Abstract: Cloud-based systems and methods for aggregating media collections of users are disclosed. In one embodiment, in order to generate an aggregate media collection catalog of a first user, a cloud-based media aggregation system identifies one or more second users that have an identifier that is the same as an identifier of the first user for purposes of media collection aggregation. The media aggregation system then aggregates media collection catalogs of the one or more second users with a media collection catalog of the first user to thereby provide an aggregate media collection catalog of the first user.

Abstract: A user-controlled application-based power management function is provided for a battery-operated device. In general, for each of a number of applications of the battery-operated device, a power management function enables a user of the battery-operated device to provide a usage parameter for the application defining a desired amount of usage of the application for each of one or more tasks. For each task, the power management function determines an estimated amount of battery life that is sufficient to provide the desired amount of usage of the application for the task and determines whether the estimated amount of battery life is available. If the estimated amount of battery life is available, the power management function allocates an amount of battery life corresponding to the estimated amount of battery life to the application for the task.

Abstract: A system and method for propagating media item recommendation messages on a media item recommendation system is disclosed. A first media item recommendation message comprising a media item identifier and presence information of a recommender is received from the recommender. The first media item recommendation message is sent to a first recipient. A second media item recommendation message comprising the presence information of the recommender adapted by the first recipient is received from the first recipient. The second media item recommendation message is then sent or forwarded to a second recipient. The first recipient may adapt the presence information by including the presence information of the recommender unmodified, by including the presence information of the recommender modified by the first recipient, and/or by including the presence information of the first recipient with or without the presence information of the recommender.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for providing customized content to users based on their location. In one embodiment, for each of one or more content providers, a customized content delivery function receives information from the content provider defining a number of geographic shapes selecting corresponding geographic areas. Preferably, each of the geographic shapes overlaps at least one other of the geographic shapes and is assigned an importance level. For each geographic shape, the content provider defines one or more tags for the geographic shape and assigns a weight to each of the one or more tags. Thereafter, when a request is received from a requestor, one or more content items are selected for delivery to the requestor based on the geographic shapes, the tags and corresponding weights for the geographic shapes, and the location of the requestor.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling access to digital assets in an online media sharing system based on keywords are provided. In general, each digital asset is tagged with a number of keywords. The owner of the digital assets defines a guest list including a number of guests. For each guest, the owner defines permissions controlling the guest's access to the digital assets based on keywords. Thereafter, when a request to view the digital assets is received from a guest node associated with one of the guests, the digital assets that the guest is permitted to view are identified based on the permissions assigned to the guest and provided to the guest at the guest node.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing automatic social check-ins are disclosed. In one embodiment, in response to physical proximity between a user device and a venue-operated device located at a venue, an automatic check-in process is performed on behalf of a user of the user device. In one embodiment, the automatic check-in process is performed by first determining whether to perform an automatic check-in for the user of the user device at the venue based on one or more predefined automatic check-in rules and a user context and/or venue data that describes the venue. Upon determining that an automatic check-in is to be performed, a check-in for the user of the user device is performed to check the user into the venue via one or more check-in services.

Abstract: A merged program guide which includes program metadata from a plurality of different media controllers is provided. A first media controller receives program metadata that identifies a first plurality of programs. The first plurality of programs corresponds to a first content package provided by a content provider. A first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs is generated. The first program record includes first program metadata associated with the first program. The first media controller receives second program metadata associated with a second program of a second plurality of programs which correspond to a second content package associated with the second media controller. The first program metadata and the second program metadata are stored in a program guide on the first media controller and the first media controller enables display of the program guide.

Abstract: A system and method using events to traverse a content selection path for the purpose of providing media content selections are provided. In general, events are defined based on one or more stimulus such as, but not limited to, a chronological-based stimulus, a location-based stimulus, a user-based stimulus, a third-party stimulus, or a weather-based stimulus. Each of the events is used to trigger one or more associated content selection paths. A content selection path generally defines a set of media content and a manner of stepping through the defined set of media content. In operation, when an event is detected, the associated content selection path is triggered to step to an other step in the content selection path, thereby identifying the media content selections. Then, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the media content selections are obtained from a remote subscription-based service.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for facilitating contact or communication between users or participants. A profile matching process is performed to match a user profile of a first user to a user profile of a second user. A number of questions to ask the second user are automatically selected. In addition, an answer to one or more of the questions may be suggested to the second user. The questions and any suggested answers are then sent to the second user at an associated user device. A reward to be revealed to the second user in response to answering the questions may also be provided. A summary of the answers given by the second user may be provided to the first user. In response, the first user may choose to share his or her full or partial user profile, contact information, or the like with the second user.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for navigating electronic texts. According to an aspect, a method may include determining text subgroups within an electronic text. The method may also include selecting a text seed within one of the text subgroups. Further, the method may include determining a similarity relationship between the text seed and one or more adjacent text subgroups that do not include the selected text seed. The method may also include associating the text seed with the one or more adjacent text subgroups based on the similarity relationship to create a text cluster.

