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.

Abstract: A method includes analyzing a plurality of electronic documents available via a network service, selecting content of the documents encountered during the analysis to generate signatures for the documents based on the content of the documents, generating an index comprising the signatures, and updating the index by performing additional analyses. The index is updated to include documents having the same signatures.

Abstract: A facility for navigating within a body of data using one of a number of distinct browse graphs is described. Initially, a navigation request is received. Based upon information contained in the received navigation request, the facility selects one of the plurality of browse graphs. In response to user input, the facility browses the body of data using the selected browse graph. The browse graphs may each correspond to a collection of the body of data, such as a website.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and/or system for extracting or scraping links, which may be in the form of uniform resource locators (URLs), from an information source such as a Web page displayed on a Web browser, based on a rule set or a template, or based on a selection of links, and adding the extracted or scraped links to another interface in order to facilitate navigating the extracted links. The extracted or scraped links are selectable by a user of the interface to cause the Web browser to display information corresponding to the selected links listed in the interface. Controls associated with the interface may allow the user to move forward and backward through the links listed in the interface.

Abstract: A set of search requests may be analyzed to detect fixed phrases suitable for inclusion in a search index. Sets of candidate phrases may be identified among the search requests. Fixed phrases may be detected among the candidate phrases using statistical techniques, for example, by identifying phrases having a relatively high pointwise mutual information (PMI) with respect to component keywords. Fixed phrase detection may include keyword and/or phrase clustering. Clusters may correspond to topics defined using a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) procedure. Fixed phrase detection may include identifying phrases having relatively high PMI within particular clusters.

Abstract: A system is provided for providing location-specific images to a mobile device for display. The system generally comprises three components: a mobile device having a screen, a position identification system (e.g., a GPS receiver) that determines the position of the mobile device, and a database containing location-specific images taken at various locations. Each location-specific image is associated with geographic coordinates of the location at which the image was taken. Based on the position of the mobile device as determined by the position identification system, a location-specific image is selected from the database and displayed on the screen of the mobile device. For example, when a user is using the mobile device as a car navigation system, a location-specific image of the user's destination location can be selected and displayed when the determined position of the mobile device comes within a certain distance from the geographic coordinates of the destination location.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, system, and a computer-readable storage medium containing executable instructions for delivering content to a communication device, in response to an image sent by the communication device. The received image is matched with a plurality of images, and, when a match is found for the received image, content corresponding to the matching image is delivered to the communication device. The plurality of images is stored in an image database, and the corresponding content is stored in a content repository. The present invention enables a content provider to automatically update the image database and the content repository without any human intervention.

Abstract: An ad placement system provides functionality for users to rate advertisers associated with particular ads they view, and/or to rate particular ads. The ratings supplied by individual users in association with a given advertiser are used by the system to generate an average or other aggregate rating for the advertiser. This aggregate rating is exposed to users in association with the advertiser's ad or ads, allowing users to efficiently take the advertiser's reputation into consideration in deciding whether to click through or otherwise select such ads to access the advertiser's web page or site. For example, in one embodiment, each ad is displayed with a corresponding visual indication of the aggregate rating of the advertiser.

Abstract: A facility for tailoring navigation results is described. The facility receives a navigation request from a distinguished user. In response, the facility identifies a user group to which the distinguished user belongs and presents to the distinguished user a navigation result responsive to the navigation request that is adapted for members of the identified user group.

Abstract: Common search queries can be provided that are associated with a predicted path of movement of a mobile device. A location of a mobile device can be determined, along with a destination or direction of movement. Common search queries associated with the path of movement and locations along the path can be transmitted to the mobile device. A user of the mobile device is able to execute the common search queries from the mobile device.

Abstract: A software facility for selecting documents is disclosed. The facility maintains a dimensional model of a group of documents. The dimensional model reflects values for a number of differentiated attributes for each of the documents of the group. The facility receives a query specifying values for one or more of these attributes. In response to receiving the query, the facility uses the dimensional model to generate a list of documents in the group having the attribute values specified by the query.