Abstract: The field of the invention relates to multi-user online gaming systems, and more particularly to systems and methods that enable a spectator's experience for online active games. In a preferred embodiment, an online multiuser game system includes a user matching system configured to match users for a game session, wherein the user matching system is enabled to match a first user with another user based at least in part on behavior data in the first user's profile.

Abstract: A machine may be configured to generate an enhanced user interface for displaying social analytics based on viral mentions and threading. For example, the machine accesses a plurality of items of digital content. The machine extracts, for each of the plurality of items of digital content, a title that describes a particular item of digital content. The machine generates a group of items of digital content based on the extracted titles associated with the plurality of items of digital content. The machine identifies, from the group of items of digital content, an original item of digital content and one or more subsequent items of digital content. The machine determines a strength value associated with the original item of digital content. The machine generates and causes a display of an enhanced user interface that displays the title and the strength value associated with the original item of digital content.

Abstract: For sharing of information in a virtual or online environment, methods and systems are provided which enable verifying attributes of an individual. An individual registered for participation in a virtual or online environment may provide evidence of the attributes from a verification source that exists outside the virtual or online environment. An administrator associated with the virtual or online environment verifies the attributes by receipt of the evidence. Alternatively, the attribute for the individual may be verified after receipt of one or more signals indicating individuals registered for participation in the virtual or online environment have corroborated the attributes. A verification indication for an attribute may be shared with other individuals in the virtual or online environment.

Abstract: An online social networking system receives an unstructured job title record from a profile of a member or a job posting. The system extracts a raw job title from the unstructured job title record, and extracts a first seniority level from the raw job title. The first seniority level is a seniority modifier associated with the raw job title. The system determines a second seniority level. The second seniority level is a company seniority within the company associated with the unstructured job title record. The system determines a third seniority level. The third seniority level is a seniority score for the member or the job posting. The system compares the seniority score with a second seniority score, and communicates with the member, or transmits the job posting to the member, based on the comparison of the seniority score and the second seniority score.

Abstract: A machine for indirect ink-jet printing and more generally to a machine for indirect digital printing. A first transfer roller is at a printing position at which it provides ink to a first printing roller. The first printing roller engages and transfers ink onto a counter roller for the printing. When its printing has been completed, the first printing roller is moved to a storage position. A second printing roller is selectively moved from a waiting position to the working position to provide ink. The rollers are moved along guides between their positions.

Abstract: For sharing of information in a virtual or online environment, methods and systems are provided which enable verifying attributes of an individual. An individual registered for participation in a virtual or online environment may provide evidence of the attributes from a verification source that exists outside the virtual or online environment. An administrator associated with the virtual or online environment verifies the attributes by receipt of the evidence. Alternatively, the attribute for the individual may be verified after receipt of one or more signals indicating individuals registered for participation in the virtual or online environment have corroborated the attributes. A verification indication for an attribute may be shared with other individuals in the virtual or online environment.

Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for using social information to determine influencers amongst a group of subscribers subscribing to services offered by a wireless-service carrier. A group of subscribers is identified, and a level of social-connectedness for each subscriber is determined based on cliques shared by pairs of subscribers and common friends shared by pairs of subscribers. An overall influence score is generated for each subscriber based on the level of social-connectedness. A set of subscribers is identified as having high influence scores; the set of subscribers comprises influencers. Incentives are provided to the set of subscribers.

Abstract: To provide a printing apparatus and a method for determining a service life of a cleaning mechanism, capable of more accurately determining a service life of a cleaning mechanism. For the purpose, a service life of a recovery unit is determined by multiplication of a number of times a blade wipes a face surface by a coefficient different depending on a quantity of liquid adhering to the face surface.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating relationships across multiple networks is described. The meta-network includes relationship information describing users, the networks to which such users belong, and the relationships that they have established within such networks. When a relationship is established in a network, it can be used to propagate relationships across any number of networks with the same or different users. The meta-network enhances the users' ability to search for information and manage their relationships across multiple networks. A user can search for other users according to one or more user-specified attributes. One or more users satisfying the user-specified attributes are identified, and a similarity measure may be determined for each of the identified users. A mapping interface is displayed to the user to enable the user to visually compare the identified users having a similarity measure within the displayed range.

