Abstract: A system is described to turn ordinary expression input into a complex full body animation in real time or from recordings analyzed over time.

Abstract: A system to turn ordinary expression input into a complex full body animation using a recording device, a computer platform with one or more than one processor executing instructions to select an animated character for a user to use in the animation, record the user's facial movements, body movements, or both facial and body movements, transfer the real-time information or recording from the recording device to a storage for processing by a computing platform, identify the user's movements from the stored recording, determine the user's potential next facial movements, body movements, or both facial and body movements using a state machine, and generating a complete full body animated character that interprets the user's movements, where the animated character is pre-selected by the user, or a second user, for social media, real time avatar communication and content creation and play back in any medium.

Abstract: Integration of transaction information with payroll information for payroll payment processing is described. In an example, server(s) associated with a service provider can utilize at least one of transaction information, login information or logout information to determine a payment to be made to a worker. In an example, based at least in part on a determination that a risk associated with paying the payment to the worker prior to receiving funds for paying the payment is below a threshold, transferring, from a service provider account of the service provider, at least a portion of the payment to an account of the worker.

Abstract: A salesperson may be paid commissions for products sold from the inventory of a merchant. In some examples, the commissions for different products may be determined and changed dynamically, throughout the course of a business day, in response to changing sales rates and inventory conditions. Specifically, commissions may be changed to increase the sales rates of certain products over others. As an example, it may be desired to increase the sales rates of products having relatively high inventory counts and/or that are nearing the expiration of their shelf lives. The changing commission amounts are published or advertised to the salespersons throughout the day so that the salespersons can see which products will produce the highest commissions. The commissions may be paid electronically, immediately or soon after the transactions in which the commissions were earned.

Abstract: In some examples, a payment service may enable employees to be paid after every work shift. After a payroll payment for a first work shift, however, corrections to the amount of the payroll payment may be provided by the employer. When corrections reveal that an overpayment has occurred, at least a portion of the overpayment is deducted from the payroll payment for a second work shift that is subsequent to the first work shift. In some cases, the entire overpayment may be deducted from the payroll payment for the second work shift. In other cases, the overpayment may be deducted in installments from each of multiple subsequent payroll payments, which correspond respectively to work shifts that are subsequent to the first work shift.

Abstract: In some examples, a service provider may provide a payroll service and a payment processing service to businesses. For instance, with authorization from the employer, the service provider may withhold a percentage of funds received as sales revenue through the payment service. For example, the service provider may withhold a percentage of sales revenue each day to be used to pay at least a portion of the payroll payments paid to employees of the employer. Alternatively, the service provider may determine an amount of payroll payments currently due to be paid on a given day, and may deduct at least a portion of this amount from the sales revenue of the employer for that day. As another alternative, the service provider may make payroll payments in advance, and may withhold a percentage of the employer's daily sales revenue until the cash advance is paid back.

Abstract: Techniques are described to improve search results using a panel. A search engine deploys one or more network traffic monitors. Traffic monitors analyze network traffic and find HTTP requests made to search engines. When a search query is spotted, the traffic monitor records the sequence of user requests, including search engine, search terms, and sites visited. A sequence of queries where a user visits one search engine, enters a query, visits zero or more sites from the results listings, and visits a second search engine, enters a query and visits one or more websites and stops searching is used to determine whether to increase or decrease a relevance value between a search term and the sites visited.

Abstract: A method of processing a message in a messaging service client device that has a user interface device includes with the messaging service client device, ascertaining a proposed recipient for a message entered by a user with the user interface device; determining a set of potential recipients for the message with the messaging service client device, the set of potential recipients including the proposed recipient; determining whether, among the set of potential recipients, the proposed recipient is a most likely recipient of the message; and responsive to a determination that the proposed recipient is not the most likely recipient, providing a notification to the user through the user interface device that the proposed recipient is not the most likely recipient.

Abstract: An improved system and method is provided for using sampling for allocating web page placements in online publishing of content. A multi-armed bandit engine may be provided for sampling content items by allocating web page placements of varying quality for content items and optimizing the payoff to maximize revenue. Publishers may provide content items to be published and report their valuation per click. Through a process of valuation discovery, the click-through rate for content items and the value of content items may be learned through sampling. As the process of valuation discovery progresses, the present invention may more closely approximate the click-through rates for content items in order to allocate web page placements to content items that may optimize content layout by maximizing revenue. The present invention may accurately learn the CTR for new content items and support multiple web page placements of varying quality.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, or systems relating to implementing a budget balanced/surplus syndicated sponsored search market.

