Yahoo Patents Granted

Patents granted to Yahoo by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10083545
    Abstract: An image processing device according to the present application includes an accepting unit and a specifying unit. The accepting unit accepts image data that includes therein at least two diagrams that can be extracted as circles. The specifying unit specifies, by checking a parameter that is calculated from a pair of two circles included in the image data accepted by the accepting unit against a parameter that is calculated from a pair of two perfect circles that have previously been registered as markers that are used for image processing, the pair of the two circles included in the image data as the markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuki Sakamoto, Shinichi Higashino, Sakiko Nishi
  • Patent number: 10082427
    Abstract: A measurement data collecting system includes a data receiving unit that receives first data measured by a first sensor and acquired at a mobile terminal, a measurement environment determining unit that determines environment of the mobile terminal when the first data is acquired based on second data measured by a second sensor and acquired at the mobile terminal. The measurement environment determining unit extracts first data in accordance with the environment from the first data received by the data receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Tsubouchi, Kentaro Nishi
  • Patent number: 10077989
    Abstract: A navigation device navigating a moving body based on position information includes a coordinated operation unit that initiates and ends a coordinated operation among a plurality of navigation devices; a guiding unit that performs navigation in at least one of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, while providing a screen display based on a designated position; and a second operating unit that performs a second operation in a navigation device other than a currently navigating navigation device performing the coordinated operation, the second operation including receiving an operation for a function that is not displayed on the screen of the currently navigating navigation device, and reflecting a position acquired as a result of the operation, to the other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Wada, Katsufumi Asai, Ikuo Akutagawa
  • Patent number: 10078847
    Abstract: A distribution device includes a distribution unit which distributes a control program for controlling content to be displayed on a user terminal, to the user terminal. The control program is a display program to be executed in the user terminal, and controls the user terminal to execute a sound playback procedure for playing back a sound when content is included in an area specified by the display program for displaying the content, a viewable area acquisition procedure for acquiring the area specified by the display program in the content as a viewable area, a display area determination procedure for determining whether a display area where a video is displayed corresponding to the content is positioned in the viewable area, and a video playback procedure for stopping playback of the sound and starting playback of the video, when determined that the display area is positioned in the viewable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ai Matsubara, Eiji Sumitomo, Kazutaka Kimura, Kanta Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10062088
    Abstract: An advertisement distribution device includes: an arrangement position acquisition unit configured to acquire an arrangement position on a display screen of a terminal to display advertisement information; an attention degree index extracting unit configured to extract an attention degree index of the arrangement position based on acquisition of a specific position on the display screen and an attention degree index of the specific position; an arrangement position ranking unit configured to rank a plurality of arrangement positions based on a plurality of attention degree indices extracted by the attention degree index extracting unit; a distribution information ranking unit configured to rank a plurality of pieces of advertisement information based on a predetermined ranking process; and a distribution unit configured to distribute the plurality of pieces of advertisement information based on the ranks of the plurality of pieces of advertisement information and the ranks of the plurality of arrangement posi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Shimora
  • Patent number: 10063646
    Abstract: A distribution destination terminal selecting unit selects, from among a plurality of user terminals of a target user, a user terminal having a high probability of achieving a certain level of results by a behavior of the target user toward content when the content is distributed, as a distribution destination terminal of the content, based on a behavioral history in a behavioral history storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu Sanada
  • Patent number: 10051430
    Abstract: According to an embodiment a determination device through a clustering analysis of position history data incudes an estimation unit that, by conducting a clustering analysis on history data of pieces of geographical position information on Earth of a plurality of movable bodies that is obtained by a positioning device, based, on a horizontal position constituted of a latitude and a longitude and a lapse of time, acquires pieces of area information indicating a characteristic of geographical area in which there is a tendency for the movable bodies to be positioned, the history data being accumulated sequentially in a storage device with pieces of movable body identification information and pieces of timestamp information, and a determination unit that determines whether the movable body is present in a specified point in time and the geographical area, based on the pieces of area information acquired for one of the movable bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoya Bessho
