Abstract: A computing system can provide enhanced control responsive to ambient interactions from a user. The computing system can obtain context data including an ambient audio signal. The computing system can generate a command path based at least in part on the context data. The command path can include an ordered one or more command actions. The computing system can provide an interactive user interface element depicting the command path to the user. The interactive user interface element can enable the user to select a selected command action of the ordered one or more command actions for performance by the computing system. The computing system can, in response to providing the command path to the user, receive, from the user, the selected command action of the ordered one or more command actions.

Abstract: Automatically alternating between input modes on a computing device based on a usage pattern is provided. A first input mode is initiated for interacting with content displayed on the computing device. An input corresponding to a second input mode on the computing is then detected. A transition is then made from the first input mode to the second input mode on the computing device. Upon the detecting a termination of the input on the displayed content the second input mode, a gradual transition is made from the second input mode to the first input mode based on a current sensor state of the computing device and a threshold.

Abstract: Automatically alternating between input modes on a computing device based on a usage pattern is provided. A first input mode is initiated for interacting with content displayed on the computing device. An input corresponding to a second input mode on the computing is then detected. A transition is then made from the first input mode to the second input mode on the computing device. Upon the detecting a termination of the input on the displayed content the second input mode, a gradual transition is made from the second input mode to the first input mode based on a current sensor state of the computing device and a threshold.

Abstract: Controlling images at mobile devices using sensors is described, for example, for interactive advertisements which respond to sensor readings at a mobile computing device. In various embodiments images are displayed at a mobile computing device according to sensor readings observed at the device and before user input is received at the images. For example, different regions of an image depicting a panorama are displayed as a mobile device is panned around or tilted. In another example images of an object in different orientations are presented as a mobile device is tilted in order to display the object as rotating. In various examples the images are displayed as part of a web page by using a template in the web page to control the display of images according to sensor readings. In various examples sensor readings are used to report user engagement with advertisements.

Abstract: Automatically alternating between input modes on a computing device based on a usage pattern is provided. A first input mode is initiated for interacting with content displayed on the computing device. An input corresponding to a second input mode on the computing is then detected. A transition is then made from the first input mode to the second input mode on the computing device. Upon the detecting a termination of the input on the displayed content the second input mode, a gradual transition is made from the second input mode to the first input mode based on a current sensor state of the computing device and a threshold.

Abstract: Techniques for determining a set of keywords associated with a document are provided. A document is received that may be classified into a taxonomy that includes a plurality of categories. A categorization ranking is determined for each category for the received document. A set of categories of the taxonomy having highest categorization rankings is determined for the received document. Documents representing the set of categories having highest categorization rankings are combined together into a cumulative representative text that includes a plurality of terms. A cumulative term corpus importance score is determined for each term in the cumulative representative text. The cumulative term corpus importance score for a particular term indicates an importance of the particular term in a context of the cumulative representative text. A set of terms of the cumulative representative text having highest cumulative term corpus importance scores is selected to be keywords for the received document.

Abstract: Controlling images at hand-held devices using sensor input, for example, as detected by one or more orientation sensors in a hand-held computing device is described. In various embodiments images are displayed at a hand-held computing device according to orientation sensor readings observed at the device and before user input is received at the images. For example, two or more images with different opacities are superimposed and the opacities differentially varied as the hand-held device is tilted. In another example images are placed in a 3D space which is rotated as the device is tilted. In another example, a video is played either forwards or backwards according to an orientation of the device. In various examples the images are displayed as part of a web page by using a template in the web page to control the display of images according to sensor readings.

Abstract: Information retrieval for group users is described, for example, where an end user of a group, such as an enterprise or other organization, is able to identify and contact other end users of the group who have association with a query the end user issues. In various examples, topics associated with a query of an end user, or of queries of an enterprise or other group, are found. In examples, end users are associated with the topics. In various examples information about end users associated with a topic is displayed at a graphical user interface of an information retrieval system. In various examples an end user is able to send the query and/or a message to end users who have association with the query and/or a topic by making input at a graphical user interface of the information retrieval system. In some examples, notes and sharing permissions are stored.

Abstract: Automatically alternating between input modes on a computing device based on a usage pattern is provided. A first input mode is initiated for interacting with content displayed on the computing device. An input corresponding to a second input mode on the computing is then detected. A transition is then made from the first input mode to the second input mode on the computing device. Upon the detecting a termination of the input on the displayed content the second input mode, a gradual transition is made from the second input mode to the first input mode based on a current sensor state of the computing device and a threshold.

Abstract: Controlling images at hand-held devices using sensor input, for example, as detected by one or more orientation sensors in a hand-held computing device is described. In various embodiments images are displayed at a hand-held computing device according to orientation sensor readings observed at the device and before user input is received at the images. For example, two or more images with different opacities are superimposed and the opacities differentially varied as the hand-held device is tilted. In another example images are placed in a 3D space which is rotated as the device is tilted. In another example, a video is played either forwards or backwards according to an orientation of the device. In various examples the images are displayed as part of a web page by using a template in the web page to control the display of images according to sensor readings.

