Patents by Inventor Noel C. Morrison

Noel C. Morrison 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).

  • Patent number: 8713009
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for associating objects in databases of a web site by rate-based tagging. The frequencies of users entering specific tag terms for objects stored in the databases of the web site are used to determine hard associations between objects and tag terms and between objects. When the frequencies of user tags exceed established thresholds, hard associations between objects and tag terms are established. When objects are identified or determined to have hard association with tag terms, the objects are determined to be more clearly associated with the corresponding tag terms. Therefore, they should be highlighted or featured in more prominent locations on web pages of the web site to increase users' confidence in content of the web site. To identify hard-associated objects, more weights can be assigned to the hard-associated objects, which allows them to be more likely to be selected for display in prominent locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Hubert M. Walker, Noel C. Morrison, Ankarino S. Lara, Scott Bedard, Stephen James Blake
  • Patent number: 8407216
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for automatically generating tag terms (or tags) for objects in databases of a web site. The metadata of the objects (or data) of the web site are processed and parsed to automatically generate tag terms for the corresponding objects. Information (or data, or content) downloaded from the Internet often comes with metadata, which can exist in titles, description, sources, and authors of the information, etc. The metadata of downloaded information can be process and parsed to generate tag terms for the corresponding objects. The system can automatically generate tag terms for the data, which are stored as objects in the databases, and make the data (or objects) searchable. In addition, the automatically generated tag terms allow associated data to maintain their relationship. For example, data from the same sources, same authors, or same subjects can be identified based on the common tag terms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Hubert M. Walker, Noel C. Morrison, Timothy Caplis, Scott Bedard, Ankarino S. Lara, Stephen James Blake
  • Patent number: 8271474
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for creating a web site based on an emerging subject, which is also a search keyword, by analyzing search activities (or data) of Internet users of a popular Internet search engine. Analysis of search activity data of the Internet search engine can also provide search keywords that are most related to the emerging subject, and Internet sites with content relevant to the emerging subject. To create such a web site that is of interests to Internet users, the emerging subject and related search keywords mentioned above can be searched on Internet sites identified to have content relevant to the emerging subject. The search results are used to populate databases for this web site. After the web site is created and launched, users of the site can contribute to the content of the site. In addition, active users of the web site can engage in basic administration of the site, which reduces the need of intervention by paid administrators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Hubert M. Walker, Noel C. Morrison, Ankarino S. Lara, Scott Bedard, Timothy Caplis, Conor John Egan
  • Publication number: 20100082576
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for associating objects in databases of a web site by rate-based tagging. The frequencies of users entering specific tag terms for objects stored in the databases of the web site are used to determine hard associations between objects and tag terms and between objects. When the frequencies of user tags exceed established thresholds, hard associations between objects and tag terms are established. When objects are identified or determined to have hard association with tag terms, the objects are determined to be more clearly associated with the corresponding tag terms. Therefore, they should be highlighted or featured in more prominent locations on web pages of the web site to increase users' confidence in content of the web site. To identify hard-associated objects, more weights can be assigned to the hard-associated objects, which allows them to be more likely to be selected for display in prominent locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Hubert M. Walker, Noel C. Morrison, Ankarino S. Lara, Scott Bedard, Stephen James Blake
  • Publication number: 20100082575
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for automatically generating tag terms (or tags) for objects in databases of a web site. The metadata of the objects (or data) of the web site are processed and parsed to automatically generate tag terms for the corresponding objects. Information (or data, or content) downloaded from the Internet often comes with metadata, which can exist in titles, description, sources, and authors of the information, etc. The metadata of downloaded information can be process and parsed to generate tag terms for the corresponding objects. The system can automatically generate tag terms for the data, which are stored as objects in the databases, and make the data (or objects) searchable. In addition, the automatically generated tag terms allow associated data to maintain their relationship. For example, data from the same sources, same authors, or same subjects can be identified based on the common tag terms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Hubert M. Walker, Noel C. Morrison, Timothy Caplis, Scott Bedard, Ankarino S. Lara, Stephen James Blake
  • Publication number: 20090327923
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for creating a web site based on a particular subject using information available on the Internet. Creating and maintaining a web site with updated content can be very time and resource consuming. Therefore, it is desirable to create and maintain such a site with an automatic system and method using information available on the Internet. To create such a site, the subject of the web site is determined first. Afterwards, search terms related to the subject of the web site are entered to conduct searches on the Internet for information relevant to the web site. The search results are used to populate databases for this web site. User contribution of additional content to a web site keeps the web site updated and interesting to all users of the site. In addition, users of the web site can engage in basic administration of the site, which reduces the need of intervention by paid administrators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Hubert M. Walker, Noel C. Morrison, Ankarino S. Lara, Scott Bedard, Timothy Caplis, Conor John Egan
  • Publication number: 20090327275
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for creating a web site based on an emerging subject, which is also a search keyword, by analyzing search activities (or data) of Internet users of a popular Internet search engine. Analysis of search activity data of the Internet search engine can also provide search keywords that are most related to the emerging subject, and Internet sites with content relevant to the emerging subject. To create such a web site that is of interests to Internet users, the emerging subject and related search keywords mentioned above can be searched on Internet sites identified to have content relevant to the emerging subject. The search results are used to populate databases for this web site. After the web site is created and launched, users of the site can contribute to the content of the site. In addition, active users of the web site can engage in basic administration of the site, which reduces the need of intervention by paid administrators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Hubert M. Walker, Noel C. Morrison, Ankarino S. Lara, Scott Bedard, Timothy Caplis, Conor John Egan