Abstract: In a method for communicating information about a service or product, a record can be retrieved from a database storing records of communications related to a second entity. The record can include information related to an identity of a first entity. The first entity can be defined, at a processor and based upon content of the record, as a member of a set designated to be sent the information about the product or service. The first entity can have previously engaged in a first communication related to the second entity. The second entity can be associated with the product or service. A second communication, which can include the information related to the identity of the first identity, can be sent from the processor to an advertising platform. A third communication, which can include the information about the product or service, can be sent from the processor to the advertising platform.

Abstract: A historical-data module may retrieve historical prices and/or sales numbers for products at a presently-relevant, historical reference time and at other times in an interval encompassing the reference time. A comparison module may generate relative price values and/or sales-number values by comparing prices and/or sales numbers at the reference time to those at other times in the interval for various products. A selection module may select a subset of products with a favorable weighted combination of relative price values and/or sales-number values for a product report presented over a communication network, potentially with a graph of historical prices for the products. Information about a viewer of the product report may further tailor the report. Viewer information may include signals of product interest identified in social-networking posts by natural language processing, viewer search and/or purchase data, the viewer's relations in a social graph of a social networking platform, and/or geo-targeting.

Abstract: In some examples, a payment processing system may send, based on transaction information received from a plurality of merchant devices, an incentive for a first merchant to whom financing has been provided, to achieve a performance target during a specified time period. For instance, the incentive may include a proposed modification to repayment terms for the financing to be implemented if the merchant achieves the performance target during the specified time period. The system may track transactions processed for the first merchant during the specified time period. Based on the tracking, the system may determine that the merchant has achieved the performance target during the specified time period for receiving the incentive, and may implement the modification of the repayment terms for the financing for the first merchant.

Abstract: Methods and systems described in this disclosure can identify, from a social media listening device, content items posted by a plurality of users, where each of the content items is associated with a social handle. Each of the content items can be mapped to a user identifier associated with a user or a potential user of a service using the social handle. A subset of the mapped content items can be created by selecting the mapped content items that correspond to an event based on content. The mapped content items are then categorized based on the corresponding events in the content items. Service or product opportunity leads can be determined from the mapped and categorized content items.

Abstract: An example method involves a computing device: receiving point-of-view (POV) image data that is generated by an image capture device of a head-mountable device (HMD); using one or more real-world aspects detected in the POV image data as a basis for determining a context of the HMD; making a threshold determination as to whether or not the context of the HMD is appropriate for display of media content in the HMD; and when it is determined that the context is appropriate for display of media content in the HMD, then: (a) selecting first media content for display at the HMD, wherein the first media content is selected based at least in part on a combination of the determined context and a user-profile associated with the HMD; and (b) sending an indication to play out the first media content at the HMD.

Abstract: A method provides personalized recommendations to a mobile device associated with a user. The method includes obtaining an event log from the one or more sensors embedded in the mobile device associated with the user. The event log is analyzed by a processor of the present invention to identify one or more attributes associated with the surroundings of the mobile device. A method selects one or more recommendations to be sent to the mobile device associated with the user. In additional embodiments, methods record the response received to the recommendations and using the recorded responses to further select more personalized recommendations.

Abstract: Methods and systems for authenticated supplemental content delivery are disclosed herein. The systems can include a first requestor and a second requestor. The system can include a plurality of networked servers. The plurality of networked servers can: receive a first supplemental content request including a digital certificate from the first requestor; determine the inclusion of the digital certificate in the first supplemental content request; validate the digital certificate; determine a supplemental content class from a set of supplemental content classes based on the digital certificate; select first supplemental content based on: the determined supplemental content class; and provide the selected first supplemental content in an electronic form to the first requestor.

Abstract: A POS terminal (code reading device) according to one example embodiment of the present invention includes: a code reading unit that reads information of a code based on a reflected light from the code attached to an item; and a discount processing unit that makes a discount of the item when the information of the code is not read by using a first light being irradiated on the code and the information of the code is read by using a second light being irradiated on the code, wherein the second light is different from the first light.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing advanced programmatic advertising targeting. In one embodiment, a system includes a storage medium to store instructions of one or more performance based algorithms and processing logic coupled to the storage medium. In response to receiving a function call from an advertising entity, the processing logic is configured to execute the instructions of the one or more performance based algorithms to analyze parameters of the function call including an advertising cost budget for an ad campaign and analyze advanced targeting data and parameters and rules for determining a customized ad campaign for the advertising entity. The advanced targeting data and parameters include device characteristics and user characteristics including at least one of conversion rate, ad engagement rate, installed software application (app) type on a user's device, and in-app purchase (IAP) activity of a user from any ad source.

