Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are provided for facilitating a following of a content sponsor in a social network. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of identifying a creative for presentation to users in response to requests for content, and receiving selection criteria from a sponsor associated with the creative, the selection criteria for use in determining when to present the creative. The creative is augmented to include a control that enables a user to follow the content sponsor automatically upon interaction with the control, and the augmented creative is presented in response to received requests for content in accordance with the selection criteria. The sponsor is charged when the creative is presented and a user initiates an action to follow the sponsor in a social network.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are provided for facilitating a following of a content sponsor in a social network. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of identifying a creative for presentation to users in response to requests for content, and receiving selection criteria from a sponsor associated with the creative, the selection criteria for use in determining when to present the creative. The creative is augmented to include a control that enables a user to follow the content sponsor automatically upon interaction with the control, and the augmented creative is presented in response to received requests for content in accordance with the selection criteria. The sponsor is charged when the creative is presented and a user initiates an action to follow the sponsor in a social network.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are provided for facilitating a following of a content sponsor in a social network. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of identifying a creative for presentation to users in response to requests for content, and receiving selection criteria from a sponsor associated with the creative, the selection criteria for use in determining when to present the creative. The creative is augmented to include a control that enables a user to follow the content sponsor automatically upon interaction with the control, and the augmented creative is presented in response to received requests for content in accordance with the selection criteria. The sponsor is charged when the creative is presented and a user initiates an action to follow the sponsor in a social network.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are provided for facilitating a following of a content sponsor in a social network. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of identifying a creative for presentation to users in response to requests for content, and receiving selection criteria from a sponsor associated with the creative, the selection criteria for use in determining when to present the creative. The creative is augmented to include a control that enables a user to follow the content sponsor automatically upon interaction with the control, and the augmented creative is presented in response to received requests for content in accordance with the selection criteria. The sponsor is charged when the creative is presented and a user initiates an action to follow the sponsor in a social network.

Abstract: A communication interface of a device communicates with a personal electronic device, and a processor associated with the communication interface automatically directs the personal electronic device, through the communication interface, either to operate in a first mode in which the personal electronic device interacts with a wearer of the personal electronic device or to operate in a second mode in which the wearable personal electronic device interacts with a person other than the wearer, based on how the wearable device is being used.

Abstract: A method of scoring the performance of attendees at a meeting based upon a predetermined desired performance criteria set by a meeting organizer or sponsor. All attendees at the meeting wear electronic tags where goals for the tag-wearer's meeting performance, such as session attendance, survey completion, conversing with certain people, etc., are stored. Each goal has an associated score, and the scores also are retained in the tag. From these goals and scores, a total score is computed from the plurality of scores, the total score being indicative of the overall performance of the attendee at the meeting measured against the predetermined desired performance criteria.

Abstract: A wearable electronic tag for displaying graphics and text images and for communicating with other similar tags. Each tag includes a visible, graphical display adapted to be worn by a user. The tag also includes a short range, substantially unidirectional electronic communication channel, such as an infrared transmitter-receiver, located on the display unit so that, when the display unit is worn, the interface faces in a direction of the desired communication with another person who also is wearing a similar tag. This arrangement makes possible automatic data exchange and comparison of the interchanged data and display of the results of the comparison on the tags worn by the two wearers. The tags also have a longer range wireless communication system to receive and transmit data.

Abstract: A wearable electronic tag for displaying graphics and text images and for communicating with other similar tags. Each tag includes a visible, graphical display adapted to be worn by a user. The tag also includes a short range, substantially unidirectional electronic communication channel, such as an infrared transmitter-receiver, located on the display unit so that, when the display unit is worn, the interface faces in a direction of the desired communication with another person who also is wearing a similar tag. This arrangement makes possible automatic data exchange and comparison of the interchanged data and display of the results of the comparison on the tags worn by the two wearers. The tags also have a longer range wireless communication system to receive and transmit data.

