Patents Issued in November 15, 2016
  • Patent number: 9495417
    Abstract: One or more processors apply rules to a first query to generate a modified query such that processing of the modified query is optimized for a first set of processing conditions. One or more processors measure a degree of latency experienced during processing of the modified query under a second set of processing conditions. One or more processors generate other rules to be applied to queries based, at least in part, on the measured degree of latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Arnold Beilmann, Thomas H. Gnech, Eric R. Kass, Steffen Koenig, Oliver Petrik
  • Patent number: 9495418
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for offloading multiple processing operations to an accelerator. Aspects include receiving a database query from an application, performing an analysis on the query, and identifying a plurality of available accelerators. Aspects further include retrieving cost information for one or more templates available on each of the plurality of available accelerators, determining a query execution plan based on the cost information and the analysis on the query, and offloading one or more query operations to at least one of the plurality of accelerators based on the query execution plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sameh W. Asaad, Parijat Dube, Hong Min, Bharat Sukhwani, Mathew S. Thoennes
  • Patent number: 9495419
    Abstract: Optimization of a multi-index database access at runtime. A processor receives a query. A processor determines a plan and an RID results threshold for the plan, wherein the plan includes an access to the index. A processor determines a static risk threshold, a static risk for the access, and whether the static risk exceeds the static risk threshold. Responsive to the static risk exceeding the static risk threshold, a processor determines a risk bound for the access, and links the access to the risk bound. A processor accesses the index with the key. Responsive to the access being linked to a risk bound, a processor determines a dynamic risk for the access. A processor receives one or more RID results during the execution of the plan. A processor aborts the execution of the plan if a quantity of the RID results is less than the RID results threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shuo Li, Ping Liang, Ke Wei Wei, Xin Ying Yang, Chen Xin Yu
  • Patent number: 9495420
    Abstract: A distributed feature collection and correlation engine is provided, Feature extraction comprises obtaining one or more data records; extracting information from the one or more data records based on domain knowledge; transforming the extracted information into a key/value pair comprised of a key K and a value V, wherein the key comprises a feature identifier; and storing the key/value pair in a feature store database if the key/value pair does not already exist in the feature store database using a de-duplication mechanism. Features extracted from data records can be queried by obtaining a feature store database comprised of the extracted features stored as a key/value pair comprised of a key K and a value V, wherein the key comprises a feature identifier; receiving a query comprised of at least one query key; retrieving values from the feature store database that match the query key; and returning one or more retrieved key/value pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mihai Christodorescu, Xin Hu, Douglas Lee Schales, Reiner Sailer, Marc P. Stoecklin, Ting Wang
  • Patent number: 9495421
    Abstract: A data processing method capable of providing improved bidirectional data portability includes receiving, at a first device, a request from a client computer to export data records related to the client computer, wherein the data records have been created under control of a first instance of an application program, where at least a portion of the data records have a first creation timestamp, identifying the data records, generating a package for export of the data records by formatting the data records into an intermediate format, by a second device, opening the package and providing the data to a second instance of an application program on the second device, where a portion of the data records have a second creation timestamp that is later than the first creation timestamp, creating the data records, and setting, for each data record of the portion, the second creation timestamp to the first creation timestamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ATLASSIAN PTY LTD
    Inventors: William DeHaan, Ramiro Antonio Berrelleza Perez, Jason Kinnon Blankenberg, John Anthony Pfeiffer IV
  • Patent number: 9495422
    Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprising a processor configured to receive information related to a media object, and automatically select at least one supplemental media object based at least in part on a competency of a user related to the media object is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Juha Henrik Arrasvuori, Jussi Severi Uusitalo, Marja Pauliina Salmimaa
  • Patent number: 9495423
    Abstract: Query requests for RDF triples are obtained, wherein the query request(s) contain(s) at least one triple pattern; for each triple pattern, the corresponding elementary pattern is determined, and each triple pattern is converted to a weighted elementary pattern. The occurrence frequency of each elementary pattern is computed based on the weighted elementary patterns; at least one elementary pattern is chosen at least according to the occurrence frequency; and the RDF triples corresponding to the chosen at least elementary pattern are prefetched into the buffer. The corresponding apparatus is also provided. With the above method and apparatus, the frequently accessed RDF triples can be determined and prefetched into the buffer, which improves the query efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yue Pan, Xing Zhi Sun, Qing Fa Wang, Shuo Wu, Lin Hao Xu