Abstract: Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for onboarding a new employee to an organization. Aspects include receiving, by a processor, employee data comprising an employee group associated with the new employee of the organization. Identifying other employees that belong to the employee group and obtaining a set of permissions associated with each of the other employees. Determining a set of group permissions based on a combination of the set of permissions of each of the other employees. Aspects also include calculating an access score for each of the set of group permissions, and determining a set of suggested access permissions for the new employee based on the set of group permissions and the access score.

Abstract: A system includes a memory storing a dataset representing a community of users of a social networking service, the social networking service providing a platform enabling a user within the community to communicate with at least one of a plurality of other users within the community. The system includes a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to determine a ranking of the service users in the dataset based on an initial influence score for at least one of the users. The processor is also configured to determine a contribution to a first user within the community by at least one second user of the plurality of other users within the community, and calculate an influence score for the first user. The ranking is revised based at least in part on the calculated influence score, and information is rendered to a target user based on the revised ranking.

Abstract: A method for providing a social network service includes: (a) setting an access threshold value for a content belonging to a content owner and a weight value for one or more communities of which the content owner is a member; (b) extracting a community of which a content requester is a member from among the communities of which the content owner is a member, when a request for the content is received from the content requester, and calculating an activity value of the content requester for the extracted community; (c) calculating a reputation value for the content requester by using one or more of a number of the extracted communities, a weight value set for the extracted communities, and the calculated activity value; and (d) providing the content requester with authorization to access the content according to a comparison result between the reputation value and the access threshold value.

Abstract: Techniques for inferring a professional reputation for a member of an online social networking service are described. A recommendation graph is generated from professional recommendations submitted by members of the online social networking service for other members of the online social networking service. Using the generated recommendation graph, a reputation model is trained to learn a respective importance for each respective feature of a set of features of electronic profiles on the online social networking service. A professional reputation of a member of the online social networking service is estimated by applying the trained reputation model to a feature vector of the electronic profile of the member, producing a score representing the professional reputation of the member.

Abstract: Techniques for ascribing social attributes to content items and for selecting content to display in a content feed are described. According to various embodiments, accessing one or more content items accessible via a network are accessed, each of the content items having received one or more social activity signals. Thereafter, members of an online social network service that submitted the social activity signals may be identified. Member profile data identifying member profile attributes of the members cemented the social activity signals may then be accessed. Thereafter, social attribute information may be generated and associated with each of the content items, the social attribute information identifying the member profile attributes of the members that submitted the social activity signals associated with each of the content items.

Abstract: A method for managing closeness of a connection in SNS is provided and includes: calculating an intimacy distance of a connection based on times of activities or amount of interactions between a user and the other end of the connection, tuning the intimacy distance by other factors the user chooses; controlling the closeness of a connection and in disclosure according to the intimacy distance calculated. With the embodiments of the present invention, a user can control the closeness of a connection and control data disclosure based on the closeness with individual people regardless of their groups or circles.

Abstract: A story describing an activity performed by an interacting user is distributed to viewing users according to the influencer scores for the viewing users. Each influencer score can be calculated based at least in part on the influence of a viewing user on those users connected to the viewing user, and on the influencer scores for the users connected to the viewing user. Based on the determined influencer scores, at least one of the viewing users can be provided with the story describing the activity performed by the interacting user.

Abstract: A golf club cleaner includes a container and a cleaning unit with a free end spaced from a base of the container for a club face to be positioned and cleaned.

Abstract: During an analysis technique, a cohort of individuals is identified based on a set of attributes. Significance metrics for the individuals in the cohort are calculated based on profiles of the individuals and behaviors of the group of individuals, which includes the cohort, when interacting with the profiles. For example, a significance metric for a given individual may include a number of views of a profile of the given individual, by a group of individuals, during a time interval and/or a number of connection requests to the profile of the given individual, by the group of individuals, during the time interval. Based on the significance metrics, the subset of the individuals may be identified. This subset may include individuals that have achieved career milestones exceeding those of the other individuals in the cohort (e.g., notable individuals).

