Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products are disclosed for assisting search request by presenting suggestion of one or more vertical segments to produce a more focused result. A vertical segment may be selected by the user, the selected vertical segment being associated with one or more query terms and a search is performed on an index associated with the vertical segment. A search engine generates a search result and returns a list of search result pages for presentation to a user.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and method for organization of bookmarks. The method according to one embodiment comprises retrieving one or more bookmarks associated with one or more content items, a given bookmark generated by a user of a client device and identifying one or more tags associated with one or uniform resource locators corresponding to the or more bookmarks. A bookmark folder hierarchy is created through use of a clustering algorithm on the basis of the one or more tags associated with the one or more uniform resource locators corresponding to the one or more bookmarks.

Abstract: A system and method for comparing search queries provided by a user with content items available in an index. Search queries are received and stored in a database query log. Content items are located on a network and stored in an index. A value is generated for concepts and categories in the query log and the index. The value for different categories and concepts in the query log is compared with the value for different categories and concepts in the index. A need for content is determined for a given concept and category, which may be communicated to content providers, e.g., web site operators.

Abstract: A ball game with skipping implement and targets comprised of a skipping implement (22) having a highly efficient rebounding and skipping surface (56) where by a player (16) can throw a ball (14) onto the skipping implement (22) redirecting the ball (14) in a multitude of directions including targeting a basket (10) for recreation and game play.

Abstract: Computer systems and methods allow users to annotate content items found in a corpus such as the World Wide Web. Annotations, which can include any descriptive and/or evaluative metadata related to a document, are collected from a user and stored in association with that user. Users are able to annotate and view their annotations for any document they encounter while interacting with the corpus, including hits returned in a search of the corpus. Users are also able to search their annotations or to limit searches to documents they have annotated. Metadata from annotations can also be aggregated across users and aggregated metadata applied in generating search results.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer readable media comprising instructions for rescaling human judgment data for one or more items of content. The method of the present invention comprises generating one or more test sets comprising one or more items of content and generating one or more benchmark sets comprising one or more items of content common to each of the test sets. Judgment data for the one or more items of content comprising the one or more test sets from one or more human editors is received. A variation correction factor and a drift correction factor are identified for each of the one or more human editors. The variation correction factor and drift correction factor associated with each respective human editor are thereafter applied to the one or more items of content comprising the test set for which each human editor provided judgment data.

Abstract: A product dispenser refillable from a donor container via a spray nozzle comprising a hollow body for receiving and storing said product, a dispensing mechanism for dispensing said product, an open aperture through which product is filled into said body, capping means to cap the open aperture after filling the container to prevent leakage of product from said opening, characterized in that the dispenser comprises a filling interface arrangement integrally coupled to said open aperture that guides the spray from the spray nozzle of the donor container directly into the open aperture of the dispenser.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems, methods and computer-readable media comprising program code for affording access to a preferred provider of audio content. A method according to one embodiment of the present invention for presenting a control to navigate to a server for a preferred provider of audio content comprises identifying a link to an item of audio content in a result set generated in response to a search by the given user for one or more items of audio content. A preferred audio provider is determined for a given user and whether the item of audio content is available at the preferred audio provider for the given user. If the item of audio content is available at the preferred audio provider, a control is presented to navigate to a server of the preferred provider from which the user may download or stream the item of audio content.

Abstract: Computer systems and methods allow users to annotate content items found in a corpus such as the World Wide Web. Annotations, which can include any descriptive and/or evaluative metadata related to a document, are collected from a user and stored in association with that user. Users are able to annotate and view their annotations for any document they encounter while interacting with the corpus, including hits returned in a search of the corpus. Users are also able to search their annotations or to limit searches to documents they have annotated. Metadata from annotations can also be aggregated across users and aggregated metadata applied in generating search results.

Abstract: In one implementation, a method is provided for increasing relevance of database search results. The method includes receiving a subject query string and determining a trained edit distance between the subject query string and a candidate string using trained cost factors derived from a training set of labeled query transformations. A trained cost factor includes a conditional probability for mutations in labeled non-relevant query transformations and a conditional probability for mutations in labeled relevant query transformations. The candidate string is evaluated the for selection based on the trained edit distance. In some implementations, the cost factors may take into account the context of a mutation. As such, in some implementations multi-dimensional matrices are utilized which include the trained cost factors.