  • Patent number: 10037496
    Abstract: A numbered ticket information issuing system according to an embodiment includes a numbered ticket information issuing server. The numbered ticket information issuing server includes a numbered ticket information issuing unit and a numbered ticket information transmitting unit. The numbered ticket information issuing unit issues, when receiving, from a wireless terminal, a numbered ticket issue request containing information on a wireless device installed in a shop or a facility that provides a product or a service, numbered ticket information on the shop or the facility corresponding to the numbered ticket issue request. The numbered ticket information transmitting unit transmits the numbered ticket information issued by the numbered ticket information issuing unit to the wireless terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daishi Nakajima, Yuichi Shiga, Naoko Hiraya, Keita Imaeda
  • Patent number: 10025757
    Abstract: According to one aspect of an embodiment, an information display device includes a display unit configured to display first content and second content which are individual pieces of content side by side. The information display device includes a change unit configured to changes a display range of the first content and changes the second content to third content according to a change operation of changing a display range serving as a range in which the first content is displayed on a screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensuke Takada, Soichi Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 10019141
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a moving operation detecting unit and a first display position changing unit. The moving operation detecting unit detects a moving operation for requesting to move a text display region displayed in a display. When the moving operation detecting unit has detected the moving operation, the first display position changing unit moves a display position of the text display region in the display according to the moving operation in a state where a cursor position in the display is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Suzuki, Kazumasa Okabe
  • Patent number: 10019735
    Abstract: An advertisement distribution apparatus according to an embodiment includes a user information table, a determining unit, a request unit, and a distribution unit. The user information table stores user information about a user. When the advertisement distribution apparatus is accessed by a user terminal, the determining unit determines whether the user information of the user of the user terminal has been stored in the user information table. When the determining unit determines that the user information has not been stored in the storage unit, the request unit requests an information provision apparatus to transmit the user information. When the determining unit determines that the user information has not been stored in the storage unit, the distribution unit distributes advertisement content to the user terminal using the user information which is acquired from the information provision apparatus by the request unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Tajima, Koji Tsukamoto, Hidehito Gomi, Hiroshi Nishikawa, Taisuke Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 10000217
    Abstract: The present application provides techniques including a notification-needed information presenting apparatus that includes at least one information presenting unit capable of presenting information to an occupant of a vehicle, a notification-needed information acquiring unit that acquires notification-needed information, which is information that the occupant needs to be notified of through the information presenting unit in relation to operation of the vehicle, an occupant behavior determining unit that determines behavior of the occupant toward the information presenting unit, and a presentation controlling unit that controls the information presenting unit to present the notification-needed information to the occupant in accordance with the behavior of the occupant determined by the occupant behavior determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ikuo Kitagishi
  • Patent number: 10003859
    Abstract: A distribution device includes a distribution unit that distributes a content including a control program to a user terminal. The control program causes the user terminal to execute an acquisition procedure for acquiring an area of the content, the area being displayed by a browser program, as a viewable area, a determination procedure for determining whether or not a display area where a video is displayed, the display area being included in the content, is located in the viewable area, and a playback procedure for starting playback of the video if the display area is located in the viewable area and the situation of the user terminal is a predetermined situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Sumitomo, Kanta Suzuki, Kazutaka Kimura
  • Patent number: 9990657
    Abstract: According to one aspect of an embodiment, an information display device includes a display unit configured to display first content and second content in a display region so as to overlap each other. The information display device includes a change unit configured to change the second content to third content, depending on a position where a predetermined region included in the first content is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Kobayashi, Tatsuaki Suzuki, Kensuke Takada
  • Patent number: 9984390