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to automatically determining a discount for an item. In some embodiments, a system comprises an item database including information about a plurality of items, a control circuit configured to determine substitute items, calculate a score indicative of how similar a substitute item is to an item, determine a group of substitute items including items for which the score is above a threshold, determine a list of negotiable items, generate a user interface including the list of negotiable items, receive selection of one of the items from the list of negotiable items, determine the discount for the one of the items, and update the user interface to present the discount for the one of the items, a display device configured to present the user interface, and the user input device configured to receive the selection of the one of the items.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing programmatic creation and modification of advertising services including advertising campaigns. In one embodiment, a system includes an advertising campaign framework having one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) and software components that include one or more software programs and software code libraries. A storage medium stores instructions of the one or more APIs and software components. Processing logic is coupled to the storage medium. The processing logic is configured to execute the instructions of the one or more APIs and software components to receive a function call from an ad campaign software of an advertising entity, to provide a set of functionality for programmatically creating an ad campaign and programmatically modifying an ad campaign, and to generate a response that is sent to the ad campaign software of the advertising entity.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing communications to devices with a customized adaptive user experience. In one embodiment, a system includes a storage medium to store one or more software programs and a format and targeting builder unit to create and edit customizable ad formats and create target user segments. The system includes processing logic that is configured to execute instructions of at least one software program of the format and targeting builder module to receive biometric data from devices of users and provide the options of custom scripting for creating and editing ad formats and targeting user segments with different categories.

Abstract: A method for identifying a dynamic checkout button with a contextual offer includes: storing, a plurality of offer data entries, each including display data, a wallet identifier, and a merchant identifier; receiving a page request from an external server, the page request including a specific merchant identifier and a device identifier; receiving a data file from a computing device corresponding to the device identifier, the data file including a specific wallet identifier; identifying a specific offer data entry where the included wallet identifier corresponds to the specific wallet identifier and where the included merchant identifier corresponds to the specific merchant identifier; identifying an image file associated with the specific wallet identifier, wherein the image file includes at least the display data included in the specific offer data entry; and transmitting the identified image file to the external server in response to the page request.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a query, receiving a set of social search results including one or more social media items that have been distributed through one or more computer-implemented services, each social media item being responsive to the query, providing a sub-set of social search results based on respective promotion scores provided in an auction, the sub-set of social search results including at least one social media item of the set of social search results, and providing the sub-set of social search results for display in a search results page, social media items of the sub-set of social search results being displayed based on respective promotion scores.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using wireless beacons in point of purchase (“POP”) displays to facilitate the delivery of consumer oriented content to mobile devices is disclosed. Wireless beacons may be used to broadcast wireless signals from POP displays, where the wireless signals include data packets with unique identifiers for the wireless beacons. The wireless signals may be received by mobile devices. A remote server may communicate with the mobile device and provide the mobile device with up-to-date content associated with the POP displays. Wireless data collection devices (such as network gateways) may be used to receive data packets from the wireless beacons provide the data packets to the remote server. Accelerometers may be used on the wireless data collection devices to assess movement of the devices. Movement data for the devices may be used to determine reprogramming of the devices after the devices are moved.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to offering a discounted product requested by a buyer, with offer parameters determined as a function of the discounted product request, in response to detecting a predetermined product demand characteristic, and at a location, time, and discount based on the offer. In an illustrative example, offer parameters may include quantity, location, or time. The product request may be, for example, a request for a discounted product quantity at a requested location and time. In some examples, the product demand characteristic may be demand as a function of time. The discounted product may be provided at a time and location based on a discount code generated for the product. Various examples may advantageously increase revenue limited by off-peak hour and end of day demand characteristics, for example, offering products discounted in response to demand inadequate to consume time-valued inventory and/or to better utilize operation capacity, so that the seller may increase profit.

Abstract: Methods and systems for person-to-person reward currency redemption involve, for example, receiving a request to redeem of reward currency of a reward currency holder as a direct deposit of cash to a deposit account of a recipient using a processor coupled to memory; converting the reward currency to an amount of cash based on a predefined conversion rate likewise using the processor; and also using the processor, transferring the amount of cash to the deposit account of the recipient.

Abstract: Methods and systems herein may help to provide an advertisement marketplace for advertisements that are valued according to gaze data from wearable computing devices.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide code that enables online content providers the ability to better monetize the visits of bounce visitors using display advertisement. The code is embedded in the landing site of a particular content provider. When the landing site is first loaded, the code creates two entries for the landing site in the browser history unbeknownst to the user with the second entry comprising a forwarded fragment of the landing site that allows the code to continue to run. When the user invokes the browser back button, the code detects the invocation. Rather than transition the user from the second entry of the landing site to the first entry, the code retrieves and displays an advertisement. A second invocation of the browser back button then causes the user access a site of a different content provider that was accessed prior to the landing site of the particular content provider.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for providing advertising services to devices with a customized adaptive user experience. In one embodiment, a system includes a user interface (UI) configurator to provide a custom scripting framework to create and edit customizable ad formats for display on a device. The ad system receives an ad request from the device with the ad request including different types of information including publisher settings of a selected software application on the device, an application id to identify the selected software application, placement information for timing placement of at least one ad or interstitial ad to be displayed on the device. The ad system processes the ad request to determine an ad format and timing placement of the at least one ad or interstitial ad based on the information contained in the ad request.