Patents Assigned to Vignette Software, LLC
  • Patent number: 8078802
    Abstract: A method and system for file-system based caching can be used to improve efficiency and security at network sites. In one set of embodiments, the delivery of content and storing content component(s) formed during generation of the content may be performed by different software components. Content that changes at a relatively high frequency or is likely to be regenerated between requests may not have some or all of its corresponding files cached. Additionally, extra white space may be removed before storing to reduce the file size. File mapping may be performed to ensure that a directory within the cache will have an optimal number of files. Security at the network site may be increased by using an internally generated filename that is not used or seen by the client computer. Many variations may be used is achieving any one or more of the advantages described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Conleth S. O'Connell, Jr., Maxwell J. Berenson, N. Issac Rajkumar
  • Patent number: 8073927
    Abstract: Management software that can associate events, including non page events, such as the generation of dynamic content, with HTTP requests. The management software can receive a set of HTTP request data including a request time stamp for each HTTP request in a set of HTTP requests, receive a set of event data including an event time stamp for each event in a set of events and associate each event from the set of events with a previous HTTP request from the set of HTTP requests based on the event time stamps and request time stamps. Each event can be associated with previous HTTP request closest in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: John Curtis Artz, Jr., Heeren Pathak
  • Patent number: 8065375
    Abstract: A system for managing message volume and timing, which permits messages from multiple sources to be spaced apart over time, with the pacing controlled in part by the type or priority of the message. The system permits the volume of messages to be reduced by aggregating messages according to a set of rules and by discarding or delaying messages that are sufficiently similar and sent too close together. In addition, the system allows message sources to be notified when a recipient has not received a message within a designated time period. The system can be implemented as a centralized pacing system or through use of a data storage system accessible by the message sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventor: Brian Reistad
  • Patent number: 8041893
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein utilize statistical approximations to manage large filesystem-based caches based on imperfect information. When removing entries from a large cache, which may have a million or more entries, the cache manager does not need to find the absolutely oldest entry that has been accessed the least recently. Instead, it suffices to find an entry that is older than most. In embodiments disclosed herein, statistical sampling of the cache is performed to produce models of different properties of the cache, including the number of entries, distribution of access times, distribution of entry sizes, etc. The models are then used to guide decisions that involve those properties. The size of the samples can be adjusted to balance the cost of acquiring the samples against the confidence level of the models produced by the samples. To achieve randomness, entries are stored using prefixes of addresses generated via a message-digest function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Kin-Chung Fung, Mark R. Scheevel
  • Patent number: 8024448
    Abstract: A method can be used to analyze the “real-estate” performance of content items within a network site. The method can comprise determining the click distance to reach each content item and determining the performance of each content item. The method can also comprise calculating a predicted value for performance based on statistical relationship between location and performance observed in a population of content items. The method can comprise comparing the predicted and actual performance. If a content item has an actual performance greater than its predicted performance, then it may be promoted to a better location in the site and the converse for poorer performing content. Such an analysis may be performed using a graph or tabular data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventor: Brendan J. Kitts
  • Patent number: 7975041
    Abstract: A method and system can be used to automatically manage a digital asset, from development to deployment, to control change within a network environment in a comprehensive and efficient manner. Digital assets can be tracked for progress and inaccuracies, mistakes, and incompatibilities can be addressed prior to deployment. Stages can be used to formalize and automate the flow of digital assets along the process. Further, metadata regarding the digital asset can be captured at any time to provide an audit trail for the digital asset from development all the way through deployment. Any stage may have access to any or all metadata captured for the digital asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventor: Conleth S. O'Connell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7975007
    Abstract: Systems and methods for carrying on marketing dialogues are disclosed. Specifically, embodiments of the systems and methods presented may allow marketing dialogues to be carried on with a set of participants by sending a communication to each of the participants. Another set of participant may be assembled from the initial participants and an action may then be taken with respect to this second set of participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Brian Reistad, William D. Snapper, Andrew C. Payne, James Campbell