Abstract: A wearable electronic tag for displaying graphics and text images and for communicating with other similar tags. Each tag includes a visible, graphical display adapted to be worn by a user. The tag also includes a short range, substantially unidirectional electronic communication channel, such as an infrared transmitter-receiver, located on the display unit so that, when the display unit is worn, the interface faces in a direction of the desired communication with another person who also is wearing a similar tag. This arrangement makes possible automatic data exchange and comparison of the interchanged data and display of the results of the comparison on the tags worn by the two wearers. The tags also have a longer range wireless communication system to receive and transmit data.

Abstract: A communication interface of a device communicates with a personal electronic device, and a processor associated with the communication interface automatically directs the personal electronic device, through the communication interface, either to operate in a first mode in which the personal electronic device interacts with a wearer of the personal electronic device or to operate in a second mode in which the wearable personal electronic device interacts with a person other than the wearer, based on how the wearable device is being used.

Abstract: A mobile wireless device has a device identifier, is located in a meeting venue, and communicates with a server through one or more wireless access points associated with the meeting venue. The device receives, from one of the access points, access point information that identifies the access point, and sends information including the device identifier to the access point.

Abstract: A wearable electronic tag for displaying graphics and text images and for communicating with other similar tags. Each tag includes a visible, graphical display adapted to be worn by a user. The tag also includes a short range, substantially unidirectional electronic communication channel, such as an infrared transmitter-receiver, located on the display unit so that, when the display unit is worn, the interface faces in a direction of the desired communication with another person who also is wearing a similar tag. This arrangement makes possible automatic data exchange and comparison of the interchanged data and display of the results of the comparison on the tags worn by the two wearers. The tags also have a longer range wireless communication system to receive and transmit data.

Abstract: A wearable electronic tag for displaying graphics and text images and for communicating with other similar tags. Each tag includes a visible, graphical display adapted to be worn by a user. The tag also includes a short range, substantially unidirectional electronic communication channel, such as an infrared transmitter-receiver, located on the display unit so that, when the display unit is worn, the interface faces in a direction of the desired communication with another person who also is wearing a similar tag. This arrangement makes possible automatic data exchange and comparison of the interchanged data and display of the results of the comparison on the tags worn by the two wearers. The tags also have a longer range wireless communication system to receive and transmit data.

Abstract: This invention improves face-to-face communication between two PDA users. Data contained in a first of the two user's PDA is required to perform an interaction by the second PDA with the World Wide Web (the “web”). For example, the first PDA can contain a description of a product or service, and can beam that description to another PDA. The recipient PDA then has everything it needs to interact with the web. PDAs typically contain the facility to send an infrared beam containing data to another compatible PDA. The data in the first PDA can be maintained as a beamable object, and beamed multiple times to different PDAs.

Abstract: Text entry and information retrieval are combined in such a way as to automatically offer an author continuous retrieval of information potentially relevant to the text he is authoring. The author enters text in one portion of the user interface. Keywords are extracted from the text as the author enters them and are used as query words for an information retrieval mechanism to a document collection. Those queries return relevant information from the document collection in a second portion of the user interface. The user can then read or ignore the returned information or he can select the returned information to view the full context from which it came.

Abstract: Portable electronic devices containing user's calendars have proliferated. Similarly, files, web pages, databases and information sources have become commonplace. The present invention combines knowledge of the current date and time with knowledge of entries in the user's calendar to automatically generate queries against those files, databases and information sources. The results of those queries are then made available to the user in order to provide the user with additional information about the subject of the meeting, the other attendees, their employers, etc. The present invention connects multiple devices together in a passive information retrieval model, leveraging off of mobile, desktop, and server systems, context data and search and retrieval technology. The present invention is thus an automatic search and retrieval system providing its user with relevant information to a scheduled meeting or event.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing communication in a computer system. The present invention includes a method and apparatus for modifying a first version of a computer model in a live environment to create additional versions. The present invention also includes a method and apparatus for storing the additional versions and a method and apparatus for accessing each of the additional version, independent of the other additional versions, in order to create a temporal sequence.