Patents Assigned to AOL LLC
  • Patent number: 7412532
    Abstract: A song and ad scheduler supporting clip-based and stream-based scheduling of multimedia items generates several hours of schedule in advance. Having multiple channel capability, the scheduler uses as inputs: the channel, associated playlists associated, rotation pattern for the channel, and associated programming rules to produce a schedule of multimedia items for the channel. Initially, the scheduler produces a schedule for each channel of predetermined length; then it periodically revisits the channel to add more songs, keeping the schedule to the desired length. Length of the initial playlist is configurable. The scheduler uses a producer-consumer model for distributing work. Producer threads periodically scan the system for work to be done. When a producer thread encounters work to be done, e.g. adding to the schedule of a channel, the producer thread places a work request into a queue. Worker threads consume the work requests by fulfilling the requested work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC, a Deleware Limited Liability Company
    Inventors: Mangesh Madhukar Gondhalekar, Rajesh Viswanathan, Shailesh Prakash, Stephen Loomis, James Patrick Van Huysse, Cameo Dawn Carlson
  • Publication number: 20080189374
    Abstract: Transferring instant messaging sessions includes receiving a selection, from a user within a user interface, of at least one instant messaging session from among multiple instant messaging sessions to transfer from a first instant messaging controller on a first device to at least a second instant messaging controller on a second device, where the user is signed on concurrently to the first instant messaging controller on the first device and the second instant messaging controller on the second device. At least a portion of the selected instant messaging session is transferred from the first instant messaging controller on the first device to the second instant messaging controller on the second device and the transferred portion of the instant messaging session is made perceivable on the second instant messaging controller on the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventors: James A. Odell, Barry Appelman, W. Karl Renner
  • Publication number: 20080189618
    Abstract: A web browser program is for execution by a client computer connectable to a plurality of server computers via a computer network. The web browser program automatically reconfigures chrome of a user interface to the web browser program to provide a user access to any one of a plurality of groups of related information. A content display program module is configured to receive content data from a current server computer that is one of the plurality of server computers. The content display program module causes a display, on a content portion of the a display of the client computer, that corresponds to the content data. A chrome display program module is configured to cause a display of chrome on a chrome portion of the client computer display that corresponds to chrome specifiers in a chrome configuration database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicants: AOL LLC
    Inventors: David HYATT, Ramanathan Guha
  • Publication number: 20080189030
    Abstract: Enabling a user to perceive map or route information including a status includes enabling a first user to perceive one or more features of a map and receiving condition information that reflects a condition perceived by the first user as existing relative to the one or more features based on input from the first user. Also, enabling a user to perceive map or route information includes receiving a request for a route from a second user and determining a response to the request for the route including the route based on the condition information received from the first user related to the one or more features. Further, enabling a user to perceive map or route information includes enabling the second user to perceive the route based on receipt of the response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventor: Norihiro Edwin Aoki
  • Patent number: 7409451
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for leveraging narrowband connectivity (such as dial-up communications or other types of low bandwidth communications) to provision or configure broadband connectivity between a broadband access provider and a broadband device, such as a DSL modem or a cable modem. Specifically, because narrowband connectivity does not require advance configuration or provisioning by the host system of connectivity parameters for an access-seeking device, a modem at an access-seeking device may be leveraged to establish a narrowband connection between that device and a host system and to enable an exchange or negotiation of connectivity parameters necessary to enable future broadband connectivity. Thus, once established, the narrowband connection may be used as a conduit for communicating required provisioning information between the broadband-enabling host and the access-seeking device to enable broadband connectivity by the device in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company
    Inventors: Patrick Meenan, David Clyde Chiles, Jeffrey J. Damick
  • Publication number: 20080184146
    Abstract: A user interface including one or more references to content is customized. Several user profiles are provided from which a user may be associated. Each user profile includes user profile information. The user profile associated with a user to whom a user interface will be provided is accessed. A user interface is configured for the user, based at least in part upon the user profile accessed as being associated with the user. Access to content is enabled based on user manipulation of the configured user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey David KIMBALL, John Thurston Wassom, Christina Ann Rank Dolan
  • Patent number: 7406506
    Abstract: An apparatus for classifying digital communications includes an interface module, an identification module, and a notification module. The interface module enables a recipient to perceive information relating to one or more digital communications received by the recipient. The identification module enables a first interface element capable of enabling the recipient to classify the digital communications among at least one category. The notification module notifies a network server of a classification received from the recipient using the first interface element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Lorin R. Sutton, Jr., Roy Ben-Yoseph
  • Publication number: 20080177733
    Abstract: A method and search engine for classifying a source publishing a document on a portion of a network, includes steps of electronically receiving a document, based on the document, determining a source which published the document, and assigning a code to the document based on whether data associated with the document published by the source matches with data contained in a database. An intelligent geographic- and business topic-specific resource discovery system facilitates local commerce on the World-Wide Web and also reduces search time by accurately isolating information for end-users. Distinguishing and classifying business pages on the Web by business categories using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes is achieved through an automatic iterative process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventor: Ajaipal Singh Virdy
  • Patent number: 7403939
    Abstract: Resolving a query term includes receiving at least one query term from a requestor and determining a geographic location of the requestor. The geographic location of the requestor may be determined by accessing an electronic information store containing a requestor profile including geographic information about the requestor, where the requestor profile is used by more than one program. The query term is resolved against electronic information within at least one electronic information store to determine whether one or more matches exist and a result is generated that accounts for the geographic location of the requestor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC
    Inventor: Ajaipal Singh Virdy
  • Publication number: 20080172368