  • Patent number: 7953934
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide a cache management system comprising a cache and a cache manager that can poll cached assets at different frequencies based on their relative activity status and independent of other applications. In one embodiment, the cache manager may maintain one or more lists, each corresponding to a polling layer associated with a particular polling schedule or frequency. Cached assets may be added to or removed from a list or they may be promoted or demoted to a different list, thereby changing their polling frequency. By polling less active files at a lower frequency than more active files, significant system resources can be saved, thereby increasing overall system speed and performance. Additionally, because a cache manager according to embodiments disclosed herein does not require detailed contextual information about the files that it is managing, such a cache manager can be easily implemented with any cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: David Thomas, Scott Wells
  • Patent number: 7941453
    Abstract: A method and system can be used to control better compound objects. Compound objects can include composite and other objects that are managed by a content management system for network site(s). The method and system can be used to determine relationships between objects, determining which of those relationships are significant for a specific action, and determining physical dependencies between the objects. The method and system can be used to perform actions consistent with integrity constraints, and therefore, performs the actions in the correct order with a reduced likelihood of errors. The method and system are highly beneficial in that they can significantly enhance content management and can be implemented without having to write new or edit existing applications. Also, existing content data and applications may be used without any changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Mark R. Scheevel, Timothy A. Ozor, Greg Hilton, Jeffrey M. Collins
  • Patent number: 7908608
    Abstract: Bulk operations on a large number of items may be processed by a computer with a reduced likelihood of exceeding a timing or hardware limitation of a system. An instruction or its related information can be examined to determine if the instruction may potentially involve a large number of items. If so, the instruction may be passed to a bulk operations manager software component to determine the number of items involved. The bulk operations manager software component can break down the operation into smaller groups of items. Operations can be performed on each of the smaller groups of objects. The changes can be transparent to a developer writing code or a computer generating code to perform a specific operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Timothy A. Ozor, Gregory S. Hilton
  • Patent number: 7904804
    Abstract: Systems and methods for enabling the parent in a hierarchically organized pair of objects to allow the child to share access to selected assets. In one embodiment, the assets are shared in one of three modes: an IMPOSE mode; an INHERIT mode; and a CO-OWN mode. In the IMPOSE mode, the parent allows the child to utilize the asset, but not to modify it. In the CO-OWN mode, the parent and child have equal rights to access the asset, including the right to modify it. In the INHERIT mode, both the parent and child have equal rights to access the asset, including the right to modify it, but if the child attempts to modify the asset, it actually gets a copy of the asset, which it then modifies. The asset is no longer a single asset shared between the parent and child.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Robin D. Wilson, Dennis C. Heideman, Daniel Yee, Robert Scott Dickerson
  • Patent number: 7899991
    Abstract: Systems and methods which provide an extensible caching framework are disclosed. These systems and methods may provide a caching framework which can evaluate individual parameters of a request for a particular piece of content. Modules capable of evaluating individual parameters of an incoming request may be added and removed from this framework. When a request for content is received, parameters of the request can be evaluated by the framework and a cache searched for responsive content based upon this evaluation. If responsive content is not found in the cache, responsive content can be generated and stored in the cache along with associated metadata and a signature formed by the caching framework. This signature may aid in locating this content when a request for similar content is next received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: N. Isaac Rajkumar, Puhong You, David Dean Caldwell, Brett J. Larsen, Jamshid Afshar, Conleth O'Connell
  • Patent number: 7895355
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described which allow the detection of gaps in a set of data. These systems and methods may include defining streams of data from a network topology, associating incoming data with one or more of these streams, and processing these streams. A gap may be detected by comparing the times of events in the stream. If a gap is detected remedial action may be taken, and processing of the streams temporarily halted. Processing of the streams may continue when data for a certain stream is received, or after the lapse of a certain period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: John C. Artz, Jr., Heeren Pathak
  • Patent number: 7877689
