Abstract: A method is provided, including: processing interactions by a plurality of users with a plurality of content items, the content items being provided over a network in response to user requests received over the network, wherein each content item is associated with one or more entities; for each user, determining a user entity set that includes entities associated with content items with which the user interacted; embedding the users and the entities in a vector space, wherein the embedding is configured to place a given user, and the entities of the given user's user entity set, in proximity to each other in the vector space; for each user, performing a proximity search in the vector space to identify a set of nearest entities to the user in the vector space; for each user, generating a user profile using the identified set of nearest entities to the user.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for automatically deleting messages from a recipient's inbox. The disclosed systems and methods provide the ability for automatic actions to be taken on delivered messages based on a passage of time. This enables a sender of messages, email service provider and/or email platform to exert control over sent messages to limit the number and type of operations that may be performed on such messages. For example, operations such as saving, forwarding, printing, copying, or otherwise duplicating the message and/or message data can be prohibited and all together rendered impossible. The disclosed systems and methods enables the purging of messages and associated message data from a recipient's inbox at a certain specified time, after the passage of a pre-determined amount of time, or upon the detection of a specified event.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for determining an estimate of available user impressions on a network, comprising receiving a request for an estimate of available user impressions for viewing one or more media elements on a network, the request comprising one or more viewer demographic group limitations. A request may be received to include deterministic users and probabilistic users in the estimate of available user impressions. A number of deterministic users may be determined based on query results from a deterministic user data set. A number of probabilistic users may be determined based on query results from a probabilistic user data set, and the estimate of available user impressions may be determined based on the number of deterministic users and the number of probabilistic users.

Abstract: A seemingly infinite and continuous stream of online content can be tracked by a movement tracker that can track an amount of movement of a stream of content. For example, such a movement tracker can track the amount of movement per session of a client-side application, such as per session of a web browser. In an example, the tracking of the movement can occur by tracking a measurable parameter of the stream that indicates the amount of movement, such as scroll distance. The movement tracker may also be configured to determine user interaction data according to the tracked amount of movement.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to method, system, and programming for responding to an image related query. Information related to each of a plurality of images is received, wherein the information represents concepts co-existing in the image. Visual semantics for each of the plurality of images are created based on the information related thereto. Representations of scenes of the plurality of images are obtained via machine learning, based on the visual semantics of the plurality of images, wherein the representations capture concepts associated with the scenes.

Abstract: One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods are provided. Event information associated with a plurality of events may be identified. The plurality of events may be associated with client devices and entities. A network profile associated with the client devices and the entities may be generated based upon the event information. A similarity profile associated with the client devices may be generated based upon the network profile. The similarity profile may be indicative of one or more similarity scores associated with a first client device and one or more client devices. A user profile associated with the first client device may be modified, based upon the similarity profile and/or one or more user profiles associated with the one or more client devices, to generate a modified user profile. Content may be selected for presentation via the first client device based upon the modified user profile.

Abstract: One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for implementing a model for serving exploration traffic are provided. An amount of spend by a content provider to provide content items of the content provider through a content serving platform to client devices of users is determined. A number of exploration impressions of users viewing exploration content items of the content provider over a timespan is determined. A return on exploration impression metric is determined for the content provider based upon a ratio of the amount of spend to the number of exploration impressions. The return on exploration metric is used to rank available exploration content items of content providers for serving exploration traffic.

Abstract: Method, system, and programs for measuring user engagement with content items. In one example, a query is received. A set of content items related to the query is obtained. A presentation of at least one content item of the set of content items is provided on a user interface. A user activity related to the at least one content item is determined. An amount of time between a time at which the presentation of the at least one content item is provided on the user interface and a time at which the user activity occurred is determined. A score associated with the content item is determined based on the amount of time. Information related to user engagement with the set of content items is generated based on the score.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for protecting consumer privacy in an online advertising environment. A request may be received from a browser for a webpage along with a unique browser identifier. The browser may be provided a first portion of the webpage that is locally available. The unique browser identifier may be provided to at least one advertising entity, wherein the advertising entity determines an advertisement based, at least in part, on the unique browser identifier. The advertisement may be received from the advertising entity, and provided to the browser as a second portion of the webpage.

