Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a comparative weather phrase engine that takes two (or more) locations, compares information or conditions associated with the locations, and generates a narrative phrase information the user how one location differs from another location. The information or conditions may be weather conditions, traffic conditions, tourist information or event information. The narrative phrase may be presented together with other information or advertising.

Abstract: An interactive map may be provided. The map may include weather information such as temperature information, precipitation information, radar information, or the like, street information such as road information, traffic information, or the like, and/or advertising information for a particular area that may be chosen by the user. The map may also display information related to points of interest such as schools, golf courses, entertainment, or the like that may be chosen by the user. The map may be dynamic such that the weather information, street information, and/or advertising information may be dynamically updated on the map.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing weather data are adapted to receive requests in a free-form format, such as a text input, and specifying a geographic area. The system is adapted to identify geographic areas likely corresponding to the free-form input and retrieve weather data corresponding to those identified geographic areas from a weather observation location proximate to the geographic area.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a local content to a viewer in the form of an animation sequence. A micro program may be data-cast to a receiver to provide national and local content to a number of receiver units that may be located at, e.g., a cable headend or other distribution point. The micro program executes, at least in part, on each receiver unit. If the micro program is relevant to the receiver unit, then the micro program executes to completion. The micro program may include a code representative of local conditions that is mapped by the local receiver unit to a library of animation graphics used to create an animation sequence to convey the local conditions to a viewer. For example, the local conditions may be weather conditions and the animation sequence conveys how the weather will feel or affect a viewer.

Abstract: An integrated real-time display is provided that includes video images and a graphical representation of the transmission path, where each video image is associated with a point along the graphical representation of the transmission path. A number of monitoring points, which correspond to critical points along the transmission path are identified. The points may be selected for technical reasons or economic reasons. The graphical representation of the transmission path can be a logical representation showing the logic blocks along the transmission path or a physical representation showing the devices along the transmission path.

Abstract: Liquid precipitation and snow precipitation measurements having a first resolution and spanning a first time period are aggregated with data from a computer generated model of current liquid precipitation and snowfall estimates having a second resolution and spanning a second time period to form near up-to-date estimates of liquid precipitation and snowfall over a determined time period. The measurements are received from various weather history data severs over a network. The data is processed into a gridded data set for a determined geographical region. The current conditions estimates are received over a network from a different sever. The processor then aggregates the processed liquid and snow precipitation estimates with the current precipitation estimates corresponding to the period from the most recent precipitation and snowfall data until present.

Abstract: Methods and systems of the invention provide appropriate weather data for a location by associating it with a location or locations for which weather data is stored. Such stored data may have been collected from one or multiple weather data sources. An image or video may be associated with weather data selected from near-current stored weather data for one or more nearby locations. Certain methods also allow observation and/or forecast weather data for any specified location to be provided using stored weather data for a finite number of locations from one or more weather data sources. For example, the location coordinates of a specified location may be used to determine an appropriate location (exact or substitute) for which weather data was previously collected and stored.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a computing device application framework. The framework serves as a platform upon which the desktop applications share common data and logic. The framework may include an application component exposes application programming interfaces (APIs) that provides installed applications access to data and services, a download component that maintains versions of the applications installed on a computing device, and a license component that tracks data use and access.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing multimedia content to mobile devices within a geographic area. A services provider may track locations of mobile devices in a location database. Geographically coded information may be received by the services provider from which a lookup may be performed of the location database to determine which mobile devices are in a geographic region associated with the geographically coded information. The geographically coded information may be forwarded as an SMS message to the mobile device, which may then convert the SMS message to a multimedia format for playback on the device, or may request that the services provider convert the SMS message to a multimedia format for playback on the mobile device.

Abstract: Systems and methods of enabling or disabling functionality in a web browser or browser-based application are disclosed. An example method of controlling the functionality of an application program can include: contacting a server to request content; receiving a response from the server including the requested content and a token that is a text string embedded in the response; decrypting said token; interpreting information contained in said token to determine which features of the application program are available for displaying the requested content; and invoking a level of functionality in said application program in accordance with said token to make the features for displaying the requested content available. The token can be a digital certificate based on the server's domain name or an encrypted hash of the server's domain name.

