attribute data. A request is received from a user device via a network for a virtual ID token relating to attribute information pertaining to a subscriber associated with the user device. A data record including L attributes of the subscriber is read from a database, L being at least 2. The data record is provided to the user device via the network. A selection of M attributes of the L attributes is received from the user device via the network, M being less than L. A virtual record including the M attributes selected from the data record is generated, the virtual record including a virtual ID (VID) for identifying the virtual record. The generated virtual record is stored in the database. The virtual ID token is provided to the user device via the network, wherein the virtual ID token includes the VID.

Abstract: Profiling data includes processing an accessed collection of records, including: generating, for a first set of distinct values appearing in a first set of one or more fields, corresponding location information; generating, for the first set of fields, a corresponding list of entries identifying a distinct value from the first set of distinct values and the location information for the distinct value; generating, for a second set of one or more fields, a corresponding list of entries, with each entry identifying a distinct value from a second set of distinct values appearing in the second set of fields; and generating result information, based at least in part on: locating at least one record of the collection using the location information for at least one value appearing in the first set of fields, and determining at least one value appearing in the second set of fields of the located record.

Abstract: A content item recommendation device includes; a storage which stores information of a plurality of content items describing identifiers and usage characteristics of the resources used in the content items; a first specifying unit which specifies first content items which use at least S number of resources in common with a specified content item; a second specifying unit which specifies second content items which use at least K number of resources in common with each of the first content items; a calculator which calculates relationship levels between the specified content item and each of the second content items; a selector which selects recommended content items from the second content items based on the relationship levels.

Abstract: Various aspects of one or more methods, apparatuses and data processor program products capable of enabling management of data associated with an athleticism development program are disclosed herein. These various aspects include maintaining a database including subscriber performance data for a plurality of athleticism development program subscribers and facilitating preparation of a subscriber performance report for a specified one of the plurality of athleticism development program subscribers. The subscriber performance data is capable of enabling an attained standardized athleticism level to be determined for each one of the athleticism development program subscribers. The implementation of standardized athleticism levels is advantageous as it supports a measurable plan of progress for motivating a subscriber and trainer to meet their individual and mutual goals and determination of a fitness routine recommendation.

Abstract: A system, and computer program product for activity based dynamic data prioritization are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A user activity corresponding to a user is selected. A query is constructed corresponding to the user activity. The query is executed on a data source to obtain a result set of data. A prioritization rule is constructed using a feature of the query and a policy. Data items in the result set of data are prioritized according to the prioritization rule to form prioritized data. The prioritized data is presented relative to the user activity.

Abstract: A method for activity based dynamic data prioritization is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A user activity corresponding to a user is selected. A query is constructed corresponding to the user activity. The query is executed on a data source to obtain a result set of data. A prioritization rule is constructed using a feature of the query and a policy. Data items in the result set of data are prioritized according to the prioritization rule to form prioritized data. The prioritized data is presented relative to the user activity.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a plurality of event listings, accessing event information associated with the event listings, accessing social network information associated with a particular user, and ranking the event listings for the particular user based at least in part on the social network information and event information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining a context of the current search session. In one aspect, a method includes identifying query paths from previous search sessions, each query path defining a context and being a plurality of queries in an order in which the queries were provided for in a respective previous search session; identifying search session queries of a current search session; comparing the search session queries of the current search session to the queries in the query paths from the previous search sessions; and determining that a context of the current search session is related to a query path from the previous search sessions based at least in part on the comparison, the determining including: determining that two or more of the queries of the query path are similar to two or more of the search session queries.

Abstract: A preference-information gathering system is capable of gathering information on every commodity and/or every service, which are each of interest to a user, as user's preference information. The preference-information gathering system includes a user portable terminal capable of storing a user identifier uniquely identifying the user, an information searching apparatus and a preference-information management apparatus for managing the information on preferences with the user. The information searching apparatus has a search-information inputting unit for requesting a user to enter search information to be used in a process to search for information desired by the user and a user-identifier acquisition unit for acquiring a user identifier.

Abstract: An information processing device is connected to multiple information processing terminals wherein multiple types of expressions exhibited by a user during playback of content are detected, evaluation of each played-back content is obtained, of the detected plurality of types of expressions a predetermined expression serving as a high evaluation index indicated by the user during playback of high evaluation content is identified, and the expression information serving as a identified high evaluation index and the information expressing evaluation as to each content are transmitted. The information device includes a receiving unit to receive expression information serving as the high evaluation index from multiple information processing terminals; a user identifying unit to identify a user indicating an expression of similar high evaluation index for the same content; a recommended content identifying unit to identify recommended content having a high evaluation to other similar users; and a transmitting unit.

