Abstract: Briefly, embodiments disclosed herein may relate to online advertising and may relate, more particularly, pushing advertising content to user computing devices, for example.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for targeting specific users with specific requested actions to be performed by the user and verified by any methods on behalf of an advertiser within an Internet display advertising campaign. The system discloses techniques for receiving an advertiser's requested actions and corresponding definitions of what constitutes a satisfaction of the action. The disclosure also details techniques for determining if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied by the targeted user, and details corresponding techniques for compensating the user and any other real or virtual entity who had contributed to the satisfaction of the requested action. The system implements a network of sensors that can aid in the determination of if and when and to what degree a requested action has been completed or satisfied. The network of sensors registers sensor recordings within a specialized sensor recording marketplace.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of methods and/or systems for introducing new entities into a knowledge graph based at least in part on patterns of queries and/or use cases.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to entity linking. In one example, a text string is received. The text string is segmented to obtain a segmentation with a set of one or more segments of the text string. A set of entities are identified, with respect to the one or more segments, from a plurality of entities as linked to the one or more segments. The identifying is in accordance with a probabilistic model based on surface form information associated with the plurality of entities.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is system, method and apparatus to capture and retrieve personalized mood icons. A personalized mood icon may be used to express a mood, tone, emotion, etc., and may comprise one or more components, including without limitation one or more visual and/or audible components. An icon may be generated from a media item depicting a user and a mood of the user. For example, an icon may be generated from a media item comprising one or more of still image, video, audio, multimedia, etc. content. An icon may comprise content from one or more media items and/or content portions of one or more media items. An icon may comprise a textual component, such as for example a textual title or description of the mood, tone, motion being portrayed using the icon.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards managing pushed vitality updates of recent user-generated content (UGC). A vitality service is arranged to receive pushed vitality updates that each include a resource identifier and at least one other type of vitality information referring to recent UGC on a network device. The vitality service is configured to manage the pushed vitality updates according to recency and to receive query requests for vitality information. In response to a query request, the vitality service searches for vitality updates and provides to another network device recent vitality information based on the query request. The recent vitality information includes at least one or more resource identifiers and one or more other types of vitality information so that the other network device can access the full UGC for display.

Abstract: A system for presenting advertising materials including group sales offers within the context of a network-accessible document such as a Web page. One embodiment stores a plurality of ads, including some group sales offers. Fulfillment of each group sales offer is conditioned upon acceptance of the offer by a prescribed minimum number of viewers. The system receives a request for online content from a client computer operated by a viewer, where the requested online content is unrelated to group sales offers. Responsive to the request, the system selects a group sales offer from the plurality of ads based on the nature of the requested content and/or viewer characteristics or past behavior accumulated from past communications with the viewer. The system automatically delivers the selected group sales offer and the requested content to the client computer for display.

Abstract: Against this backdrop systems and methods have been developed for identifying popular segments of media objects. A remix system is provided to users allowing the easy remixing of a library of media objects. The remixes created by the users are recorded. From this information, the relative popularity of the segments and media objects in the library are identified based on how often they appear in the user-generated remixes. Actions may then be automatically taken related to the popularity of segments and media objects such as changing payment terms, alerting users of the popular content, and notifying interested parties of the popular or unpopular content.

Abstract: In the Internet field, interfaces which support social interaction are used by two or more people to share information and content. An example is a geolocation (map-type) interface (a web page for instance) which is relied upon by users to obtain travel routes, plan trips and find geolocation information, such as stores, restaurants and other places. Described here is a system for advertising whereby targeted advertisements are displayed to users of such an interface and the advertisements are the result of an analysis of user behavior during a particular interface session or several sessions, so advertisements are closely targeted to each particular user.

