Abstract: An initialization vector (IV) is employed to decrypt a block of a stream that has been encrypted with Cypher Block Chaining (CBC) encryption, without requiring decryption of previous blocks within the stream. For example, a listener who accesses a distribution point to retrieve encrypted content authenticates himself to an application server that regulates access to encrypted content on the distribution point, and responsively receives a key. The listener then requests access to a reference point within the encrypted content stream somewhere after its beginning (e.g., using preview clips). The distribution point relates the reference point to a corresponding block of the encrypted stream, and identifies an IV previously used for encryption of that block. The distribution point provides the associated encrypted block of content and the IV to the listener to enable mid-stream rendering of the encrypted content, without requiring the listener to decrypt previous blocks within the encrypted stream.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for timing message notifications to be provided to mobile device users based on their respective geographic locations with respect to a targeted content area. The timing of message notifications may be controlled 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 targeted content area. As the particular client application may not be actively executing at a time when the user's device happen to be located within a targeted content area, a general message notification sent to the user's device, which may be displayed at any time, may increase the likelihood that the user will launch the client application when it is not already executing at the device and thereby, allow targeted content to be delivered to the user's mobile device at the appropriate time and location.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method is provided for generating a reputation record and filtering electronic messages, each reputation record including a reputation score and a reputation key. The method includes receiving at least one incoming event notification, including a reputation key; determining, based on the reputation key, whether a corresponding reputation record exists; creating a new reputation record if the corresponding reputation record does not exist; determining a trust determination function based on the incoming event notification; calculating a reputation score based on the determined trust determination function, the incoming event notification, and an attribute associated with the reputation key; storing the calculated reputation score along with the reputation key in either the new reputation record or the corresponding reputation record; and filtering one or more electronic messages based on the calculated reputation score.

Abstract: A mood state may be modeled using mood information for a content selection (e.g., a digitally-encoded song) and/or by using mood information determined by how a user is interacting with a media player. For example, a playlist engine on a host may determine that a particular song is associated with an uplifting mood, thus determining that a user who has selected that particular song currently is in an uplifting mood, and correspondingly may select additional songs and advertisements consistent with, or responsive to, the uplifting mood. Mood information also may be used to present a mood state of users (e.g., co-users) in a network for display in a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, a user's screen name appearing in an America Online (AOL) Instant Messenger's Buddy List may indicate a determined user's mood, such as “happy”, “sad”, “silly”, or “angry.

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.

Abstract: A page structure may be used to begin validation of an embedded resource prior to the time a browser issues a request to validate the embedded resource. A page structure includes information indicating one or more embedded resources in the web page and, in some implementations, its corresponding cache characteristics. The page structure may be used to generate a validation message that indicates resources to be validated. The validation message may be sent to a server at substantially the same time that the browser begins rendering the web page. The server can then begin validating the resources indicated in the validation message by sending validation requests to an origin or other server storing the embedded resources. The server then may send the validation responses back to the client computer executing the browser so that the validation responses can be used to satisfy corresponding validation requests generated by the browser.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing workloads across multiple resources in a distributed computing system. A data traffic flow between a source device and each of a plurality of target devices within the distributed computing system is monitored. A load state of each of the plurality of target devices is determined based on the monitored data traffic flow. Upon detecting a resource constraint for at least one of the plurality of target devices, at least a portion of the data traffic flow between the source device and the resource-constrained target device is adjusted such that the device operates at a reduced load state. The data traffic flow to the particular target device may be readjusted so as to restore its load state to a default or predetermined operating level once the resource constrained has been resolved.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a user of a communication system includes enabling a first user to initiate monitoring of a second user, automatically monitoring status of activity by the second user on the communication system, and delivering to the first user, one or more of an indication that the second user has added or changed a profile or away message, received a new or updated profile or away message comment, visited an Internet location, engaged in communication device activity, or has generated audio or visual input.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing location-based communication services, such as location-based chat sessions and location based-data feeds. Access to a chat session or data feed may be provided to a user of a mobile device when the current location of the mobile device is determined to be within a predetermined geographic region. In one implementation, the chat session or data feed relates to content provided by members of a group or social network. In other implementations, the content related to chat session or data feed is provided by members of the general public.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for increasing sales profits by dynamically determining a promotion associated with a coupon. The promotion may be determined and delivered to a mobile device once the mobile device is in a geographic location associated with the coupon. By allowing advertisers to change or decide promotions in real-time, demand may be smoothed and profits may be maximized. When the mobile device is in the location associated with the coupons, advertisers can use a variety of factors including location, time of day, current sales or redemption data, or information known about the mobile device to set or adjust an ideal promotion for the current situation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing delivery of messages to mobile device users, the method comprising receiving a message to be sent to a client application executable at a mobile device of a user, along with an associated time constraint and an associated geographic constraint; determining a current time at the mobile device and a current geographic location of the mobile device via a communication network; determining, upon receiving the current geographic location of the mobile device and the current time of the mobile device, whether the current geographic location of the mobile device complies with the associated geographic constraint for the message to be sent to the client application and determining whether the current time of the mobile device complies with the associated time constraint for the message to be sent to the client application; and sending, when the current geographic location of the mobile device is determined to comply with the associated geographic constraint and when the

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: A system for providing a user interface includes a gadget definition, a style definition, and a scene file. The gadget definition includes one or more XML-based gadget definition tags defining a gadget element and the style definition includes one or more XML-based style definition tags defining one or more style attributes to be applied to the gadget element. The scene file is an XML-based document that includes a gadget element tag that specifies the gadget element. The system further includes a parser to parse the scene file, the style definition, and the gadget definition, and to generate an object that includes a gadget object corresponding to the gadget element. The system also includes a layout engine to determine, based on the object model, a layout of the user interface, and a rendering engine to render, based on the determined layout, the user interface including the gadget element.

Abstract: Similar faces may be determined within images based on human perception of facial similarity. The user may provide an image including a query face to which the user wishes to find faces that are similar. Similar faces may be determined based on similarity information. Similarity information may be generated from information related to a human perception of facial similarity. Images that include faces determined to be similar, based on the similarity information, may be provided to the user as search result images. The user then may provide feedback to indicate the user's perception of similarity between the query face and the search result images.

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: 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.

Abstract: In accordance with certain embodiments, a query from a client may be received at a server, and a default query range may be applied to the query. The query may be executed in a first execution using an index comprising a category of information stored in the database and subject to the default query range. If the number of query results from the first execution is outside a predetermined range, then the query range may be adjusted to obtain a number of query results closer to or within the predetermined range. Additionally, the query may be executed in a second execution using the index comprising the category of information stored in the database and subject to the adjusted query range. Thereafter, the query results obtained from the second execution of the query may be sent to the client.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for authenticating an identity of an online user. One method includes receiving from the user, through a first device, a request to access a web page associated with the user's online account; transmitting to the user an image that contains a unique ID and a URL of an authentication server; and receiving from the user, through the first device, an authentication request containing the unique ID. The method also includes receiving from the user, through a second device, a log-in ID associated with the user and the unique ID; and authenticating the identity of the user to grant the user access, through the first device, to the web page associated with the user's online account.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for timing message notifications to be provided to mobile device users based on their geographic locations with respect to geographic areas associated with a threshold level of content consumption. The timing of message notifications may be controlled 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 geographic area associated with a threshold level of 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.