    Abstract: According to one aspect of an embodiment, an information display device includes a display unit configured to display first content in a region which accounts for a predetermined proportion of a display region and displays second content in another region. The information display device includes a detection unit configured to detect an inclination of the information display device. The information display device includes a change unit configured to change the proportion of the region in which the first content is displayed and the proportion of the region in which the second content is displayed in the display region, depending on the detection result of the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Kobayashi, Tatsuaki Suzuki, Kensuke Takada
  • Patent number: 9984400
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, method, and program that control an electronic data exchange. The apparatus, method, and program involve receiving user information on an information provider or a provider terminal from the provider terminal used by the information provider. The user information received is stored in a memory. In the case of accepting an acquisition request for the user information from a user terminal used by an information user, the system controls whether to provide the user information corresponding to the acquisition request to the user terminal and transmits a reward to the information provider which is a transmission source of the provided user information based on factor information which affects a value of the user information stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teruhiko Teraoka, Hidehito Gomi, Kota Tsubouchi
  • Patent number: 9972033
    Abstract: A distribution apparatus includes a receiving unit and a distributing unit. The receiving unit receives an acquisition request for a first content. The distributing unit distributes the first content displayed with a second content and control information that causes a region of the second content that does not overlap the first content to be displayed in a selectable state and causes a region of the second content overlapping the first content to be displayed so as to overlap the first content in a non-selectable state, when the acquisition request is received by the receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Nakayama, Narae Lee, Tatsuaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9971402
    Abstract: An information processing system includes an acquiring unit that acquires motion information indicating a current motion of a user, a determining unit that compares the motion information acquired by the acquiring unit with standard information indicating a motion of the user in a predetermined state to determine the presence or absence of a state change of the user, and a calculating unit that, when the determining unit determines that a state change is present, calculates an area that the user visually recognizes based on sight line information concerning a sight line of the user contained in the motion information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kota Tsubouchi, Kentaro Nishi
  • Patent number: 9965777
    Abstract: An advertisement distribution management apparatus according to an embodiment includes a detection unit, a storage unit, and an acceptance unit. The detection unit detects information on a wireless terminal which exists in a communication area of a wireless LAN access point and which satisfies a predetermined condition. The storage unit stores information on the wireless terminal detected by the detection unit and attribute information set to the wireless LAN access point in association with each other. The acceptance unit accepts an order request of an advertisement distribution that specifies the attribute information on the basis of the information on the wireless terminal stored in the storage unit in association with the specified attribute information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ririse Taki, Shouichi Iiduka, Akira Satou
  • Patent number: 9959255
    Abstract: A system can stream content items and ad items to a user interface of a client-side application (such as a web browser) without refreshing the user interface and by requesting such items from a local cache and/or a remote cache associated with the client-side application or the user interface. The remote cache can operate much like a local cache for the client-side application or the user interface. Items can be streamed to a user interface without refreshing the user interface and by requesting such items from a remote cache dedicated to caching the items that can be presented by the user interface. Because the tracking of such items and the tracking of the interactions with such items creates such large amounts of data, communicating the tracked data may be impracticable without use of a system that can effectively compress associated instrumentation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Timothy Michael Tully
  • Patent number: 9959646
    Abstract: According to one aspect of an embodiment, an information display device includes a display unit that displays first content in a display region. The information display device includes a detection unit configured to detect a physical state of a terminal device. The information display device includes a display control unit configured to direct the display unit to display second new content in the display region while changing a display mode of the first content, on the basis of the detection result of the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chiemi Taki, Daisuke Kobayashi, Keisuke Kimura, Tatsuaki Suzuki, Kensuke Takada
  • Patent number: 9940575
