Abstract: Accessing a schema-free database includes constructing a model indicating a structure for the data to be used by applications accessing the data, validating the model based on the structure and on the data stored in the schema-free database, providing an API based on the structure, and accessing the database using the API. The model may be constructed by extracting data structure information from a program. The program may be written in the Ruby programming language or the Python programming language. The API may be a RESTful API.

Abstract: Methods, devices, systems, and computer program products for in-ad messaging are provided. For example, a mobile device displays an advertisement with a built-in messaging area to a user of a mobile app. While the user is in a context of the mobile app, the mobile device receives user input via the messaging area of the advertisement, and in response, sends a first text-based message to an advertising server associated with the advertisement without affecting the context of the mobile app. In response to sending the text-based message, the mobile device receives a response from the advertising server over a push-notification channel of the mobile app and displays a second text-based message to the user via the messaging area.

Abstract: Accessing a schema-free database includes constructing a model indicating a structure for the data to be used by applications accessing the data, validating the model based on the structure and on the data stored in the schema-free database, providing an API based on the structure, and accessing the database using the API. The model may be constructed by extracting data structure information from a program. The program may be written in the Ruby programming language or the Python programming language. The API may be a RESTful API.

Abstract: A collaborative search system enables collaborative web searches by customer support agents or other user groups with common information needs. When a solution to a technical support problem is not found in the knowledgebase, customer support agents may conduct searches on the Internet to find a solution. A search history database is used to maintain a record of web searches conducted by customer support agents. Users may recommend web pages providing solutions to technical support problems. When a new search is conducted, it is compared to previous searches stored in the search history database and recommended web pages associated with similar queries representing the same or similar information need are output to the user. The collaborative search system enables customer support agents to more quickly find solutions to technical support problems and to recommend web pages providing solutions to those technical support problems to other persons in the technical support community.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for expanding a search query that fails to full specify an information need. When a current search query from a user is received, a set of candidate search query patterns are identified based on the keywords in the search query. One or more missing components in the candidate patterns are identified. The search query is expanded to include keywords corresponding at least one of the missing components in one of the candidate search query patterns.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for naming a query cluster. Previous search queries performed by a group of users are stored in a search history database. The search queries in the search history database are grouped to form one or more query clusters. For each query cluster, keywords from the search queries in the query cluster are selected. A naming template is then selected from a group of pre-defined naming templates based on the selected keywords. A cluster name is generated by applying the selected template to the selected keywords.

Abstract: A computer-based system automates the production of so-called pass-images (or just “passes”) from data defining 3-D scenes. For example, a beauty pass of a selected object shows the normal surface appearance without any background or other objects. A shadow pass shows only selected shadows and a highlight pass, only selected highlights. The passes allow pixel-processing to be done efficiently. The processed passes can then be combined (“composited”) to form the finished image. In the past, these passes were produced by editing a copy of the 3-D scene for each pass and rendering the edited copy. The invention automates the production of passes by filtering the 3-D scene through pre-specified pass definitions that override properties of the 3-D scenes. The results of filtering are rendered (rendering largely comprises the process of ray-tracing) to form the passes. The system stores numerous pass definitions.

Abstract: A method for creating a structured privacy policy the method comprising the steps of accessing a database containing data to be privatized; determining for specified data how that data is to be shared; and generating an XML based document describing how the data is to be shared, the document defining the privacy policy.

Abstract: An authoring system provides a realistic rendering that may be updated and displayed continuously while simultaneously allowing full access to all authoring tools. The system is an enhancement to an authoring environment for 3D modeling. The rendering is incorporated in the authoring environment in a way that avoids conflicting with the abstract images and tools useful for working with 3D models such as would obtain in a WYSIWYG implementation. The computational burden of rendering is handled by rendering in an asynchronous parallel thread with respect to that supporting the authoring UI. The number of pixels that must be ray-traced is reduced by several mechanisms including: limiting the number of objects, limiting the resolution of the display, tailoring the size of the field-of-view window (while providing orientation context by placing the rendering on top of a wire-frame view). Also, only portions of the scene that are affected in a visible way by updates are re-rendered.