  • Patent number: 9495424
    Abstract: Character identity recognition is applied to identify text strings corresponding to character identities in a written work. The textual strings are grouped according to character identity and, from each group, a primary name is selected. A significance value may be calculated for each of the character identities. The character identities including the primary names are presented in a catalog based on the calculated significance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Killalea, Janna S. Hamaker, Eugene Kalenkovich
  • Patent number: 9495425
    Abstract: A set of comments associated with an item of media content is identified. A set of sentiment scores associated with the set of comments is generated, wherein each sentiment score indicates a type of sentiment expressed in a comment. The sentiment profile is generated responsive at least in part to the set of sentiment scores, the sentiment profile indicating the types of sentiment expressed in comments associated with the item of media content and stored in association with the item of media content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Stacey Kuznetsov
  • Patent number: 9495426
    Abstract: Techniques for providing interactive decision trees are included. For example, a system is provided that stores data related to a decision tree, wherein the data includes one or more data structures and one or more portions of code. The system receives input corresponding to an interaction request associated with a modification to the decision tree. The system determines whether the modification requires multiple-processing iterations of the distributed data set. The system generates an application layer modified decision tree when the generating requires no multiple-processing iterations of the distributed data set. The system facilitates server layer modification of the decision tree when the modification requires multiple-processing iterations of the distributed data set. The system generates a representation of the application layer modified decision tree or the server layer modified decision tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: SAS Institute Inc.
    Inventors: Xiangxiang Meng, Rajendra Singh, Xiangqian Hu, Duane Hamilton, Robert Wayne Thompson
  • Patent number: 9495427
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for processing data are disclosed. The system includes a data processing framework configured to receive a data processing task for processing, a plurality of database systems coupled to the data processing framework, and a storage component in communication with the data processing framework and the plurality database systems. The database systems perform a data processing task. The data processing task is partitioned into a plurality of partitions and each database system processes a partition of the data processing task assigned for processing to that database system. Each database system performs processing of its assigned partition of the data processing task in parallel with another database system processing another partition of the data processing task assigned to the another database system. The data processing framework performs at least one partition of the data processing task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Yale University
    Inventors: Daniel Abadi, Kamil Bajda-Pawlikowski, Azza Abouzied, Avi Silberschatz
  • Patent number: 9495428
    Abstract: In general, techniques are described to enable selective viewing of data output in response to a command. The techniques provide generic mechanisms to filter output solicited by commands supported by current and future implementations of an interface. An example device receives from a client device an input comprising an operational command a selection request that specifies a field identifier. A schema enumeration module of the device assigns a unique element number to each element of a class of elements defined by a schema, forming an enumerated schema. An interface of the device receives data conforming to a data description language, and a filtering module filters the textual output by mapping the field identifier specified in the selection request to a unique element number of the enumerated schema. A rendering module renders the filtered data into filtered textual output. The device transmits the filtered textual output to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Juniper Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Kumar Rastogi, Nilesh Kantilal Simaria
  • Patent number: 9495429
    Abstract: This system comprises methods that simplify the creation of multidimensional OLAP models from one or more semantically enabled data sources. The system also comprises methods enabling interoperability between existing OLAP end-user interfaces, the system's representation of OLAP and the underlying data sources. This includes web-enabled OLAP interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Inventor: Daniel Paul Miranker
  • Patent number: 9495430
