Patents Assigned to AOL
  • Patent number: 9521166
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically monitoring a compliance of web pages and graphical user interfaces with governmental and self-regulatory privacy and security policies. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that comprises instructing the execution of an operation on content associated with at least one web page is generated. The operation may include at least one of (i) a scanning operation that generates forensic data corresponding to the web page or (ii) an analytical operation that analyzes at least a portion of the forensic data corresponding to the web page. The method further comprises obtaining output data associated with the executed operation, and generating information indicative of a compliance of the web page with at least one of a privacy regulation or a security regulation, the information being generated based on the output data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Todd Wilson
  • Patent number: 9515959
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing bandwidth during the transmission of data between first and second devices over a network. One method includes: receiving a first data request from the first device; generating a first request identifier associated with the first data request; transmitting to the first device a response to the first data request and the first request identifier associated with the first data request; receiving, from the first device, a partial second data request, the partial second data request including the first request identifier associated with the first data request, and a differential between the first data request and the second data request; and constructing, at the second device, a full second data request, based on a comparison between the first data request, fetched using the first request identifier, and the received differential between the first data request and the second data request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: El Amine M. Rounak
  • Patent number: 9514224
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enabling sharing of audio feeds. One method includes receiving, from a user over a network, a request to add an audio feed to a collection managed by the user; storing, in a database, a URL of the audio feed in relation to the collection; receiving, from the user over the network, a request to share the collection; and generating an RSS URL of the collection by searching the database for URLs of audio feeds stored in relation to the collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Bryce Barrand
  • Patent number: 9501629
    Abstract: In the event of an unintentional interruption, a token issued by a host system to a client system is used to reestablish communications without disrupting applications on the client system. If the host system provided an Internet Protocol address to the client system to be used during the interrupted communications session, the host system reserves the communications address during an interruption in communications for a period sufficient to permit reestablishment of communications using the reserved address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Barry Appelman, Eric Bosco, Rich Thornberg
  • Patent number: 9503459
    Abstract: Establishing access controls includes establishing a communication session between an unrecognized user identity of a user device and a destination system through an online access provider device that provides the user device with access to the destination system. The communication session is established from a premise having associated therewith one or more user identities that are recognized by the online access provider device, with at least two of the recognized user identities being associated with different access control levels. An access control level to apply to communications between the unrecognized user identity of the user device and the destination system is determined by applying an access control level established for one of the recognized user identities. The determined access control level is applied to communications between the unrecognized user identity of the user device and the destination system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Larry L. Lu, Patrick Meenan
  • Patent number: 9495685
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for dynamically generating and displaying a list of contacts. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that includes identifying one or more contacts having associated contact information. The one or more contacts may be associated with a user and identified across a plurality of information services or sources. The method further includes determining a subset of the one or more contacts and associated contact information based on a set of predefined criteria, generating a list of the subset of contacts and associated contact information, and displaying the generated list of contacts and associated contact information on the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Landsman, William G. Wetherell, David Gee Louie, Karl Andrew Dotter, Richard T. Kramer
  • Patent number: 9495681
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for web page optimization. In accordance with one implementation, a system for web page optimization is provided, wherein the system comprises a computing device configured to provide at least one of user data, content categories, and page performance metrics, and receive, from the module server, a bid to include at least one proposed module on a page, the bid including an impact score of the at least one proposed module based on the page performance metrics. The system also includes a feedback component configured to provide performance feedback indicative of how the page performed based in part on the page performance metrics, and a page assembler coupled configured to select for display on the page a module combination comprising the at least one proposed module, wherein the module combination is selected based in part on the impact score and the performance feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Holsman, Sultana Darya
  • Patent number: 9489626
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for manipulating electronic multimedia content to a user. One method includes generating a plurality of biometric models, each biometric model corresponding to one of a plurality of people; receiving electronic media content over a network; extracting image or audio data from the electronic media content; detecting biometric information in the image or audio data; and calculating a probability of the electronic media content involving one of the plurality of people, based on the biometric information and the plurality of biometric models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Peter F. Kocks, Guoning Hu, Abhinav Sarje
  • Patent number: 9485269
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for filtering electronic communications in a communication system. The method includes receiving a message report from a user in response to an electronic message received by the user, and identifying a confidence value associated with the user from whom the message report is received. The method also includes adding, if the confidence value exceeds a predetermined confidence value threshold, the confidence value to a signature value associated with the electronic message, and determining if the signature value exceeds a signature value threshold. The method further includes filtering the electronic message if the signature value exceeds the signature value threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Elena Zheleva
  • Patent number: 9461922
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for distributing network traffic received from a plurality of client devices and bound toward a plurality of servers sharing a common network address. One method includes receiving network traffic from the plurality of client devices, addressed to an network address associated the servers; separating the received network traffic into assigned buckets based on a respective source network address associated with each unit of traffic; and forwarding the received traffic to one of a plurality of servers associated with the predetermined network address, based on the bucket assigned. The network traffic may be separated into assigned buckets by determining which subset of bits of an network address of a client device to evaluate for bucket separations. A netmask may be created based on the determined subset of bits, and each source network address may be mapped to one of the buckets using the netmask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin E. Mason, Scott T. Wilson, David B. Israel, Michael V. Harding