Abstract: Search engines and sponsored search auctions are provided that enable the use of different reserve prices corresponding to different advertisement slots on a search results page. In one implementation, a search engine includes a query processor and a sponsored search auction. The query processor is configured to receive a query from an electronic device associated with a user, to determine a plurality of reserve prices corresponding to a plurality of advertisement slots of a search results page, and to determine a plurality of bid prices for the advertisement slots of the search results page corresponding to a plurality of bidders. The sponsored search auction is configured to allocate a bidder or a null (e.g., no advertisement) to each advertisement slot of the search results page, taking into account the plurality of reserve prices associated with the advertisement slots of the search results page.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for searching a publicly accessible network (e.g., the Internet) with an efficient use of space on a display device (e.g., a monitor, a screen) of a computer. Computers often use graphical interfaces for user interaction, and thus graphical space can be in short supply during some applications. In addition, requiring a user to navigate various graphical interfaces to access a searching utility can increase the effective time of the searching operation. Systems and methods are described for searching a network in an efficient and effective manner.

Abstract: Techniques are described to improve search results using a panel. A search engine deploys one or more network traffic monitors. Traffic monitors analyze network traffic and find HTTP requests made to search engines. When a search query is spotted, the traffic monitor records the sequence of user requests, including search engine, search terms, and sites visited. A sequence of queries where a user visits one search engine, enters a query, visits zero or more sites from the results listings, and visits a second search engine, enters a query and visits one or more websites and stops searching is used to determine whether to increase or decrease a relevance value between a search term and the sites visited.

Abstract: An improved system and method for online advertising optimized by user segmentation is provided. A segmentation engine may be provided for segmenting a group of users by auctioned advertisements into segments of users and auctioned advertisements for serving users in a segment an ordered list of advertisements in the segment that have been allocated to web page placements for display in an online advertising auction. In response to a search term of a query submitted by a user, an auction engine may serve an ordered list of advertisements for the user's segment for display with results of the query. The click-through rates of advertisements displayed with results of the query may then be tracked for each segment and the list of advertisements for each segment may be ordered based upon updated click-through rates of advertisements belonging to each segment.

Abstract: An improved system and method is provided for using sampling for allocating web page placements in online publishing of content. A multi-armed bandit engine may be provided for sampling content items by allocating web page placements of varying quality for content items and optimizing the payoff to maximize revenue. Publishers may provide content items to be published and report their valuation per click. Through a process of valuation discovery, the click-through rate for content items and the value of content items may be learned through sampling. As the process of valuation discovery progresses, the present invention may more closely approximate the click-through rates for content items in order to allocate web page placements to content items that may optimize content layout by maximizing revenue. The present invention may accurately learn the CTR for new content items and support multiple web page placements of varying quality.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for searching a publicly accessible network (e.g., the Internet) with an efficient use of space on a display device (e.g., a monitor, a screen) of a computer. Computers often use graphical interfaces for user interaction, and thus graphical space can be in short supply during some applications. In addition, requiring a user to navigate various graphical interfaces to access a searching utility can increase the effective time of the searching operation. Systems and methods are described for searching a network in an efficient and effective manner.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed towards methods and systems for playback of a content item by a media player. The method according to one embodiment comprises loading a content item into the media player, checking user preferences to retrieve a user value function and determining if available bandwidth exceeds a threshold. If the available bandwidth exceeds the threshold, the method initiates playback of the content item by the media player. If the available bandwidth is below the threshold, the method initiates playback of the content item by the media player on the basis of the available bandwidth and the user value function. If the media player is unable to retrieve the user value function, the method presents a calibration interface at the media player, the calibration interface operative to receive a user value function from a user and optimize playback of the content item.

Abstract: A transaction card having a self-programming region that allows periodic update of security data is disclosed. The self-programming region contains one or more self-programming components, each of which can be switched between two states depending on the direction of an electrical current provided to the component. The self-programming components are used for updating security data such as a digital code at various time intervals as determined by an algorithm in a processor on the card.

Abstract: A system and method for conducting secure transactions are disclosed. The system includes a transaction card having a self-programming region for periodic update of a verification code, a server used for authenticating the card, and a network for transmitting data between the transaction card and the server. The method includes transmitting a current verification code and a current timestamp from the card to a transaction clearinghouse. Authentication of the transaction card is done by comparing the current verification code received and a reference verification code generated by the server, and a decision is made by the clearinghouse whether to approve the transaction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for document verification exploits a temporally variable physical process to generate a reproducible effect that cannot be copied. A document such as a credit card is provided with a spot or stripe that incorporates at least one, and preferably a large plurality of photorefractive crystals arrayed in a random manner. The document verifying apparatus includes a coherent light source such as a diode laser to illuminate the photorefractive crystals, and a photosensor to receive light scattered from the photorefractive crystals. The random distribution and orientation of photorefractive crystals comprises a unique characteristic for each card or document, and this characteristic is not based on any assigned number or code. The response of photorefractive crystals to the coherent illumination comprises a time-varying characteristic that is dependent upon the intensity and temporal nature of the illumination itself.