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for batch processing of data records in an on-demand system. A marker is stored that identifies a node in an on-demand system and identifies a most recent data record processed in a relational database management system by the node. The marker is used to query the database management system to identify a batch of records for the node to process. The batch of records is processed by the node to update a client of data changes reflected by the batch of records.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: salesforce.com
    Inventors: Raj Rajendran, Navin K. Ramineni, Priya Sethuraman, Stephen Gesin, Varun Gupta
  • Patent number: 9495431
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for multi-instance redo apply is provided for standby databases. A multi-instance primary database generates a plurality of redo records, which are received and applied by a physical standby running a multi-instance standby database. Each standby instance runs a set of processes that utilize non-blocking, single-task threads for high parallelism. At each standby instance for the multi-instance redo, the plurality of redo records are merged into a stream from one or more redo strands in logical time order, distributed to standby instances according to determined apply slave processes using an intelligent workload distribution function, reemerged after receiving updates from remote instances, and applied in logical time order by the apply slave processes. Redo apply progress is tracked at each instance locally and also globally, allowing a consistent query logical time to be maintained and published to service database read query requests concurrently with the redo apply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Amrish Srivastava, Yunrui Li, Mahesh Baburao Girkar
  • Patent number: 9495432
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a distributed data storage system comprising a plurality of storage nodes. Using unicast and multicast transmission, a server application may read and write data in the storage system. Each storage node may monitor reading and writing operations on the system as well as the status of other storage nodes. In this way, the storage nodes may detect a need for replication of files on the system, and may carry out a replication process that serves to maintain a storage of a sufficient number of copies of files with correct versions at geographically diverse locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: COMPUVERDE AB
    Inventors: Stefan Bernbo, Christian Melander, Roger Persson, Gustav Petersson
  • Patent number: 9495433
    Abstract: A computer program product for migrating data objects from a source entity to a target entity, wherein the source entity includes infrastructure shared between discrete systems, the system including: a storage device storing an index of the data objects stored on the shared infrastructure and object attributes of the data objects, said index being in a normalized data model independent of native formats of the discrete systems; a selector adapted to select which objects to migrate based on at least one said object attribute; and an optimizer adapted to optimize the migration of data from the shared infrastructure to the target entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ian T. Smith
  • Patent number: 9495434
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards managing designations of a plurality of files across multiple clusters. Files may be designated as primary files or secondary files. Primary files at one cluster may be asynchronously replicated at another cluster as secondary files. Secondary files may be synchronously validated with remote primary files based on local file access requests. If a write request for a local secondary file is provided, then the local file may be designated as the primary file and the remote file may be designated as the secondary file. Local access may then be provided to the local primary file. If a read request for a local secondary file is provide, then local access may be provided to the local secondary file without changing file designations. In some embodiments, file designations may be preemptively changed based on a file change designation schedule for clusters at different geographic locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Mark Walton, Jeffrey Douglas Hughes, Nathan Edward Dire, Alain Hamel, Justin Michael Husted, Eric Michael Lemar
  • Patent number: 9495435
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for backing up database storage. A protection policy for database storage is activated at a remote host, wherein the database storage is not physically accessible by the computing device, such that the out-of-band storage is not in communication with the remote host through the computing device. A backup request is transmitted to the remote host comprising data indicative of a volume on the database storage to back up according to the protection policy. A response to the backup request is received comprising staging disk requirements including a required size for a staging disk. A staging disk is determined based on the response. The staging disk is presented to the remote host so that the remote host can perform a backup of the volume to the staging disk using a database backup tool provided by a vendor of the database storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ACTIFIO, INC.
    Inventors: Xiangdong Zhang, Madhav Mutalik, Sachindra Kumar
  • Patent number: 9495436
    Abstract: A server includes a data ingestion module with executable instructions executed by a processor to produce inferred data types from received data and utilize the inferred data types to augment the received data with computed values that aggregate the received data along a hierarchical dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ClearStory Data Inc.
