Patents by Inventor F. Randall Farmer

F. Randall Farmer 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: 20090013054
    Abstract: A network device and method are directed towards detecting and blocking spam within a message by rapidly performing a predication analysis based on early received sender reputation reports. Reputation reports may be received from a plurality of users receiving messages that they interpret as either spam or non-spam. A reputation report rate prediction table is employed to predict the total number of user reports that will occur. The total number of spam reports and not spam (ham) reports for may then be used with a sender categorization model to rapidly predict whether the sender is likely to be a spammer. If the sender is determined to be a spammer, various preventative actions may be taken, including, but not limited to blocking messages from the sender to users, alerting third party filter generators of the spammer, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Miles Libbey, F. Randall Farmer, Mohammad Mohsenzadeh, Chip Morningstar, Neal Sample
  • Publication number: 20080205619
    Abstract: Enabling a caller to automatically interrupt a currently active call. In one embodiment, a call manager receives a request from an interrupter that may indicate an urgency, an identification, an authorization, and/or other reason to interrupt the current call between a target party device and a bystander party device. Warning messages can be provide to the target and/or bystander party. The call manager may automatically connect the call or determine whether to connect the interrupter based on one or more criteria predefined by the target and/or the interrupter. Alternatively, the target may make the determination based on information about the requested interruption. The bystander party device may be placed on hold, or a conference call may be initiated automatically. Call management may be performed directly, or through one or more network carriers. A rejected interruption may be routed to voice mail. After completing the interruption, the original call is reestablished.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Chris T. Kalaboukis, F. Randall Farmer
  • Publication number: 20080189399
    Abstract: A device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a user to disambiguate an identity of a member included in a user's social network (USN), and towards enabling an operation to be performed based on information about the member. The USN is determined. The NID of the member is received. If the NID is non-unique within the USN, member distinctions are determined for members in the USN who are associated with the same NID. The member distinctions are sent to the user. The user makes a selection of one of the members associated with one of the member distinctions. Based on the selection, information about the selected member is received. The operation is enabled to be performed based on the information about the selected member. The operation may include addressing the selected member, enabling a communication between the user and the selected member, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Quoc, Dan Wascovich, Matthew Fukuda, E. Stanley Ott, F. Randall Farmer, Edward Ho, Jonathan James Trevor
  • Patent number: 7269590
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards managing a view of a social network user's personal information based, in part, on user-defined criteria. The user-defined criteria may be applied towards a user's relationship with each prospective viewer. The user-defined criteria may include degrees of separation between members of the social network, a relationship to the prospective viewer, as well as criteria based, in part, on activities, such as dating, employment, hobbies, and the like. The user-defined criteria may also be based on a group membership, a strength of a relationship, and the like. Such user-defined relationship criteria may then be mapped against various categories of information associated with social network user to provide customized views of the social network user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Everett Hull, F. Randall Farmer, Ellen Sue Perelman
  • Patent number: 6145013
    Abstract: A communication system and method includes unums distributed over at least a single presence and including a selected plurality of ingredients. An unum is established by creating ingredients at the level of its interface and attributes; and at the level of its implementation; and interconnecting ingredients into presences and unums. Communication between ingredients is accomplished within a single presence, across an unum boundary within an agency, or within a single unum across a presence boundary. Trust boundaries are established between presences and unums to establish a predetermined level of communications security in messaging between ingredients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Communities.com
    Inventors: Chip Morningstar, F. Randall Farmer
  • Patent number: 6006280
    Abstract: A communication system and method includes unums distributed over at least a single presence and including a selected plurality of ingredients. An unum is established by creating ingredients at the level of its interface and attributes; and at the level of its implementation; and interconnecting ingredients into presences and unums. Communication between ingredients is accomplished within a single presence, across an unum boundary within an agency, or within a single unum across a presence boundary. Trust boundaries are established between presences and unums to establish a predetermined level of communications security in messaging between ingredients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Communities.com
    Inventors: Charles B. Morningstar, F. Randall Farmer