Abstract: In one implementation, data associated with user identities within an electronic social networking platform is extracted from the electronic social networking platform. A subset of these user identities may have endorsed a particular entity within the electronic social networking platform, and a segment of user identities within this subset may be identified. Content then may be delivered to at least some of the user identities within the segment.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided an apparatus comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code. The memory and the computer code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to be able to determine a graphical indicator for display to the originator of personal user data. The graphical indicator is a graphical representation of a determined interest value of one or more viewers to the personal user data. This determined interest value is generated using feedback signalling representative of the feedback provided by changes in facial expression of respective viewers to viewing said personal user data.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating relationships across multiple networks is described. The meta-network includes relationship information describing users, the networks to which such users belong, and the relationships that they have established within such networks. When a relationship is established in a network, it can be used to propagate relationships across any number of networks with the same or different users. The meta-network enhances the users' ability to search for information and manage their relationships across multiple networks. A user can search for other users according to one or more user-specified attributes. One or more users satisfying the user-specified attributes are identified, and a similarity measure may be determined for each of the identified users. A mapping interface is displayed to the user to enable the user to visually compare the identified users having a similarity measure within the displayed range.

Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for using social information to determine influencers amongst a group of subscribers subscribing to services offered by a wireless-service carrier. A group of subscribers is identified, and a level of social-connectedness for each subscriber is determined based on cliques shared by pairs of subscribers and common friends shared by pairs of subscribers. An overall influence score is generated for each subscriber based on the level of social-connectedness. A set of subscribers is identified as having high influence scores; the set of subscribers comprises influencers. Incentives are provided to the set of subscribers.

Abstract: A social network server computer forms a social network including a primary member linked to a plurality of secondary members, each of whom provides a member profile. A network profile is generated based on an analysis of the member profiles. A social network server computer then determines a relative value of the social network with respect to a merchant by analyzing the associated network profile, and offers a merchant incentive to the primary member of the network as a function of the determined relative value. In a second embodiment, a merchant computer associated with a merchant determines a relative value of the social network with respect to a merchant by analyzing the network profile, and offers a merchant incentive to the primary member of the network as a function of the determined relative value. The merchant incentives may be also offered to the secondary members of the associated social network.

Abstract: An automatic stamping apparatus includes a conveyor for conveying a stamping object, a stamper for stamping a pattern and two-dimensional bar code information on the stamping object, a reader for reading the pattern and the two-dimensional bar code information, and an information processor for determining a pattern and two-dimensional bar code information to be stamped on the stamping object, controlling the stamper based on the determined pattern and two-dimensional bar code information, receiving the stamped pattern and two-dimensional bar code information of the stamping object read by the reader, comparing the received stamped pattern and two-dimensional bar code information with a pattern and two-dimensional bar code information to be stamped on the stamping object, thus verifying the accuracy of the stamping.

Abstract: The letterpress printing machine includes an impression cylinder (8), at least one inking device (11, 12, 13) with an inking train comprising inking rollers (25, 26, 28) and at least one letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) inked by said at least one inking device (11, 12, 13). The at least one letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) is driven by first drive means (30), whereas the at least one inking device (11, 12, 13) is driven by second drive means (31, 32, 33), the second drive means (31, 32, 33) being mechanically independent from the first drive means (30). A control unit is coupled to the second drive means (31, 32, 33) to adjust a circumferential speed of the inking rollers (25, 26, 28) with respect to a circumferential speed of the letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) so as to adjust deposition of ink by the inking device (11, 12, 13) on the letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16).

Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a printing press including a plurality of print units and, optionally, a folder. Each print unit has one or more cylinders, a motor for driving the cylinders; an encoder for providing a cylinder position signal, a controller coupled to the encoder, the motor, a bus which interconnects each of the controllers and an input port for designating the controller as either master or slave. Any one of the controllers is selectively set as a master controller and the remaining controllers are set as slave controllers. The master controller generates a control signal based on a signal from the input port and outputs the control signal to the motor via the output port and to the slave controllers via the bus. Each of the slave controllers outputs a signal on the respective output port based on the received control signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printer including a transverse tension sensor for detecting that a sheet being discharged has deviated in a paper width direction orthogonal to a discharging direction. The conveyance of the sheet is stopped based on a detection signal of the transverse tension sensor.

