Patents Examined by Luke S Wassum
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Patent number: 8015184Abstract: A search-enabled remote control device to facilitate viewers' ability to search through programming and/or content options and view results. In one embodiment, a viewer is able to use a traditional remote control interface to navigate through menus or selections and to display search results on screen. In another embodiment, a viewer's watching behavior and/or searching habits are tracked by the search-enabled remote control and used to develop a viewer profile, which may in turn be used to target advertisements, information and/or future programming options.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2005Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.Inventors: David Zito, Joseph Essas
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Patent number: 8001133Abstract: A method of managing a contact list in a communication system includes: a) in response to user manipulation, generating a contact identification (ID) representing a contact person in the communication system, and presenting the contact ID on the contact list; b) keeping track of a contact frequency between the user and the contact person; c) selecting an attribute in accordance with the contact frequency; and d) presenting the attribute on the contact list, such that the attribute is associated with the contact ID. An apparatus for managing a contact list in a communication system is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2008Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: E-Ten Information Systems Co., LtdInventor: Po-Chun Chen
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Patent number: 7996444Abstract: A system and method is provided for XML query processing includes an execution compiler for transforming an XML query into an executable XML query plan. A query rewrite processor performs query transformation on the XML query, the query transformations including transforming an XPath within said XML Query into a pre-filter. The XML query is then transformed into a transformed XML query which includes the pre-filter.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2008Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Normen Seemann
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Patent number: 7991783Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for supporting storage functions using an embedded database management system. The apparatus includes a disk controller configured to receive input/output (I/O) requests from a host, an embedded database management system module, and a conversion module configured to translate the input/output requests into database requests and communicate the database requests with the embedded database management system module. The system may include the apparatus, a network, and a plurality of storage devices coupled to the network and configured to store data. The method includes receiving input/output (I/O) requests from a host, translating the input/output requests into database requests, communicating the database requests with an embedded database management system module, and executing the database requests.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2004Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: John Thomas Flynn, Jr., Balakrishna Raghavendra Iyer
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Patent number: 7987189Abstract: A full text indexing system is provided for processing content associated with data applications such as encyclopedia and dictionary applications. A build process collects data from various sources, processes the data into constituent parts, including alternative word sets, and stores the constituent parts in structured database tables. A run-time process is used to query the database tables and the results in order to provide effective matches in an efficient manner. Run-time processing is optimized by preprocessing all steps that are query-independent during the build process. A double word table representing all possible word pair combinations for each index entry and an alternative word table are used to further optimize runtime processing.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2007Date of Patent: July 26, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Christopher Walter Anderson, Harish Jayanti
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Patent number: 7987156Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are provided for taking snapshots of a storage volume. According to aspects of one method, each snapshot is represented as a unique sequence number. Every fresh write access to a volume in a new snapshot lifetime is allocated a new section in the disk, called a provision, which is labeled with the sequence number. Read-modify-write operations are performed on a sub-provision level at the granularity of a chunk. Because each provision contains chunks with valid data and chunks with invalid data, a bitmap is utilized to identify the valid and invalid chunks with each provision. Provisions corresponding to different snapshots are arranged in a linked list. Branches from the linked list can be created for storing writable snapshots. Provisions may also be deleted and rolled back by manipulating the contents of the linked lists.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2008Date of Patent: July 26, 2011Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventors: Paresh Chatterjee, Vijayarankan Muthirisavenugopal, Srikumar Subramanian, Ajit Narayanan
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Patent number: 7984049Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing ranking services. In one aspect, first signals are received from a first subscriber, and second signals are received from a second subscriber. The signals include information characterizing individual user actions relating to individual ones of first or second resources, respectively, values for one or more predefined parameters, and values for one or more first subscriber-specific parameters that are specific to the first or second subscriber, respectively. First ranking data is generated from the first signals, but not from values for any subscriber-specific parameter that is not a subscriber-specific parameter for the first subscriber. Second ranking data is generated from the second signals, but not from values for any subscriber-specific parameter that is not a subscriber-specific parameter for the second subscriber.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2007Date of Patent: July 19, 2011Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Lawrence Wen-Kai Shih, Adam Sah, Daniel S. Tarlow, Beverly Yang, Ryohei Takahashi, Christopher Rohrs
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Patent number: 7979430Abstract: A method and apparatus includes a portable electronic memory storage device and a plurality of exhibitor computers, each having at least one specifically identified electronic uploadable file and a port adapted to selectively interface with the portable device. When a portable device engages a port, electronic content corresponding to the port is uploaded from the computer to the portable device. In another embodiment, data from the portable device, such as demographic data, is also downloaded to the exhibitor computer.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2006Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Viridistor, LLCInventor: Terence J. Mullin
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Patent number: 7974972Abstract: A system that automatically discerning the best combinations of a user query's geographical origin and language, retrieving and displaying search results accordingly. A record on the system are associated with a geographic location and a language. A record could be composed of two or more records, each of which associates with a location and a language. A record could be in rich media format.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2009Date of Patent: July 5, 2011Assignee: Platformation, Inc.Inventor: Yu Cao
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Patent number: 7970768Abstract: A full text indexing system is provided for processing content associated with data applications such as encyclopedia and dictionary applications. A build process collects data from various sources, processes the data into constituent parts, including alternative word sets, and stores the constituent parts in structured database tables. A run-time process is used to query the database tables and the results in order to provide effective matches in an efficient manner. Run-time processing is optimized by preprocessing all steps that are query-independent during the build process. A double word table representing all possible word pair combinations for each index entry and an alternative word table are used to further optimize runtime processing.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2007Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Christopher Walter Anderson, Harish Jayanti
