Patents by Inventor Christopher William Higgins

Christopher William Higgins has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9400987
    Abstract: A system and method for deriving income from URL based context queries. A URL based user context query is received over a network from a user, wherein the user context comprises at least one user context criteria. A query is formulated based on the context criteria so as to search for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data, topical data and context query bid data that is available via the network and relates to the context so as to identify entries in a context query bid database that relate to user context criteria. A dynamic webpage is generated having content relating to the query and advertisements associated with the selected bid are inserted into the webpage. The dynamic webpage is transmitted to the user. The advertiser associated with the selected bid is charged a fee when a user interface event relating to the dynamic webpage occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC
    Inventors: Rahul Nair, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Simon P. King
  • Publication number: 20150149910
    Abstract: A system and method for Context Enhanced Mapping. A request is received from a user over a network for a map comprising an identification of a physical location, and at least one criteria. The physical location is mapped. Spatial, temporal, topical, and social data available to the network relating to the physical location and criteria is retrieved using a global index of data available to the network and prioritized for inclusion based upon the user and context of the request. The map of the physical location and at least some of the retrieved spatial, temporal, topical, and social data is displayed on a display medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher William Higgins, Marc Eliot Davis, Ronald Martinez, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Christopher T. Paretti, Chris Kalaboukis, Athellina Athsani
  • Publication number: 20150142881
    Abstract: Receive a plurality of data management policies from a user. Store in a memory the data management policies in association with a context and an identifier of the user. Receive personal data of the user collected in one or more contexts by one or more collection devices. Determine whether the personal data complies with one or more of the data management policies with respect to collecting personal data of the user. If the personal data complies with the data management policies with respect to collecting personal data on the user, then storing in the memory the personal data in association with the identifier of the user. Provide a centralized interface to the user for managing the personal data stored in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Chris Kalaboukis, Christopher William Higgins, Marc Eliot Davis, Ronald Martinez, Rahul Nair, Simon P. King, Carrie Burgener, Duane R. Valz
  • Patent number: 9026917
    Abstract: A system and method for Context Enhanced Mapping. A request is received from a user over a network for a map comprising an identification of a physical location, and at least one criteria. The physical location is mapped. Spatial, temporal, topical, and social data available to the network relating to the physical location and criteria is retrieved using a global index of data available to the network and prioritized for inclusion based upon the user and context of the request. The map of the physical location and at least some of the retrieved spatial, temporal, topical, and social data is displayed on a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Athellina Athsani, Christopher T. Paretti, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Christopher Kalaboukis
  • Patent number: 9020960
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for modeling relationships between entities on a network using data collected from a plurality of communication channels including social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data within a W4 Network. The W4 Network personalizes and automates sorting, filtering and processing of W4COMN communications delivered or requested to be delivered using personalized value-based ranking and encoding of data, which is modeled from the point-of-view (POV) of any specific user, topic or node in the W4 Distributed graph. POV modeling supplies comparative value services to users which entails individuated data models to be aggregated and used in customization and personalization forecasting for each user and their associated data management needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8959100
    Abstract: A system and method for Context Enhanced Mapping. A request is received from a user over a network for a map comprising an identification of a physical location, and at least one criteria. The physical location is mapped. Spatial, temporal, topical, and social data available to the network relating to the physical location and criteria is retrieved using a global index of data available to the network and prioritized for inclusion based upon the user and context of the request. The map of the physical location and at least some of the retrieved spatial, temporal, topical, and social data is displayed on a display medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher William Higgins, Marc Eliot Davis, Ronald Martinez, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Christopher T. Paretti, Chris Kalaboukis, Athellina Athsani
  • Patent number: 8914342
    Abstract: Receive a plurality of data management policies from a user. Store in a memory the data management policies in association with a context and an identifier of the user. Receive personal data of the user collected in one or more contexts by one or more collection devices. Determine whether the personal data complies with one or more of the data management policies with respect to collecting personal data of the user. If the personal data complies with the data management policies with respect to collecting personal data on the user, then storing in the memory the personal data in association with the identifier of the user. Provide a centralized interface to the user for managing the personal data stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Kalaboukis, Christopher William Higgins, Marc Eliot Davis, Ronald Martinez, Rahul Nair, Simon P. King, Carrie Burgener, Duane R. Valz
  • Publication number: 20140344386
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods delivering communications associated with delivery conditions in which the occurrence of the delivery condition is determined by monitoring information received from a plurality of sources via multiple communication channels. The message delivery systems allow messages to be delivered to any “Who, What, When, Where” from any “Who, What, When, Where” upon the detection of an occurrence of one or more “Who, What, When, Where” delivery conditions. A message (which may be any data object including text-based messages, audio-based message such as voicemail or other audio such as music or video-based prerecorded messages) is delivered in accordance with delivery conditions based on any available data, including topical, spatial, temporal, and/or social data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Patent number: 8856375
    Abstract: A system and method for distributing media related to a location. The physical location of a media presentation device is received over a network. The physical location of a plurality of end users are identified, via the network, wherein each of plurality of users is associated with a user device capable of storing media files. At least one of the end users is identified who is located in such proximity to the media presentation device that the user can perceive media that presented on the media presentation device. At least one media file that is currently being presented on the media presentation device is identified and transmitted over the network to each of the identified end users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Michael Spiegelman, Christopher T. Paretti, Nicola Stefano Ghezzi, Christopher William Higgins, Chris Kalaboukis
  • Patent number: 8799371
