Patents by Inventor Randall Farmer

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).

  • Patent number: 8849909
    Abstract: A real-time asynchronous event aggregation system, method, and network device are configured to capture real-time asynchronous events, and to pass them as input to one or more aggregation engines to determine a reputation for a target. The aggregation engine(s) may then send out notifications where a reputation category changes for a target, indicating that an action may be taken to inhibit spam messages from the target, highlight a display of content from the target, or the like. As such, the event-driven aggregation engines may be designed to capture real-time asynchronous events, such as reputation reports for a wide variety of activities, including, but not limited to spam and/or not-spam messages, determining a reputation on a posting of comments to a movie, a blog posting, a play list posting, or the like. In one embodiment, a reputation of the sender of the reputation event may also be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: F. Randall Farmer, Mohammad Mohsenzadeh, Chip Morningstar, Neal J. Sample
  • Publication number: 20140280227
    Abstract: A real-time asynchronous event aggregation system, method, and network device are configured to capture real-time asynchronous events, and to pass them as input to one or more aggregation engines to determine a reputation for a target. The aggregation engine(s) may then send out notifications where a reputation category changes for a target, indicating that an action may be taken to inhibit spam messages from the target, highlight a display of content from the target, or the like. As such, the event-driven aggregation engines may be designed to capture real-time asynchronous events, such as reputation reports for a wide variety of activities, including, but not limited to spam and/or not-spam messages, determining a reputation on a posting of comments to a movie, a blog posting, a play list posting, or the like. In one embodiment, a reputation of the sender of the reputation event may also be determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: F. Randall Farmer, Mohammad Mohsenzadeh, Chip Morningstar, Neal J. Sample
  • Publication number: 20140067980
    Abstract: Enabling an authenticated user to access content associated with an authenticated user as though the authenticated user had a selected user relationship with the authenticated user. The user relationship may comprise a relationship degree, a relationship category, a relationship rating, and/or the like. An invitation to join an electronic service, such as an online social network, is sent to the unauthenticated user at an address known to the authenticated user. The invitation includes a time-limited token, such as a URL, that includes an invitation identifier, which relates the invitation to the authenticated user content. The token may be encrypted in the invitation. The unauthenticated user returns the token as a request to preview the authenticated user content without first becoming an authenticated user of the electronic service. If the token is still valid, access is granted. The unauthenticated user may also request to establish a connection with the authenticated user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Michael La Rotonda, Neal Sample, F. Randall Farmer, Paul Brody, Ellen Sue Perelman
  • Patent number: 8612359
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards making a user's online portal information available to members of an online social network. Portal information can include information entered by the user and information determined based on the user's online behaviors, such as frequenting a Web site, sending spam messages, and the like. The online social network enables multiple degrees of relationships among members of the online social network. At least a portion of the portal information is made accessible to at least some of the members of the online social network who have a relationship to the user. The relationship can be through a public activity available to all members and/or through a user-defined category of members, such as family, friends, business contacts, and the like. The portal information can be used to determine which relationships will be established and/or which information will be available to members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Hull, Ellen S. Perelman, F. Randall Farmer
  • Patent number: 8584258
    Abstract: Enabling an unauthenticated user to access content associated with an authenticated user as though the unauthenticated user had a selected user relationship with the authenticated user. The user relationship may comprise a relationship degree, a relationship category, a relationship rating, and/or the like. An invitation to join an electronic service, such as an online social network, is sent to the unauthenticated user at an address known to the authenticated user. The invitation includes a time-limited token, such as a URL, that includes an invitation identifier, which relates the invitation to the authenticated user content. The token may be encrypted in the invitation. The unauthenticated user returns the token as a request to preview the authenticated user content without first becoming an authenticated user of the electronic service. If the token is still valid, access is granted. The unauthenticated user may also request to establish a connection with the authenticated user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Michael La Rotonda, Neal Sample, F. Randall Farmer, Paul Brody, Ellen Sue Perelman
  • Publication number: 20130073978
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of managing a virtual area based on communicant capabilities are described. The communicant capabilities are updated based on rules in response to events in the virtual area. An action by one communicant can affect the capabilities of another communicant. Communicant capabilities can be stored in respective server-side proxies and the virtual area can be managed without transmitting any of the capabilities to the communicants' client network nodes. Capability-based permissions checks can be performed against communicant capabilities with wildcarded attribute fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert J. Butler, Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, F. Randall Farmer
  • Publication number: 20130073707
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of managing a virtual area based on communicant capabilities are described. The communicant capabilities are updated based on rules in response to events in the virtual area. An action by one communicant can affect the capabilities of another communicant. Communicant capabilities can be stored in respective server-side proxies and the virtual area can be managed without transmitting any of the capabilities to the communicants' client network nodes. Capability-based permissions checks can be performed against communicant capabilities with wildcarded attribute fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Social Communications Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Butler, Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, F. Randall Farmer