    Inventors: Vaibhav Nivargi, Nicholas Briggs, Douglas van der Molen, Kevin Malone, Mikhail Bautin
  • Patent number: 9495437
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes defining a slice of a dimensional database. The slice includes at least one dimension and at least one measurement and is expressable as a table. The method further includes building, in a structured query language (SQL) dialect, a single query that queries the slice and one or more non-dimensional databases. The SQL dialect represents the at least one dimension, the at least one measurement, and data attributes of the one or more non-dimensional databases. In addition, the method includes parsing the single query. The parsing includes generating a dimensional query for the dimensional database and a non-dimensional query for each of the one or more non-dimensional databases. Furthermore, the method includes executing the dimensional query on the dimensional database. Moreover, the method includes, for each non-dimensional database of the one or more non-dimensional databases, executing the non-dimensional query on the non-dimensional database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Software Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Henrik Jonsson, Debbie M. Peabody, Aleksey Mikhailovich Bazhenov
  • Patent number: 9495438
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an information processing apparatus and method, a program, and a recording medium, in which a content is recommended to each user on the basis of even the metadata that is assigned with no classification. A metadata analysis block resolves metadata acquired by a metadata acquisition block into components. A dictionary data generation block generates dictionary data in which genre is correlated with keyword and each component. An associated-information database generation block references the dictionary data to assign genre to the metadata which are assigned with no genre, thereby generating an associated-information database of content. An associated-information search block references the dictionary data to identify a genre from a keyword of interest data to search for associated information, thereby recommending content to the user. The present invention is applicable to personal computers or HDD recorders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mari Saito, Noriyuki Yamamoto, Mitsuhiro Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Koike
  • Patent number: 9495439
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving digital media content files. The digital media content has at least one property associated with it. Topically related segments are determined from received content in accordance with one or more property. Topic clusters are generated based on similarities between segments. Topic clusters are compared and clustered from multiple files of the plurality into cluster groups in accordance with a comparison. Cluster groups are associatively stored in a data storage. A search for topic clusters relevant to a particular need is made, and a series of related segments associated with the search are generated for serial display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yongxin Xi, Mainak Sen
  • Patent number: 9495440
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for routing files within a document management system. The document management system may comprise or may otherwise communicate with an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system and Full Text Search (FTS) indexing system. Files may be fed to a file routing apparatus with different priorities based on an originating source. The files may be routed for OCR processing and/or FTS indexing based on file and/or document types, licensing, and/or the like. Images and corresponding machine-readable text may be archived. Text may be FTS indexed so that the associated files may be identified and accessed by various client systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: McKesson Financial Holdings
    Inventors: Eric Heard, Steven M Russell
  • Patent number: 9495441
    Abstract: According to embodiments of the present invention, two or more attributes that are included in a plurality of attributes are aggregated into a group defined by a first data definition language syntax. The first data definition language syntax defines the group as having a groupID and one or more of an attribute definition defined in a comma-separated list and a group definition. The attribute definition is defined by a second data definition syntax. The first data definition language syntax includes the second data definition language syntax. The first data definition language syntax is structured in a manner to allow a database operation associated with the group to be applied to all attributes and/or groups included therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Karla Bester, Allan T. Chandler, Mark A. Shewell, Stephen J. Yates
  • Patent number: 9495442
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to automatically publish data items associated with a news event. In one embodiment, a method comprises determining, using one or more processors, an event of a plurality of events as associated with a heightened user interest, identifying one or more listings from a plurality of listings as matching the event associated with the heightened user interest, and presenting a visual representation of a relationship between the event and the one or more listings such that the one or more listings are displayed as visually related to the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Shen, Xiaodi Zhang, Qiang Wang, Helen Hang Ye, JinYu Lou
  • Patent number: 9495443
    Abstract: A system and method for generating query refinement suggestions may include collecting refinement data for at least one received source query. The collected refinement data is then clustered to form at least one cluster. At least one potential refinement query suggestion is identified from the refinement data within the at least one cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Baker, Paul Haahr
  • Patent number: 9495444
    Abstract: A method including receiving a search query containing one or more query terms from a remote device and determining one or more query parses based on the search query and a knowledge base. Each query parse indicates one or more entity types, wherein each entity type corresponds to a query term or a combination of query terms contained in the search query. The method further includes obtaining a set of app-specific rules, each app-specific rule respectively corresponding to a respective software application. The method further includes generating a set of unparameterized function identifiers based on the plurality of app-specific rules and the one or more query parses. For each of the set of unparameterized function identifiers, the method includes parameterizing the function identifier based on the query terms. The method further includes generating search results based on the parameterized function identifiers and transmitting the search results to the remote device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Quixey, Inc.