Abstract: Methods and systems for changing a parameter associated with an image displayed on a display screen based on criteria related to a user are described. One of the methods includes receiving a selection of an image from a plurality of images. The method further includes examining the selected image to identify a keyword and criteria associated with the selected image. The keyword includes an identification of the image and the criteria including a time associated with the selected image. The method further includes ranking the selected image compared to remaining images of the plurality of images based on the keyword and the criteria, assigning a weight to an image parameter of the selected image to associate the image parameter with the rank of the selected image, and sending the assigned weight of the image parameter to a display device for display of the selected image according to the assigned weight.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides identification and continuous monitoring of content, such as broadcast content, in real time, using a hierarchical, distributed approach to content identification. Identification, synchronization and verification are provided. Identification may be performed by an identification server using a reference database of fingerprints. The same or another computing device may be used perform synchronization, such that at least some portion of each fingerprint generated by client devices that form a verification group are synchronized for verification. Verification used to determine whether a client device continues to receive the same content identified during identification compares at least a portion of each fingerprint generated by each client device of a verification group. If a mismatch occurs, identification may be repeated to identify the new content being received by a client device.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for managing at least one cache for a database. In one method, an operation record is inserted in an operations log for each write operation to the database. The operation record includes a Log Sequence Number (LSN). At least one cache is updated using operation records in the operations log. To update a cache, unapplied operations in the operations log for the cache are identified using an applied LSN associated with the cache. The applied LSN denotes an LSN of a last operation applied to the cache. The unapplied operations are then applied to the cache and the applied LSN is updated with an LSN corresponding to the last unapplied operation of the unapplied operations that were applied to the cache during updating the cache.

Abstract: A system and method which may allow a requester to post a search query and get time-sensitive responses from other users who are best suited to respond to the search query. The system may find out such best suited responders based on their location, activity and time affinity/proximity to the search query, and forward the search query to them. The system may then return the responses to the requester. The system may also be able to automatically answer search queries based on users' historical query-response activities. By matching a search query with users knowledgeable about it, the invention may help a requester to get timely and accurate responses to his search query.

Abstract: A user device is enabled by an audio-visual assistant for audio-visual interaction with a user. The audio-visual assistant enables the user device to track the user's eyes and face to determine objects on the screen that the user is currently observing. Various tasks can be executed on the objects based on further input provided by the user. The user can provide further inputs via facial gestures, voice or combinations thereof for executing the various tasks.

Abstract: Methods, systems and programming for data traffic control and encryption. In one example, data traffic is received from a first node to be sent to a second node. The health of an encryption pathway between the first node and the second node is determined. The data traffic is sent to the second node over the network without going through the encryption pathway when the encryption pathway is not healthy.

Abstract: A system and method to identify targeting criteria for online advertising campaigns based on natural query event data are described. A request to determine targeting criteria is received from an advertiser entity. Natural or algorithmic query event data related to the advertiser entity is retrieved from a data storage module. Attribute data associated with targeted customers is extracted based on the retrieved natural query event data. Finally, the attribute data is further processed to determine a set of criteria to target advertisements to the customers.

Abstract: A method and system for mining trends around trending terms. The method includes determining a plurality of articles, from one or more websites, in relation to a first entity for a time period. The first entity is a trending term. The method also includes generating comment clusters for the plurality of articles. Each comment cluster is generated for associated article and includes plurality of user comments. The method further includes extracting one or more entities from plurality of user comments for each of the comment clusters, the one or more entities related to the first entity. Further, the method includes enabling selection of a second entity, from the one or more entities, by the user. Moreover, the method includes rendering one or more user comments corresponding to the first entity and the second entity for the time period. The system includes an electronic device, communication interface, memory, and processor.

Abstract: Systems and methods have been developed for performing an advanced or detailed search based on information previously collected about a searcher's interests. In response to a search request, the searcher's interests are retrieved and inspected. In an embodiment, the interests may be obtained from multiple systems including those not associated with the search system. Based on the searcher's interests, the search request may be limited or otherwise modified from the actual request received. The results of the limited search may then presented to the searcher as the results of the requested search.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for efficiently searching a database including a table. The table is partitioned along a first dimension, such as latitude. Indexes in each of the partitions are built along a second dimension, such as longitude. The table may also be clustered according to an index to improve performance. When a processor receives a database query term and a starting location, the processor selects, from the table, a data partition within a first offset to the starting location along the first dimension. The processor selects, from the selected data partition, a first number of first data records related to the query term and within a second offset to the starting location along the second dimension.

Abstract: Query threshold values are determined to be used to select advertisements to be displayed in response to a search query. A query threshold value is determined for each query based on query attributes characterizing the query, such as a query frequency, query length, whether the query is a navigational query, etc. By generating a threshold value for each query, and using the query threshold value for selecting advertisements to be displayed for the query (e.g., selecting advertisements having quality scores greater than the query threshold value), the advertisements can better correspond to the query, and thus are more likely to be selected by the user. As a result, the user experience can be enhanced and the advertising revenue can be correspondingly increased.