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods delivering communications associated with deliver conditions in which the occurrence of the delivery condition is determined by monitoring information received from a plurality of sources via multiple communication channels. The message delivery systems allow messages to be delivered to any “Who, What, When, Where” from any “Who, What, When, Where” upon the detection of an occurrence of one or more “Who, What, When, Where” delivery conditions. A message (which may be any data object including text-based messages, audio-based message such as voicemail or other audio such as music or video-based prerecorded messages) is delivered in accordance with delivery conditions based on any available data, including topical, spatial, temporal, and/or social data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Patent number: 8745133
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for optimizing the storage of data collected from a plurality of communication channels including social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data. Based on user data collected from past interactions with the network, clusters of objects that include common information are combined into single objects in order to save storage space and reduce the number of objects managed by the system. The combination method may also be used to dynamically identify events or conditions which are related to a plurality of entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8671154
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods delivering communications based on contextual addresses. An address string containing two or more identifiers, which may not be unique identifiers, and at least one conditional operator are provided as the address for a message or communication. The system identifies contextual relationships between a plurality of entities based on prior communications between the entities over the network. Based the contextual relationships, each identifier in the address string is disambiguated to identify one of the entities as a recipient and any associated delivery conditions controlling the delivery of the communication. The communication is then delivered to the identified recipient in accordance with the delivery condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Julie Herendeen, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20140067844
    Abstract: A system and method for Context Enhanced Mapping. A request is received from a user over a network for a map comprising an identification of a physical location, and at least one criteria. The physical location is mapped. Spatial, temporal, topical, and social data available to the network relating to the physical location and criteria is retrieved using a global index of data available to the network and prioritized for inclusion based upon the user and context of the request. The map of the physical location and at least some of the retrieved spatial, temporal, topical, and social data is displayed on a display medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher William Higgins, Marc Eliot Davis, Ronald Martinez, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Christopher T. Paretti, Chris Kalaboukis, Athellina Athsani
  • Patent number: 8626694
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for disambiguating a non-unique identifiers of real world entities (RWEs) detected by a computing network by dynamically identifying relationships between RWEs known to the network. The relationships are determined based on social, spatial, temporal and logical information known about the RWEs based on the RWEs previous interactions with the network. These relationships are then used to generate a probability for each RWE that the non-unique identifier identifies that RWE. Based on the probabilities an RWE is selected and the proper network identifier may be used in place of the non-unique identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel Joseph Hayashi, Marco Boerries, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Ronald Martinez, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Robert Carter Trout
  • Patent number: 8589486
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for utilizing data collected and stored on multiple devices in order to improve the performance of the network via a markup language for addressing and delivering communications. The markup language invokes W4COMN operations through a free-form, natural language syntax which enables completely personalized user-defined designations for real-world entities (RWEs) or information objections (IOs) utilizing names or functional tags. Desired network operations including addressing network resources, entities or users are activated when the markup language is augmented via processing with W4 contextual data into an actual W4COMN circuit, process or event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8583668
    Abstract: A system and method for Context Enhanced Mapping. A request is received from a user over a network for a map comprising an identification of a physical location, and at least one criteria. The physical location is mapped. Spatial, temporal, topical, and social data available to the network relating to the physical location and criteria is retrieved using a global index of data available to the network and prioritized for inclusion based upon the user and context of the request. The map of the physical location and at least some of the retrieved spatial, temporal, topical, and social data is displayed on a display medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher William Higgins, Marc Eliot Davis, Ronald Martinez, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Christopher T. Paretti, Chris Kalaboukis, Athellina Athsani
  • Patent number: 8560390
    Abstract: A service provider facilitates consumption of goods, brands, or services on an interactive network using characterizations of consumers, behavior, brands, consumable goods, advertisers, and advocates to determine a three-way match between a consumable good, a consumer, and an advocate. The matching method determines one or more goods likely to be benefit from the marketing scheme by maximizing the estimated contextual value of personalized advocacy. Further, the service provider captures the value of the personalized advocacy in each match, and distributes that value in the form of various marketing incentives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher William Higgins, Marc Davis, Joseph O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8554623
    Abstract: A service provider facilitates consumption of goods, brands, or services on an interactive network using characterizations of consumers, behavior, brands, consumable goods, advertisers, and advocates to determine a three-way match between a consumable good, a consumer, and an advocate. The matching method determines one or more likely consumers by maximizing the estimated contextual value of personalized advocacy. Further, the service provider captures the value of the personalized advocacy in each match, and distributes that value in the form of various marketing incentives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher William Higgins, Marc Davis, Joseph O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8538811
    Abstract: A service provider facilitates consumption of goods, brands, or services on an interactive network using characterizations of consumers, behavior, brands, consumable goods, advertisers, and advocates to determine a three-way match between a consumable good, a consumer, and an advocate. The matching method determines one or more advocates by maximizing the estimated contextual value of personalized advocacy. Further, the service provider captures the value of the personalized advocacy in each match, and distributes that value in the form of various marketing incentive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher William Higgins, Marc Davis, Joseph O'Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20130238727
    Abstract: A system and method for media enhanced messaging. A message from a message sender to be delivered to at least one message recipient is received over a network. The message comprises at least one delivery criteria and at least one content criteria. When it is determined, via the network that the delivery criteria of the message has been satisfied, a query is formulated based on the content criteria so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the content criteria and to media files so as to identify at least one media file that is relevant to the content criteria. The media files are inserted into the message and the message is transmitted over the network to the recipient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Michael Spiegelman, Christopher T. Paretti, Nicola Stefano Ghezzi, Christopher William Higgins, Chris Kalaboukis