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Patent number: 7962511Abstract: A statistical patent rating method and system is provided for independently assessing the relative breadth (“B”), defensibility (“D”) and commercial relevance (“R”) of individual patent assets and other intangible intellectual property assets. The invention provides new and valuable information that can be used by patent valuation experts, investment advisors, economists and others to help guide future patent investment decisions, licensing programs, patent appraisals, tax valuations, transfer pricing, economic forecasting and planning, and even mediation and/or settlement of patent litigation lawsuits. In one embodiment the invention provides a statistically-based patent rating method and system whereby relative ratings or rankings are generated using a database of patent information by identifying and comparing various characteristics of each individual patent to a statistically determined distribution of the same characteristics within a given patent population.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2003Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: PatentRatings, LLCInventor: Jonathan A. Barney
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Patent number: 7958099Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of displaying several types of messages all together through a single window and of enabling a user to write and transmit a message with no consideration of message type. This unified message management method displays various types of messages all together along with their respective message types through a single window, converts the type of a written message, if needed, to match it to a protocol determined based on information written in its field distinguishing a message type, and transmits the type-converted message, whereby a user can confirm all types of received messages at a time and user's inconvenience that a message type to write should be distinguished in advance prior to choosing a message input screen can be removed.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2009Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Yun Gyu Kang, Byung Hak Jung, Yong Soo Shin, Su Young Pan, Sang Bum Kim, Seung Ho Lee
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Patent number: 7953219Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus (100) for capturing and analyzing customer interactions, the apparatus comprising a multi-segment interaction capture device (324), an initial set up and calibration device (326), a pre-processing and context extraction device (328) and a rule-based analysis engine (300).Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2002Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Nice Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Ilan Freedman, Yair Dolev, Talia Falik, Oren Pereg, Moshe Waserblat, Gili Aharoni, Eytan Bar, Shai Shermister, Lior Arussy, Yifat Meidav
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Patent number: 7949675Abstract: A method of retrieving data from any one of a plurality of data sources is disclosed. The data stored by each data source are arranged according to an associated data format. The method comprises: issuing a retrieval request for data stored on a designated one of the plurality of data sources to a control process; passing the retrieval request from the control process to the one a plurality of retrieval processes that is associated with the designated data source, said one of the retrieval processes retrieving the requested data from the designated data source and rearranging the retrieved data into a common output format, if it is not already in the common output format; and passing the data in the common output format to the control process.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2005Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Oracle International CorporationInventors: Chris Evans, Martin Hogg, Paul Harry, Tony Barrett-Powell
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Patent number: 7945592Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for managing transactions in a telecommunications network. The method includes creating an XML transaction detail file. At least one transaction detail record is stored in the XML transaction detail file in response to a telecommunications transaction. The at least one transaction detail record includes transaction data corresponding to the telecommunications transaction.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2002Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLCInventor: John Kenneth Gallant
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Patent number: 7941454Abstract: Event-generation metadata is used to control the run-time environment of a system implementing a component architecture. A service provider program (40,100) implementing a component architecture is provided with event-generation functions that are configurable by the metadata to generate and send events. The metadata can be implemented as properties of an EJB deployment descriptor associated with a program component (30) for configuring event generation functions of an EJB container (40), to generate and send events to an events service (110). The events can be used to monitor processing of an application.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2004Date of Patent: May 10, 2011Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Amanda E. Chessell
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Patent number: 7941412Abstract: The invention concerns the presentation of evidentiary information on computer generated interfaces within secure user groups. For example presenting evidence a courtroom to the judge, witness and legal representatives of the plaintiff and defendant simultaneously on computer display screens. All presenting of evidence is done using a website interface where each user logs in and their log in provides them with functionalities that reflect their role in the legal proceedings. The invention makes presenting evidence easier by allowing evidence to be ordered, facilitating private data, being able to hold on to evidence or to cause evidence to be presented to a particular user or team of users. Aspects of the invention include a set of interfaces, computer systems, methods and application software.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2007Date of Patent: May 10, 2011Inventors: Monica Mary Dunne, Ian Chivers
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Patent number: 7933919Abstract: One-pass sampling is employed within a hierarchically organized structure to efficiently and expeditiously respond to sensor inquires. Identification of relevant sensors and sampling of those sensors is combined and performed in a single pass. Oversampling can also be employed to ensure a target sample size is met where some sensors fail or are otherwise unavailable. Further yet, sensor data can be cached and utilized to hasten processing as well as compensate for occasional sensor unavailability.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2007Date of Patent: April 26, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Suman Kumar Nath
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Patent number: 7933867Abstract: A database system includes a storage to store a view containing results of a cube-based operation on at least one base table, with the view containing a first result set for a group-by on a first grouping set, and a second result set for a group-by on a second grouping set. In response to a change to the at least one base table, a controller updates the first result set by computing a change to the first result set based on a change in the at least one base table, and updates the second result set by computing a change to the second result set based on the change to the first result set.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2003Date of Patent: April 26, 2011Assignee: Teradata US, Inc.Inventors: Hong Gui, Ambuj Shatdal, Curt J. Ellmann
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Patent number: 7933890Abstract: Web pages of a Website may be processed to improve search results. For example, information likely to pertain to more than just the Web page it is directly associated with may be identified. One or more other, related, Web pages that such information is likely to pertain to is also identified. The identified information is associated with the identified other Web page(s) and this association is saved in a way to affect a search result score of the Web page(s).Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2006Date of Patent: April 26, 2011Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Daniel Egnor, Paul Haahr, Kevin Lacker, John Lamping, Amitabh K. Singhal, Ke Yang