Abstract: Methods and systems of operating a personal navigation device (PND) are disclosed. In particular, the methods and systems allow for the PND to obtain location data for each of one or more destinations from a destination source device over a wireless network link. In one embodiment, the destination source device is a server computer on a network or a mobile communications device (MCD) that is in proximity with the PND.

Abstract: A system and method for assigning user preference settings for fields in a category using selected settings for only a subset of the media category fields is disclosed. A subset of fields for a media category is defined. A base setting for each field in the subset of the category fields is established. The base setting may be a weight or preference value. The base setting may be established by the user selecting a base setting or may be a default base setting. Once a user selects the settings for the subset of category fields, a set weight for the fields in the category not in the subset is determined using the base setting. That is possible because the fields in the subset of category fields are chosen from fields that contain aspects and attributes of the other fields.

Abstract: A method for displaying data from a program guide. Based on program metadata from a program guide, a display is caused to be presented on a display device that identifies a current status of a first media controller and a second media controller. The current status includes data identifying a first program currently being provided by the first media controller and a second program currently being provided by a second media controller.

Abstract: A system and medium for generating a media recommendation is disclosed. The system comprises a central server operably connected to a network that comprises at least one processor and memory containing software executable by the at least one processor. The central server is configured to receive information identifying a user associated with a requesting device, identify profile information based on the information identifying the user, receive a media recommendation request from the requesting device, the media recommendation request comprising seed information comprising information identifying a media item and a current location of the requesting device, determine at least one related media item based on at least the information identifying the media item and the profile information, and provide information identifying the at least one related media item to the requesting device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for navigating electronic texts. According to an aspect, a method may include determining that a user non-linearly navigates between text subgroups within electronic text. The method may also include linking the text subgroups in response to determining that the user non-linearly navigates between the text subgroups. Further, for example, text subgroups within an electronic text may be determined. In this example, a similarity relationship between content of each text subgroup and one or more other text subgroups may be determined for linking the text subgroups.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system and computer readable medium storing software are provided for operating a media service based on a media recommendation network comprising a plurality of devices. Aspects of the method and system include receiving a recommendation of a media item from one of the plurality of devices for a media item that is intended for a recipient; determining if the media item is present in the content repository; requesting, in response to determining that the media item is not present in the content repository, upload of the media item; and storing, in response to the media item being uploaded, the media item in the content repository.

Abstract: A system for and method of per access-point streaming media customization and privacy protected feedback in a wireless network. The system is operative to: encrypt real time streamed media content from a streaming media source; multicast the streamed encrypted media content for availability to a user device for playback, the user device sending out unicast responses at the time of joining or dropping the multicast; aggregate the unicast responses in the form of a connect multicast state or a disconnect multicast state of the user device based on the joining or dropping of the multicast; and provide information back to the streaming media source based on the aggregated unicast responses.

Abstract: A device is provided for visually indicating a replay status of media items on a media device. Aspects of the device include displaying in a graphical user interface (GUI) of the media device a representation of a first media item; displaying a profile score of the first media item that is based on user preferences; and displaying a replay score for the first media item.

Abstract: A system and method of generating a media item recommendation message used to provide a recommendation for a media item by a recommender to a recipient on a media item recommendation system is disclosed. The media item recommendation is generated by including a media item identifier of a media item in a media item recommendation message, presence information of a recommender of the media item, and, optionally, a media item annotation in association with the media item identifier in the media item recommendation message. The media item recommendation message is transmitted to the recipient.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for enabling a portable media player to obtain media content from secondary systems, such as other portable media players, via local wireless communication. In general, the portable media player stores proxy information identifying the media content of a number of media files in the user's media collection rather than the media files themselves. When a secondary system is within a local wireless coverage area of the portable media player, the proxy information for the media files, or a subset thereof, is provided to the secondary system. In response, the secondary system identifies media files stored by the secondary system having media content matching the media content identified by the proxy information. The secondary system then provides a notification of the identified media files to the portable media player, which may then obtain the identified media files from the secondary system.