    Abstract: As provided herein, a domain model, corresponding to a domain of an image, may be merged with a pre-trained fundamental model to generate a trained fundamental model. The trained fundamental model may comprise a feature description of the image converted into a binary code. Responsive to a user submitting a search query, a coarse image search may be performed, using a search query binary code derived from the search query, to identify a candidate group, comprising one or more images, having binary codes corresponding to the search query binary code. A fine image search may be performed on the candidate group utilizing a search query feature description derived from the search query. The fine image search may be used to rank images within the candidate group based upon a similarity between the search query feature description and feature descriptions of the one or more images within the candidate group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: JenHao Hsiao
  • Patent number: 9939277
    Abstract: A system and method generates and recommends a short and pleasant path between a source s and destination d in a geo-location such as a city or city center. The routes are not only short but emotionally pleasant, offering an engaging user experience, going beyond just showing paths on a map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Yahoo Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Luca Maria Aiello, Daniele Quercia, Rossano Schifanella
  • Patent number: 9940408
    Abstract: A trigger query obtaining apparatus includes a graph creating unit, a score calculation unit, a trigger query obtaining unit, and an output unit. The graph creating unit creates a minimal directed graph having nodes each corresponding to a search query included in one of two search logs, and a link directed from one node to another node. The score calculation unit calculates a score for each node of a directed graph composed of minimal directed graphs, using a seed query. The trigger query obtaining unit obtains a trigger query that is a search query corresponding to a node having a score that satisfies a condition. The output unit outputs the trigger query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sumio Fujita
  • Patent number: 9940372
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for automatically determining when to trigger instant search. In one technique, while a user is entering text to formulate a search query, and prior to receiving an indication that the user has completed formulation of the search query, a search assistant system determines the most popular queries that include the text the user has already entered. The search assistant system then determines whether to proactively provide, to the user, search results for the top-candidate of those completed queries. That determination may take into account factors such as whether the top-candidate qualifies as a dominant completed query, a richness metric determined for the search results for the particular completed query, and/or a satisfaction metric determined for the search results for the particular completed query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Shenhong Zhu, Kazuhiro Nakao, Zhongqiang Chen, Chun Ming Sze, Huming Wu, Farzin Maghoul
  • Patent number: 9935793
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to identifying entities in content, highlighting the identified entities, and displaying an interactive chat session based on a selected entity. The interactive chat session and the content may be displayed in the same browser window. The interactive chat session may be overlaid on top of the content, inserted inline into the content, or otherwise embedded within the content. The content and the interactive chat session may both remain active in the browser window, enabling a user to conveniently read and chat about the content. The topic of the interactive chat session may be automatically selected from a hierarchical taxonomy of chat session topics, or the user may select the topic from one or more provided taxonomies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Vadim Von Brzeski, Reiner Kraft
  • Patent number: 9922121
    Abstract: A search system includes a terminal apparatus and a server apparatus. The server apparatus includes a response unit configured to respond image information about a web page of a search result corresponding to the search query for a web search transmitted by the terminal apparatus to the terminal apparatus. The terminal apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive the image information about the web page of the search result from the server apparatus, and a display control unit configured to display the image information received by the receiving unit on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taketo Sano, Hiroyuki Soya
  • Patent number: 9924309
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for location tracking. In one embodiment, an apparatus receives a message sent to a user of a mobile device in a wireless network, and a processor determines at least one location parameter. Data is extracted from the message, and initiation of a computing function (e.g., transmission of a communication to the mobile device) is triggered by a match between the location and the data from the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Sol Lipman, David Robinson, Jeffrey Bonforte, Victor Chen
  • Patent number: 9924203
    Abstract: A delivery device according to the present disclosure includes a receiving unit and a delivering unit. The receiving unit receives a user attribute of a user using a space in which an output device is installed for each user. The delivering unit delivers content corresponding to the user to the output device for each user based on the user attribute received through the receiving unit. Thus, the delivery device the present disclosure can effectively use an output device installed for each user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sotaro Igarashi
  • Patent number: 9922096
