Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of augmenting a telecommunications call, the method comprising detecting a telecommunications call event at a user telecommunications device 10; selecting an item of media content 101, the item of media content 101 being associated with a uniform resource identifier or URI; augmenting the call with the item of media content 101; detecting a user interaction with the item of media content 101; and on termination of the call, performing an action in dependence on the resource identified by the URI. The invention extends to a corresponding system and apparatus.

Abstract: Personalized electronic content is generated for display on a user computer. The content is generated by first matching a targeted user online identifier to one of a plurality of user online identifiers associated with a master ID in a database. Using online user behavior associated with the user online identifiers of the master ID, a preliminary set of personalized electronic content is generated. A set of content usage parameters is applied to the preliminary set of personalized electronic content to define the personalized electronic content, which is then transmitted and displayed on a user computer. The personalized electronic content may comprise targeted advertisement utilized to populate a webpage or an email template defined by an online marketing campaign.

Abstract: Systems and methods for applying a promotion to a payment transaction originating at a point of sale system of a merchant are described. Transactional information is provided to an acquirer computing system of the merchant. Based on identifying indicia associated with the transactional information, the acquirer computing system determines whether to modify the payment transaction messaging before communicating it along to an issuer computing system.

Abstract: Advertising impressions are collected and a block in a block chain is created for each impression or a set of impressions. Each block includes a hash of a preceding block in the block chain. The block chain may be traversed to analyze advertising impressions and determine their effectiveness. Advertising content may include embedded code that invokes transmission of a notification to a server. The server creates a block in response to the notification that includes data such as the advertising content (or a reference to it), attributes of a target consumer, information regarding an advertising campaign, and/or other data describing the advertising impression.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for operating an online on-demand service platform. The systems may perform the methods to: determine one or more recommendation rules for one or more activities for recommending to one or more candidate users; determine, for each of the one or more activities, one or more preset objects for the activity to achieve on the one or more candidate users; determine, for each of the one or more activities, a completion probability that each of the one or more candidate users will complete the one or more preset objects of the activity; and determine, for each of the one or more activities, at least one target user from the one or more candidate users to send a notice of the activity based on the one or more completion probabilities and the one or more recommendation rules.

Abstract: The technologies described herein serve contextually relevant advertisements under a guaranteed advertisement campaign. A publisher retrieves a guaranteed advertisement campaign related to a webpage available for serving an advertisement, and identifies a set of advertisements relating to the guaranteed advertisement campaign. Advertisement selecting circuitry of the publisher determines whether an advertisement that is contextually relevant to content published at the webpage is present in the set of advertisements. If there is no contextually relevant advertisement in the set of advertisements, the advertisement selecting circuitry selects an alternative advertisement from the set of advertisements that minimizes an under-delivery risk related to the guaranteed advertisement campaign. If there is a contextually relevant advertisement in the set of advertisements, the advertisement selecting circuitry selects the contextually relevant advertisement.

Abstract: An example apparatus includes a memory to store a usage profile representative of actual portable device usage by persons having similar usage characteristics, the usage profile indicative of accesses to different types of media. The example apparatus further includes a processor to control at least one of a portable device or an emulator to access at least one of media or data when the processor simulates usage of the portable device based on the accesses to the different types of media indicated in the usage profile, detect an advertisement presented via the portable device or the emulator in response to the simulated usage of the portable device, and generate information about portable device advertising based on the detected advertisement.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided and operates as a managing server that distributes incentive using transfer device information with respect to content. A communication unit receives inter-device transfer information with respect to output content from an information providing device, the information being in the form of device identifiers for at least the information providing device and one or more user devices that executed content transfers. A controller then executes processing to designate the incentive recipients as being the device managers associated with the acquired device identifiers. In so doing, incentive can be distributed to the managers or users of user devices that relay content between an information providing device and a product purchaser.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for tracking the flow of user information over a network may include (i) recording user information transmitted from a user's computing device, (ii) identifying at least one third-party communication that utilizes at least a portion of the user information, (iii) deriving communication metadata from the third-party communication, (iv) generating, based on the communication metadata and the recorded user information, an information flow report that describes (A) the user information that was transmitted over the network connection, (B) at least one third-party communication that utilized elements of the user information, and (C) at least one element of user information utilized by the third-party communication, and (v) providing the information flow report to the user via a graphical user interface (GUI). Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for optimizing target content on a search results webpage includes receiving source code defining the webpage from a search engine server. The method further includes processing the source code to identify a target source code block in the source code, the target source code block defining, at least partially, the target content. The method further includes processing the target source code block to determine a relative metric for the target content with respect to a layout of the search results webpage. Thereafter, the relative metric may be utilized to optimize advertising expenditures in order to improve a relative position of the target content.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods related providing city services, such as parking, are described. Methods and apparatus for providing parking rewards programs are described. The methods and apparatus can include maintaining accounts for participants in the rewards program, tracking purchases of parking and other participant activities and determining parking awards based upon the activities. The parking rewards programs can be used to incentivize behaviors that balance the use of the parking space commodity according to the needs of different stakeholders, such as the city, residents, merchants and visitors. For example, parking awards and the criteria used for earning awards can be used to encourage particular behaviors while a parking space is being utilized, such as shopping, the use of public transportation or efficient trip planning.