    Abstract: A search query is submitted to one or more information sources associated with a category of the query. The category of the query is indicated by a query ontology that relates queries to query categories. The information sources represent information sources from which a high percentage of search results for queries associated with the category are retrieved. For instance, the category of the query is identified by identifying categories corresponding to variations of the query, where each variation represents a combination of the terms within the query, and where the categories of the variations are assumed to be the categories of the query. Information sources associated with the query categories are identified, and the query is submitted to the identified information sources. Submitting the query to the identified information sources may cause search results retrieved for the query to more closely reflect search results desired by a user that specified the query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Abdur R. Chowdhury, Gregory S. Pass
  • Patent number: 7401115
    Abstract: Processing a browser request that specifies a destination network resource generally includes intercepting a browser request that specifies a selected destination network resource and redirecting the browser request to a network server that differs from the destination resource specified by the browser request. Processing a browser request also may include intercepting a browser request received from a client computer at a proxy server when the browser request specifies a selected destination network resource and performing instructions associated with and in addition to instructions performed to download the selected destination network resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC
    Inventor: David Arsenault
  • Publication number: 20080167938
    Abstract: Techniques are described for accounting for travel time in scheduling appointments in an electronic calendar. For example, a travel time between appointments may be identified and a time block may be reserved on a calendar application to account for such travel time. Geographic locations of adjacent appointments in a calendar may be determined and a route between the geographic locations also may be determined. A travel time associated with traveling the route between the geographic locations may be computed and the computed travel time may be compared to unscheduled time between the adjacent appointments in the calendar to determine whether the unscheduled time exceeds the travel time. If it is determined that the unscheduled time exceeds the travel time, a time block may be reserved on the calendar application to account for the travel time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Adrienne C. Meisels, Stephen J. Coughlin, W. Karl Renner
  • Publication number: 20080167937
    Abstract: Techniques are described for providing a meeting notification and automatic modification service. A system may be configured to identify an appointment in a calendar application, identify a geographic location of the appointment, and identify, before the appointment time, a geographic location of a first participant of the appointment. Based on the geographic information, the system may identify a route extending from the geographic location of the first participant to the geographic location of the appointment, and may identify a travel time associated with the route. Based on the travel time and the appointment time, the system may determine whether the first participant is estimated to arrive at the appointment on time and, based on the determination, the system may send a message to participants of the appointment or dynamically reschedule the appointment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Stephen J. Coughlin, Adrienne C. Meisels, Steven E. Greenberg
  • Patent number: 7398463
    Abstract: Dynamic web page generation is optimized by reducing the processing overhead required to parse the web page HTML code for tokens and insert dynamic content. Using the invention, an HTML file for a dynamic web page need be read and parsed only once throughout the life of the server. A software object parses the HTML, decomposes the page into constituent pieces and saves them to data structures as byte streams, which are cached, along with the software object, rendering multiple disk accesses unnecessary when the page is reconstituted. For subsequent requests, the dynamic page is created from the cached version, which is shareable across users and across requests. The optimization reduces server resource usage for dynamic page generation to near zero. The invention is also applicable to other documents combining static and dynamic content that require composition tools for editing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Keith Bernstein, Robert Kieffer
  • Publication number: 20080163384
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of protecting content includes receiving a request from a user to access the content. The user is enabled to perceive the content based on the request received from the user. The user is prevented from capturing the content when perception of the content is enabled. The method may be performed by a Java applet running in a network environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC, A Delaware Limited Liability Company (Formerly Known as America Online, Inc.)
    Inventor: Gary Crance
  • Publication number: 20080163351
    Abstract: Access to content may be administered by storing content, the content comprising one or more selections, accessing a passive optical out-of-band token associated with the content, determining an access right for the content based on the passive optical out-of-band token, and enabling access to the content in accordance with the access right.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Steven M. Blumenfeld, William J. Raduchel
  • Publication number: 20080159175
    Abstract: Network connectivity is selectively established by monitoring, on a client, communications activity incident to accessing a network, the communications activity including a request to access the network. An application associated with the communications activity is be identified. A communications configuration associated with the application is accessed, the communications configuration indicating how the application is configured to access the network. Network connectivity is selectively established based on the communications configuration, and the application may be enabled to access the network to support the communications activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: AOL LLC
    Inventor: Philip W. Flack
  • Patent number: 7395212
    Abstract: Responding to an account reactivation request includes receiving an account reactivation request from a former subscriber having a deactivated account and automatically accessing stored account information related to the deactivated account based on the account reactivation request. The stored account information is compared with a reactivation standard to produce a comparison result. Based on the comparison result a response to the reactivation request is provided. The receiving, accessing, comparing, and responding may be performed by a computer without interaction between the former subscriber and a service representative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC
    Inventors: Brad Joseph Juneau, Thomas Neal Donegan, Dmitri Vasilievich Kochetkov, Allen Thomas Swann, Patricia Carter Tobin, David Crane Bishop, Gregory John Weiss
  • Patent number: 7394816
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for distributing personalized content to potentially large numbers of recipients. A pool is selected, from among all content available for distribution, of those content elements that will be made available for simultaneous distribution, and personalized content is selected for distribution from that pool. The content of the pool can change with new selections over time. For each individual recipient, content elements in the pool are examined to determine if they are predicted to be of sufficient interest to that recipient for distribution, and if so, those content elements are distributed. If not, successive content elements in the pool are examined, relaxing the standard for sufficient interest, until at least one content element is found and distributed to the individual recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: David Bill
  • Patent number: 7395067
    Abstract: A wireless network may be managed by identifying one or more wireless subscriber systems included in a lobe pool of a wireless network, identifying at least one candidate subscriber system outside of the lobe pool with which to enable communications, and reconfiguring the antenna such that the lobe pool includes the identified candidate subscriber system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: AOL LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: Gilbert G Weigand