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a web browser-based scheme for combining structured data, infographic definitions, and visual styling information to render infographics and aggregate collections of infographics, referred to herein as “Vizumes” and “Personas.” In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a relational database and/or a file system stores user data, infographic definitions, templates and palettes; combines these elements to produce individual infographic representations or a collection of infographic/visualizations (Vizumes) on a single canvas; allows users to choose different infographic visualizations of the same underlying data; and allows users to change the layout, font style, and color palette to instantly produce different visual presentations from the same data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Todd Silverstein, D. Eli Tucker, Jeff Cutler-Stamm
  • Patent number: 9916600
    Abstract: An auction apparatus according to the application includes a plan receiving unit and a providing unit. The plan receiving unit gradually receives plan information indicating a plan of content from a content creator who creates the content a plurality of times. The providing unit additionally presents the plan information which is gradually received by the plan receiving unit and provides an auction service in which a bid target is a right to display an advertisement in an advertising space set to the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Takata, Nobuyuki Akashi, Akira Tajima, Koji Tsukamoto, Nari Woo, Akihiro Tanabe, Shinichiro Sega, Rin Katou
  • Patent number: 9916309
    Abstract: One embodiment of a method for summarizing an electronic document includes splitting the electronic document into a plurality of terms, wherein each of the plurality of terms is associated with a respective length, a respective informativeness score, and a respective coherence score, automatically selecting a subset of the plurality of terms, such that an aggregate informativeness score of the subset is maximized while an aggregate length of the subset is less than or equal to a maximum length, and arranging the subset as a summary of the electronic document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Inderjeet Mani, Eugenio Ciurana, Nicholas D'Aloisio-Montilla, Bart K. Swanson
  • Patent number: 9916364
    Abstract: News search and browse experience is personalized based on user preferences. User attributes like a geographic location are obtained and news sources preferred by other users with attributes similar to those of a requesting user are identified. News sources that are popular across different user groups are eliminated and relevant news items from the remaining news sources are retrieved and presented to the requesting user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Srinivas Vadrevu, Su-Lin Wu, Ben Shahshahani
  • Patent number: 9910898
    Abstract: Systems and methods for building a latent item vector and item bias for a new item in a collaborative filtering system are disclosed. The method includes dividing incoming users into intervals with each interval having a learning phase and a selection phase. The learning phase scores each incoming user according to a best estimate latent vector and bias and saves the highest score. In the selection each incoming user is scored and a user exceeding the highest score is selected. The best estimate latent vector and bias is then updated based on the user's vector and bias, and the user's interaction with the item. The updated best estimate latent vector is then used in further intervals for learning and selecting users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Oren Shlomo Somekh, Michal Aharon, Shahar Golan, Noa Avigdor-Elgrabli, Dana Drachsler Cohen
  • Patent number: 9911223
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for improving interactions with and between computers in content generating, searching, hosting and/or providing systems supported by or configured with personal computing devices, servers and/or platforms. The systems interact to identify and retrieve data within or across platforms, which can be used to improve the quality of data used in processing interactions between or among processors in such systems. The disclosed systems and methods provide systems and methods for automatically extracting and creating an animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) file from a media file. The disclosed systems and methods identify a number of GIF candidates from a video file, and based on analysis of each candidate's attributes, features and/or qualities, at least one GIF candidate is automatically selected for rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Yale Song, Michael Gygli, Liangliang Cao
  • Patent number: 9912766
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for matching clicks of links on a webpage with page views by a user. The method may comprise identifying a link on a webpage requested by a client device, generating a link identifier for the link and attaching the link identifier to the link. Upon receiving a request for data associated with the link, the link identifier is stored in a log file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Yahoo Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Sunil Nagaraj, Nanda Kumar Jayakumar, Kian-Tat Lim, George Goldenberg, Adam Rosen, Joonsuk Bae
  • Patent number: 9912758
    Abstract: The present teaching relates to continuing a user session of an application from one device to another device. Information related to a first user session of a first application installed on a first device is received. The first user session information may indicate content and content presentation provided via the first application. A request, based on a pre-defined URL, for the first session information is received from a second device. Responsive to the request, the information related to the first user session is provided to the second device so that a second user session of a second application at the second device provides the same content in the same presentation as in the first user session. The first and second user sessions both may be associated with a same specific user identity, and the first and second applications have at least one common function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Ric Allinson