Abstract: An actuation device for an endorsing roller in an automated document processing system is disclosed. The actuation device includes a shape memory alloy actuator interconnected with an endorsing roller, the shape memory alloy actuator interconnected with the endorsing roller and configured to be actuated to move the endorsing roller from a retracted position to a printing position.

Abstract: A system and method for printing documents on a continuous web of printable material by merging document data with form information and formatting the merged result into a printable simplexed or duplexed lazy-portrait narrow-edge-to-narrow-edge page format and printing the merged result to produce simplexed or duplexed lazy-portrait narrow-edge-to-narrow-edge pages on the continuous web of printable material.

Abstract: To enable fabric of any length to be continuously printed without causing a textile printing unit to cease its operation, a textile printing method is provided in which fabric is conveyed by a conveyer belt and passed through a printing section to print on the fabric, the printing section having a textile printing ink jet printer disposed opposite the conveyer belt, wherein the printing section is continuously supplied with the fabric comprising a plurality of successive sheets of fabric, each sheet having a given length, such a sheet of fabric for supply into the printing section having a terminal end tied with a starting end of a sheet of a fabric for continuous succeeding supply in the state that the terminal and starting ends are in contact with each other.

Abstract: Apparatus designed to cancel at least one postage or franking mark on a surface of a mailpiece moving on edge in a belt conveyor, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor portion with a plurality of small superposed belts and a plurality of superposed print heads; and control means for controlling the print heads in such a manner as to cause a print head to print one or more cancellation marks over the franking mark(s) detected on the mailpiece. Each print head is suitable for operating selectively with a plurality of superposed inkjets so as to print only a portion (¾, ½, ¼) of said cancellation mark or a scaled-down version thereof over the franking mark when said franking mark is positioned in such a manner as to be off-center between two belts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing information about printing plates to be manufactured for a new production of a printing press, wherein a use of at least one of said printing plates at the point of use thereof in the printing press is visualized on a display of a display apparatus, wherein several different positions exist at the point of use of the respective printing plate, each of said positions relating to one of several installation positions on a plate cylinder comprising the several installation positions and disposed in the printing press or relating to one of several storage positions of a printing plate magazine of the printing press comprising several storage positions, wherein by means of the display of the display apparatus simultaneously several different points of use in the printing press are displayed, wherein the display displays at which of the positions of a point of use comprising several positions a printing plate is to be provided, wherein the display add

Abstract: In a franking machine for printing a postal imprint on a mailpiece, which machine is provided with feed slot for feeding the mailpiece into the machine and with a print head for printing said postal imprint line-by-line while the mailpiece is moving under the print head, synchronization means are also provided for acting so that the command to print said postal imprint is synchronized with manual removal of said mailpiece from the machine by an operator.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for dependable transmission of data from a data center to terminal equipment, particularly transmission of fee schedule table data to a postage-calculating scale or postage meter machine, new postage fee schedule table data are offered at the data center for future postage calculation. In a first communication between the data center and the terminal equipment, a request for postage fee schedule table data is formed at the terminal equipment and is communicated to the data center, and the data center receives the request and transmits the requested new service data to the terminal equipment, and the terminal equipment receives and stores the new service data.

Abstract: A mailing machine for processing mailpiece envelopes, wherein a print station thereof is reconfigurable to process envelopes in two operating modes. The reconfigurable print station includes a displacement device having an integrated cutting mechanism to perform both printing and cutting operations. The displacement device includes a displacement surface for urging the mailpiece envelopes against a registration surface to facilitate print operations and a cutting mechanism coupled to the displacement device for cutting the sheet material in a direction substantially parallel to the processing path of the mailpiece envelope. The cutting device is adapted to be repositioned relative to the displacement surface such that, (i) in a first operating mode, the cutting device is retracted beneath or below the plane of the displacement surface, and (ii) in a second operating mode, the cutting device is extended above the plane of the displacement surface to cut the sheet material as it traverses the processing path.