Abstract: Controlling images at mobile devices using sensors is described, for example, for interactive advertisements which respond to sensor readings at a mobile computing device. In various embodiments images are displayed at a mobile computing device according to sensor readings observed at the device and before user input is received at the images. For example, different regions of an image depicting a panorama are displayed as a mobile device is panned around or tilted. In another example images of an object in different orientations are presented as a mobile device is tilted in order to display the object as rotating. In various examples the images are displayed as part of a web page by using a template in the web page to control the display of images according to sensor readings. In various examples sensor readings are used to report user engagement with advertisements.

Abstract: A search system may use a stateful session that suggests new keywords for refining a search with each iteration of a search sequence. The keywords may be derived from a set of previous search results, or may be identified from a taxonomy of terms. A user may be able to select the keywords to include or exclude from a user interface to further refine the search. In some embodiments, the user interface may also include various metadata parameters to include or exclude. The system may use one or more conventional query-based search engines and may be implemented as a client application, intermediate service, or as part of a search engine.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer media for indirect advertising are provided. An identification of third-party web content related to an offering is received. The third-party web content is published by a third-party publisher, and the offering includes one or more of a product or service. Approval to configure at least one indirect online advertisement for the offering is received. The at least one indirect online advertisement includes a landing page that is presentable on a remote device. At least one indirect online advertisement is configured for presentation such that the third-party web content related to the offering and published by the third-party publisher is reachable via the landing page of the at least one configured indirect online advertisement.

Abstract: Techniques for determining a set of keywords associated with a document are provided. A document is received that may be classified into a taxonomy that includes a plurality of categories. A categorization ranking is determined for each category for the received document. A set of categories of the taxonomy having highest categorization rankings is determined for the received document. Documents representing the set of categories having highest categorization rankings are combined together into a cumulative representative text that includes a plurality of terms. A cumulative term corpus importance score is determined for each term in the cumulative representative text. The cumulative term corpus importance score for a particular term indicates an importance of the particular term in a context of the cumulative representative text. A set of terms of the cumulative representative text having highest cumulative term corpus importance scores is selected to be keywords for the received document.

Abstract: A search system may use a stateful session that suggests new keywords for refining a search with each iteration of a search sequence. The keywords may be derived from a set of previous search results, or may be identified from a taxonomy of terms. A user may be able to select the keywords to include or exclude from a user interface to further refine the search. In some embodiments, the user interface may also include various metadata parameters to include or exclude. The system may use one or more conventional query-based search engines and may be implemented as a client application, intermediate service, or as part of a search engine.

Abstract: Information is automatically located which is relevant to source content that a user is viewing on a user interface without requiring the user to perform an additional search or navigate links of the source content. The source content can be, e.g., a web page or a document from a word processing or email application. The relevant information can include images, videos, web pages, maps or other location-based information, people-based information and special services which aggregate different types of information. Related content is located by analyzing textual content, user behavior and connectivity relative to the source. The related content is scored for similarity to the source. Content which is sufficiently similar but not too similar is selected. Similar related content is grouped to select representative results. The selected content is filtering in multiple stages based on attribute priorities to avoid unnecessary processing of content which is filtered out an early stage.

Abstract: A document may be classified by traversing a hierarchical classification tree and comparing the words in the document to words in documents representing the nodes on the classification tree. The document may be classified by traversing the classification tree and generating a comparison score based on word comparisons. The score may be used to trim the classification tree or to advance to another node on the tree. The score may be based on a scarcity or importance of individual words in the document compared to the scarcity or importance of words in the category. The result may be a set of classifications with scores for those classifications.

Abstract: A system capable of detecting changes within an environment in which a known image is displayed. The system includes a computing platform executing a software application being configured for comparing at least a portion of an image captured from the environment to at least a portion of the known image to thereby detect changes in the environment.

Abstract: Information is automatically located which is relevant to source content that a user is viewing on a user interface without requiring the user to perform an additional search or navigate links of the source content. The source content can be, e.g., a web page or a document from a word processing or email application. The relevant information can include images, videos, web pages, maps or other location-based information, people-based information and special services which aggregate different types of information. Related content is located by analyzing textual content, user behavior and connectivity relative to the source. The related content is scored for similarity to the source. Content which is sufficiently similar but not too similar is selected. Similar related content is grouped to select representative results. The selected content is filtering in multiple stages based on attribute priorities to avoid unnecessary processing of content which is filtered out an early stage.

Abstract: A method of presenting information on a display monitor within a computing environment includes accessing a website containing a related collection of electronic pages, crawling the website to obtain raw image data for at least some of each of the pages, porting the raw image data into a template so that each of the crawled pages is converted into a corresponding information panel containing a mapping of the content of its respective corresponding page, and displaying each of the information panels on a respective display monitor so all of the panels are viewable to a user in a single screen shot. Related methods, apparatus, and systems are further provided.