Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for virtually placing an object on an image of a human appendage is provided. First, image boundaries are detected in the image of the appendage and converted into a set of line segments. A pair of line segments is evaluated according to a function that combines subscores of the pair of line segments to produce a score. The subscores of the line segments are computed based on various properties such as orientation difference, extent, proximity to the center of the image, bilateral symmetry, and the number of skin-colored pixels. A pair of line segments with the highest score is chosen as the appendage boundaries and is used to determine the position, orientation, and extent of the object. The image of the object is then transformed according to the determined parameters and combined with the image of the appendage to produce the desired result.

Abstract: Systems and methods described and suggested herein utilize various techniques to assess the degree of specificity of search queries. By assessing the degree of specificity of search queries, the systems and methods may be used to determine where the submitting users' intentions fall along the continuum between specific and general searching. Thus, the systems and methods may be used to, among other uses, deliver search results that more closely coincide with the users' intentions. For example, if data associated with a search query indicates that users typically submit the search query with the intention of specific searching, embodiments may tailor search results to include a limited number of highly relevant search-result items. On the other hand, for example, if data associated with a search query indicates that users typically submit the search query with the intention of general searching, embodiments may tailor search results to include a diverse set of search-result items from multiple categories.

Abstract: Multiple paths of an index tree may be traversed to discover a set of content descriptors that are match candidates for a set of query descriptors. A size of the set of candidate content descriptors may be optimized, for example, to reduce false positive matching errors, query latencies and/or index tree traversal times, at least in part by determining a number of child nodes to traverse based at least in part on current traverse level and/or traverse neighborhood thresholds. Index trees for large content descriptor sets may be built in resource constrained environments with approximation and/or refining build techniques.

Abstract: Systems and methods use behavioral data to assess listings for items. The behavior data may relate to information regarding user actions in connection with listings for the items. The listings may be collections of information about the items. Behavioral data in connection with a collection of listings is used to assess how changing listings affects one or more performance measures and/or to score listing quality. The assessment may be used for various purposes, such as identifying listings that may be changed to achieve one or more improved performance measures for corresponding items and for other applications.

Abstract: A search facility may optimize search result ranking by applying inverted decay transformations to history-dependent ranking components. Ranking scores for content in a content collection may be based on a set of ranking components including history-dependent ranking components. History-dependent ranking components may be based on historical behavioral data such as historical searches, actions taken with respect to content such as viewing content and content-related purchases. Content recently added to the content collection may be disadvantaged relative to content with an established history. Inverted decay transformations may correspond to simulations of additional historical behavioral data.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for rendering search results are described. In one aspect of the invention, a search request is received from a computerized client. A search is performed based on the search request in at least two different categories of information to obtain search results in the searched categories. Selected search results are returned to the client to facilitate rendering the search results at the client. Search results from different search categories are returned in a manner configured to be presented in different panes of a graphical user interface rendered on the client. In another aspect, what searches to perform can be determined based at least in part upon search results display settings associated with the client, such that searches are performed only in categories of information that are associated with a pane that is in an open state on the client.

Abstract: A method for displaying a search history for a user is shown. The method includes generating a search history for a user including one or more listings of search results, displaying a first search result listing on a web page, and displaying at least a second search result listing on the web page, the second search result listing having a relationship to the first search result listing within the search history.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, system and computer program product for detecting and recognizing text in the images captured by cameras and scanners. First, a series of image-processing techniques is applied to detect text regions in the image. Subsequently, the detected text regions pass through different processing stages that reduce blurring and the negative effects of variable lighting. This results in the creation of multiple images that are versions of the same text region. Some of these multiple versions are sent to a character-recognition system. The resulting texts from each of the versions of the image sent to the character-recognition system are then combined to a single result, wherein the single result is detected text.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for providing information obtained from both online stores and offline stores and for offering more purchasing options to customers. A customer can specify a particular item with detailed aspects for an information search, along with location information to define a local geographic area. The gathered local price information is presented to the customer over a network connection. The customer can purchase the item from either online stores or offline stores over a network connection.

Abstract: Techniques for augmenting an image of an object captured and displayed in real time with associated content are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for augmenting the image includes receiving information defining a sampled frame of a video being captured by an electronic device in substantially real time, determining information representative of an object captured in the sampled frame based on the received information, causing the determined information to match stored information defining a plurality of items to locate an item matched to the captured object, retrieving content associated with the matched item, and providing the retrieved content for display with the captured image on the electronic device. The retrieved content may be rendered in an overlay element that overlays the captured image displayed on the electronic device. The rendered content is configured to enable a user to interact with the content.

Abstract: A technique is described for facilitating a display of markup document content retrieved from a host server on a computer network including a client system and a server system. A first portion of content relating to a first markup document may be displayed to a user of the client system, wherein the first markup document has a URL associated therewith. Information relating to the first portion of content is stored at the server system. An action to display a current version of the first markup document on the client system is received. A current version of content for the first markup document is retrieved from the host server. The stored information relating to the first portion of content may be used to identify a third portion of content associated with the first markup document which has not previously been displayed to the user.