Abstract: One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for classifier validation are provided. A set of in-sample examples are partitioned into a reduced in-sample set and a remaining in-sample set. The reduced in-sample set is processed using a set of classifiers. A subset of classifiers are identified as having error counts, over the reduced in-sample set, below a threshold number of errors. A training procedure is executed to select a classifier having a minimum error rate over the set of in-sample examples. If the classifier is within the subset of classifiers, then an out-of-sample error bound is determined for the classifier.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus according to the present application includes an acquiring unit and a selecting unit. The acquiring unit acquires a plurality of pieces of second triple information hierarchized based on a conceptual system in a plurality of pieces of first triple information indicating a relationship about three types of elements and statistical information indicating the number of pieces of the first triple information associated with each of the plurality of pieces of the second triple information. The selecting unit selects, based on the statistical information acquired by the acquiring unit and based on a predetermined standard related to the statistical information, from among the plurality of pieces of the second triple information, a plurality of pieces of target triple information to be used for a clustering process.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling an online advertising campaign. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for controlling an online advertising campaign includes receiving a feedback signal reflecting delivery of the online advertising campaign, and comparing the feedback signal to a delivery reference to generate a campaign level control signal. The method further includes receiving a maximum impression bid price for an inventory unit of the online advertising campaign, the maximum bid price for the at least one inventory unit being set by a user, and calculating, using at least one processor, at least a final bid price based on the maximum bid price, on the campaign level control signal, and on an optimization objective for the online advertising campaign, the optimization objective being set by the user. The method also includes submitting, to an electronic market and based on the calculated final bid price, a bid on an impression from the inventory unit.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to a method, system, and programming for encrypted searching. One or more keywords are obtained from a user. A uniform resource locator (URL) is generated, wherein a portion of the URL includes the one or more keywords encrypted via a first key. The URL is transmitted to a search server. In response to a time-related criterion associated with the URL being satisfied, one or more search results are obtained from the server, and in response to the time-related criterion associated with the URL being violated, a search box is obtained in response to transmitting the URL.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for protecting user privacy in, for example, online advertising environments. The method includes receiving data related to a user in a first communication session between a host server and a client device, and generating a user profile associated with the user. The method further may include encrypting the user profile to produce encrypted user profile data and generating a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted user profile data. Thereafter, either the decryption key or a portion of the encrypted user profile data may be transmitted to the client device and then deleted from host server before ending the first communication session. The method further may include establishing a second communication session between the host server and the client device and retrieving the transmitted content. Then targeted advertising may be provided by decrypting the encrypted user profile data.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to tracking an event at a plurality of distributed servers. In one example, an event to be tracked is determined. A user associated with the event is identified. A script is generated to be embedded in a web page. The script triggers an event message when the user performs an online behavior related to the web page in accordance with the event. The event message triggered by the script is received. A tracing flag is determined from the event message. An instruction is provided to the plurality of distributed servers for executing one or more applications based on the event and the tracing flag.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for creating one or more infographics, comprising: receiving and storing data associated with an individual or an entity, in a format according to a schema that includes at least two properties associated with the individual or entity; reading at least a portion of the data; determining which of the at least two properties in the schema do not have corresponding read data associated with the individual or entity; based on that determination, selecting an infographic definition from among a plurality of infographic definitions defining the appearance of at least a portion of an infographic; generating one or more infographics based on (i) the at least a portion of the data and (ii) the selected infographic definition; and providing the one or more generated infographics to an output device.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to online user profiling. In one example, content associated with a first user of a social media network is obtained. From the content associated with the first user, a first link to a first piece of content is identified. A second user of the social media network associated with the first user is determined in the context of the social media network. From content associated with the second user of the social media network, a second link to a second piece of content is identified. The first and second pieces of content are retrieved based on the first and second links, respectively. User profile of the first user is generated based, at least in part, on the first and second pieces of content.

Abstract: A method and system for recommending content to a user whose interest(s) has not been identified is disclosed. A base user profile may be created for association with the user. The base user profile may be created by generating a list of ranked interests of a set of representative users. The list of ranked interests may be generated based on activity information obtained for the set of representative users. Content may be recommended to the user based on the base user profile.

Abstract: The extraction device according to the present application includes an acquisition unit and an extraction unit. The acquisition unit acquires behavior histories of users being candidates to whom content is to be distributed. The extraction unit extracts target users expected to perform specified behavior, based on a behavior history designated by a content provider, of the behavior histories acquired by the acquisition unit. For example, the extraction unit uses a model for determining the degree of similarity between a user performing the specified behavior and a target user expected to perform specified behavior based on the behavior history designated by the content provider in order to extract the target users.

Abstract: Methods and devices for assessing the quality of user-generated content are described. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed for measuring the quality of a user-generated answer to a question by combining various factors, including question-answer surface word vector similarity, question-answer explicit semantic analysis vector similarity, answer-answer explicit sematic analysis vector similarity, query performance predictor, sentiment analysis, textual analysis of the answer, and reputation of the answerer. The method uses a learning procedure to determine the best algorithm for measuring the overall quality of the answer based on these factors.