Abstract: Determining sensitive information and preventing the unauthorized or unintended dissemination of such information are disclosed. Terms are determined from documents associated with users in a network. Distributions among users and relative frequencies with which the terms are used are determined. Link strengths between users are calculated. Based on the distribution of the terms, the relative frequencies of use among the user profiles and link strengths between users conducting information transactions that include the terms, a sensitivity level for each term can be determined. To determine whether a particular information transaction with particular terms may be conducted between two users in the network, a combination of link strength between the users and sensitivity level of the terms with respect to the users or users' profiles are considered. If the information transaction includes terms that are unknown to one of the users, then a warning or alarm can be raised.

Abstract: A system and method for reconstructing trick play user activity are provided and include analyzing playback information of a recorded program during a playback session to identify trick play actions believed to occur during the playback session. The playback information includes a first sequence of separate video offset events associated with different points of time during the playback session at spaced intervals. For each adjacent pair of video offset events separated by one of the spaced intervals, a change of video offset is compared relative to a change of time to determine a type of trick play action occurring between the adjacent pair of video offset events. A sequence of trick play actions is reconstructed from the trick play actions identified. The method may include analyzing additional playback information and merging such information with the reconstructed sequence of trick play actions to further refine the reconstructed sequence.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for extracting and using information about an entity that has a presence in a number of information domains. The entity has separate identifiers in each of several domains. Various techniques are described that bind together the identifiers of the entity across the domains. The results of the binding are provided to an interested party that can review information extracted about the entity's behavior in the multiple domains. The interested party is not given access to information that would compromise the confidentiality of the entity. A trusted broker has access to information about the behavior of the entity in the several domains. The broker analyzes that information and provides the analysis to the interested party, again without compromising the confidentiality of the entity. An “incentivizer” works with the broker to extract from the domains information that would be useful in binding together the different identifiers of the entity.

Abstract: A method intercepts correlation instructions related to a plurality of meta-content elements associated with a primary content. The primary content or the meta-content elements may have associated privacy rules. At least one meta-content element of the group is selected as having privacy protected information specified in the privacy rules. A set of meta-content items, of meta-content element, are determined that are subject to a correlation restriction based on evaluation of the privacy rules with respect to each meta-content item contained in the meta-content element, and the privacy rules for the set of meta-content items are enforced.

Abstract: A method includes storing data received at a first server to a first file and storing data received at a second server to a second file, where the data in the two files are substantially similar. The two files are distinct, independent files. The first server provides a copy of the first file to the second server to store. The first server then stores additional data to the first file, while the second server maintains the copy of the first file unchanged. The second server may also provide a copy of the second file to the first server to store and continues to store additional data to the second file, while maintaining the copy of the second file on the first server unchanged. Event reports may then be generated using the various files, which provide high availability due to the above method and corresponding system arrangement.

Abstract: A disclosed content rights management system defines a content usage policy via a conditional rule set contained in metadata. The conditional rule set is correlated to at least one second content. An access control manager determines, dynamically, access rights conferrable to a user device or a server, based on the content usage policy and user history parameters. The embodiments may confer limited access rights for a first activity by a user device, or by a server, with respect to the protected content and the second content, and block a second activity with respect to the protected content and the second content, in response to determining that the request for the second content, in conjunction with the user history parameters, does not comply with the conditional rule set for the second activity.

Abstract: When a user is about to perform a “communicative act” (e.g., to send an e-mail or to post to a social-networking site), the proposed communicative act is reviewed to see if it may lead to a privacy leak. If, upon review, it is determined that performing the proposed communicative act could lead to a privacy leak, then an appropriate response is taken, such as preventing the proposed act from being performed or suggesting a modification to the proposed act that would lessen the likelihood of a privacy leak. A privacy server creates a privacy profile for a user based on information about the user's personae and how those personae are used. Using that profile, the privacy server can judge whether a proposed communicative act would support an unwanted inference.

Abstract: Determining sensitive information and preventing the unauthorized or unintended dissemination of such information are disclosed. Terms are determined from documents associated with users in a network. Distributions among users and relative frequencies with which the terms are used are determined. Link strengths between users are calculated. Based on the distribution of the terms, the relative frequencies of use among the user profiles and link strengths between users conducting information transactions that include the terms, a sensitivity level for each term can be determined. To determine whether a particular information transaction with particular terms may be conducted between two users in the network, a combination of link strength between the users and sensitivity level of the terms with respect to the users or users' profiles are considered. If the information transaction includes terms that are unknown to one of the users, then a warning or alarm can be raised.

Abstract: A method includes storing data received at a first server to a first file and storing data received at a second server to a second file, where the data in the two files are substantially similar. The two files are distinct, independent files. The first server provides a copy of the first file to the second server to store. The first server then stores additional data to the first file, while the second server maintains the copy of the first file unchanged. The second server may also provide a copy of the second file to the first server to store and continues to store additional data to the second file, while maintaining the copy of the second file on the first server unchanged. Event reports may then be generated using the various files, which provide high availability due to the above method and corresponding system arrangement.

Abstract: One disclosed method includes receiving correlation instructions related to a plurality of meta-content elements that are associated with a primary content. The primary content may be multimedia content such as, but not limited to, an audiovisual content. The method includes performing a correlation in response to receiving the instructions. The correlation is between the meta-content elements, where the meta-content elements each have an arbitrary granularity defining meta-content segments. The method returns a result based on the correlation. Another disclosed method include receiving a request having correlation instructions related to a plurality of meta-content elements, where the meta-content elements are associated with a primary content. Again, each meta-content element has an arbitrary granularity defining meta-content segments.