    Abstract: Ads are placed in a movie using a graphical interface that enables selecting of the ads from a set of ads, selecting frames of the movie for the ad, and selecting locations in the frames for the ads. Each of the ad and the movie can be a still image, a full motion video, an audio, a graphic or a combination thereof. An executable command may also be a part of the ad that is inserted, the command being selected for execution by a viewer of the ad when the movie is played to the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventor: Thomas S. Gilley
  • Patent number: 7865819
    Abstract: Systems and methods for enabling the parent in a hierarchically organized pair of objects to allow the child to share access to selected assets. In one embodiment, the assets are shared in one of three modes: an IMPOSE mode; an INHERIT mode; and a CO-OWN mode. In the IMPOSE mode, the parent allows the child to utilize the asset, but not to modify it. In the CO-OWN mode, the parent and child have equal rights to access the asset, including the right to modify it. In the INHERIT mode, both the parent and child have equal rights to access the asset, including the right to modify it, but if the child attempts to modify the asset, it actually gets a copy of the asset, which it then modifies. The asset is no longer a single asset shared between the parent and child.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Robin D. Wilson, Dennis C. Heideman, Daniel Yee, Robert Scott Dickerson
  • Patent number: 7860969
    Abstract: A data processing system-implemented method can be used to better track a user's movements between network addresses. The method can comprise sending a frame identifier and a requested (current) network address at a first time. The method can also comprise finding a record including the frame identifier that has a prior network address and a time prior to the current time. The method can further comprise generating an entry for a table that includes the frame identifier, the current network address, the prior network address, and time. A server computer or a client computer can generate the entry. Improved accountability and improved user profile accuracy can be obtained with the method. A data processing system readable medium can comprise code that includes instructions for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventor: Sean M. McCullough
  • Patent number: 7860820
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a system and method for the provisioning of dynamically generated content. One embodiment can interface a content delivery system and a content management system at the fragment level. Depending upon how a page is organized, a fragment may refer to a block within the page, a portion of the page, or a content item presented on the page. When a content item is updated and published onto the content management system, one embodiment of the invention can operate to track dependencies of managed pages and invalidate/validate fragment(s) affected by the change(s) accordingly. The updated fragment(s) may then be dynamically assembled on-the-fly or on-demand. The updated fragment(s) may or may not be cached. In this way, changes made to a piece of content can be reflected in all pages which utilize this content almost simultaneously with the changes to the content itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Vignette Software, LLC
    Inventors: N. Isaac Rajkumar, Mark McCalister, Expeditus Bolanos, Peter Hale, Mark Martin, Richard Nemec, Puhong You, Daun DeFrance, Ching-Fu Chang, Priya Reddy, Ladislav Kis, Robert L. Patterson, Tony Zgarba, Jeffrey M. Collins, Michael C. Tulkoff, Miles Chaston, Dean Moses, John Petersen, Ian Stahl, Lara Long
  • Patent number: 7831706
    Abstract: Information related to activity of a user may be provided using a method or a data processing system program product to perform the method. In one embodiment, the method includes sending a first view request to a first electronic site, receiving a first view from the first electronic site, and first information related to the first view request to a second entity that is different from the first entity. In another embodiment, a data processing system program product may perform a method of sending information related to a view request from the user for an electronic site. The information is to be sent to an entity that is different from an entity that substantially controls or owns the electronic site and different from an Internet service provider of the user, if the user is to use the Internet service provider in accessing the electronic site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventor: Sean M. McCullough
  • Patent number: 7827274
    Abstract: A method can be used to profile a user using network addresses, category information, and demographic data when the user requested or received information from those network addresses. A table can be created that includes the user identifier, category information, and demographic data. The user profile can be generated and based at least in part on the user identifier, category information, and at least some of the demographic data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventor: Sean M. McCullough
  • Patent number: 7818506
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing cached content are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention may allow cached content to be updated (e.g. regenerated or replaced) based on newly added or changed content. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention may allow cached content to be regenerated, replaced or updated based on newly added or changed content associated with the cached content allowing cached content to be updated substantially immediately when pertinent new content is added or content from which the cached content was generated is altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Vignette Software LLC
    Inventors: Lee Shepstone, Conleth S. O'Connell, Jr., Mark R. Scheevel, Newton Isaac Rajkumar, Jamshid Afshar, Jr., Puhong You, Brett J. Larsen, David Dean Caldwell