Abstract: A postage meter includes a slot to receive insertion of an envelope. A registration plate defines a top side of the slot. The registration plate has a window formed therein. The registration plate is for defining a printing location for a top surface of the envelope. A print head is mounted above the registration plate for printing a postage indicium on the top surface of the envelope. The postage meter includes a spring-loaded platform for pressing the envelope against the registration plate. The platform has a recess therein facing the window in the registration plate. The recess has a depth of at least about 5 mm. A cantilever spring is positioned between the window and the recess to apply an upward force to the envelope.

Abstract: The invention relates to a franking machine comprising an inkjet printing unit with two printing heads (301A, 301B), for printing on flat posted objects which can be inserted or run through the unit, such as letters or postcards. Said machine further comprises a guide piece (317), arranged around the print heads (301A, 301B) and projecting relative to the common jet opening plane thereof. A transport device for the posted objects is connected to said guide piece, with two drive rollers which, together with the guide piece, form a transport path and which are mounted before and after the print head, relative to the transport direction. The printing heads (301A, 301B) form a common jet opening plane and on the jet opening plane are rectangular in form, arranged at a steep angle to the direction of travel of the posted objects and mutually offset from each other.

Abstract: Mail location apparatus for a postal meter is disclosed in which a required location of a mail piece to receive a postal indicium imprint is defined by guide walls which are engaged by adjacent edges of the mail piece when the mail piece is in the required location. A sensor is provided to provide an indication when the mail piece is in the required location. The sensor includes a sensor element having a face inclined to both guide walls. When a mail piece is inserted, a corner of the mail piece between the two edges of the mail piece engages the face of the sensor element and displaces the sensor element to output an electrical signal when the mail piece is in the required location with the edges thereof engaging the guide walls.

Abstract: A system that determines if mail contains life-harming materials before the mail enters the interior of a receptacle, i.e., mail box. This invention accomplishes the foregoing by issuing stamps that uniquely identify the stamp and identify the mailer to whom the stamp was issued; having a scanner at a receptacle read the stamp and send the unique identifying code contained in the stamp to a data center that checks if the stamp is genuine; and stores the stamps unique code before mail is permitted to enter the interior of the receptacle.

Abstract: The invention is a method and system of modifying print stream data. The method begins by sending a print stream from an application through a graphical device interface to a print spooler. A print stream monitor determines whether or not the print stream comprises a set of text data and/or a set of address data. If the print stream comprises text data, then the text data is tagged and sent to a user mode module where it is stored in a local buffer. The tagged and stored text data is then retrieved and parsed for any address which may be contained within the tagged text. The address data is then extracted from the print stream and placed in an envelope print format to create an envelope data set. An envelope printer device context is then created and the envelope data set is transmitted to an envelope kernel for creating an envelope printer device language file. The print stream is converted by a document printer command language (PCL) generator into an envelope printer language.

Abstract: A shunt track is provided in a transport device for drawing in a length of material through the use of a drawing mechanism which is guided by the track. The shunt track includes a first guide section with one end that is selectively alignable with a second or a third guide section. A second end of the first guide section is fixed in place.

Abstract: The invention relates to a franking machine, comprising at least one print head of an ink-jet printing mechanism for printing flat postal items such as letters or postcards, which can be introduced into said mechanism or which pass through the same. Said franking machine consists of a guiding part (39) which is located around the print head and projects in relation to the nozzle opening plane of said print head and with which a conveying device is associated, said conveying device transporting the postal items between itself and conveying rollers lying opposite and rotating about axes that are located crosswise to the conveying direction. Said conveying device has two drive-connected driving rollers (32, 33) which together with the guiding part (39), form a path of travel. The driving rollers are located in front of and behind the print head in relation to the conveying direction.