Abstract: A media content processing method comprises submission of a broadcast to the computer or server of a receiving entity, which is coded in a neutral manner such that the creator and related identifying information is not identifiable for several purposes. The material is reviewed based on qualitative evaluation thereof by a plurality of independent reviewers who do not have access to the identifying information, and some of the material is selected based on the qualitative evaluation of the reviewers. The selected material is broadcast according to a predetermined schedule, and may also be placed in a content library for viewer access. Advertising is associated with the material selected during the broadcast thereof to generate revenue. The creator of the work is paid based on the revenues generated by the advertising associated with the material.

Abstract: A device may broadcast content (e.g., using Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), evolved MBMS (eMBMS), or Cell Broadcast Service (CBS)); determine that a user device has received the content; determine analytics information regarding the user device; identify, based on the analytics information, personalized content for the user device; and output, to the user device, the personalized content. The user device may receive the broadcasted content; present the broadcasted content; output an indication that the broadcasted content is being presented; receive the personalized content that was generated based on the outputted indication; and present the personalized content in conjunction with the broadcasted content.

Abstract: When a user moves into a geographical region around a location, a notification is sent to the user computing device regarding gameplay and an associated incentive related to a merchant location. The user enters the merchant location and a game server generates augmented reality (AR) data for the computing device to use in playing a game at the merchant location. The camera of the computing device captures interior views of the merchant location and a game instance on the computing device uses those images in generation of an AR game at the user computing device related to the merchant. Upon successful completion of the game play, the user receives an incentive or award. The merchant may use an application program interface (API) hosted by the game server to allow specifying game conditions and related awards.

Abstract: A creative brief schema is described. A service provider system, such as a creative service provider system, supports the creation of digital content in connection with digital content creation projects by employing the creative brief schema. Initially, the service provider system defines the schema as a set of rules for controlling configuration of creative briefs to register digital content creation projects. The service provider system provides service to support digital content creation based on the data included in the creative briefs. For instance, the service provider system provides service by leveraging the descriptive data configured according to the set of rules defined by the schema, which specify particular attributes that are to be instantiated to describe digital content creation projects. Examples of these attributes include a brief identifier, a brief name, associated products or services, creative spend, expected performance, audience demographics, delivery channels, mood, and so forth.

Abstract: A system and method of processing, within a single procedure, cash equivalents and fix assets from any disposition class. The method includes identifying the benefactor and asset to be donation. Once identified, the asset is classified into one of three disposition classes. The disposition classes are used to determine the value for valuing. Once the value is determined, an impact statement is generated. Depending on the disposition class, the item is either converted to funds directly or through an intermediary. Once the item is converted to funds, the funds are transferred to the identified benefactor.

Abstract: Technologies for providing consumer loyalty to merchants are provided. Payment transactions are monitored based on communications received from point of sale systems of merchants. Based on loyalty-based rules for the merchant, the purchase transaction can be modified to provide a stored benefit to the consumer. Tracking loyalty-based activity based on payment transactions can reduce the necessity for consumer involvement or registration with a merchant's loyalty program while increasing a merchant's ability to provide the consumer in meaningful marketing engagements.

Abstract: In an example, a processing system of a database system may be configured to, responsive to receiving a request originating from a member of a web clipping service, insert first data associated with a clip selection of the request into a personalized online space corresponding to the member and retain second data that is different than the first data into an aggregated pool of data associated with a plurality of members of the web clipping service. The processing device may be configured to pair an advertisement of a plurality of advertisements with a resource of a plurality of resources responsive to an analysis of the aggregated pool of data, and store an association between the advertisement of the pair and the resource of the pair in a memory device.

Abstract: A facility for processing a search query is described. The facility identifies one or more items that satisfy the query, at least one of which is a media sequence. For each identified media sequence, the facility identifies an advertising message based upon the contents of the query. In response to the query, the facility returns a search result that indicates the identified items. When one of the identified media sequences is selected in the search result, the selected media sequence is provided in conjunction with the advertising message identified for it.

Abstract: A system and method are described for n alternate mobile payment service. The system includes a server computer for enrolling and storing user account information. The server computer is also capable of generating a unique one-time-use identifier for use during a transaction. The one-time-use identifier is returned to user as an electronic coupon which may be in the form of a two-dimensional barcode. The coupon may be used at a merchant location to complete a transaction. When the barcode is scanned it may processed similar to a credit/debit/prepaid card payment.