  • Patent number: 9904939
    Abstract: A system for targeting advertising can include a communications interface and a processor. The communications interface can receive data associated with times of use of applications. The processor can be communicatively coupled to the communications interface and can categorize the applications by genres. The categorization is within a time of use group and is based on at least part of the retrieved data. The processor can also determine priority values associated with the genres based on levels of use of the applications during a period of time associated with the time of use group. The processor can also identify a current time and determine an advertisement according to at least one genre of the genres. The at least one genre can be associated with a highest priority value of the determined priority values. The period associated with the time of use group can correspond to the identified current time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Yahoo Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Allie K. Watfa, Jonathan Kilroy, Dale Nussel, Anupam Seth
  • Patent number: 9905200
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for improving interactions with and between computers in content searching, generating, hosting and/or providing systems supported by or configured with personal computing devices, servers and/or platforms. The systems interact to identify and retrieve data within or across platforms, which can be used to improve the quality of data used in processing interactions between or among processors in such systems. The disclosed systems and methods provide systems and methods for automatically filtering a compressed media file for perceptual display of the media content in a modified, higher-resolution format. The disclosed systems and methods apply novel visual filtering techniques to a compressed media file that enable the display of the rendered media content to appear to be displayed as a modified, higher-resolution version of itself without actually modifying the compressed media file during rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Stein, Tony Ke, Vinay Pulim
  • Patent number: 9897449
    Abstract: A determination device includes a detection unit that detects acceleration. The determination device includes a setting unit that sets a reference direction based on the acceleration detected by the detection unit. The determination device includes an acquisition unit that acquires a characteristic amount based on acceleration in a direction with respect to the reference direction set by the setting unit. The determination device includes a determination unit that determines a traveling state of a terminal device by using the characteristic amount acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Munehiro Azami
  • Patent number: 9894025
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for email management. The disclosed systems and methods enable a user to follow messages and message conversations based on, but not limited to, a context of the received messages, content included in the messages, the sender of the messages, intended recipients of the message, and the like. Therefore, the present disclosure describes systems and methods for enabling a recipient user to follow messages, topics or other users from the recipient user's inbox. Accordingly, followed topics or messages from followed users can be grouped into message conversations within the recipient user's inbox. Whenever there is an update in a followed conversation, the recipient user will be notified. By determining which messages a user desires to follow, the disclosed systems and methods can identify the interests of users by leveraging information from the followed messages for advertising purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Janarthanam Ramalingam, Sudharsan Vasudevan
  • Patent number: 9892449
    Abstract: An information providing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a terminal information acquiring unit, a store information acquiring unit, and a sending unit. The terminal information acquiring unit acquires information on purchase planned products which is sent from a wireless terminal existing in a store in which a wireless LAN communication apparatus is installed, from the wireless LAN communication apparatus. The store information acquiring unit acquires information on sales products corresponding to the information on the purchase planned products which is acquired by the terminal information acquiring unit, from a store information storage unit which stores pieces of information on the sales products in the store. The sending unit sends the information on the sales products which is acquired by the store information acquiring unit to the wireless terminal through the wireless LAN communication apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taichi Ishikawa, Takayuki Tsuchiya, Hiroaki Mise
  • Patent number: 9887991
    Abstract: As provided herein, a first device may be registered as authorized to authenticate a user login into a service from a second device (e.g., a smart phone may be used to log the user into a webmail service on a computer without the user having to enter a password through the computer). Responsive to the user attempting to access the service through the second device, a login interface may be displayed on the first device. The user may confirm or deny that the user wants to log into the service on the second device, thus allowing the user to seamlessly log into the service on the second device (e.g., without entering a password) while mitigating unauthorized logins into the service from unknown devices. Further, the user may use the first device to delegate the authority to authenticate the user login into the service to one or more other devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Stephen Allinson, Chris Stoner, Manoj Palki