Abstract: A disclosed content rights management system defines a content usage policy via a conditional rule set contained in metadata. The conditional rule set is correlated to at least one second content. An access control manager determines, dynamically, access rights conferrable to a user device or a server, based on the content usage policy and user history parameters. The embodiments may confer limited access rights for a first activity by a user device, or by a server, with respect to the protected content and the second content, and block a second activity with respect to the protected content and the second content, in response to determining that the request for the second content, in conjunction with the user history parameters, does not comply with the conditional rule set for the second activity.

Abstract: A method intercepts correlation instructions related to a plurality of meta-content elements associated with a primary content. The primary content or the meta-content elements may have associated privacy rules. At least one meta-content element of the group is selected as having privacy protected information specified in the privacy rules. A set of meta-content items, of meta-content element, are determined that are subject to a correlation restriction based on evaluation of the privacy rules with respect to each meta-content item contained in the meta-content element, and the privacy rules for the set of meta-content items are enforced.

Abstract: A system and methods of managing privacy settings of a user are presented here. The system obtains context information that is indicative of a contextual scenario associated with operation of a user device and determines, with a first analytics system, a first set of privacy settings predictions that is influenced at least in part by the context information. A second analytics system is used to determine a second set of privacy settings predictions that is influenced at least in part by the context information. When the first set of privacy settings predictions differ from the second set of privacy settings predictions by at least a threshold amount, the system issues a query for user-specified privacy settings for the contextual scenario.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing secure identity authentication amongst devices using identity information contained therein to facilitate data synchronization amongst the user devices, wherein the identity information in the devices are compared for authentication but not actually transmitted or exposed for unauthorized access to such information and to the devices.

Abstract: A “message broker” personalizes messages based on the recipient's estimated “privacy sensitivity.” By carefully estimating the sensitivity, the message broker can achieve the advantages of personalized messaging without incurring the disadvantages of offending or scaring away the recipient. In a first set of embodiments, messages are sent to a recipient, and information about the recipient's responses is collected and analyzed. The sensitivity level of the recipient is estimated based on this collected information. In a second set of embodiments, messages are sent that include an offer in which an incentive will be given to the recipient in exchange for allowing a certain type of access to specific information associated with the recipient. In a third set of embodiments, the message broker sends messages that request information associated with the recipient, but the messages do not include explicit offers to give incentives in exchange for the information.

Abstract: A “message broker” personalizes messages based on the recipient's estimated “privacy sensitivity.” By carefully estimating the sensitivity, the message broker can achieve the advantages of personalized messaging without incurring the disadvantages of offending or scaring away the recipient. In a first set of embodiments, messages are sent to a recipient, and information about the recipient's responses is collected and analyzed. The sensitivity level of the recipient is estimated based on this collected information. In a second set of embodiments, messages are sent that include an offer in which an incentive will be given to the recipient in exchange for allowing a certain type of access to specific information associated with the recipient. In a third set of embodiments, the message broker sends messages that request information associated with the recipient, but the messages do not include explicit offers to give incentives in exchange for the information.

Abstract: A “message broker” personalizes messages based on the recipient's estimated “privacy sensitivity.” By carefully estimating the sensitivity, the message broker can achieve the advantages of personalized messaging without incurring the disadvantages of offending or scaring away the recipient. In a first set of embodiments, messages are sent to a recipient, and information about the recipient's responses is collected and analyzed. The sensitivity level of the recipient is estimated based on this collected information. In a second set of embodiments, messages are sent that include an offer in which an incentive will be given to the recipient in exchange for allowing a certain type of access to specific information associated with the recipient. In a third set of embodiments, the message broker sends messages that request information associated with the recipient, but the messages do not include explicit offers to give incentives in exchange for the information.

Abstract: The identity of a user of a mobile device is verified by the mobile device accessing the location of the mobile device over recent time to obtain a current route, comparing a feature of the current route to characteristic features of previous routes stored on the mobile device. The user is verified if the feature of the current route matches a characteristic feature of previous routes. The previous routes may be obtained by tracking the location of the mobile device over time to obtain a number of routes, identifying characteristic features of the routes, and storing the characteristic features of the routes.

Abstract: Communication and validation of information transfer from a transmitter to a receiver is achieved by generating a cipher (400) from a message m (410) using parameters of an elliptic curve, a generator point P (406) on the elliptic curve and a public key Q (416) of the receiver. The cipher includes a first element that is the product kP of a random number k (404) with the generator point P and a second element that is the product of m and the x-coordinate of the product kQ. The message m is generated from two mathematically independent representations of the information and, optionally, a random number. The cipher is communicated to the receiver and decoded to recover a message m? (502). A validation token (500) is generated by the receiver and passed to the transmitter, which validates communication of the information to the receiver if the product mkQ is equal to the validation token.

Abstract: A method and system for secure call Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling includes entering (202) dial string of a telephone number of a destination device, assigning (210, 212) the dial string to a predefined string having a total length that is greater than the dial string such that there will be at least one leading hexadecimal bit in the predefined string length that is not used when the entered dial string is converted to a hexadecimal, converting (214) the dial string to hexadecimal, reversing the order of the hexadecimal, and placing the reversed hexadecimal at the beginning of the predefined string, appending (216) “one” bits to the predefined string length indicating how many nibbles of the predefined string length are unused, if any, and appending the remaining intervening unused bits in the predefined string length to “zero” bits, and sending (226) the encoded string length.