    Inventors: Liron Shapira, Michael Harris, Jonathan Ben-Tzur
  • Patent number: 9495445
    Abstract: It is possible to analyze digitized document information gathered to be provided as evidence in a legal action and to classify the document information to be easily accessible in the legal action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: UBIC, Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Morimoto, Yoshikatsu Shirai, Hideki Takeda, Kazumi Hasuko
  • Patent number: 9495446
    Abstract: The present invention relates to summarizing cross-network user behavioral data. The summarizing cross-network user behavioral data may particularly include publishing the data to one or more data structures that become accessible to a server hosting an authorized domain when a user accesses the authorized domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: GULA CONSULTING LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
    Inventors: Anthony Martin, David L. Goulden, Dominic V. Bennett, Roger Petersen, Remigiusz K. Paczkowski
  • Patent number: 9495447
    Abstract: Technology is described for generating music playlists tailored to a geographical region. Collective music listening habits may be identified for a geographical region. The collective music listening habits for the geographical region may be categorized into one or more categories of music. Geographical station programming may be generated according to at least one of the categories of music. The geographical station programming may include a music playlist that corresponds to the collective music listening habits for the geographical region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Woolf Phillips, Eric Scott Eisher
  • Patent number: 9495448
    Abstract: A method of generating a combined profile of a terminal, and an apparatus to perform the method, the method including collecting a profile of one or more content playback devices connected to the terminal, and generating a combined profile of the terminal according to a profile of the terminal and the collected profile of the one or more content playback devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Paul Barom Jeon
  • Patent number: 9495449
    Abstract: Described is a technology by which a playback list comprising similar songs is automatically built based on automatically detected/generated song attributes, such as by extracting numeric features of each song. The attributes may be downloaded from a remote connection, and/or may be locally generated on the playback device. To build a playlist, a seed song's attributes may be compared against attributes of other songs to determine which other songs are similar to the seed song and thus included in the playlist. Another way to build a playlist is based on similarity of songs to a set of user provided-attributes, such as corresponding to moods or usage modes such as “resting” “reading” “jogging” or “driving” moods/modes. The playlist may be dynamically adjusted based on user interaction with the device, such as when a user skips a song, queues a song, or dequeues a song.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Lie Lu, Frank Torsten Bernd Seide, Gabriel White
  • Patent number: 9495450
    Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of providing an interactive audio presentation, at least in part, by traversing a plurality of audio animations, each audio animation comprising a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames comprising a duration, at least one audio element, and at least one gate indicating criteria for transitioning to and identification of a subsequent frame according to one or more probabilities, and/or a subsequent animation is provided. The method comprises rendering a first audio animation, receiving input from the user associated with the presentation, selecting a second audio animation based, at least in part, on the input, and rendering the second audio animation. Some aspects include a system for performing the above method and some aspects include a computer readable medium storing instructions that perform the above method when executed by at least one processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert M. Kilgore
  • Patent number: 9495451
    Abstract: Methods and systems to identify video content based on video fingerprint matching are described. In some example embodiments, the methods and systems generate a query fingerprint of a frame of video content captured at a client device, query a database of reference fingerprints, determine the query fingerprint of the frame of captured video content matches a reference fingerprint, and identify the video content based on the match of fingerprints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Gracenote, Inc.