Abstract: A stamp apparatus having a conveying belt pair for conveying a mail matter in an arrow T direction, sensor for detecting the conveyed mail matter, a stamp hub which roll-contacts a postage stamp portion of the mail matter, rotates, and stamps the portion with a postmark, and a backup roller for pressing the conveyed mail matter onto the stamp hub. The stamp hub is directly connected to the AC servo motor, and is rotated at a speed equal to a conveying speed of the mail matter, when a effective region contacts the mail matter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing information, such as postal indicia and other information, on a medium. The system is implemented by detecting a type of medium and entering a printing mode as a function of the type of medium detected. The printing mode is either an envelope printing mode or a tape/label printing mode. When in the envelope printing mode, a print module is positioned at a first position, and prints postal indicia data on a first area of the envelope. The print module is then positioned at a second position. Additional data is obtained and the additional data is printed on a second area of the envelope. The print module is then positioned at a third position and recipient address data is obtained and printed on a third area of the envelope. The print module is positioned at a fourth position, and sender address information is obtained and printed on a fourth area of the envelope.

Abstract: An arrangement for printing a print image having regions of different print image resolution onto a moving postal item in a mail processing device has a microprocessor, a pixel memory, a read-only memory and a print data controller for pixel data editing while printing with a printhead. The microprocessor is programmed to operate from data in the read-only memory, a number of data strings having a switchable number of data words and to store them in the pixel memory. A maximum number of data words per data string is downwardly transgressed when the pixel data are stored compressed. The print data controller undertakes pixel data editing while printing with the printhead and is equipped to decompress the compressed pixel data per data string and to supplement the pixel data missing due to the compression such that the reduction of the number of data words per data string corresponds to the reduction in the resolution during printing.

Abstract: In franking machines (1), the printing head (2) of a printing mechanism (3) is susceptible to interference by dust particles, which are introduced by the transport of the objects to be mailed such as letters, postcards, and printed matter and by the objects themselves. It is therefore proposed that a suction air or compressed air device (9) be installed in the franking machine (1) at least in the area near the printing head (2) to protect it from dust-like foreign materials, etc.

Abstract: A method for controlling the printing in a mail processing device proceeds on the basis of a word-by-word storage of binary pixel data in the pixel memory with a predefined number of successive data words forming a data string, and a predefined number of data strings representing at least one print image. This facilitates a modification of variable binary pixel data in the pixel memory when the sequence of the binary pixel data in at least a part of the respective data string coincides with the sequence of pixels in at least one corresponding print image column that is provided for the printing. After a word-by-word transmission of binary pixel data of a data string from the pixel memory by direct memory access (DMA), an intermediate storage of the data string ensues in a pixel data editing unit before a pixel data editing is implemented during the printing with an ink jet printhead.

Abstract: An arrangement for controlling the printing in a mail-processing device has a print data controller for pixel data editing while printing with a print heads. The print data controller is composed of a pixel data-editing unit and a circuit including a DMA controller, an address is generator and a printer controller. The DMA controller allows access to the binary pixel data stored in the pixel memory in order to make the data available to the pixel data-editing unit in data strings. The address generator generates addresses that are supplied to the pixel data-editing unit for the selection of the binary pixel data from an intermediately stored data string and for grouping in the required sequence. The printer controller drives the pixel data-editing unit in order to supply the binary pixel data in groups to a driver unit for the print head.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for providing a pictorial cancellation mark that may be applied to the postage indicia on a mailpiece. The pictorial cancellation originates as a digital image that is then printed through a printer on the mailpiece. This invention takes advantage of the technology now available in digital printing techniques to vary the pictorial cancellation through a variety of color, sizes, shapes, and images. Pictorial cancellations may thus be individualized for markets, applications, and unique purposes.

Abstract: The franking machine has a clamping device which can be driven via a drive device and which securely clamps an item of mail to be franked against a stop element. The clamping device has a clamping unit, which is provided for interacting with the item of mail, and a gearing device which is connected to the clamping unit and the drive device. The gearing device displaces the clamping unit in the direction of the stop element. The clamping unit and/or the gearing device have at least one compensation section which is configured elastically such that, in the case of a predetermined drive displacement of the drive device, compensation for different thicknesses of the item of mail is provided by elastic deformation of the compensation section.