  • Patent number: 8266158
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for generating a just-in-time reputation score. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving a user generated content item from a user, calculating an initial reputation score and retrieving a plurality of rules. The method then analyzes the user generated content item based on the rules and determines a just-in-time reputation score based on the analysis. Finally, the method displays the just-in-time reputation score and the content item to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Bryce Glass, F. Randall Farmer
  • Publication number: 20120209914
    Abstract: Enabling a content publisher and a receiving user to control access to content updates based on user relationships. The content publisher and the receiving user may assign a relationship degree, relationship category, and/or relationship rating to each other and to other users. The content publisher and/or receiving user also specify a required relationship that is needed to access or accept a content update. The content publisher and receiving user may further specify acceptable types of content updates, such as blog entries, product reviews, photos, and the like that are accessible or acceptable. Upon logon or other event, a summary of content updates is provided to each receiving user that meets each content publisher's required relationship, and the content updates are delivered according to a selected delivery method from those content publishers that meet the relationship requirements of the receiving users. Delivery includes email, instant message, RSS feeds, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Neal Sample, F. Randall Farmer, Ericson DeJesus, Ellen Sue Perelman, Mark Everett Hull
  • Publication number: 20120203846
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Mark E. Hull, F. Randall Farmer, Ellen S. Perelman
  • Patent number: 8166069
    Abstract: Enabling a content publisher and a receiving user to control access to content updates based on user relationships. The content publisher and the receiving user may assign a relationship degree, relationship category, and/or relationship rating to each other and to other users. The content publisher and/or receiving user also specify a required relationship that is needed to access or accept a content update. The content publisher and receiving user may further specify acceptable types of content updates, such as blog entries, product reviews, photos, and the like that are accessible or acceptable. Upon logon or other event, a summary of content updates is provided to each receiving user that meets each content publisher's required relationship, and the content updates are delivered according to a selected delivery method from those content publishers that meet the relationship requirements of the receiving users. Delivery includes email, instant message, RSS feeds, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Neal Sample, F. Randall Farmer, Ericson DeJesus, Ellen Sue Perelman, Mark Everett Hull
  • Publication number: 20120083330
    Abstract: A method is provided for automatic generation of achievement objects corresponding to the achievement of a user in a computer implemented game which encapsulates renderable event sequence data defining a sequence of events graphically illustrating the achievement of the user. The generation of renderable event sequence data and the creation of achievement objects may be in automatic response to the detection of an achievement by a user within the context of the computer implemented game. Achievement objects, once generated, may be posted to a news feed or an electronic leaderboard for viewing by users of an online gaming community. In some embodiments, achievement objects may be customized such as through an editor interface that facilitates insertion of text, video, or audio comments. Achievement objects may also be commented on in the form of other achievement objects, having their own renderable event sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: ZYNGA GAME NETWORK, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Adam OCKO, Frank Randall FARMER
  • Publication number: 20120083335
    Abstract: Example systems and methods related to the generation of animation playback sequences of events constituting a player achievement in an online game are presented. In an example, events resulting from actions of a player in an online game are captured. Event records are generated for the captured events. An achievement of the player in the online game is detected. The achievement results from at least some of the captured events. At least some of the event records are aggregated to generate an achievement playback sequence for playback of at least some of the captured events resulting in the achievement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventors: Matthew Adam Ocko, Frank Randall Farmer
  • Publication number: 20120083336
    Abstract: Example systems and methods related to the generation of animation playback sequences of events constituting a player achievement in an online game are presented. In an example, events resulting from actions of a player in an online game are captured. Event records are generated for the captured events. Each of the event records are tagged with at least one achievement identifier. An achievement identifier indicates at least one achievement for which the event of the tagged record is a contributory event. An achievement of the player is detected in the online game, with the achievement corresponding to a first achievement identifier. At least some of the event records that are tagged with the first achievement identifier are aggregated to generate an achievement playback sequence for playback of at least some of the captured events that resulted in the achievement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventors: Matthew Adam Ocko, Frank Randall Farmer
  • Publication number: 20110302263
    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: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Quoc, Dan Wascovich, Matthew Fukuda, E. Stanley Ott, IV, F. Randall Farmer, Edward Ho, Jonathan James Trevor
  • Publication number: 20110289153
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Mark E. Hull, F. Randall Farmer, Ellen S. Perelman
  • Publication number: 20110289011
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Mark E. Hull, F. Randall Farmer, Ellen S. Perelman
  • Publication number: 20110289574
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Mark E. Hull, F. Randall Farmer, Ellen S. Perelman
  • Patent number: 8006190
    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 namespace identifier (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: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Quoc, Dan Wascovich, Matthew Fukuda, E. Stanley Ott, IV, F. Randall Farmer, Edward Ho, Jonathan James Trevor
  • Publication number: 20110125661
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Mark E. Hull, F. Randall Farmer, Ellen S. Perelman