    Inventor: Wilson Harron
  • Patent number: 9495452
    Abstract: Techniques are described for generating an authority value of a first one of a plurality of documents. A first component of the authority value is generated with reference to outbound links associated with the first document. The outbound links enable access to a first subset of the plurality of documents. A second component of the authority value is generated with reference to a second subset of the plurality of documents. Each of the second subset of documents represents a potential starting point for a user session. A third component of the authority value is generated representing a likelihood that a user session initiated by any of a population of users will end with the first document. The first, second, and third components of the authority value are combined to generate the authority value. At least one of the first, second, and third components of the authority value is computed with reference to user data relating to at least some of the outbound links and the second subset of documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Pavel Berkhin, Usama M. Fayyad, Prabhakar Raghavan, Andrew Tomkins
  • Patent number: 9495453
    Abstract: Web crawling polices are generated based on user web browsing statistics. User browsing statistics are aggregated at the granularity of resource identifier patterns (such as URL patterns) that denote groups of resources within a particular domain or website that share syntax at a certain level of granularity. The web crawl policies rank the resource identifier patterns according to their associated aggregated user browsing statistics. A crawl ordering defined by the web crawl polices is used to download and discover new resources within a domain or website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Rui Cai, Xiaodong Fan, Lei Zhang
  • Patent number: 9495454
    Abstract: A system, method and user apparatus dynamically reclassify and retrieve target information object(s) among multiple information objects stored on a memory. Multiple attribute classifiers are corresponsive to the information objects. Displayable dynamical reclassifying hints (DRHs) are provided according to user input signal(s). When a first attribute classifier is determined by a central processing unit according to the user input signal, second attribute classifier(s) is determined and combined with one of the attribute classifiers together visibly on a display unit; wherein the second attribute classifier and the combined one of attribute classifier corresponds to same one(s) of the information objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Inventor: Chih-Pin Tang
  • Patent number: 9495455
    Abstract: A method and/or system for programming a dynamic digital media queue may include receiving, from an electronic device, a request for a digital media queue. The request may comprise request data. In response to the request, a search of one or more events may be performed. The search of the one or more events may be based on a current date, a current location of the electronic device and/or the request data. One or more digital media items may be determined based on the search. A recommended digital media queue may be determined. The recommended digital media queue may comprise one or more recommended digital media items. Recommendation data may be sent to the electronic device. The recommendation data may comprise the recommended digital media queue and one or more reasons explaining why the recommended digital media queue comprises the one or more recommended digital media items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Brett Rose
  • Patent number: 9495456
    Abstract: A server device is configured to receive criteria that indicate when a microsite is to be provided to a user device. The user device is configured to obtain sensor data and user profile data and send the sensor data and the user profile data to the server device. The server device is configured to receive the sensor data and the user profile data, identify a relevant microsite, and provide information regarding the relevant microsite to the user device. In some cases, the service device is configured to identify that a particular microsite has been purchased by a user of the user device and provide information, to the user device, identifying that the particular microsite has been purchased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Morten Just Petersen, Francisco Campoy Flores, Emmet J. Connolly, Joao Paulo Gil De Paiva, Bartlomiej Borawski
  • Patent number: 9495457
    Abstract: An offline system of a question and answer system includes a batch update crawl cluster that includes a crawl database within the file system, and a map reducer within the index controller, the map reducer having a reducer core with a plurality of slow queues that retrieve the content from the crawl database, and a reducer adapter that writes an output of the reducer core into the hierarchical database. The offline system further includes a fast update crawl cluster that includes a crawl database within the file system, and a map reducer within the index controller, the map reducer having a reducer core with a plurality of fast queues that retrieve the content from the crawl database at a faster frequency than the slow queues, and a reducer adapter that writes an output of the reducer core into the hierarchical database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: IAC Search & Media, Inc.
    Inventors: Vaijanath N. Rao, Bhawna Singh
  • Patent number: 9495458
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer readable medium generate a webpage using keywords identified from user input and user email communications. The keywords are identified, ranked, and transmitted to a server where a search engine uses one or more of the keywords to identify items of interest such as articles or videos. A web page is generated using selected items of interest or links to the items of interest which may then be displayed to a user as the user's homepage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Wayne Crolley
  • Patent number: 9495459
    Abstract: Crawling computer-based documents by performing static analysis on a computer-based document to identify within the computer-based document one or more execution vectors, where each execution vector includes a computer program segment including a call to an entity that is external to the computer-based document, and one or more additional computer program segments whose execution precedes and leads ultimately to execution of the computer program segment that includes the call to the entity, and causing any of the computer program segments in any of the execution vectors to be executed during a crawling of the computer-based document, and any computer program segment within the computer-based document that is excluded from the execution vectors to be excluded from execution during the crawling of the computer-based document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shahar Sperling, Omer Tripp, Omri Weisman