  • Patent number: 9462122
    Abstract: Managing an outgoing telephone call includes receiving a request for a telephone call to a first call participant from a second call participant. A list that is specified by the second call participant is accessed. The list specifies users of an electronic communications system for which contact information is maintained. Whether the first call participant is included in the list of users is determined. A group of one or more of the users included in the list of users with which the first call participant is associated is identified when the first call participant is included in the list of users. A rule associated with the identified group that indicates a manner in which electronic communications of the first or second call participants should be handled is accessed, and a manner in which the call should be handled that is in accordance with the accessed rule is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Bates
  • Patent number: 9454747
    Abstract: A system and computer-implemented method includes presenting a user interface having a visual representation for each of multiple ongoing conversations involving a recipient user identity who is associated with each of the conversations. Message activity of the recipient user identity with respect to one or more of the multiple ongoing conversations is monitored and activity level associated with at least one incoming message for a recipient user identity is identified based upon the monitored message activity. The monitored message activity includes the recipient user identity's interaction with a conversation associated with the incoming message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: David Schultz, Michael R. Longe, W. Karl Renner
  • Patent number: 9454775
    Abstract: In a method of displaying video data using an embedded media player page, frame dimensional data for a first video file is received from a database 106. The database 106 includes frame dimensional data indexed therein for a plurality of video files. The plurality of video files includes the first video file, and the plurality of video files is retrievable from at least one video server 104 through a communications network 114. A media player is launched within the embedded media player page. A video display area of the media player is sized based upon the received frame dimensional data. The video data from the first video file is displayed within the video display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Monte Duane Hayward
  • Patent number: 9449231
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for generating and using models to select thumbnail images for videos. In one exemplary method, the method comprises extracting at least one thumbnail from a video and determining at least one feature present in the at least one thumbnail. The method further comprises sending the extracted at least one thumbnail to one of an editor or at least one viewer. The method further comprises receiving feedback information related to the at least one thumbnail. The method further comprises generating a model and storing the generated model for use in identifying thumbnails for other videos. The model can be generated based on the determined at least one feature and the received feedback information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Advertising Inc.
    Inventors: Jaime Batiz, Niklas Karlsson, Robert Luenberger
  • Patent number: 9449101
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improved web searching. In one implementation, suggested search queries are provided based on previous search queries and click data. A weighted bi-partite graph or index may be used to identify related search queries based on overlapping clicked URLs. According to a method, query-click log data of a search engine is processed to generate sets of suggested search queries, data corresponding to each suggested search query, and a set of clicked URLs related to each suggested search query. Additionally, or independently, methods may be provided for contextually correcting spelling errors within sets of suggested search queries using a contextual algorithm, and/or identifying and discarding sets of suggested search queries and URLs that lead to restricted material, such as restricted content and related URLs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Christopher Timm, Sudhir Achuthan
  • Patent number: 9442820
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems are provided for scanning web sites and/or parsing web content, including for testing online opt-out systems and/or cookies used by online systems. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for testing an opt-out system associated with at least one advertising system that uses cookies. The method includes transmitting a first request to an opt-out system, wherein the first request corresponds to a first test for testing at least one of the opt-out system and an advertising system; receiving a first stream sent in response to the first request; determining a first outcome of the first test based on the first stream; and generating a report based on the first outcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey T. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9444898
    Abstract: Techniques for annotating communications are described. An electronic message sent from a sender messaging identity to a recipient messaging identity is received. The message is analyzed to identify third-party information related to a portion of the message. The portion of the message is annotated to enable presentation of the third-party information by the recipient messaging identity. The message including the annotated portion of the message is presented on a display device for viewing by the recipient messaging identity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AOL INC.
    Inventors: Yan Cheng, Larry L. Lu
  • Patent number: 9442985
    Abstract: Search results may be provided to a user. A search query may be received from the user. A query feature vector may be formed for the search query. The query feature vector may be compared with news feature vectors associated with documents related to current events. An augmented query feature vector may be formed based on results of the comparison of the query feature vector with the news feature vectors. The augmented query feature vector may be compared with feature vectors related to target documents. Search results that include target documents may be identified based on results of the comparison of the augmented query feature vector with the feature vectors related to the target documents. The user may be made able to perceive at least some of the identified search results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Wiegering, Harmannus Vandermolen, Karen Howe, Michael Sommers
  • Patent number: 9438683
    Abstract: According to a general aspect, a method includes receiving, at a network interface device at a user location, a request from a first machine located at the user location, the request including a first-machine identifier and a request to access through the network interface device a first location on a network. The method also includes logging, at the network interface device, the request from the first machine into a first-machine log for requests from the first machine, the logging into the first-machine log being based on the first-machine identifier. The method also includes receiving at the network interface device a request from a second machine located at the user location, the request from the second machine including a second-machine identifier and a request to access through the network interface device a second location on the network, and the network interface device, the first machine, and the second machine being located at a user location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Joseph Damick, Sean Cunningham
  • Patent number: D769933
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Sabia, Neal D. Rosen