Patents Assigned to AOL
  • Patent number: 9595050
    Abstract: A method of disseminating advertisements includes the step of transmitting to a media device (110) an embedded media player page for playing a media file. The embedded media player page allows a user of the media device (110) to create a bookmark for a browser. The bookmark points to the embedded media player page. The bookmark includes an address of the media file as a parameter. When the bookmark is used in the browser to play the media file, the embedded media player page instructs the media device (110) to request an advertisement from an advertisement server (104) for display in the embedded media player page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: AOL INC.
    Inventor: Monte Duane Hayward
  • Patent number: 9588854
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a secondary website with content mirrored from a primary website. One method includes accessing a generated primary website provided by one or more primary servers; generating a secondary website based on the generated primary website; storing the secondary website on a secondary server; and providing the secondary website from the secondary server when primary website is unavailable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Michael R. Adler
  • Patent number: 9588785
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for configuring a web application based on a general property hierarchy. An application property scheme including one or more property hierarchy levels may be generated based on values within a system configuration file. Each level defines configuration values for various properties associated with the web application. A property retrieval subsystem of the general property hierarchy may be used to look up configuration values from the appropriate hierarchy level(s) of the application property scheme in order to configure one or more properties of the web application during its execution. The values in the system configuration file may be changed and the changes may be reflected dynamically in the application property scheme without substantial interruption to the execution of the web application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Brendan J. McGee, Jay Trevor McFarland
  • Patent number: 9584968
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining in real-time geographic areas having a threshold level of content consumption and deploying dynamic geo-fences to contain these geographic areas. These dynamic geo-fences provide a means for timing message notifications in order to optimize the chances of delivering targeted content to a mobile device user based on the current geographic location of the user's device relative to a threshold level of content consumption area. As mobile device users may be more likely to launch a client application in a place where other users are currently consuming content, a general message notification sent to the user's device located in a dynamic geo-fence created based on real-time content consumption, may increase the likelihood that the user will launch the client application and thereby, allow targeted content to be delivered to the user's mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Bryce Barrand, Patrick McDevitt
  • Patent number: 9578397
    Abstract: Digital content encoded in a media file format may be presented by accessing the media file, reading parameters that describe the content, and processing the media file using the encoded parameters to “play” or generate output. Although the media file format may have multiple optional extensions, the media file generally includes one or more frames. Each frame may include a synchronized frame with the synchronized frame having a synchronized header, a video format indicator, an audio format indicator, a width indicator, a height indicator, a frame rate index, and a payload. Although the digital content may include different types and formats, the parameters used in the media file may be used to describe the digital content so that it may be processed independent of the underlying algorithm used. For example, multiple channels of audio signals may be described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Charles Frankel, Thomas Pepper
  • Patent number: 9569787
    Abstract: System and methods are provided for analyzing and displaying digital content and advertisements over electronic networks. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that calculates, using at least one processor, an engagement metric (including, for example, click probability) for a specific combination of time, promotion slot, and user segment, for an individual promotion of a set of promotions, and calculates a value of a landing page associated with the promotion. The method then can multiply the engagement metric and the value to determine the valuation of the promotion. The method can operate recursively by using previous calculations in later runs of the same method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Advertising Inc.
    Inventors: Niklas Karlsson, Jianlong Zhang, Robert Alden Luenberger, Scott Robert Strickland, Yih-Shin Cindy Huang, Seyed Mohammad Ziaemohseni, Li Yang, Hans W. Uhlig
  • Patent number: 9563708
    Abstract: A “buddy member match” feature is directed to matching computer users of like interests, particularly computer users who are members of an online service provider. In general, a member (the match recipient) may update or create a member profile maintained by a service provider such as AOL. Once the match recipient has a member profile, a search is initiated to identify matching members by comparing the member profile of the match recipient to the member profiles of other members. Matching members are other members whose member profiles have at least one personal attribute matching an attribute of the match recipient's member profile. When contact information of the matching member is displayed, the contact information is accompanied by an indication that the contact information belongs to a matching member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: David Gang
  • Patent number: 9557898
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for syndicating slideshow content in a web feed. Data is obtained for a content feed associated with a web page in response to a request by a user of a content feed reader. A slideshow within the web page is identified based on analysis of the obtained data according to a schema definition for syndication of slideshow content. A first set of properties for the slideshow is extracted from the obtained data, based on the schema definition. A set of slides of the slideshow is identified based on the first set of properties. A second set of properties for the set of slides is also extracted from the obtained data. The content feed including the set of slides of the slideshow and one or more properties of the second set are displayed to the user via the content feed reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Colm M. Geraghty, Cliff Redmond
  • Patent number: 9560023
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for protecting user privacy in, for example, online advertising environments. The method includes receiving data related to a user in a first communication session between a host server and a client device, and generating a user profile associated with the user. The method further may include encrypting the user profile to produce encrypted user profile data and generating a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted user profile data. Thereafter, either the decryption key or a portion of the encrypted user profile data may be transmitted to the client device and then deleted from host server before ending the first communication session. The method further may include establishing a second communication session between the host server and the client device and retrieving the transmitted content. Then targeted advertising may be provided by decrypting the encrypted user profile data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AOL, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Todd Wilson
  • Patent number: 9559994
