Abstract: Embodiments of a system, a method, and a computer-program product (e.g., software) that facilitates collaborative interaction with content by multiple users are described. In this system, users of a distributed group of dedicated electronic devices provide signals that indicate their current actions as they view the content. Using these signals, the system provides additional signals for display on the group of electronic devices. These additional signals provide an environment that includes the content and the current user actions, which allows the users to collaboratively interact with the content and with each other. Moreover, the multiple users may be dynamically aggregated based on their actions, which allows a social network to be established and dynamically maintained based on user activities and interests.

Abstract: A system that facilitates interaction with a 3-dimensional (3-d) virtual environment is described. In this system, a controller device provides information associated with the 3-d virtual environment to a first display. Furthermore, the system includes at least one portable electronic device, which includes a second display and a 3-d motion sensor that detects motion of the portable electronic device, such as: linear motion, rotational motion and/or a gesture. This portable electronic device communicates the detected motion to the controller device. In response, the controller device provides a subset of the 3-d virtual environment and associated context-dependent information to the portable electronic device, which are displayed on the second display.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that access a first coefficient vector that represents a first temporal profile and a second coefficient vector that represents a second temporal profile. The first and second temporal profiles represent presence histories of a first entity and a second entity within a persistent virtual environment. Once the coefficient vectors are accessed, the technology generates a predictive function responsive to the coefficient vectors. The predictive function provides a likelihood with respect to a future time that the first entity and the second entity will be temporally compatible. The technology then presents a representation of said predictive function or information derived from said predictive function.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for adjusting a number of game mechanics associated with a game system. During operation, the system obtains a psychosocial profile associated with a user, adjusts the game mechanics based on the obtained psychosocial profile, and updates the game system based on the adjusted game mechanics.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system, a method, and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for collaboratively generating content from multiple users is described. This system may allow multiple users to create and maintain content that includes a complicated object, including linked spatial and text information, which can include dynamic spatial relationships between components in the complicated object. In particular, the system may receive one or more modifications to content associated with the complicated object from one or more users, and may provide signals to display the modified complicated object in a 3-d space or virtual environment on a display based at least in part on the cumulative modifications.

Abstract: A system facilitates automatically determining the hypothetical context information or the distribution of hypothetical contexts. During operation, the system receives a request from a user for one or more recommendations. The system also receives a current context substantially associated with the request. The system then determines a hypothetical context for the request, wherein the hypothetical context may be determined by considering several sources of information, including but not limited to the current context, past contexts, and relationships between the current context and past contexts. Next, the system determines one or more recommendations for the user based on the hypothetical context. Finally, the system returns the one or more recommendations to the user.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for recruiting individuals with a desired socio-demographic distribution. During operation, the system receives the desired socio-demographic distribution, obtains a seed sample comprising a plurality of participants, calculates a socio-demographic distribution associated with the seed sample, calculates an incentive provided to a user for recruiting an individual with a desired socio-demographic attribute, and presents the incentive to the user, thereby motivating the user to recruit the individual with the desired socio-demographic attribute.

Abstract: A system and method for providing text of interest to a player from text messages in an online game is provided. A player profile for a player participating in an online game is maintained. Text messages from sources in the online game are received substantially simultaneously within a buffer for a limited text area of a display during an online game session. A main conversation in which the player is involved with one of the sources from the text messages is identified and removed from the buffer. The text messages in the buffer not identified as the main conversation are analyzed for text of interest to the player included in the player profile. The text of interest is provided in the limited text area in the display interspersed with the main conversation concurrent to receipt of each text message within which the text of interest was included.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that accumulate a presence history of an entity within a persistent virtual environment by repeated gathering of virtual presence information. The virtual presence information includes an entity identification value and a sampling time value. Once the virtual presence information is collected, the technology performs a general least-squares-fit to a set of basis functions on a portion of the presence history to create a coefficient vector. The coefficient vector represents a temporal profile consistent with the presence history and includes coefficients responsive to the general least-squares-fit. Once the coefficient vector is created, the technology characterizes the entity responsive to its coefficient vector and presents the characterization of the entity.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that accesses coefficient vectors each of which represent an entity within a persistent virtual environment. Each accessed coefficient vector includes coefficients having coefficient values related to the represented entity. The coefficients represent a temporal profile of the entity in the persistent virtual environment. This aspect assigns a coefficient weight to at least one of the coefficients. and partitions the coefficient vectors responsive to the coefficient weight and at least one of the coefficients of each of the coefficient vectors into clusters. Finally, the technology presents a recommendation responsive to the clusters. Furthermore, a compatibility metric can be determined by comparing weighted coefficient vectors of two entities, and the compatibility metric can also be presented.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating cognitive processing of simultaneous remote voice conversations is provided. A plurality of remote voice conversations participated in by distributed participants are provided over a shared communication channel. A main conversation between at least two of the distributed participants and one or more subconversations between at least two other of the distributed participants are identified from within the remote voice conversations. Segments of interest to one of the distributed participants are defined including a conversation excerpt having a lower attention activation threshold for the one distributed participant. Each of the subconversations is parsed into conversation excerpts. The conversation excerpts are compared to the segments of interest. One or more gaps between conversation flow in the main conversation are predicted.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer-program products are disclosed for automatically interfacing a first physical environment and a second physical environment to a virtual world model where some avatar controller piloting commands are automatically issued by a virtual world client to a virtual world server responsive to the focus of the avatar controller.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates location-aware, mixed-reality gaming platform. During operation, the system determines a layout of a user's surrounding. The system further detects the user's location and/or nearby objects. Next, the system associates virtual content to the determined layout and associates a set of game rules with the virtual content. Subsequently, the system produces a visual and/or audio representation of a game based on the game rules and virtual content to the user, thereby allowing the user to play a game that corresponds to his surrounding and location.

