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).

  • Publication number: 20090177745
    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: June 2, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Christopher William Higgins, Keith David Saft, Nathanael Joe Hayashi, Marco Boerries, Paul Callan, Luke Wroblewski
  • Publication number: 20090164450
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods of ranking user interest in physical entities based on the attention given to those entities as determined by an analysis of communications from devices over multiple communication channels. The attention ranking systems allow any “Who, What, When, Where” entity to be defined and ranked based, at least in part, on information obtained from communications between users and user proxy devices. An entity rank is generated for entity known to the system in which the entity rank is derived from the information in communications that are indicative of user actions related to the entity. The entity ranks are then used to modify the display of information or data associated with the entities. The system may also generate a personal rank for each entity based on the relation of the entity to a specified user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20090165022
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for scheduling an event in which user data, which may include social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data, associated with each of the designated attendees of the event is used to prioritize and optimally schedule the event. Based on user data collected from past interactions with the network, for each attendee a priority score is generated for the event based on a comparison of the attendee's user data and the event information. One or more proposed alternate events are then identified based on the various attendees' priority scores of the event and their previously scheduled events. The organizer of the event may then select one of the proposed alternate events which is subsequently added to the attendees' electronic calendars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Mark Hunter Madsen, Cameron Marlow, Ronald Martinez, Marc Eliot Davis, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20090157593
    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: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Nathaniel Joseph Hayashi, Marco Boerries, Marc Eliot Davis, Christopher William Higgins, Ronald Martinez, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20090150507
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for prioritizing delivery of a communication to a recipient via a first communication channel, such as email, voice, voicemail, IM, SMS, or even physical parcel. Prioritization is done by dynamically identifying one or more relationships between the recipient and information known about the communication, the relationships determined from social, spatial, temporal, and logical data previously collected by the system from prior communications on any communication channel. Based on the identified relationships, a priority score is generated for the communication and the communication is delivered to the recipient via one of a plurality of delivery modes based on the priority score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Bradley Joseph Horowitz, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20090150514
    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: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Julie Herendeen, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20090150489
    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: December 10, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20090150373
    Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods for synchronizing data on a network based on temporal, spatial, social and logical data available to the network. The method includes receiving a first information object (IO) containing attributes for a first real-world entity (RWE), the first IO associated with a second RWE; identifying one or more second IOs, each second IO containing one or more attributes for the first RWE and each second IO independently associated with a third RWE; generating a different probability for each IO based on a comparison of contents of the first and second IOs and their associated RWEs; and replacing one or more of the attributes in at least one IO with at least one attribute from a different IO based on the probabilities for each IO.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, George Grinstead, Lee J. Parry, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20090150501
    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: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Marc Eliot Davis, Marco Boerries, Christopher William Higgins, Joseph James O'Sullivan, Ronald Martinez, Robert Carter Trout
  • Publication number: 20090138330
    Abstract: A service provider facilitates contractual sponsorship of media objects on an interactive network, by monitoring market activity and media object related reactions, and providing time-varying estimates of media object market value and advertising utility value. The service provider determines the best market-supported transactions for both media object owner and sponsor, and neutrally arbitrates between competing interests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher William Higgins