Abstract: Solar collection systems are provided herein that includes a mobile, self-tracking receiver support member which is suspended from a support beam spanning the two sides of an immobile solar trough concentrator. The self-tracking receiver support member has photovoltaic cells of equal power affixed to two or more downward facing surfaces of the support member. These photovoltaic cells face downward into the solar parabolic trough concentrator and respond to the concentrated light of the path of the points of focus being reflected upwards from a parabolic concentrator. The solar cells are wired to a DC electric motor so that the motor rotationally responds to the disparity in the power output of the solar cells. As the path of the points of focus of the solar concentrator moves to one side or the other of the center of the self-tracking support member, the motor automatically moves the support member, along with and the receiver it is carrying, into the parabolic concentrator's path of the points of focus.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system, method and computer program for enabling a user (an auditor or a viewer) to access complementary information related to one or a plurality of sequences or topics of interest in a recorded program previously broadcast on the radio or television and played back on a device, such as an audio or video tape or disk recorder/player. The preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a system and method for enabling a person listening to or watching a recorded program, to select one or a plurality of topics drawing his or her attention and for immediately receiving further information related to these topics from the World Wide Web. The system is based on the synchronization of local times of transmitters and recorders. The flow of information transmitted, received and recorded is always synchronized, independently of the relative positions of recorders and transmitters.

Abstract: A pillow is provided that includes a center section; a first bolster; and a second bolster. The first bolster is attached to the center section on a first lateral side and the second bolster is attached to the center section on a second lateral side opposite the first lateral side, and at least one of the first and the second bolsters has a first cross sectional area at a bottom of the bolster and a second cross sectional area at a top of the bolster greater than the first cross sectional area.

Abstract: An apparatus integrates disparate systems. The apparatus includes a platform that supports a control interface. The platform also supports a different user interface for each of the disparate systems. The platform enables the formatting and transfer of data from the apparatus to each of the disparate systems.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media comprising instructions for identifying needy queries for which additional responsive content is needed. A method comprises receiving a query comprising one or more terms and retrieving one or more content items identified as responsive to the query, the one or more content items ranked according to one or more ranking techniques. A score is generated for the one or more ranked content items identified as responsive to the query. A determination is thereafter made as to whether the query is needy based upon a comparison of the one or more scores associated with the one or more content items identified as responsive to the query and a needy query score threshold.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for indexing digital video content maintained on a storage media item. The method of the present invention comprises extracting caption and subtitle content from one or more video object (“VOB”) files maintained on the storage media item. The extracted caption and subtitle content are segmented into one or more segments and video and audio content corresponding to the one or more segments are extracted. Descriptions of the video and audio content corresponding to the segmented caption and subtitle content are generated. The captions, subtitles, descriptions, and corresponding video and audio content associated with the one or more segments of the one or more VOB files are indexed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer readable media comprising instructions for detecting templates within one or more web pages comprising a website. The method of the present invention comprises generating one or more groups of hyperlinks within a respective web page of the one or more web pages comprising the website. An in-link score is calculated for a given uniform resource locator associated with the one or more web pages comprising the website. The hyperlink groups in which the uniform resource locators associated with the one or more web pages comprising the website appear are identified. A template score is assigned to the identified hyperlinks groups on the basis of the in-link score associated with the uniform resource locators to which the hyperlinks comprising the hyperlink group correspond. The hyperlink groups with template scores exceeding a given template score threshold are thereafter identified as templates.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for improving image labeling using content-based image retrieval. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises selecting an image query and identifying a first image related to the image query. The method then selects a plurality of second images related to the first image and assigns weights to the plurality of second images. Finally, the method displays the first images and the second images on a client device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for generating one or more related queries with respect to a given query. The method may comprise receiving a query comprising one or more terms, generating a corpus of candidate reformulations and identifying one or more queries or terms from the corpus of candidate reformulations related to the received query. One or more related queries are generated on the basis of the identified one or more queries or terms from the corpus of candidate reformulations.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.