    Abstract: A system and method allows a user to view communications exchanged between other participants within an online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. The online chat room enables ongoing exchanges of electronic communications between two or more participants whose participation within the chat room are mutually revealed to each other. A user is enabled to perceive the existence of the online chat room without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room. Selection of the online chat room by the user is received. Responsive to user selection of the online chat room and without the user becoming a participant within the online chat room, at least some of the communications exchanged between the participants within the online chat room are made perceivable to the user as the communications are exchanged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Kristine Amber Krantz, Peiliang Pan, Daniel Ernest Smith
  • Patent number: 9558333
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for allowing a primary user to share a digital service, in a bundle of services implemented by a plurality of different service providers, with a secondary user. In accordance with one implementation, a method includes receiving a request from the primary user to share a first service in the bundle of services with the secondary user. The method also includes generating, using at least one processor, a first token that associates the secondary user with the first service. The method further includes sending the first token to one of the plurality of different service providers for the first service. Additionally, the method includes modifying a status of the primary user to restrict access to the first service by the primary user while the first service is being shared with the secondary user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: AOL INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin G. Hills, Umesh S. Chhatre, George F. Fletcher, Joyce R. Cruickshank
  • Patent number: 9553825
    Abstract: Electronic information is made available to access requestors based on anticipated demand. Electronic information stored on a first storage medium is identified for transport. A determination is made to store the electronic information on a second storage medium that is more accessible to the access requestors. The determination is based on an anticipated demand of the access requestors for the electronic information. The anticipated demand is determined based at least on information that is not particular to any single access requestor. The electronic information then is stored on the second storage medium and the access requestors are provided access to the electronic information from the second storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: AOL INC.
    Inventors: Vinh Tran, Brian Sullivan, Harry G. Morgan, Ronald Howard
  • Patent number: 9553946
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for transmitting, to user devices, data for potential targets predicted to be identified in an augmented reality application. One method includes receiving a request for target data related to at least one physical object within an image of a real-world environment captured at the device; identifying a current target representing the physical object within a virtual environment corresponding to the real-world environment; determining at least one potential future target to be identified at the device based on identified coincident target requests; and sending to the device target data for each of the current and potential future targets based on the determination, wherein the device presents the target data for the current target within the virtual environment displayed at the device and store the target data for the potential future target in a local memory of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Advertising Inc.
    Inventor: Seth Mitchell Demsey
  • Patent number: 9553738
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for the configuration of a home-networking system. Home-networking configuration information may be stored on a host system in a manner accessible to the home-networking system and migrated to a home-networking gateway or router that has not yet been configured. Wireless configuration information may be stored on a home-networking gateway or router and used to configure one or more wireless access points through the use of a physical connection, such as a wired communications pathway. One or more wireless home-networking devices may be configured based on wireless configuration information stored in a central repository on a host system or a home-networking system. The wireless configuration information may be accessible only through the use of a security code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Meenan, Fady William Semaan
  • Patent number: 9552424
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Sudhir Tonse, Arun K Ranganathan, Brock Daniel LaPorte, Michael Macadaan, David J Liu
  • Patent number: 9547844
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for location tracking and filtering or hiding electronic communications. In one implementation, a method is provided for location tracking for electronic communications. The method includes receiving a location ID for a location from a user who desires to follow the location within a social networking environment, and associating the location ID with the user. The method also includes providing instructions to display a representation of the location in a list of the user's contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Brian Cypes, Shawn Michael Edwards Carnell, Rizwan Abdus Sattar, Steven Grayson Chipman, Justin Scott Cohen, Neil Wayne Cohen, Andrew Lee Wick, Amy Craig Joannou
  • Patent number: 9542458
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing and displaying user-generated content. User-generated content is received from a user over a network. A conversation related to the received user-generated content is identified. A score associated with the identified conversation is calculated based on one or more parameters related to the user or the conversation. The user-generated content is provided for display in relation to the conversation, based on the calculated score associated with the conversation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Chul Song, Sudhir Achuthan, Thu Kyaw, Sean Christopher Timm, Aaron T. Soules, Vineet Mahajan
  • Patent number: 9544659
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing non-intrusive advertising content to users. The method includes receiving user input reflecting user content preferences for receiving desired content related to specific topics in lieu of standard advertising slots while watching playable media content via a set-top box. The method may further include receiving a request for playable media content and then retrieving desired content based on user content preferences. Thereafter, the method may include choosing non-intrusive advertising content and generating datagrams that include the desired content and the non-intrusive advertising content. The datagrams may be concatenated with the playable media content to generate displayable content. The display content may then be provided for displaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Todd Wilson
  • Patent number: 9537963
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for tracking sharing of an electronic content. An exemplary method may include receiving a request to access content associated with a web address by a user. Based on a unique identity assigned to the user and the web address, a unique tracking web address may be generated. This tracking web address may be shared with additional users. As other users request content associated with the tracking web address, information regarding the sharing of the electronic content may be determined and stored, allowing for tracking of sharing behavior of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Huan-Ling Chen, Dmytro Solomakha
  • Patent number: 9525972
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for performing location-based authentication using location-aware devices. One method includes: receiving an access request comprising authentication credentials and a first location from a first location-aware device; receiving a second location from a second location-aware device associated with the authentication credentials; and upon determining that the first location and second location are within a pre-determined distance, authenticating the authentication credentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: El-Amine M. Raounak