Abstract: A method and system for querying hierarchically classified data. The system first receives a query request and then identifies classifications of the data that may satisfy the received query request. The system then displays the identified classifications. In response to selection of a displayed classification, the system displays sub-classifications when the selected classification has sub-classifications and displays the data within the classification when the selected classification has no sub-classifications. In another aspect, the system generates search results for items that are hierarchically classified. For classifications within the hierarchy of classifications, the system generates a search entry containing terms describing the items within that classification. The system then receives a search criteria. The system selects as initial search results those search entries whose terms most closely match the received search criteria.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods are described for identifying item attributes that are likely to be useful to users in refining searches for items. In one embodiment, when a user submits a search query to search for items, all or a portion of the search query is used to look-up a previously-generated list of item attributes (and optionally associated attribute values) that, based on a programmatic analysis that includes an analysis of user activity of a population of users, are associated with the search query and are useful for refining the search. These item attributes, and any associated attribute values, are then presented to the user in a selectable form such that the user can interactively narrow the search.

Abstract: A listing creation application provides functionality for a listing provider to create a listing to be displayed on web pages, and to associate this listing with a content descriptor that specifies the type of content to which the listing is to be matched. The content descriptor may, for example, be a topic selected from a hierarchy of topics, a keyword, or a keyword phrase. Upon selecting a particular content descriptor, the listing provider is presented with a corresponding list of user classes with which the listing may be associated. A real time matching engine uses a listing's associations with specific content descriptors and user classes to match the listing to web page requests, such that the listings selected for presentation to a user are dependent upon both the profile of the user and the type of content being requested.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods and systems for encoding and decoding variable-length data, which may include methods for encoding and decoding search engine posting lists. Embodiments may include different encoding formats including group unary, packed unary, and/or packed binary formats. Some embodiments may utilize single instruction multiple data (SIMD) instructions that may perform a parallel shuffle operation on encoded data as part of the decoding processes. Some embodiments may utilize lookup tables to determine shuffle sequences and/or masks and/or shifts to be utilized in the decoding processes. Some embodiments may utilize hybrid formats.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods and systems for encoding and decoding variable-length data, which may include methods for encoding and decoding search engine posting lists. Embodiments may include different encoding formats including group unary, packed unary, and/or packed binary formats. Some embodiments may utilize single instruction multiple data (SIMD) instructions that may perform a parallel shuffle operation on encoded data as part of the decoding processes. Some embodiments may utilize lookup tables to determine shuffle sequences and/or masks and/or shifts to be utilized in the decoding processes. Some embodiments may utilize hybrid formats.

Abstract: Present invention relates to a method and system for automatic searching for information on a network in response to an image query sent by a user. The image query includes an image that is captured by using a mobile communications device with a camera. The image is processed to detect the text present in it. The detected text is then recognized using an OCR. Subsequently, the text is searched for matches in the corresponding domain database, selected from the various domain databases present in the network. Thereafter, selected matches and additional related information is sent to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for restoring and/or utilizing browsing history for dynamically-generated or modified content is described. In one embodiment, the method includes: in response to a user request to display a page of information including a navigational element on a computing device, obtaining a content identifier for content associated with the navigational element, identifying a stored content identifier associated with the content and corresponding to a prior navigational element that was previously viewed on the computing device, verifying the prior navigational element associated with the stored content identifier, and setting at least one property of the navigational element to indicate, when displayed, that the content associated with the navigational element was previously viewed on the computing device.

Abstract: A system and associated methods are disclosed for improving voice recognition accuracy when a user conducts a search by voice. One method involves prompting the user to enter a set of characters of the query (e.g., the first N letters of a query term), and then using these letters to execute a preliminary search. The results of the preliminary search are then used to generate a dynamic grammar for interpreting the full voice query. The grammar may alternatively be retrieved from a cache or other memory that stores the grammars for various combinations of letters. In one embodiment, the user enters the characters by selecting the corresponding keys on a standard telephone keypad (one depression per letter) and then saying the letters, and the keypad entries are used to reduce the number of possible interpretations of each character utterance. Another method, which is useful for search refinement, involves generating a dynamic grammar from a set of search results (e.g.

Abstract: Requests for resources can be throttled based on relative allocations, whereby the actual usage of a client or sub-client over time can be monitored in order to make intelligent throttling decisions. A centralized throttling service can maintain throttling information according to a hierarchical allocation tree, and can determine whether to throttle a request based at least in part whether any tokens, or available resource units, are available for a class or node of the tree corresponding to the request. In some cases, an empty token bucket for a node can borrow tokens from a parent node, in order to allow a user to exceed an allocation when the capacity of the system allows for such usage. When a user has been exceeding an allocation or otherwise inappropriately taxing various resources, the system can prevent that user from borrowing tokens for at least a specified period of time.