  • Patent number: 9495460
    Abstract: Merging search results is required, for example, where an information retrieval system issues a query to multiple sources and obtains multiple results lists. In an embodiment a search engine at an Enterprise domain sends a query to the Enterprise search engine and also to a public Internet search engine. In embodiments, results lists obtained from different sources are merged using a merging model which is learnt using a machine learning process and updates when click-through data is observed for example. In examples, user information available in the Enterprise domain is used to influence the merging process to improve the relevance of results. In some examples, the user information is used for query modification. In an embodiment a user is able to impersonate a user of a specified group in order to promote particular results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Taylor, Filiip Radlinski, Milad Shokouhi
  • Patent number: 9495461
    Abstract: A system and method for presenting content in response to receiving a portion of a search query. A computing device receives, over a network from a user computer, a portion of a search query submitted by a user in a search query entry area. The computing device receives, from a search suggestion module, one or more search suggestions related to the portion of the query. The computing device transmits, to the user computer, the one or more search suggestions for display in a search suggestion region, the search suggestion region displayed differently than a search results area. The computing device transmits a search suggestion of the one or more search suggestions to a rich content module. The rich content module generates rich content related to the transmitted search suggestion. The computing device transmits, to the user computer, the rich content for display in the search suggestion region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC
    Inventors: Ethan Batraski, Vivian Lin Dufour, Aarti Parmar, Shenhong Zhu, Olivia Franklin
  • Patent number: 9495462
    Abstract: Search results obtained from a ranking model are re-ranked based on user-configured ranking rules. For example, a user may desire to: place certain search results at a top/bottom of a ranking of search results; remove some search results; and/or adjust a ranking of some of the search results. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows a user to configure the ranking rules (e.g. enter key/value restrictions and to set a boost value) and to preview an application of one or more of the ranking rules. Query language operators that follow a standard operator syntax are created based on the inputs (e.g. a ranking query operator is created that may include multiple user supplied parameters). The user may also specify a portion of the results from which statistics (e.g. standard deviation, average score) are calculated. For example, a user may specify to calculate statistics for the top N number results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Victor Poznanski, Oivind Wang, Fredrik Holm, Nicolai Bodd, Vladimir Tankovich, Dmitriy Meyerzon
  • Patent number: 9495463
    Abstract: A first candidate answer to a time-sensitive question received by a question answering (QA) system is identified using a first document. A first temporal confidence subscore of the first candidate answer is then calculated using a first temporal confidence rule. A first general confidence score is then generated based on at least the first temporal confidence subscore. A second candidate answer to the question is identified using a second document. A second temporal confidence subscore of the second candidate answer is then calculated using a second temporal confidence rule. A second general confidence score is then generated based on at least the second temporal confidence subscore. The first general confidence score and the second general confidence score are then compared. Based on this comparison, a final answer is selected from the first candidate answer and the second candidate answer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Richard A. Salmon, Eric Woods
  • Patent number: 9495464
    Abstract: An approach for managing a family tree archive is provided. The approach includes creating an electronic archive based on a family tree. The approach also includes automatically discovering Internet-based data associated with at least one member of the family tree. The approach additionally includes adding the Internet-based data to the archive. The approach further includes storing the archive at a storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael D. Hale, Tian M. Pan, Randy A. Rendahl
  • Patent number: 9495465
    Abstract: A system and method of searching for physical media articles available from article dispensing machines within a geographic proximity is provided. Searching may include matching keywords in search criteria or using predefined search criteria for browsing of static or dynamic listings of media content. The method includes receiving a search request including search criteria, and searching the metadata database for a physical media article matching the search criteria. The method also includes determining the availability of the matching media article at an article dispensing machine. The geographic location of article dispensing machines with available matching media articles is determined, based on personally identifying information such as an IP or MAC address. The geographic location may be limited by a proximity from an audio/visual display interface. A search result set with the matching media articles is provided, based on their availabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Redbox Automated Retail, LLC
    Inventors: Brad Bowers, Imran Maskatia, Jason Rubinstein
  • Patent number: 9495466
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for querying a database table containing point spatial data and without indexes is provided. A request for point spatial data in the table includes a query window provided by the user and describing an area of interest in which the user desires the point spatial data contained therein. The query window is tiled to create interior tiles and boundary tiles. A first query is formed to determine the point spatial data contained in the interior tiles. A second query is formed to determine the point spatial data contained within the boundary tiles and also within the query window. The second query includes a function that tests to determine whether the point spatial data within a boundary tile also lies within the query window. The first and second queries are executed in part on an enhanced data storage device and the results joined and returned to the user in answer to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ORACLE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Geringer, Siva Ravada, Richard J. Anderson, Ying Hu