Abstract: Methods and system for preventing or allowing an installer application from installing applications based on a comparison of the installer application actions to profiles and rules. The profiles and rules are established (and periodically updated) to identify a particular software installation process as undesirable and stop it from occurring. An install blocker processes the profiles and rules and compares them against what the installer is trying to do as part of its installation process. If the installer is attempting to install an application deemed undesirable, the user could then be notified, provided all of the information about what the installer was trying to do, and provided choice to allow the installation to continue.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically formulating and delivering a video program that includes perishable information is provided. The system includes a video server that creates a video program using one or more recent video segments in combination with other video segments. The recent video segments are typically generated in a studio, whereas the other video segments are obtained from a variety of sources, including databases and live feeds. An audio system stores pre-recorded audio and is used to create audio for certain video segments. The video server enables an organization to deliver more customized video programs to more users and to update those video programs more frequently without requiring additional studio time or resources.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods for identification of users communicating with web servers by replacing or creating browser information associated with a user. In one embodiment, a local object store containing cookie values or URL data on the user's computer is accessed when a web page is rendered. The values stored in the local object store are used to recreate cookies that have been deleted from the computer's web browser or the URL data is used to identify web pages that the user has downloaded. Once recreated, the cookies may be placed back in the web browser or the URL data may be used by the web-server in targeting the user for advertisements, personalization, etc.

Abstract: To provide human forecasters with monitoring and verification tools to know when a machine-generated forecast may already be good enough for public use or to know when to intervene to improve a forecast. Performance support systems and methods that deliver real-time feedback of previous forecasts and forecast accuracy in order to optimize the human forecaster's effectiveness. The systems and methods allow human forecasters to receive feedback from an array of different comparison products, including verification information, forecast discussions and forecast tools, in order to learn from previous forecast performance during similar situations so that human forecasters can focus their energies and resources to those tasks that they can add value to or over machine-generated forecasts. As such, the systems and methods of the present invention allow human forecasters to improve machine-generated forecasts and provide improved operational results.

Abstract: Information is provided to on-air personnel that is synchronized to a playlist executed by a broadcast automation system. A type is defined within a broadcast automation system and is associated with studio segments and non-studio segments that follow studio segments in a playlist. As the playlist is executed, the broadcast automation system provides a count until the next segment with the specified type. The count is monitored and if the count matches a predetermined value, then a trigger is generated based on the predetermined value and the playlist. Each trigger is associated with a particular action, such as the display of a message on certain display units. Once the trigger is generated, the action is performed. The invention can be used to automatically provide countdown information to on-camera personnel based on the playlist.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a desktop framework. The desktop framework may include an application framework component that includes a set of core libraries that provide desktop applications access to data and services, a download component that maintains versions of the desktop applications and core libraries installed on a computer, and a license component that tracks data use and access. The application framework exposes APIs to provide the desktop applications with access to the data and services. The application framework serves as a platform upon which the desktop applications share common data and logic.

Abstract: Methods and system for preventing or allowing an installer application from installing applications based on a comparison of the installer application actions to profiles and rules. The profiles and rules are established (and periodically updated) to identify a particular software installation process as undesirable and stop, it from occurring. An install blocker processes the profiles and rules and compares them against what the installer is trying to do as part of its installation process. If the installer is attempting to install an application deemed undesirable, the user could then be notified, provided all of the information about what the installer was trying to do, and provided choice to allow the installation to continue.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating one or more playlists of a predefined length. The invention allows dynamic creation of different playlists for differing times, locations, and other circumstances and also provides for the dynamic selection of products for inclusion in a playlist based on the content of one or more of the individual products. Creation of a playlist may be based on a priority scheme with priority values indicating the relative importance of the products. Creation may also involve determining or adjusting the lengths of one or more products selected for the playlist so that the total length of the playlist will equal a set, predetermined, or otherwise predefined playlist length. Methods and systems according to the present invention provide flexible, efficient, and manageable techniques for creating different playlists of similar product types for both varying circumstances (e.g., time, location, etc.) and varying products of those product types (e.g.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a desktop framework. The desktop framework may include an application framework component that includes a set of core libraries that provide desktop applications access to data and services, a download component that maintains versions of the desktop applications and core libraries installed on a computer, and a license component that tracks data use and access. The application framework exposes APIs to provide the desktop applications with access to the data and services. The application framework serves as a platform upon which the desktop applications share common data and logic.

Abstract: An association between a distribution device and one or more characteristics shared by the end users served by the distribution device is created and maintained. The characteristics can include end user location, as well as any other type of characteristic or demographic. An initial association between a distribution device and an end user characteristic is created when the device is installed. In one embodiment, the distribution device is a receiver unit and the end user characteristic is viewer location. After installation, a request is made to the end users to provide end user information. The information provided by the end users is used to update and maintain the association between the distribution devices and the shared end user characteristics.