Abstract: Delivering accessory-window content to a client includes sending Internet content and accessory-window content to a client. The accessory-window content is configured to enable rendering of the accessory-window concurrent with a window used to display the Internet content, and monitoring user activity outside of the rendered accessory-window for specific activities or situations by a process related to the accessory-window. The accessory-window content is also configured to enable activating an accessory-window trigger in response to detecting one or more of the specific activities or situations, and sending an indication that the accessory-window trigger has been activated to the host. The method also includes receiving an indication that the accessory-window trigger has been activated from the client, and determining content for an accessory-window response based on the received indication.

Abstract: Providing category-specific electronic content includes receiving a request for electronic content. The request has an attribute. The attribute of the received request is compared to an attribute related to a query included in a log of search queries. An indication of a category that represents a search query from a log of search queries that is related to an attribute that matches the attribute of the received request is accessed, and electronic content that is representative of the identified category is accessed and provided.

Abstract: A simple, user-friendly method and apparatus for establishing and maintaining a categorized Web browsing history uses a directory service, such as the Open Directory Project, to get category metadata about visited URLs. Metadata thus obtained are used to present a user's personal browser history in a category based hierarchy.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for the relating identity information with wireless configuration information for a wireless device or a wireless network. A trusted system may be used to generate wireless configuration parameters for a wireless network based on identity information. The identity-based wireless configuration information may be stored on the trusted system remote to the wireless network and accessible to the wireless device. The wireless configuration may be migrated from the trusted system to the wireless device.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing a user's e-mail addresses in two locations and validating the synchronized e-mail address is provided, wherein the two locations can be an authentication proxy and an integrated authorized site of the authentication proxy, or they can be the authentication proxy and a partner site of the authentication proxy. Also disclosed are several methods for maintaining the synchronized status and confirmed status when the user changes his e-mail address from either of the two locations.

Abstract: An interface enables perception of information regarding a communications session that leverages an instant messaging platform. The user interface includes an instant messaging application user interface that enables perception and selection of instant messaging communications sessions for an instant messaging user, a mechanism to determine the content from within a desired instant messaging session that is not actively displayed, and an informational tool tip that provides a perceivable indication to the user of at least a portion of the determined content of the desired instant messaging session.

Abstract: Systems and methods for personalization using image clouds to represent content. Image clouds can be used to identify initial user interest, present recommended content, present popular content, present search results, and present user profile information. Image clouds are interactive, allowing users to select images displayed in the image cloud, which can contribute to presenting more personalized content as well as updating a user's profile.

Abstract: A method for personalizing content for a particular user in a computing system comprising a user interface configured to display content. The method comprises identifying a content item accessed by a user, identifying features associated with the content item; using the features of the content item to identify one or more third party profiles that substantially match a content profile of the content item, and displaying a list of the identified third party profiles.

Abstract: Systems and methods for personalization using image clouds to represent content. Image clouds can be used to identify initial user interest, present recommended content, present popular content, present search results, and present user profile information. Image clouds are interactive, allowing users to select images displayed in the image cloud, which can contribute to presenting more personalized content as well as updating a user's profile.

Abstract: A method for personalizing content for a particular user using profile snapshots in a computing system comprising a user interface configured to display content. The method comprises identifying a first snapshot of a user profile at a first point in time, identifying a second snapshot of a user profile at a second point in time occurring after the first point in time, maintaining a history of the first snapshot and the second snapshot, and allowing a user to access the history of the first snapshot and the second snapshot.

Abstract: A method for personalizing content for a particular user in a computing system comprising a user interface configured to display content. The method comprises identifying a long term profile having one or more features in a feature set and a long term level of importance associated with each term in the feature set, identifying a short term profile having one or more features in the feature set and a short term level of importance associated with each term in the feature set, identifying input related to the display of the one or more content items on the user interface, and using the input to modify the short term level of importance and the long term level of importance associated with each term in the feature set to form a modified user interest set.

Abstract: A method for personalizing content for a particular user in a computing system comprising a user interface configured to display content. The method comprises identifying one or more features of a short term profile of a user that are not included in a long term profile of the user, using the one or more features to identify one or more third party profiles having features that substantially match the one or more features of the user's short term profile, accessing the identified one or more third party profiles, and providing one or more content items included in the third party profile to the user, the one or more content items having associated features that match the one or more features of the short term profile. An alternative method comprises accessing one or more third party profiles that are not a profile of the user, and using the accessed third party profile to identify a plurality of content items for recommendation to the user based on a feature set of the third party profile.