Abstract: A method, system, and graphical user interface for alerting a computer user to new results for a prior search are disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a graphical user interface on a computer that includes a plurality of links recommended by a search engine for a computer user. The plurality of links are determined by the search engine by: producing search results by rerunning a plurality of search queries that have been performed previously for the computer user; and evaluating the produced search results to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria. At least one of the criteria is based on Internet usage data for the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to techniques for controlling a pre-fetching of data in a mobile communications environment. More specifically the invention relates to controlling a pre-fetching of data items into a cache associated with a mobile terminal. A method embodiment of the invention is performed by a cache management server and comprises the steps of receiving a pre-fetching request for data items, wherein the pre-fetching request comprises a first user identification associated with the mobile terminal; obtaining, based on the first user identification, one or more second user identifications from a community database of a social network; selecting items for the pre-fetching based on the second user identifications; and providing the selected items in response to the pre-fetching request.

Abstract: A system and method matches individuals based on the content of their media libraries. The system has a media content processor that extracts information from a media file, and creates one or more media records. The system further includes a matching engine that compares the media records associated with different people, and determines the similarities between the media libraries of the different people. The matching engine may generate a match score for each pair of media records. The system also includes a presentation engine that provides an indication of the degree of match between the media file of one person and the media files of others.

Abstract: A method for harvesting application metadata includes receiving metadata from a web application and storing the metadata to a metadata collection. The metadata indicates a characteristic of a web application user. The metadata collection identifies the user and may include metadata from other web applications. The advertisement is then characterized. For example, keywords may be associated with the advertisement. An affinity between the advertisement and the user is then determined and an indication of the affinity is recorded. When the affinity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the user may be identified as a potential target of the advertisement. The service provider may then identify the potential targets to the advertiser or provide the advertisement to the targets on behalf of the advertiser. The web application may be compensated for providing the metadata. The compensation may occur in response to the metadata resulting in identifying the user as a potential target.

Abstract: An approach is provided for providing user-corrected search results. The explanation platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more search results to calculate a ranking of the one or more search results. Next, the explanation platform determines one or more parameters related to calculating the ranking, one or more values of the one or more parameters, or a combination thereof. Then, the explanation platform causes, at least in part, a presentation of one or more representations of at least one of the one or more parameters as one or more explanations for the ranking.

Abstract: A method is performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory. The server receives a search query from a user and identifies a list of search results associated with the search query. Each search result has an initial position in the list. The server identifies a set of user-preferred search results that comprises search results in a search history of the user. Each of the user-preferred search results has been previously selected by the user for at least a predefined minimum number of times. The server identifies in the list of search results, one or more search results that are associated with at least one of the user-preferred search results and reorders the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by a non-zero offset. The server then provides the reordered list of search results to the user.

Abstract: A method for conducting search-by-content is provided. The method includes responsive to an input multimedia content item provided to a user device, checking if the input multimedia content item matches at least one concept of a plurality of concepts cached in the user device; retrieving characteristics set for a user of the user device; performing a search, using the at least one matching concept, for multimedia content items similar to the input multimedia content item; determining which of the search results are of interest to the user based on the characteristics set for the user; and saving results that are of interest to the user in the user device, wherein the saved results include multimedia content items.

Abstract: A data structure that includes a user profile including user profile information, and a data structure comprising a set of available telephone numbers can be accessed. A targeted list of one or more telephone numbers can be generated using the set of available telephone numbers and information from the user profile. The targeted list can include one or more telephone numbers from the set of available telephone numbers that match at least a portion of the user profile information. Also, the targeted list can be sent to a rendering computing environment for display. User input selecting a telephone number from the targeted list can be received. In response to user input, the selected telephone number can be associated with a user profile in a data structure.

Abstract: A method for content recommendation for a user, wherein a song or a video is recommended to the user and a confidence measure is determined for the recommended song. The confidence measure is displayed to the user, so the user may get more confidence into the recommendation of the system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for automatic text suggestion are described. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes, from an authoring environment, receiving a request to supplement a text segment; submitting a query to a search engine, the query being generated from the text segment; receiving multiple search results from the search engine in response to the query, each search result including an information snippet; generating one or more suggestions for supplementing the text segment based on the information snippets; and providing the one or more suggestions for supplementing the text segment for display in the authoring environment.

Abstract: An Internet or other online service is personalized or customized based on data collected for a user of a computing device. In one embodiment, a method includes: storing a plurality of person profiles for persons associated with communications received by a user of a computing device; receiving data associated with an online service; and filtering, using at least one processor, the data based on the plurality of person profiles, wherein the filtered data is for display to the user on the computing device.

Abstract: A real-time messaging platform and method is disclosed which classifies messages in accordance with a combination of user engagement events as modified to reflect the temporal structure of the user engagement events. A message can be assigned a metric based, for example, on a weighted combination of user engagement rates, decayed with time to reflect an intuition that recent interactions by one or more users with the message will have a greater impact than older interactions with the message. Different types of interaction by one or more users with the message can be assigned different weights when the different engagement events are combined and, also, can be assigned different temporal characteristics.