Abstract: A system facilitates traversing digital records with dimensional attributes. The system stores a number of digital records. The system further associates a respective digital record with a number of attributes, wherein a respective attribute can be specified in a number of levels of abstraction. The system allows a user to control a presentation of the stored digital records based on their attributes. The user can set one or more criteria for the attributes of the digital records to be presented by: specifying the value of at least one fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented, changing at least one non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented, and/or specifying a level of abstraction for the fixed and/or non-fixed attribute of the digital records to be presented. The system then presents a set of digital records to the user based on the attribute criteria set by the user.

Abstract: A system and method for providing metadata interaction and visualization with task-related objects is described. A plurality of task-oriented items is defined. Each task-oriented item includes a storage component specifying metadata relating to at least one of planning, executing or completing a task. A visualization is provided to tie in the task-oriented items and associate modeling logic operating on at least one such task-oriented item. The visualization is displayed by highlighting at least one of interdependencies and conflicts between the metadata of the task-oriented items.

Abstract: A system facilitates automatically determining the hypothetical context information or the distribution of hypothetical contexts. During operation, the system receives a request from a user for one or more recommendations. The system also receives a current context substantially associated with the request. The system then determines a hypothetical context for the request, wherein the hypothetical context may be determined by considering several sources of information, including but not limited to the current context, past contexts, and relationships between the current context and past contexts. Next, the system determines one or more recommendations for the user based on the hypothetical context. Finally, the system returns the one or more recommendations to the user.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for determining a corpus of content portions, each content portion associated with at least one element. A first set of feature values is determined for each content portion. Clusters of content portions are then determined based on the first set of feature values. The features values are optionally associated with topics. Structural links between the elements are determined based on a second set of feature values. A layout of the element is then determined based on the clusters and the structural links. Optionally the N-most dominant topics are determined and also used to inform the layout of the elements in a display.

Abstract: A system that facilitates interaction with a 3-dimensional (3-d) virtual environment is described. In this system, a controller device provides information associated with the 3-d virtual environment to a first display. Furthermore, the system includes at least one portable electronic device, which includes a second display and a 3-d motion sensor that detects motion of the portable electronic device, such as: linear motion, rotational motion and/or a gesture. This portable electronic device communicates the detected motion to the controller device. In response, the controller device provides a subset of the 3-d virtual environment and associated context-dependent information to the portable electronic device, which are displayed on the second display.

Abstract: A system facilitates automatically determining the hypothetical context information or the distribution of hypothetical contexts. During operation, the system receives a request from a user for one or more recommendations. The system also receives a current context substantially associated with the request. The system then determines a hypothetical context for the request, wherein the hypothetical context may be determined by considering several sources of information, including but not limited to the current context, past contexts, and relationships between the current context and past contexts. Next, the system determines one or more recommendations for the user based on the hypothetical context. Finally, the system returns the one or more recommendations to the user.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for recommending activities to a user. During operation, the system determines an activity-type distribution based on the user's personal profile and/or population prior information, thereby facilitating prediction of future activities for the user. The system further searches for and receives one or more activities based on the activity-type distribution. The system then scores each received activity and recommends a number of activities to be performed by the user in the future and a number of corresponding venues, based on the activity-type distribution and the weight distribution.