Abstract: A method and system for reduction of quantization-induced block-discontinuities arising from lossy compression and decompression of continuous signals, especially audio signals. One embodiment encompasses a general purpose, ultra-low latency, efficient audio codec algorithm. More particularly, the invention includes a method and apparatus for compression and decompression of audio signals using a novel boundary analysis and synthesis framework to substantially reduce quantization-induced frame or block-discontinuity; a novel adaptive cosine packet transform (ACPT) as the transform of choice to effectively capture the input audio characteristics; a signal-residue classifier to separate the strong signal clusters from the noise and weak signal components (collectively called residue); an adaptive sparse vector quantization (ASVQ) algorithm for signal components; a stochastic noise model for the residue; and an associated rate control algorithm.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for ranking files from an Internet search. In one embodiment, the method comprises assigning a score to each file based on at least one of the following factors: recency, editorial popularity, clickthru popularity, favorites metadata, or favorites collaborative filtering. The file may be organized based on the assigned scores to provide users with more accurate search results.

Abstract: Interactions between users of a computer network may be facilitated by transmitting a first user's proposal for a communications session to another user, the proposal comprising one or more parameters descriptive of the proposed communications session, receiving a response from the other user, the response comprising a counterproposal having one or more parameters descriptive of the proposed communications session, with at least one of the parameters of the counterproposal differing from a corresponding parameter of the proposal, and automatically engaging in the proposed communications session using the parameters included in the counterproposal upon acceptance of the counterproposal by the first user.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving, processing, and storing electronic data transmitted in the vertical blanking interval of a video signal. The system provides a flexible mechanism for reading electronic data from video signals including those in National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) and Phase Alternation by Line (PAL) formats. Some implementations provide for receiving electronic programming guide data transmitted at a single byte rate or at multiple byte rates. The data is stored on a computer-readable medium such as a hardrive for further processing and use.

Abstract: Determining whether a call forward busy service is enabled on a telephone line includes placing a first test call across a network to the telephone line. First signaling data is received through the network in response to the first test call. The first signaling data is evaluated to determine whether the first test call is inspiring a ringing condition. A second test call is placed across the network conditioned on whether the first signaling data indicates that the first test call is determined to be inspiring a ringing condition. The second test call is placed while the first test call remains inspiring ringing. Second signaling data is received through the network in response to the second test call. A call forward busy service is concluded to be enabled on the telephone line based on whether the second test call is determined to be inspiring a ringing condition.

Abstract: A system and process for displaying and redisplaying an HTML document that conforms to the limitations of a viewer's browser. The system comprises a browser, a script, and a document object model (DOM). The script comprises a data structure and an interpretation code. The DOM is a document model representing a Web page's elements, such as text, images, URL links, etc. The process includes using the script to create a document data structure that describes the essential information in the document and using the interpretation code to interpret the data structure in a fashion that allows it to manipulate the DOM for the purpose of rendering the document in the browser. The data structure can be modified and the corresponding HTML can be subsequently regenerated in response to user events so that after initially being created, the document can be updated to reflect changes to the viewer's browser. if the viewer resizes the browser, the page elements can be automatically resized.

Abstract: A client may be configured to access a network by identifying a network bandwidth configuration setting to be used by the client in accessing a networked content source, enabling the client to access the content source using the network bandwidth configuration setting, monitoring client access to the content source, comparing client access metrics to metrics associated with the network bandwidth configuration setting, determining, based on the comparison, whether to adjust the network bandwidth configuration settings for the client, and adjusting the network bandwidth configuration setting if appropriate.

Abstract: Initiating a conference call using a call waiting graphical user interface includes receiving an indication that an incoming telephone call is directed to a telephone number and identifying an account associated with the telephone number to which the incoming call is directed. Configuration data related to the account is accessed. A first online identity and a second online identity associated with the account are identified based on the configuration data accessed. A first electronic communication is sent to the first online identity and a second electronic communication is sent to the second online identity. The first online identity can respond to the first electronic communication and the second online identity can respond to the second electronic communication.