Abstract: A recommendation system generates customized recommendations for social network members.

Abstract: An Internet or other online service is personalized or customized based on data collected for a user of a computing device. In one embodiment, a method includes: storing a plurality of person profiles for persons associated with communications received by a user of a computing device; receiving data associated with an online service; and filtering, using at least one processor, the data based on the plurality of person profiles, wherein the filtered data is for display to the user on the computing device.

Abstract: A method of adding web-based content to a web notebook can include producing multiple search results responsive to a search request; generating in the multiple search results multiple corresponding icons, each of which, when invoked, causes content associated with a corresponding search result in the multiple search results to be placed in a web notebook associated with a user account; and forming a correlation between one of the multiple search results and the web notebook.

Abstract: An Internet infrastructure supports searching of web links to select search results by processing browser activity information along with one or more of favorite lists, and related metadata, user profiles, and trends based on browser activity behavior and favorite behavior. A plurality of web browsers located on client device are incorporated with a browser activity-monitoring module that tracks user's Internet usage, processes this information, and sends this information periodically or upon user request to the server to aid in improving search operation results. The search engine server communicatively couples to the plurality of web browsers and supports delivery of search results/web links to the client device based upon a search string, browser activity information, and possibly the favorite lists and related metadata. The gathered browser activity information, favorite lists, and related metadata are stored in one or more server databases that are associated with the search engine server.

Abstract: This disclosure describes various processes for collecting information about users from sources other than catalog activity data. This information can be used to generate recommendations for users with activity data deficiencies. Some example sources for this supplemental data include collaborative content sites, such as social networking sites. Social networking sites typically allow users to engage in conversations with other users through text, audio, and/or video. Conversation data collected from these sites or from other sources can be analyzed to infer user interests. A recommendation process (or other application) can use the inferred interests to supplement or take the place of catalog activity data.

Abstract: A system and method for recommending interesting content is provided. A content profile including a vector of words extracted from messages associated with a user is obtained. One or more content pointer profiles each including a vector of words associated with a content pointer located within one or more messages are obtained. The content profile is compared with each of the content pointer profiles. A relevance score is determined for that content pointer by calculating a similarity between the user words and the content pointer words. The content pointers are ranked based on the relevance score. A threshold is applied to select the content pointers and those content pointers that satisfy the threshold are selected as the content pointers most relevant to the user.

Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a graphical user interface (GUI) generated by a processor of a search system includes a search results window operable to display a set of search results within a table that includes a plurality of sub-tables corresponding to a plurality of categories. Each sub-table represents at least one category and includes a respective subset of the set of search results. The GUI further includes a plurality of local control elements, where each local control element is associated with a respective sub-table of the plurality of sub-tables. Each local control element is accessible to a user to selectively sort the respective subset of the set of search results within the respective sub-table according to a user-selected local sort parameter without altering a sort order of respective subsets of the set of search results within other sub-tables of the plurality of sub-tables.

Abstract: A method performed by one or more computing devices. The method uses data identifying a particular user of a plurality of users, a title, and a plurality of achievements that may be earned with respect to the title. The data identifying which of the achievements the particular user has earned. The method includes determining an achievement difficulty value for each of the achievements, determining a title interest contribution value for each of the achievements as a function of the achievement difficulty value determined for the achievement, identifying one or more of the achievements that were earned by the particular user, and determining a user interest value as a function of the title interest contribution value determined for each of the identified one or more of the achievements (earned by the particular user). The user interest value indicates a level of interest of the particular user with respect to the title.

Abstract: A method performed by one or more computing devices. The method uses data identifying a plurality of users and a plurality of achievements. The data identifies which of the plurality of achievements each of the plurality of users has earned and when any such achievements were earned. The method includes ordering the plurality of achievements to define an ordered achievement list, and for each of the plurality of users, removing from the ordered achievement list any of the plurality of achievements identified in the data as having been earned by the user to define a recommended achievement list for the user. The method also includes identifying a selected achievement, and identifying as a set of similar users any of the plurality of users whose recommended achievement list includes the selected achievement.

Abstract: A user recommendation method for supporting a social networking application includes receiving a user recommendation triggering command from a user at a mobile terminal; generating a recommended candidate user list based on the user recommendation triggering command; reading user social networking quality data, and calculating a matching success rate for each user in the recommended candidate user list based on the user social networking quality data; and selecting at least one user with a highest matching success rate from the recommended candidate user list for recommendation. By implementing the user recommendation method, recommendation performance and recommendation efficiency in the social networking application are improved. In addition, a user recommendation system implemented with the user recommendation method is also provided.