  • Patent number: 9886704
    Abstract: An advertisement distribution management apparatus in an embodiment includes a distribution management unit. The distribution management unit selectively executes a first operating mode selecting a distribution source apparatus of advertising content for an advertisement request from among the advertisement distribution apparatuses on the basis of a given condition and a second operating mode defining a specific advertisement distribution apparatus as the distribution source apparatus from among the advertisement distribution apparatuses depending on a user making the advertisement request. The distribution management unit further divides the users into a plurality of groups, and performs an assignment process assigning a plurality of time periods shifted from one another within a given period of time to the respective groups as the time periods of the second operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Tashiro, Shinichiro Sega, Naoki Ito
  • Patent number: 9881059
    Abstract: Systems and methods for recommending headlines of an article are disclosed. A topic for the article may be chosen based on the article and an original headline. Trending words within the topic that are related to the article are identified and suggested for inclusion in a revised headline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Amin Mantrach, Alejandro Jaimes
  • Patent number: 9880702
    Abstract: In one example, a content navigation interface apparatus includes display logic for displaying selections for accessing a first entry of a content structure and a second entry of the content structure, wherein the second entry is a sub-entry of the first entry. The apparatus further including selection logic for determining the second entry for display based on a user characteristic (e.g., history, user profile, etc.). The first entry may be associated with a first level of a hierarchical content structure, and the second entry associated with a second level of the hierarchical content structure. In one example, the first entry is associated with a broad content category and the second entry associated with content, such as a media object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Torsten Both, Christian Lindholm, Bernd Scheibe, Torsten Schulz
  • Patent number: 9875317
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing content on a webpage includes rendering a webpage having a plurality of page areas. Each of the plurality of page areas is associated with an entity having display content. Selection of one of the plurality of page areas is detected. The selection causes a landing page to be rendered in place of the webpage. A return to the webpage from the landing page is detected. In response to the return, the selected page area of the webpage is modified to include at least one additional entity having associated display content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Yahoo Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Sudharsan Vasudevan, Supreeth Rao, Utkarsh Shrivastava
  • Patent number: 9875512
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a set of tags associated with a media item may be ascertained. One or more of a plurality of individuals may be identified based, at least in part, upon the set of tags associated with the media item and a plurality of sets of sharing preferences, each one of the plurality of sets of sharing preferences being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of individuals and indicating tags for which media items are to be automatically shared with the corresponding one of the plurality of individuals. Information pertaining to the media item may be shared with the identified individuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Yahoo Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerry Pesavento, Andrew Stadlen
  • Patent number: 9864593
    Abstract: When a server receives a request for an information payload from a remote device, the server may determine the device's type and identify an optionally-installable application that can be used to access the information payload on devices of that type. When the optionally-installable application is not installed on the remote device, the server may store a identifier for the remote device and send the device a redirection message via which the device can obtain and install the application. Subsequently, when the server receives an installation indication from the application executing on a remote device, the server may identify the device as having recently been redirected to install the application and store or update a record indicating that an application-installation event occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Jesse Chor
  • Patent number: 9864999
    Abstract: The technologies described herein identify multiple electronic devices belonging to the same group. A computer system receives, from network accessing applications of a plurality of electronic devices, internet protocol (IP) trajectory information about the network accessing applications via a network. The IP trajectory information includes a user identifier, a list of IP addresses associated with each of the network accessing applications, and timestamps specifying times each of the network accessing applications accesses the network. The computer system identifies and removes commercial IP addresses from the list of IP addresses, analyzes IP trajectory information to retrieve a most commonly used IP address for each of the network accessing applications during a certain period, and determines that different network accessing applications belong to the same group if the most commonly used IP addresses for the different network accessing applications are the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: YAHOO HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Hao Cheng, Rohit Chandra, Jimmy Yang